Wild Peacocks

[Annette]

Anyone know why there's wild Peacocks 20 miles from any houses in the Oregon National forests? Can we hunt them?

[lokidog]

I would guess they would be fair game, same as a chicken in the woods.   

[carpsniperg2]

They are a member of the Pheasant family if I remember right. They should be tasty to say the least

[h2ofowlr]

I shot the neighbors when I was in my teens.  We had told him several times to keep them on his property.  I had looked out one morning and it was standing on my new rig.  I went outside and it had flown up into our tree.  It scratched the crap out of my hood.  I was flaming mad.  I grabed the 12 gauge and blasted it out of our tree.  Problem solved.  That was 18 years ago.  Don't know if you can do that anymore or not.

[Kola16]

 

[Annette]

I was thinking they would taist good!

[BiggLuke]

Far as I know... they would be considered a "Non-Game" species that isn't regulated (kinda like if pidgeons got in you barn). Plus... they're probly considered derilect or abandond feral animals. You would be doing the eco-system that they are in a favor by dispatching them. Think of 'em as Pigs. If you saw pigs out there... you wouldn't just let 'em go walking around screwing up the wildlife... right?

[runamuk]

peacocks are a semi wild bird to try and keep in other words they dont stay inside fences...I have seen pacocks in many places where they were once someones livestock, they tend to not do real well in the wild as far as having high reproductive rates in my experience they tend to stay fairly small flocks....except at woodland park zoo where they have no predation.  They are cool birds but I think unless it is noted they are protected then they are like was mentioned.....a chicken....

[pianoman9701]

I shot the neighbors when I was in my teens.  We had told him several times to keep them on his property.  I had looked out one morning and it was standing on my new rig.  I went outside and it had flown up into our tree.  It scratched the crap out of my hood.  I was flaming mad.  I grabed the 12 gauge and blasted it out of our tree.  Problem solved.  That was 18 years ago.  Don't know if you can do that anymore or not.

If they're truly ferral, shoot it. They're not protected as they'd be considered an invasive or introduced species.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Many years ago, some neighbors (now deceased) had chickens, sheep, and a Peacock.  Every morning the Peacock would perch on top of my roof at 5 am and screetch loudly, waking me up.  I wanted to take the 12 gage to him in the worst way, but figured it might upset the neighbors.  One day I was talking to the lady across the street who had just had a new baby.  She commented about how her husband and her would finally get the baby asleep, and they could rest, when that damned Peacock would start screetching and wake them up.  Her final words were: "I wish someone would shoot that thing!"  I replied; "Say no more, but if you hear a loud noise some morning. pay no mind..."  The next morning the bird was back on my roof.  I grabbed the 12 gage and eased out the back door.  The peacock spotted me, and flew down to my empty lot where my house stands now, turned around and fanned out its tail.  BANG!  I ran over and grabbed him by the leg and threw him into an outbuilding behind my house.  That afternoon a buddy stopped by to say hi, and as he was just getting into fly-tying, I asked if he wanted some Peacock feathers.  He said yes, and I led him back to the outbuilding.  He must have been thinking a few tail feathers, because the look on his face when I pulled out a whole Peacock and handed it to him was priceless!  He tossed it into the back of his pickup, and that's the last I saw of the thing.  The neighborhood unwanted alarm clock was gone, and we all slept better from then on.

[fethrduster]

You should have skinned it.  I bet they are delicious, just like a small turkey. 

[runamuk]

They do serve one decent purpose they kill and eat rattlesnakes...and ticks

[Heartsblood]

I hadn't heard that about rattlers, but  about ticks.

[Annette]

Wow, thoese are some interisting stories! I'm going to be hunting elk up there in a couple days so maybe I'll bag a colorful wild peacock!
 

[BurleyDog]

They are really expensive. You should trap the suckers and sell them on craigslist... win win.
Sometimes they sell for $100+ per bird

I was grouse hunting in Ky when I was 19 and my dog flushed a chicken that flew up into a tree.
I thought about it for about 1 second before I blasted that chicken. It was a funny site to see my
dog bringing it back to me. I was poor at the time and appreciated the chicken dinner.