PINE CITY, Minn. – In 1917, a sportsman's group called the Minnesota Game Protective League established a game farm on Big Island in Lake Minnetonka. As quickly, state legislators funded the operation to the tune of $17,000, hoping that pheasants raised there and also bobwhite quail and ruffed grouse would provide good sport, and not a little protein, for a grateful citizenry.
Five years later — exactly 100 years ago, in 1922 — pheasants had been released in 78 of the state's 87 counties, and while it's unclear which of the 87 didn't receive a bird allotment, Minnesota's handful of districts along its northern border would be a good bet.
This initial distribution of ringnecks throughout such a wide swath of Minnesota indicates the bird's advocates were uncertain whether one habitat type, say prairies, forests, or the transition zone in between, was better suited than others for these Chinese imports.
