The ring-necked pheasant is one of the most popular game birds in North Dakota and is a favorite pasttime for those who are hunters. The hunting season for pheasants runs typically the first or second weekend of October through the first weekend of January. Our farm in the southeastern part of North Dakota has an abundance of the birds and love to hear their cackling especially in the spring during the mating season. We didn't hunt the birds that were close to the house and my mother enjoyed watching them come out of the tree rows and crop fields to eat gravel and strut around the farmstead.
My Mother passed away in April 2016 from Stage 4 lung cancer and Stage 4 COPD and I miss her every day. No matter the struggles she faced, she always had a positive outlook and I hope she installed that in me.
My intent with these caches along this I-94 route is to share an image and information pertaining to different birds that are common to our state and region. You are looking for a camo preform that will be hanging or sticking. Make sure cap is secure so they continue to be weather proof. Some of these areas are more busy than others. Make sure you park off the road and be aware of muggles. Please let me know if maintenance is needed. Please also keep off the ground so these caches can be winter friendly. If you find one of my signature items, it is yours to keep. If you already have found one of my signature items, please leave for someone who has not received one. Please bring your own writing tool. One is provided with the initial placement but you know how that goes.
Grow the Game and please take the time to read the Geocacher's Creed. http://www.geocreed.info/
Ring-necked Pheasant
Phasianus colchicus
Conservation status- Intensively managed as a game bird in most areas where it occurs in North America. Some populations here probably not self-sustaining, but are maintained by releases of game-farm birds.
Habitat- Farms, fields, marsh edges, brush. May live in any semi-open habitat. Sometimes in open grassland but more often in brushy meadows, woodland edges, hedgerows, farmland with mixed crops. Access to water may be important; pheasants are often common around edges of marshes, and are rarely found in very arid places.
Feeding Behavior
Typically feeds on ground, sometimes in trees. On ground, scratches with feet or digs with bill to uncover food.
Eggs
Usually 10-12, sometimes 6-15 or more. Plain olive-buff, rarely pale blue. Females sometimes lay eggs in each others' nests or in those of other birds; clutches of more than about 18 probably result from two or more females. Incubation is by female only, 23-28 days. Young: Downy young leave nest with female shortly after hatching; mostly feed themselves. Male may rarely accompany female and brood. Young capable of short flights at about 12 days, but stay with female for 10-12 weeks.
Young
Downy young leave nest with female shortly after hatching; mostly feed themselves. Male may rarely accompany female and brood. Young capable of short flights at about 12 days, but stay with female for 10-12 weeks.
Diet
Omnivorous. Diet varies with season and place. Feeds on wide variety of grains and smaller seeds, fresh green shoots, buds, roots, berries, insects, spiders, earthworms, snails; rarely eats lizards, snakes, frogs, rodents. Diet may include more seeds in winter, more insects in summer.
Nesting
Male defends territory by taking raised perch, giving crowing call while briefly drumming with wings. One male may have several mates, the females associating with each other in a small flock on his territory. In courtship, male struts in half-circle around female with back and tail feathers tilted toward her, near wing drooping, face wattles swollen. Nest site is on ground in dense cover. Nest (built by female) is shallow depression lined with grass, leaves, weeds.
Songs and Calls
Loud crowing caw-cawk! followed by a resonant beating of the wings. When alarmed flies off with a loud cackle.