Saw a pheasant today.

Coming back from a walk with my dog and stopped by my local Esso in Markham to fill up. I'm standing there and saw something brown run by or blown by the wind. Didn't think much of it until I saw it, then I heard it cackled. Stopped filling up to grab my phone from the car.

https://i.ibb.co/Gnb7vvy/IMG-0682.jpg https://i.ibb.co/9nVchK9/IMG-0683.jpg https://i.ibb.co/w63TZC7/IMG-0684.jpg https://i.ibb.co/6gKpz4M/IMG-0685.jpg https://i.ibb.co/bJn4prv/IMG-0686.jpg https://i.ibb.co/TTfqDwM/IMG-0688.jpg

Hahah! Cool

Very cool ... was it by chance near highway 407? I used to train my dog in fields by the 407 just west of Markham and used to find quite a few wild pheasants maybe 13-15 years ago.
Lorenzo

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Originally Posted by Lor79

Very cool ... was it by chance near highway 407? I used to train my dog in fields by the 407 just west of Markham and used to find quite a few wild pheasants maybe 13-15 years ago.
Lorenzo

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This was on the corner of Major Mackenzie Dr and Markham Rd so close to farmlands.

Ha, too funny!

Reminds me of the time a friend of mine in Welland posted a picture on Facebook, asking, "What is this bird in my backyard?"
So I phoned my friend in Pt. Colborne and asked how his chukars are doing. He replied, "Funny you should ask, they all escaped yesterday..."

It's been a very long time since I've actually seen a wild Pheasant. Spent many a day chasing birds in the Markham area years back. Very pretty bird, and not bad tasting either...

They used to be all over Cherry Beach area in downtown Toronto along with rabbits, foxes and now coyotes. Even heard a rumor that a certain LEO would take a .22 out with him and do a little hunt on midnight shift, east coast lad. LOL

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Originally Posted by Gilroy

They used to be all over Cherry Beach area in downtown Toronto along with rabbits, foxes and now coyotes. Even heard a rumor that a certain LEO would take a .22 out with him and do a little hunt on midnight shift, east coast lad. LOL

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Did anyone look into this rumor or was it just left ignored ? Did you look into at all ?

Just wondering



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Why would he, back then it was another source of food. I'm certain he wasn't shooting them for sport. Back in the day they were just as plentiful as are wild turkeys now a days...

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Originally Posted by fishfood

Did anyone look into this rumor or was it just left ignored ? Did you look into at all ?

Just wondering



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Oh no, way to many rumors to be chasing around, I even heard a rumor that a few guy's hit them with a scout car and later had them for supper .Who known's.

Someone is releasing them around our place. I have seen 6 at least this month.

Theres a brave rooster that is attracted to vehicles. He will fly towards my truck, land right in my headlights and not move. 5 times I got out to chase him off the road but he would run away, soon as I'm back in the truck he would be standing in front of my truck.

Got mad and drove over him....look in rearview and he's still standing there! Dumb birds, If I still had a dog I'd go hunt them.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9e85afd145.jpg

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Originally Posted by vkhamphi

This was on the corner of Major Mackenzie Dr and Markham Rd so close to farmlands.

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Some people were swearing there were wild phez behind Le Baron (RIP).
I saw a phez on train tracks in Vaughan about 10 ya.

Gimme a call, SongDog, I'll bring my dogs over :)

Song dog, he might have trouble seeing in the dark. Try fixing him up with a head lamp,,,

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Originally Posted by Bo D

Song dog, he might have trouble seeing in the dark. Try fixing him up with a head lamp,,,

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still have a couple of weeks left in the season. Have dogs will travel. Heck I'd even let you shoot 'em if it give the dogs a work out.

Nice pics, but who says there wild, how can you tell

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Originally Posted by tom gobble

Nice pics, but who says there wild, how can you tell

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Don't think anyone believes they are naturalized birds but escapees/or recently released birds. Yes there was quite a few naturalized birds in the 407 corridor before the hyway was put in. Haven't found one since. Will kick up the odd deer, seen the odd turkey, rabbits still abound, woodcock will stop spring and fall, but pheasant and jacks are a distant memory.

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Originally Posted by SongDog

Someone is releasing them around our place. I have seen 6 at least this month.

Theres a brave rooster that is attracted to vehicles. He will fly towards my truck, land right in my headlights and not move. 5 times I got out to chase him off the road but he would run away, soon as I'm back in the truck he would be standing in front of my truck.

Got mad and drove over him....look in rearview and he's still standing there! Dumb birds, If I still had a dog I'd go hunt them.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9e85afd145.jpg

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

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time to keep a cheap 22 pellet rifle in the trunk eh

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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers

Don't think anyone believes they are naturalized birds but escapees/or recently released birds. Yes there was quite a few naturalized birds in the 407 corridor before the hyway was put in. Haven't found one since. Will kick up the odd deer, seen the odd turkey, rabbits still abound, woodcock will stop spring and fall, but pheasant and jacks are a distant memory.

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I saw a pheasant in a field by Taunton Rd and Whites Rd just south of the 407 probably 10 years ago. With the increase in housing developments I'm sure they are all gone by now.

When I moved away from Niagara a decade ago, there were still some pockets of naturalized pheasants in Niagara-on-the-lake.
As a kid I remember pheasants all around the Niagara Peninsula, back when local clubs used to receive Township License revenues to purchase and release birds.

I was talking to another dog owner today, told him about the pheasant at the Esso and he mentioned he goes to a butcher east of Stouffville. Told me that in the field behind the butcher's farmhouse he saw a flock of pheasants. I don't know this dog owner so I don't know if he can identify what a pheasant looks like or not. Maybe its a flock of wild turkeys at a distance.

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Originally Posted by vkhamphi

I saw a pheasant in a field by Taunton Rd and Whites Rd just south of the 407 probably 10 years ago. With the increase in housing developments I'm sure they are all gone by now.

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Wonder how many remember when you could hunt pheasant at Darlington Park?

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Originally Posted by vkhamphi

I was talking to another dog owner today, told him about the pheasant at the Esso and he mentioned he goes to a butcher east of Stouffville. Told me that in the field behind the butcher's farmhouse he saw a flock of pheasants. I don't know this dog owner so I don't know if he can identify what a pheasant looks like or not. Maybe its a flock of wild turkeys at a distance.

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Yes most likely turkey unless they were in a pen

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Originally Posted by Gilroy

They used to be all over Cherry Beach area in downtown Toronto along with rabbits, foxes and now coyotes. Even heard a rumor that a certain LEO would take a .22 out with him and do a little hunt on midnight shift, east coast lad. LOL

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Not the first time I have heard about LEOs doing sketchy crap with guns because they were cops and who would say anything, nice to know it is all over.

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Originally Posted by SongDog

Someone is releasing them around our place. I have seen 6 at least this month.

Theres a brave rooster that is attracted to vehicles. He will fly towards my truck, land right in my headlights and not move. 5 times I got out to chase him off the road but he would run away, soon as I'm back in the truck he would be standing in front of my truck.

Got mad and drove over him....look in rearview and he's still standing there! Dumb birds, If I still had a dog I'd go hunt them.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9e85afd145.jpg

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

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brave little guy LOL, the one i see doesn't seem to run very far from you or even fly away.


last years deer hunt walking in the morning to my stand i startled one in a pine tree turning a corner, almost pooped myself.


my dad said he hasnt seem them around in a while.

Hmmm...these pheasants you saw at the Esso, were they at the regular of premium pump? =)