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This year Thanksgiving for John Rich and his family, the Country music stars, is going to be very special and different. The singer who is also a songwriter has already uploaded a picture holding a dead pheasant that he most probably shot on that day and later on he mentioned the smoking pheasant as the holiday feast. The picture shows the singer having fun playing and talking with people while he shares his tips in husking and cooking man and personal stories.
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The man, who is already recognized for mixing the outdoors with classic country music, appeared to show one of his latest hunting victories to the world. The photo of the singer has him being extremely pleased to show the pheasant which was most likely the quarry of his hunt. The post itself is indeed very short: “I think pheasant will be smoked for Thanksgiving this year.”
The statement immediately attracted the interest of nature and outdoor lovers. One of the comments made on the post went so far as to bring up the subject of hunting ethics. It stated, “Nice, I only ask is if you kill it eat it and all is good. God bless.” The remark indicates a division among hunters regarding the actual killing of animals for food.
There were some who did not discuss the point but just indicated it. One of the followers of Rich wrote “Love pheasant hunting! What shotgun did you go with?” Another one friend of Rich wrote, “Hopefully it was a wild hunt and not one where they were turned loose and then shot” which shows that the community is also interested in fair chase hunting practices.
The different ways of cooking led some to the discussion of smoking birds rather than boiling them. A user who didn’t agree with this view stated, “No, not smoked. That bird is too good to spoil by smoking,” while another user came to the aid of the smoker person by saying, “Smoke ’em if you got ’em! A bird from China is good after a nice sit on the green egg,” referring to the Big Green Egg smoker. One user, who seems to be joking, commented on the smoking method, “I wouldn’t smoke it. The size of the paper you’ll have to roll it in will make you sick. Just eat it,” and made a humorous reference to alternative smoking methods.
Despite the post being about a simple food announcement, it still evoked a lot of nostalgia among the readers. One user shared his story which was a very pleasant one: “Grew up hunting quail and pheasant with my dad. When we still had quail in west Michigan. Still remember the smile on his face first when I saw him get a big pheasant. We walked back home, watched him clean and cook it. That was 50 years ago and I was 8; I still remember how proud I was that he was my dad!” The comment conveys the fact that hunting traditions are often passed down from one generation to the next, allowing families to create lasting memories.
I think we’ll have smoked Pheasant for Thanksgiving this year:) pic.twitter.com/qA3pFql0AM
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) November 12, 2025
In addition to the above comments, another one got people to think about the plight of wildlife saying, “Nice, the pheasant population in Michigan has gone down. When I was a kid you could not go through a field without pushing one out.” People have started to speak out when they see such comments indicating the problems caused by habitat and conservation that affect game birds.
Rich’s post encouraged the unaware to inquire about pheasant as a culinary choice. “I’ve never tasted pheasant. What does it taste like?” one of the interested persons asked. Another questioned the texture of pheasant comparing it to that of more common chicken. A more sophisticated user said, “All birds taste more or less the same. But wild birds have a strange ‘gamey’ flavor that is hard to define. Some even try to cook it out, but I like it. It is a treat every once in a while.”
Nonetheless, not every comment was of a positive nature. One detractor stated, “Nice posing with a beautiful dead bird. How stupid,” reflecting the polarization between hunting advocates and opponents. There was also the possibility that one of Rich’s critics was mocking him in his comments, “Cool! One of your hired hands shot a pheasant for you! It’s good that you can afford to pay people to do manly things for you,” even though there is no evidence that he did not shoot the bird himself.
Rich’s announcement, made just before Thanksgiving, went down well with many followers who were already thinking about their holiday meals. One user remarked, “Nice! I have some in the freezer but we’re having tenderloin, ‘Beef: it’s what’s for dinner!’” stressing the range of traditional Thanksgiving foods available beyond turkey.
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John Rich is one half of the duo Big & Rich, and outdoor activities have always been his public persona for the years. He frequently shares videos and photos of himself doing things like hunting, fishing, and living off the land, which match with his music branding. The pheasant post exemplifies