One of Huron’s biggest claims to fame may be relocated or even removed.
The "world’s largest pheasant" has been privately owned for almost 70 years. It is now for sale.
Mike Jones purchased the Dakota Inn motel which included the pheasant and surrounding properties in 2003. Jones broke the property down into sections and is now selling the pheasant and building it rests on to any interested buyer.
The asking price – $180,000.
Jones said he has tried his best to keep ownership of the pheasant local. He said he offered the city first option on the purchase.
“I’ve approached the city before, they told me they want nothing to do with it,” said Jones.
The city council has not responded to a request for comment.
Many of the citizens in Huron believe the pheasant is publicly owned. This is in part due to the Huron Chamber of Commerce having a contract with the previous owner of the property to provide maintenance for the statue.
Jones said this contract ended two years ago now and he is eager to sell.
Jones said he has no ‘skin in the game’ other than making a business deal. Even so, he said the bird is an icon for the area.
“You know, its really a shame because it should stay here. It should be something that is apart of the park system for Huron. There are sidewalks that connect it and there can be sidewalks that connect it going east also,” said Jones.
Jones said the pheasant brings in tourists and he is surprised the city has not jumped at the opportunity.
“More people go there than people think. As a tourist attraction. And it’s a nice tourist attraction for the city. It's where the chamber should’ve been built. That’s where the visitors bureau should be anyway,” said Jones.
Laurie Shelton is the President and CEO of the Huron Chamber of Commerce. She said the chamber board members are currently reviewing Jones' new listed price.
She said the board has attempted to negotiate with Mr. Jones in the past but they could not come to an agreement on the sale price.
“What I would say is that we feel that that pheasant is important, so we need to continue to look at how we can ensure that one stays in Huron,” said Shelton.
Previous plans by the chamber in 2020 to build a new pheasant were stopped short by COVID. Shelton said depending on negotiations with Jones, the chamber may peruse building their own.
