Wisconsin Conservation Department 
Madison 2,1 Wisconsin 
All Papers 
Madison, Wis.---Can a pheasant swim? 
Irven 0. Buss, conservation department game biologist, in a 
new book, uWisconsin Pheasant Populations", the result of years of 
field studies, cites two proofs of pheasant swimming ability. 
Mr. Buss says: 
"On August 18, 1942, a brood of newly-hatched pheasants was 
observed swimming after their mother diagonally up stream and 
across Otter creek (about six feet wide) in north-central Dunn 
county. They appeared to swim rapidly and strongly. 
"On January 1, 1942, an adult pheasant hen was released at 
one of the trap sites on the Madison fish hatchery refuge, after 
the usual process of removing from the trap, weighing, and banding. 
Like some pheasants that are released, she ren away under the 
surrounding vegetation instead of flying, but in her anxiety to 
ewcape she plunged into a five-foot drainage ditch. When she 
i',as approached in an attempt to rescue her from the water, she 
swam to the middle of the ditch and rose almost vertically from 
the stream (about a foot deep), closely resembling a mallard's rise 
from water.0 
Ie 
3-10-47