Schrödinger’s Pheasant

When do captive-reared pheasants transition from being ‘livestock’ to being ‘wild birds’ and how can you tell?

The question arises in the UK, where pheasants are raised as chickens, released "into the wild" for a few months, and then shot by the barrel full. 

This not called hunting, as there is no question that birds will be found by “the gun,” which is why it’s called "shooting".  But that differentiates it from Skeet … exactly how??

Pheasants, of course, are not native to the UK -- they are an Asian species imported to be shot, and over 50 million of them are raised and released for that purpose every year in the UK.

For a long post on the ethics of hunting, hopefully designed to make you think, see: Hunting and Fishing Like Adults.