Max and Hannah are about to go on their first pheasant hunt. They have taken their saftey course, and they can't wait to get out into the field. But there is much they don't know about the Chinese ring-necked pheasant, and the twins' grandfather has plenty to teach them before they load their shotguns for the first time. The Mystery of the Pheasants tells the history of the South Dakota state bird, from its arrival from China, through its successful adaptation to the plains, and on to the traditions of hunting that are so important to the state and the surrounding region.