So where did this giant symbol come from, and why did he appear at all?

The world's largest pheasant stands proudly along Highway 14 in the State Fair City of Huron, South Dakota.

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South Dakota Is Home to World's Largest Pheasant

Hunters are gearing up for the statewide pheasant hunting season. Thousands of people will fan out across South Dakota looking to knock down a bird or two and enjoy time with friends and family.

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Hunters are gearing up for the statewide pheasant hunting season opener on October 15. Thousands of people will fan out across South Dakota looking to knock down a bird or two and enjoy time with friends and family.

But this is one bird that won't be knocked down.

He's twenty-eight feet tall and weighs twenty-two tons. And his is one feather you won't be putting in your cap!

The world's largest pheasant stands proudly along Highway 14 in the State Fair City of Huron, South Dakota. So where did this giant symbol come from, and why did he appear at all?

Well, according to the Huron city website, the huge pheasant has been gazing across the plains since 1959, proudly spanning some forty feet.

Legend has it that the tale goes back to the 1880s when settlers passed around stories of a giant pheasant, a bird so big that its footprints in the soft ground made creeks and river valleys.

"Some settlers swore the volatile winds of the Dakota Prairie were caused by the "World's Largest Pheasant" running across the grassland."

Wow, that was one big feathered friend!

The entire story of that legend from those far away days can be read here. But suffice to say, in 1959 the folks in Huron decided to erect a pheasant to bring the story to life. And, of course, to invite hunters to the Huron area.

So when October comes and you and your friends head to the fields, if you happen to be motoring along Highway 14 in Huron, go ahead and take a look at the world's largest pheasant...just don't take a shot, this bird ain't comin' down.

 


 

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