Had a good opener!

[Dhoey07]

First ever limit of pheasants on the opener for me and my dad  Including a black pheasant.  Is this a melanistic pheasant? 

[Whitpirate]

Fine brace of birds.  I got a solo without dog on my way out deer hunting when I saw him tracking in the weeds and went back for the shotgun.

[Stilly bay]

right on, those are some chunky birds!

Including a black pheasant.  Is this a melanistic pheasant? 

your right, its a melanistic or a melanistic X. every now and then they toss one out at the release sites to give people something to talk about.

[scout/sniper]

Congrats! What a great day for you.

[thinkingman]

....And a shed?
Darn good day!
Beautiful bird.

[T-Bone]

Congratulations on your Opener success; your melanistic pheasant is actually a recognized breed of pheasant. I had a couple of roosters roaming around in front of my house in Rockford last year. I have a couple of put & take pheasant operations not too far from town and I suspect your rooster came from such a place. These birds adapt to the wild quickly:

http://www.pheasant.com/Birds/AboutOurBirds/MelanisticMutant/tabid/190/Default.aspx

Tom