RING-NECKED PHEASANT The ring-necked pheasant, which became the state bird of South Dakota, is commonly found in agriculture farmlands with crops of corn, wheat, oats, barley or hay, or areas with grasslands mixed with small woodlands. Pheasant is a popular midwestern game bird, drawing hunters from across the nation each fall season.

 

Pheasants live along the fringe. Moving from roost, to gravel, to feed and water is easiest in edge habitat. The lone hunter and a dog will make the most points on midday jaunts through fringe cover. Here, the birds go to rest when the sun is high or to escape from the pressure a large hunting group may be putting on a nearby crop field.

When hunting along the edge of a river or lake, you may flush pheasants that have sought refuge on the fringes of nearby fields. Almost always, they'll fly over the water instead of back over the resting cover. These are the birds that have learned that at the first hint of danger, safety lies on the other side of the river.

One place we hunt has ranches on both sides of the river, with an island in the middle. When there are parties hunting both banks, this is the only time these birds are in any real danger. The island is their last place of refuge -- except when I bring my waders or a raft.

This mindset of hunting the edges also pays along the railroad tracks. Where the cinders end and the bushes start is good escape cover. And the bird will most often fly across or along a railroad track, rather than breaking back into the fields.

Ditches are another sideline play. When pushed, a seasoned rooster knows how to use a ditch, whether it's a dry irrigation canal or a barrow pit, to his best advantage. Once he hits the furrow, he'll go one way or the other, most often at top speed.

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