Pheasant Tails

[mitch]

My dad and I have a tradition of keeping the longest tailfeather of each rooster we shoot. Last week he got his longest it was 24 1/4" What is the longest tail feather you have pulled from a bird you shot?

[sdstate]

I recently got a rooster that went 25 1/4 inches. Pretty big bird but i didnt realize how big. I prolly would have gotten it mounted if i knew he was that big.

[Dag_1979]

Shot a 24.5" on thanksgiving morning. Here's a pic

[phishandpheasant]

I recently shot a 26 5/8" tailed big boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never seen one that long before.

[slabberknocker]

The first thing I look at when i pick up a bird is the spur. We have some that 1 7/8, and razor sharp.

Slab

[BobT]

23.75" two weeks ago. Anyone know what the state record is, if there is any record?

Bob

[LovenLifeGuy]

I just measured three from this past weekends trip to South Dakota that were over 25. They were big birds!

LovenLifeGuy

[walleye vision]

So...always wondered this...when measuring the tail feather, do you start measuring from the base of the feather, or from where the feathers actually start coming out of the shaft?

[LovenLifeGuy]

Mine I just measure were all from the base of the feather since they had been pulled from the bird. When attached I guess I do it from the feathers.

[sdstatekid]

I got a rooster out here last december that went just under 26". I don't know about a state record, but a couple years ago pheasants forever had a picture of one a guy in Iowa shot. I think that one had 31 or 32" tailfeathers.

[huntnfish]

I measure my tail feathers from the quill after I pull it out to the tip. The longest I have ever seen is 23.5 and that thing was huge. Dag, how was that one measured? I am curious if there are any records kept for this kind of thing. It sure is easy to miss a big bird when all you see is tail feathers. I took the feathers off one last weekend.

[sdstatekid]

When you measure the spur is that from the front of the leg or the base of the spur? My grandpa shot one a while back that went obout an inch from the base of the spur, but the tip of the spur was blunt. He said the whole spur was a lot thicker than anyother bird he had evershot. He also said it wasnt very colorful, really dull looking, so he guessed it was probably 5 or 6 years old.

[huntnfish]

I think the spur really tells a lot more than the tail does. An inch long spur is an old bird. That is a trophy bird.

[MDD]

sdstatekid~

Check out this HSOforum....here is how the NPWRC measures the spurs http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/upland/pheasant.htm

Also, if someone shot a 5-6 year old pheasant that's incrdible!! Here are some facts on pheasants and how long they live.

Biological Facts

Weight: males 41-46 oz; females 31-34 oz.

Length: 30”-36”.

Flight speed: 38-48 mph.

Habitat: grasslands, wetlands, and brushy areas interspersed with agriculture.

Foods: waste grains and weed seeds.

Life expectancy: 70% annual mortality rate; 2-3% of population lives to age 3.

Mating: polygamous; one male breeds many females.

Nesting period: peak April-June, range March-August.

Nests: usually shallow, scratched-out depression in the ground lined with grass or leaves.

Clutch size: 11 eggs for first nests.

Eggs: olive-brown; ovate (17/8” x 13/8”).

Incubation: 23 days.

Young: precoccial; leave nest immediately; can make short flights at 12-14 days.

Number broods per year: 1; will renest up to 4 times.

Nest success: ave. 43%.

Fledge: hen and brood separate 8-11 weeks post-hatch.

Recruitment: ave. 3.7 young/hen.

Migration: none; year-round resident.

[BLACKJACK]

Interesting web site concerning pheasants. They measure the spurs 'including the leg bone' and say that anything longer than 3/4 inch is an old bird.

I once shot a rooster with a tail feather 26 1/2 inches long!!! It was a late season bird shot in a cattail swamp. Won a pair of hunting boots in a long tail feather contest with it!!!

[sdstatekid]

I asked my grandpa about that bird again this past weekend. He said it was just a guess that it was 5 or 6 because of how thick and dull the spurs were even though they were really long, and how the feathers weren't brightly colored like most birds. He said it was the only ugly looking rooster he had ever seen. Maybe there was something wrong with it.