A Legacy for All
Aberdeen has some diamonds in its pheasant heritage.
Ever wonder why so many people enjoy pheasant hunting? No doubt part of the answer for many of you is that you have hunted pheasants before and realized it is all about those special times you were able to share with family and friends. Families coming back together, the renewing of old acquaintances, stories from previous adventures being told over again as if it was the first time they were being told, lunches or picnics being shared while hunting where a chicken salad sandwich tasted like fine cuisine, watching your dog work with unending energy and anticipation, and a chance to once again enjoy the fields of South Dakota while a rooster pheasant explodes from the grass next to your feet.
A Rich Heritage
Aberdeen has some diamonds in its pheasant heritage.
One of these, the Aberdeen Pheasant Canteen, provided meals built around pheasant sandwiches to our troops passing thru Aberdeen on trains during World War II. Some days five or six trains would stop at the Aberdeen depot so the troops could enjoy pheasant sandwiches. The Canteen ran from 1943 to mid1946 as troops returned home. Check out our link to the Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to learn more about the canteen.
Another diamond was our baseball team, the Aberdeen Pheasants. The Pheasants were a farm club of the Baltimore Orioles. Each year the Orioles and pheasants played an exhibition game against each other. Ballplayers including the likes of Cal Ripken Sr., Jim Palmer, Ed Watt, Mark Belanger, and Andy Etchebarren all played for the Aberdeen Pheasants.
Since the 1920’s, South Dakotans have enjoyed hunting pheasants.
We in Aberdeen would love to have you become a part of our hunting tradition. When you plan your hunting trip to South Dakota, be sure to include Aberdeen. Between our hospitality, the number of local lands open to public hunting, and our pheasant numbers, you will find your trip to Aberdeen a very enjoyable experience!
