Interesting thought I had from yesterday

[millerms06]

What is everyone's take on the following:

Yesterday the dogs and I harvested a real nice rooster ten minutes before quitting time: our seventh one of the season. I thought I would bring it to a taxidermist to get it mounted. The property I hunted participates in the state pheasant stocking program which is conducted from September-November. I personally would never consider mounting a bird that I shot from a game farm, or a bird that wouldn't be considered wild. Both I and the taxidermist were skeptical as to whether it was a wild bird initially until the following was determined:

1. Spur length was similar to a bird well over a year old.
2. You could not poke through the nostrils with a needle suggesting blinders were not put on the bird. I would suspect it is possible a bird farm might not use blinders on their birds, but I personally have not witnessed a bird raising operation ever doing so. I do plan on contacting the establishment that supplies the DNR to get their answer if they do or not.

But it brings up a question that I had: was this bird considered a wild bird or a pen raised bird? If it was pen raised, does anyone out there constitute a liberated bird a wild bird if it survives onto the next hunting season? And, if it was liberated last year, could the cartilage between the nostrils of the bird grow back? The series of events and questions surrounding this harvested rooster made me go ahead and have it mounted as it has a somewhat interesting story behind it now.

[Mountaineer]

...But it brings up a question that I had: was this bird considered a wild bird or a pen raised bird? If it was pen raised, does anyone out there constitute a liberated bird a wild bird if it survives onto the next hunting season? The series of events and questions surrounding this harvested rooster made me go ahead and have it mounted as it has a somewhat interesting story behind it now.

I see no reason to think far past the individual experience of harvesting a gamebird and if the experience merits mounting then the particulars of released or wild matters little.

A pheasant that survives a season deserves the term...wild.

[setternewbie]

A pheasant that survives a season deserves the term...wild.

Well put my friend. I agree

[ezzy333]

...But it brings up a question that I had: was this bird considered a wild bird or a pen raised bird? If it was pen raised, does anyone out there constitute a liberated bird a wild bird if it survives onto the next hunting season? The series of events and questions surrounding this harvested rooster made me go ahead and have it mounted as it has a somewhat interesting story behind it now.

I see no reason to think far past the individual experience of harvesting a gamebird and if the experience merits mounting then the particulars of released or wild matters little.

A pheasant that survives a season deserves the term...wild.

A bird is a bird. Mounting is done to preserve a memory and the history or pedigree of a bird has no bearing on it. There are ten thousand things a day that are more important to worry about. If it didn't walk up to you and commit suicide then it probably is wild. I know I have never seen a tame one no matter where it was raised.

Ezzy

[rinker]

Pheasants are not native to North America. They all go back to liberated birds at some point. I wouldn't think twice about it.

[millerms06]

[/quote]A pheasant that survives a season deserves the term...wild.[/quote]


I agree with you too. Just something that I had pondered with yesterday after visiting the taxidermist. I think whether the bird, wild or liberated from last year, should get props for being a very memorable bird. It had survived on the largest hunted properties in the state, and I am pretty proud of my dogs with how things unfolded.

Yes Ezzy I agree with you too. It was something that I wanted to find out what other people thought about. I only wish the result would have been nothing more than kind, unsarcastic conversation.

[TRoberts]

A pheasant that survives a season deserves the term...wild.

Well put my friend. I agree

+1