Pheasant hunting, a bridge from medieval to modern times

Ever since their first introduction in Europe
in the 10^th century, pheasants have become a popular game bird
attracting hunters to engage in hunting them for centuries. Although many have
changed through the ages, the way we live, the way wee see life, and so on, our
delight of pheasant hunting has stayed untouched. We could say that it is a
timeless practice for the modern hunter and it would seem fair to suppose it
will continue to be for many years to come.

Pheasants are native to the Asian continent but have been
widely introduced elsewhere, where they are bred to be hunted and are shot in
huge numbers. The bird was brought to Britain around the 10th century but
became extinct in the early 17th century; it was reintroduced in the 1830s and
is now widely spread. Chronic reintroduction has made the pheasant an
exceptionally variable species in regard to size and plumage. Pheasants were
introduced in North America in 1913, and
they've become more popular for hunting, rather than for food, although many
hunting based restaurants serve pheasant meat.

Because pheasant hunting has proved to be an increasingly
popular practice in the last decades, pheasants are now raised intensively in
farms all over the United
States and the United Kingdom, mostly. Pheasant
farms meet about 10 million birds in the U.S.
and 35 million in the U.K.,
which is very impressing bearing in mind that the number increases with each
passing year. Birds are supplied both to hunting
preserves/estates and restaurants, with smaller numbers being available for
individual cooks. But eating pheasant meat can be unpleasant for some, as it is
tough and dry; modern cookery generally uses moist roasting or farm-raised
female birds.

Pheasant hunting is one of those sports in which the aid of
a hound is invaluable, and without which it would be almost impossible to make
a hunt. A well trained upland dog can be an important
tool for the pheasant enthusiast, but it requires just the right training to be
done. Unlike waterfowl hunters, a pheasant hunter doesn't have to start an
intensive training program but rather to focus on the crucial aspects such as
obedience, testing his natural instincts towards bird hunting or building up a
proper physical shape. Managing to stay away from useless, ineffective methods
and centering your attention only on these facets of training will prove very
important down the road.

Pheasant hunting is also a sport that
sometimes makes better sense if done alongside friends or simply other hunters
like you. Pheasants are well known for their ability to run swiftly and one generally
good strategy is to use "blockers", hunters stationed at the end of the
field who shoot as birds break from cover. Besides this, when hunting besides
fellow hunters, it is imperative that you wear an orange hunting vest because
it may become dangerous and safety should always be put first.

To cut a long story short, pheasant hunting may have its
roots back in medieval times but it's now more popular than ever before.
Although similar to other game bird hunts, it has features that differentiate
it from the others in the group, and that is why it appeals to so many people
worldwide.

Summary:
Given its many centuries of history, it comes to
no surprise that pheasant hunting is still a popular practice throughout the
world, many believing that its high
point is yet to be reached. Similar to other bird
hunts as it may seem, at a closer inspection pheasant hunting clearly stands
out as a self-governing sport because it enhances many aspects to the game bird
hunting genre.