Pheasant History

Redfield's claim as the Pheasant Capital of the World dates to 1908, when the first successful stocking of pheasants in South Dakota took place in June after H.P. Packard, H.J. Schalke, and H.A. Hagman secured three pairs of pheasants from Grants Pass, Oregon, and released them at Hagman's Farm just north of Redfield. The pheasant population grew steadily over the years, and in 1911 the state game department purchased 48 pairs of birds with privately subscribed funds and released them near Redfield. The first one-day open season on cock pheasants occurred in Spink County on October 30, 1919, when each person holding a small game license was permitted to kill two cock pheasants. From Spink County, pheasant hunting spread throughout the state, and Redfield became registered as the Pheasant Capitol of the World.

South Dakota · United States