how to measure pheasant tails

[BIGINNER]

I shot a black pheasant.  I cut the tail off at the knob.  Where do I measure the tail from?   It's 21.5" from the butt, and 23" from the inside of the knob.   

Pictures don't do justice for the tail length.

[HookedOnQuack]

not sure about the black pheasants but i know with ringnecks most people judge them by the "bands" or "rings" on the tail feather

[wildweeds]

Spur length tells more than the length of the tails,So does the beak test.If you hold the bird by the lower beak only with your thumb in the beak and your forefinger underneath and the weight can be supported without the beak folding down the bird is not a bird of the year and is an old feller.

[BIGINNER]

So....  why do people measure the tails then?  Just trophies?  This is my personal best tail length of a pheasant.

[CamoDup]

either way i would put it on my wall...  looks like someones pen raised bird got out   

[BIGINNER]

This one could've been a pen raised bird.  I was about a mile from my house, and my neibor used to raise tons of black ones, last year they all escaped.    But last weekend I went out with a buddy and he shot 2 black ones.  No houses within at least 15 miles in any way.

[Dhoey07]

Sweet looking bird  I personally have never measured a pheasant tail or even heard of anyone measuring them.  I would skin that bird out and save it's pelt though

[BLUEBULLS]

there are a lot of "tail feather contests" actually.
(the guys at BC Wallula used to do it every year)
They usually measure from tip to tip when the feather is pulled out.

[Woodchuck]

That's cool, gorgeous bird. 

[Atroxus]

Wow that is a nice looking bird. Are black pheasants rare? If so, I would have frozen it until I could afford to get it mounted.

[BIGINNER]

Wow that is a nice looking bird. Are black pheasants rare? If so, I would have frozen it until I could afford to get it mounted.

TOO LATE.       THIS IS MY DOG'S THIRD ONE IN A WEEK.  I GOT 2 BY BUDDY GOT 1