........................Georgia Prairie Chickens...............
The State of Georgia can't grow pheasants and has never had any grouse but for about three Ruffs which are purported to live somewhere in the Cohutta management area in the mountains at the top of the State. Noting that shortfall, the game dept. decided years ago to import some Red Jungle Fowl as an experiment.
They were stocked at Bowen's Mill hatchery near the City of Fitzgerald. Unfortunately for the game dept., some unscrupulous person sold them bantam chicken biddies instead of wild jungle fowl.
The bantams didn't especially like living in the woods and all migrated into the City of Fitzgerald. The citizens adopted them as the city bird and encouraged their proliferation in the residential areas. They even built raised nesting places in the street dividers. Fitzgerald has a "Wild Chicken Festival" every year to celebrate the birds.
Any time I am driving in that area of the State, I make a point to go through Fitzgerald to see the Georgia Prairie Chickens. There are decidedly more of them in the nicer residential areas than in some other areas of the city...Geo
