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California's large geographic footprint and wide range of climates can make things a bit difficult when it comes to creating one big pheasant hunting forecast for the state; especially when weather patterns gave upland birds a little bit of a rollercoaster over the past year or so.

Luckily for us, the crack staff over at California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) was able to help paint a better picture on the state of the 2025 pheasant hunting season.

Thanks to Ian Dwight, Matt Meshriy and Katherine Miller of the CDFW for their input on this year's forecast. Check out the following Q&A with the team, and start preparing for the fall ahead.

Weather & Conditions

Hatch & Broods

Top Sports and Insider Tips

Season Details

California has pheasants for those willing to work for their birds. While bird numbers are not like the "heydays," pockets of pheasants exist. Habitat is always the answer.

California's pheasant season runs from November 8 to December 21. The bag limit is 2 roosters daily for the first two days of the season, and 3 roosters per day thereafter. The possession limit is triple the daily bag.

Few places on earth experience the dramatic weather fluctuations seen on the High Plains of eastern Colorado. Fortunately, pheasants are a hardy species. Give them some habitat, and anything approximating average weather, and they will thrive.

Average weather is exactly what precedes the 2025 Colorado pheasant season.

A mild winter allowed more pheasants than usual to survive and breed this spring. Typical spring rains allowed more chicks to survive with adequate food resources. Per usual, spring and summer brought some severe storms that can pummel broods with fearsome hail. Thankfully, big storms were few and far between for much of the summer, with more gentle weather bringing the moisture necessary for good vegetation and insect production.

With 2025 bringing a second year of improving habitat conditions, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) small game manager Ed Gorman is optimistic: "We should see another year of moderate increases in terms of pheasant numbers across the core pheasant ranges in eastern Colorado."

Colorado doesn't conduct formal brood surveys. But Gorman says, "We had pretty good reports of brood observations during wheat harvest. I think it will be a pretty positive increase for pheasants. As is typical, some areas will be much better than others due to habitat conditions and rainfall."

Colorado's Pheasant Mecca

Trey McDowell, a PF/QF biologist in eastern Colorado, agrees with Gorman. "As far as pheasants go, I think we are going to have a pretty good year here in the Southeast. I believe the Northeast has had a good year as well."

Even when bird numbers are good, hunters still want to focus their efforts on the most productive areas. Just like almost every year, your time is well spent hunting agricultural lands along the South Platte River. Towns like Brush, Sterling and Julesburg have ample walk-in access and a good mix of food sources and cover.

Further south, the Arkansas River and upper reaches of the Republican and Arikaree Rivers also have good pheasant habitat. These areas are a little further from population centers and see less hunting pressure. However, they also have less public land access.

The Front Range once had excellent pheasant numbers. But with rapid conversion of ag land to urban development, most public pheasant opportunities are gone. Small pockets of wild pheasants can be found along the Dolores and Gunnison Rivers on the west slope of Colorado's mountains.

High Plains Rooster Tips

For pheasant hunters, Colorado might not have the reputation of neighboring states, but don't be fooled. You can have just as much fun chasing roosters here as in Kansas or South Dakota. Put in some research before you hit the ground. Find the overlooked small parcels of public access away from cities.

Focus your efforts on the main river corridors, but expand your search out onto the plateaus above riparian areas. Look for a mix of grain fields and thermal cover. Shelterbelt cedars next to cut wheat and corn are always a good bet, as is taller CRP.

When you find a good-looking piece of habitat, don't be afraid to knock on a few doors. Private land access can really open up a lot of options, and some landowners will welcome the right hunters at the right time. Focus your efforts in the late season, and at times when a deer rifle season isn't open, to have a better chance at a "yes, you can hunt."

Colorado's plains aren't only populated by pheasants. Switch up your hunt and seek out wild bobwhites, especially in the Southeast. Their numbers are also projected to improve this season. Colorado's eastern rivers also hold world class waterfowl hunting, which means you will have plenty of chances at a mixed bag.

Season Details

Eastern Colorad's pheasant hunting season runs from November 8, 2025 through January 31, 2026. West of Interstate 25, the season ends on January 4. The daily bag limit is 3 roosters with a possession limit of 9.

Statewide, Idaho pheasant numbers in fall 2024 showed a slight uptick. Given fair winter weather, pheasant carryover should have been good entering 2025.

But in the end, upland hunting success all comes back to besting success.

To get some perspective, I started with Jeff Knetter, Idaho's Department of Fish & Game (IDF&G) Game Bird Specialist,m for his overall report.

Knetter's major concern was the long-term drought in Idaho.

"As of mid-August, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that all of Idaho is in at least one stage of drought, with much of the state in moderate or more severe drought," observes Knetter.

He adds, "Drought severity is most intense in two of the highest pheasant-producing regions, (Clearwater and Magic Valley), but less severe in the Southwest and pheasant-friendly parts of South-Central and Upper-Snake regions."

Like our neighboring states, Idaho's overall pheasant numbers had been dwindling for decades. However, that trend may be reversing. Focusing on harvest trends and habitat conditions, Knetter shares this report: "Primarily due to habitat loss, pheasants have been on a long-term decline in Idaho. In fall 2024, hunters and harvest were down 26% and 35%, respectively, from the long-term average (1989-2023) … but up 19% and 12% from the previous 10-year average."

"There are a multitude of upland game bird hunting opportunities in Idaho," he adds, "on millions of acres of public land. Season lengths are long and the bag limits are generous."

Truth is, Idaho is a land of (upland) opportunity. It is "The" state to scratch several upland bird species off your bucket list.

Here in Idaho, it is completely possible to collect nine upland game bird species — ten, if you happen upon a pocket of bobwhite quail. Idaho is the number one state for goal-oriented types attracted to bagging a collection of upland bird species. For example, it is a relatively simple matter to collect five species of grouse. In some areas, it is possible to vest both prairie grouse or all three forest grouse species during the same hunt.

Getting our focus back on pheasants, I rounded up experts from pheasant-producing regions to get their perspectives.

Up north, Justin Bright is the Private Lands/Farm Bill Biologist for PF in the Clearwater Region. He says: "Spring conditions were relatively warm with below average precipitation. These conditions seemed to have been favorable for nesting and brood rearing."

PF biologist in Southeast Idaho, Pratt Griffeth, is also cautiously optimistic: "The spring hatch seems to have been healthy, with nesting success at average to above average from what I have seen".

"This summer has been extremely dry," adds Griffeth. "We haven't had more than a spotty shower here or there since the end of April, beginning of May. Fortunately, most pheasants in Southeast Idaho live adjacent to irrigated agricultural fields so broods may have been able to adjust."

Regional Summaries

Knetter warily predicts: "Statewide, I think gamebird production will likely be down slightly from very high levels in 2024. But I am cautiously optimistic upland game bird hunting will remain about average, like it was in fall 2024."

In the North, Bright offers his thoughts about the up-coming season: "Based on information and observations made by staff members, I anticipate hunters should see an average to slightly above average number of pheasants this year."

Peering into the Magic Eightball, Griffeth predicts: "In the Southeast, I predict that this year, like last year, will be decent for pheasants. I don't think it will be quite as good as last year due to the drought, but it should still be a good year to chase upland birds."

Reporting from south-central Idaho, IDF&G biologist Brandon Tycz sees a dwindling pheasant population but also believes that quail, partridge and chukar carry-over numbers are good. "Pheasant numbers are not like they used to be," says Tycz. "Though pheasants are present throughout the region, the numbers are below average, and they are primarily located on private property."

And in the "capital corner" of southwestern Idaho, the mix of good spring conditions coupled with summer drought has experts wondering. Since the region is dominated by irrigated ag crops, the wild pheasant population may not have been too harshly affected by drought. The birds will, however, likely be concentrated on private property.

Season Details

Idaho's wild pheasant management is separated into three areas. It is important to know which area you are hunting and, if a non-resident, note the delayed opening day.

Area 1 - Northern

• Resident: October 11 - December 31
• Nonresident: October 16 - December 31

Area 2 - Southeast

• Resident: October 18 - November 30
• Nonresident: October 23 -November 30

Area 3 - Southwest

• Resident: October 18 - December 31
• Nonresident: October 23 - December 31

The daily Bag Limit in all areas is 3 roosters, with a possession limit of 9.

The Land of Lincoln can sometimes be overlooked when it comes to pheasant hunting. States to the west tend to get most of the attention. But Illinois still holds good opportunity for hunters willing to put in the work. This year conditions look mostly favorable, and habitat is in good shape heading into fall.

Weather and Habitat Conditions

Winter couldn't make up its mind in Illinois this year. December saw very little snowfall, but January and February brought frigid cold and ice storms.

"We kind of had two different winters," says Evan Laws, a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist based in Cambridge, Illinois. "It hardly got below freezing in December, so it started to look like a pretty good winter for pheasants. Then we had below average temperatures and sleet that created ice storms — so obviously that's pretty detrimental. Birds are not going to respond well to the super cold conditions, especially when there's ice and moisture involved."

While ice storms certainly had an impact on birds in some areas, birds still came out of winter in decent shape, according to Illinois Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist Zach Stephenson.

"I feel like the birds made it out pretty good," he says. "So far in my area, I've been seeing broods on the roadside and a good number of young birds. So I feel like it was a successful winter."

Spring brought mostly positive weather, with average temperatures and rainfall. Summer has been hot and somewhat dry, but habitat looks to be in good shape as Fall approaches.

"We've been able to get a good amount of CRP on the ground," Stephenson says. "We'd always like more, but since it was kind of a wet, cold spring, people were doing a lot of planting."

All things considered, Laws and Stephenson believe it should be a decent season for Illinois pheasant hunters.

"For the most part weather was pretty average, nothing got too crazy one way or the other," Laws says. "Just driving around doing field reviews, I've seen quite a few chicks." While this is a pheasant forecast, it's also worth noting that both Laws and Stephenson have seen quail in their areas this summer — something that has been very rare that far north in recent years.

"I have a landowner I've worked with who has converted her property back to an oak savanna, and we have pictures of quail on her front porch (this year)," Stephenson says. "Which is the first time she has seen that since she was a kid."

Top Spots

East-Central Illinois is always the to-go region for pheasant hunters. The area generally boasts higher quality habitat than elsewhere in the state, and that will remain true this year. Parts of Laws' territory in the northwestern portion of Illinois are also doing well, and should provide hunters opportunities at birds too.

"I have seen definitely increased numbers of pheasants in some of my counties," Laws says.

Season Details

The Illinois pheasant season is split into north and south zones. The northern zone opens on November 1 and runs through January 8, 2026. The southern zone also opens November 1, but runs through January 15, 2026.

The limit is 2 roosters per day in both zones. Possession limit is 6.

Click here to access the complete 2025-26 Illinois hunting and trapping regulations.

Despite some tough conditions for upland birds in Indiana this past year, there will still be chances to bag some roosters — and maybe even add a few bobwhite quail — for Indiana upland enthusiasts in 2025.

John Kinney serves as Pheasants Forever's state coordinator for the Hoosier State. He describes the trials our favorite upland birds have faced.

"This might be a tough hunting season in places," Kinney describes. "There have been some overly wet conditions from the winter into the spring, followed by an extremely hot summer."

West-central Indiana's Farm Bill biologist, Colton Gresser, echoes these same sentiments. "In our area, the nesting conditions were good," he says. "However, the summer being hot and dry is rough on insect production and limited the availability of food for chicks after hatching." Gresser said.

Similarly, Amanda Hetzel, who is Gresser's neighboring Farm Bill biologist to the northwest, agrees with these weather conditions in the past year. Her time working with landowners also provided opportunities to observe broods.

"I did see a pheasant brood in the Walkerton area and heard the quail whistling in St. Joseph and Starke counties," Hetzel says.

Gresser has observed mixed results while afield. "Folks in the southern counties in my territory have heard and seen several successful quail broods, and at least one pheasant brood," he describes. "Everyone to the north says the exact opposite: They've seen several pheasants and only a few quail."

If hunters are looking to find pheasants, the northwestern region will provide the greatest opportunity.

"The most wild birds are found in the Northwest, with the most public and private lands enrolled in habitat programs," Kinney says. "Particularly good are Indiana Department of Natural Resource lands such as wetland conservation areas and fish and wildlife areas, which are open to the public."

Season Details

The Indiana pheasant season runs from November 1 to December 15. The daily bag limit is two roosters. The possession limit is four. For more information, including licensing requirements, go to www.in.gov/dnr.

For details about put-and-take pheasant hunting, check the Reserved Hunt Information page at www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/hunting-and-trapping/reserved-hunts.

The Indiana DNR Where to Hunt Finder is an interactive map to find public for hunting, fishing and other outdoors activities.

The Indiana Private Lands Access Program provides public hunting opportunities on private land enrolled in the program. Hunters can apply online during the open application period.

There's always a reason to get excited about pheasant season — sometimes big, sometimes small — but the anticipation is always high.

This year, the thrill is even greater because I'll be introducing a new pup to the very thing she was bred for: pheasant hunting!

On dewy morning hikes, I watch her learn and grow with every scent trail her nose follows, every quick perk of her ears at a far-off rooster call, and every proud look on her face when she finds a single feather.

Each moment makes me grin ear to ear. And boy oh boy, she has no idea what awaits her this fall in Iowa, where we live and hunt.

And I'm not the only one fired up. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 2025 roadside survey shows pheasant numbers at their strongest in two decades.

How fitting that in the same year Iowa celebrates 100 years of pheasant hunting, the outlook has never looked brighter.

This year's annual roadside survey delivers the news hunters have been waiting to hear for years: The pheasant count is the highest seen statewide in the last two decades.

Multiple key factors aligned to play a role in the increases:

• A mild winter followed by a normal spring led to exceptional overwinter female survival
• Iowa's two-year drought broke in June and July, and the rains were largely late enough that most first nesting attempts were minimally impacted
• The first two weeks of survey conditions were favorable for consistent results

"The weather model predicted a population increase following the mild winter (December-March, with less than 30 inches of snowfall) and a drier, warmer-than-normal spring (April-May, with less than 8 inches of rainfall). This year, our roadside survey confirmed the model's prediction, showing a statewide population increase of 43%," says Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife research biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

This year's roadside survey averaged 28 birds per route, a big jump from last year's 20 bird per route, and well above the long-term average.

Even though chick survival rates were a bit lower than in 2024, the sheer number of hens left after the mild winter meant more nests overall — easily making up the difference. Almost every region saw strong double-digit gains, with the Central region holding steady.

It all shows just how much weather shapes bird populations from year to year.

Hunters should see more birds in 2025 in all regions of Iowa. Last fall's pheasant season in Iowa proved strong, with hunters taking 464,000 roosters — the second-largest harvest since 2007.

With an average of 28 birds per route statewide in 2025, the survey projects hunters could bring in between 600,000 and 700,000 roosters this year.

"Make this year be the year that you share the experience of chasing roosters with a new hunter, and do your part to ensure that we continue this tradition," encourages Josh Divan, Iowa State Coordinator for Pheasants Forever.

Regional Reports

Let's take our annual tour around the state.

Northern Iowa

Iowa's northern regions are leading the way in this year's pheasant rebound, with counts showing impressive double-digit increases of 39% to 69% over last year.

The Northwest stood out with an average of 55 birds per route — the highest density recorded anywhere in the state for 2025 and the strongest showing there in 25 years.

The North-Central and Northeast turned in averages of 34 birds per route, their strongest counts in 17 and 27 years.

"I've been seeing a lot of adult birds out in the field, along with smaller groups of young birds in different sizes," says Kurt Nielsen, longtime board member of the Kossuth County Pheasants Forever Chapter.

"The heavy rains we had in the spring disrupted the initial nesting season," Nielsen continues, "but it looks like the birds rebounded and had a successful second attempt. Just the other week, while running the dogs, I saw half-grown birds. I've been seeing birds everywhere, and it's also encouraging to see good groups of partridge making a comeback."

"The habitat is fabulous this year with all the rain," he adds. "It's basically going to be a jungle out there. The CRP is thick, full-grown and really well established, so hunters are going to have to work through some dense cover early in the season."

Central Iowa

Encouraging upticks in pheasant numbers were also recorded across central Iowa, though they didn't match the dramatic numbers up north. More adult roosters and hens were counted across the West-Central, Central and East-Central areas compared to last year, pointing to strong overwinter survival.

Despite the impact heavier late-summer rains may have caused, West-Central stood out as the only area to top 30 birds per survey route. East-Central posted the biggest jump, up 31%, with 17.4 birds per route (marking the best count in 17 years there).

"That's really accurate for our area." Says Kevin Kuester, habitat chair of the Prairie Creek PF Chapter. "The population looks higher from what I can tell. Obviously, where there's CRP or good cover you're going to have birds, but this year we're seeing them in places we don't usually see them."

"I've got six acres of CRP behind my house," Kuester adds, "and I can sit in my living room and watch chicks walk along the edge. They're getting bigger and starting to show their colors. Along with them I'm seeing quail and even some partridge. It's shaping up to be a pretty good mix of birds this year."

Southern Iowa

The southern third of Iowa also showed promising gains, with all three regions posting double-digit increases over last year.

While the Southwest and South-Central still recorded the lowest average route counts in the state, their numbers were well above recent trends — 22 to 55% higher than their 10-year averages.

South-Central turned in its best count in seven years, and Southeast posted its strongest numbers in a decade, coming in 14% above the long-term average. Hunters will see a noticeable improvement over last year.

"Dew was a factor," says Matt Dollison, wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR and habitat chair for the Page County Chapter of Pheasants Forever. "We had the best survey conditions in at least four years thanks to more moisture. Birds don't like wet vegetation, so on heavy-dew mornings they move into open areas, making them easier to count. In drier years, they are more likely to stay in cover and be harder to see, which affects survey results."

"Roadside survey numbers can be a little misleading for quail because the sample size is small," Dollison adds. "Even considering these qualifiers, though, I'd definitely say our pheasant and quail populations are up significantly this year, based on the number of broods we've been seeing and what I've been hearing from area farmers."

CRP at the Core

Iowa's CRP has become critical for pheasant populations with the loss of small grains and hay lands to corn and soybean production over the last few decades.

As of June 2025, Iowa has 1.67 million acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which is close to what the enrollment was in 2024. Yet a major shift is on the horizon.

"Based on early projections, Iowa will see at least 30,000 acres exit CRP later this month," says Divan. "But the larger concern is that almost 600,000 acres will be expiring over the next two years unless landowners choose (or are even able) to reenroll."

"Those 600,000 acres equate to more than 40% of CRP acres in the state," says Divan. "A loss of CRP at that scale would be catastrophic to pheasants across Iowa and would quickly reverse our rebounding bird numbers."

Says Divan: "If you care about chasing wild birds in Iowa, let your elected officials know that you care about CRP and urge them to strengthen the program in the next Farm Bill."

"CRP is making up a bigger share of grassland habitat in the state because small grains and hay have declined," adds Bogenschutz. "It is becoming the primary habitat type where we can really produce pheasants. If we see major losses in CRP now, it's definitely going to impact pheasants, quail, Huns — really all the species we monitor in the small game survey. Although CRP is a federal USDA program, we continue to work closely with it and with other initiatives to strengthen habitat."

Bob and Huns

Bobwhite quail numbers bounced back big in 2025, more than doubling from last year.

Brood sightings were up, and the survey count came in 15% above the 10-year trend — the best statewide total since 2018.

While numbers are still about 19% below the long-term average, the outlook is good. Quail numbers took off in the Southwest and South-Central, with steady climbs in the Southeast, West-Central and East-Central.

Gray Partridge numbers were up 19% statewide compared to last year, but the results were mixed depending on where you looked. The Northwest and Northeast saw the biggest boosts, while West-Central actually slipped a bit; heavy rains in June and July probably cut into reproduction there.

Anticipating a Season to Remember

Iowa's corn crop is already maturing quickly in early September. If that keeps up, and the weather trends to the dry side, hunters could be looking at wide-open fields by the pheasant opener. And when the crops are out, we all know opener success is usually at its best.

All signs point to plenty of action at the season opener. But don't forget about late season either.

This fall is shaping up to be one of those seasons hunters will be grinning about for many more decades to come.

Season Details

Iowa's pheasant season begins October 25 and runs through January 10, 2026. The daily bag limit is 3 roosters, and the possession limit is 12 roosters.

See the full 2024 Iowa Roadside Survey Report here.

Kansas is one of the most diverse upland destinations in the country. Over the last half decade, these vast opportunities have been tempered by prolonged drought. Those conditions started to turn around in 2024, and further improvement this spring and summer have hunters across the state excited for the coming season.

"From what I'm seeing and hearing across the state, it's looking like we are going to be shaping up pretty well," says Tyler Rafter, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Kansas state coordinator. "There was initially worry that some of the intense rainfalls and storms could have harmed nesting and brood success. But second nesting attempts seem to have overcome that hurdle."

All signs point to a quality season ahead according to Rafter, who says reports from across the state are all trending positive.

"I'm getting anecdotal reports from people around the state that they are seeing more pheasant and quail broods than in previous years, and still finding ample new nests," he says. "I believe the additional rainfall was a net positive, and the increase in plant and arthropod productivity and production is going to lead to a strong showing for the upcoming season."

Weather and Habitat Conditions

Parts of the pheasant range experienced historic levels of flooding this spring and early summer. While parts of Kansas did get hit with heavy rainfall, particularly around Wichita and parts eastern Kansas, most of the state was in good shape heading into the core nesting season.

"We were predicted to be hotter and dryer this year, but that cycle swung a little further west than normal, so we were actually well above average in several of our regions on rainfall this year," says Jeff Prendergast, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) small game specialist. "That started early enough in the spring to have a positive impact on nesting for the most part."

Rain can be a mixed bag for pheasants during the peak hatch, especially when there are also cool temperatures. Some areas did see this combination in the first two weeks of June, but Prendergast says the rainfall was still a net positive for birds.

"That likely had some impact on chick survival," he says. "Anecdotally we are seeing more broods than in the past, but they tend to be smaller. Which suggests we did have some chick survival issues."

Quality conditions continued throughout the summer, with well-timed rains across much of the state. This puts habitat in good shape heading into fall, and late summer rains typically bode well for the long-term health of habitat.

But Prendergast says that while weather can drastically impact conditions on existing ground, long-term habitat loss puts a ceiling on bird numbers.

"Our populations will cycle up and down with conditions, but the amount of habitat we have sets the bar for how high or low those numbers will go," he says. "And those bars have shifted down over time as we've lost CRP and continue to shift more toward row crop agriculture and away from our small grains. So I expect a good year, and things are moving in a positive direction — but it's not going to produce the same number of birds that good weather did 20 years ago."

Keep your eye on the KDWP Upland Bird Page for the state's 2025 upland forecast.

Top Spots

The western half of Kansas typically produces the most robust populations of wild pheasants. Statewide fall survey data is not yet available, so field staff are relying heavily on numbers from the spring survey, as well as anecdotal reports.

Prendergast says good holdover in the west from last year helped kickstart birds this spring, and that success was buoyed by good conditions.

"Our breeding populations were fairly strong, at least in the western and south-central parts of the state," he says. "The drought didn't break as early in the north-central, so we didn't see quite as high production there in our spring surveys."

The rule of thumb when it comes to Kansas upland bird production is "in dry years the east is better, in wet years the west." Given the rainfall over the course of this spring and summer, that should set western Kansas up to be more productive in 2025.

"Our populations in the east may have been impacted by heavy rains and localized flash flooding," Prendergast says. "South-central and southwestern Kansas were both good last year and should maintain that positive trajectory. As for the Northwest, I struggle to speak to that region without having hard data. It saw big improvements last year, but precipitation was also below average for the first half of the summer."

Keep an eye on Kansas.

Regional Reports

Northwest

I'm not out traveling as much at this time of year, but I have seen a few more birds this year than I have in the past. I think we're going to see an increase. In talking with other people, whether it was during the wheat harvest, or now that some folks are doing some habitat management between the wheat and corn harvest, people are seeing more pheasants than they have in the last few years.

Southwest

There weren't a lot of large winter storm events this year, so conditions have been better, and that was reflected in the spring pheasant survey. Recently I've talked to several hunters and Pheasants Forever volunteers in my area, and a lot of them are very excited. They're in high spirits, and have been seeing a lot more birds.

Central

We got some pretty hardcore snow this winter, which added a little moisture, and into spring we got a lot more rain than normal. That helped everything grow, so I think we're doing okay for water. The cover is good, and the grass is in great shape.

Season Details

The Kansas pheasant season runs November 8 to January 31, 2026. The daily bag limit is 4 roosters, with a possession limit of 16.

Kansas' youth pheasant season is November 1-2.

While not generally seen as a destination state for pheasants, Michigan is home to some high-quality habitat — and good bird numbers when the conditions are right.

The last two years have seen decent bird production, and all signs indicate another good year ahead for Michigan pheasant hunters. Michigan's Department of Natural Resources (DNR), local Pheasants Forever chapters, and valued partners, work hard on the resource.

"Numbers did end up being down last year from 2023, but not significantly," says Ben Beaman, Pheasants Forever's Michigan state coordinator. "2023 was up noticeably, so a fall to the average this year wasn't unexpected."

Weather and Habitat Conditions

Michigan had another mild winter this year, with low snowfall and moderate temperatures. This should have led to good overwinter survival for pheasants, according to Beaman.

"I didn't even turn on the snowblower, and I think I only broke the shovel out once," he says. "So overwinter survival should've been good throughout the range, and it certainly was in the Southeast where I live. The number of birds coming into spring looked really good — we had lots of crowing roosters, and I saw plenty of hens."

Spring brought good rains to the state's pheasant range, helping habitat recover from a dry winter. Some of that rain stretched into the peak hatch timeframe, which can be an issue for young birds. But wet weather also brought a delay in agriculture production, which is another positive sign for the birds, according to Beaman.

"It was just wet enough going into early June that in my area, grass, hay and alfalfa harvest was delayed," he said. "That usually means good things for pheasants. Usually that extra week or two of habitat tends to offset what I would expect are the losses from those rainy events."

Like most states, the loss of CRP acres in Michigan is cause for concern across the state. However, Beaman said there is reason for optimism when thinking about long-term habitat trends.

"We're anxiously awaiting more CRP contracts to come on with new Farm Bills, and CREP (Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program) is ready to be implemented, but is kind of in a holding pattern," he says. "So the potential to start moving in a positive direction is right there. That said, I'm seeing more winter wheat acreage on the ground over the last year, which adds some nesting cover. So it's kind of a mixed bag."

Top Spots

Michigan's pheasant stronghold remains consistent year to year. If you want to find birds, head to the southern third of the state.

"Southeast and South-Central are our agriculture dominated landscapes, and that's where our best habitat is," Beaman said. "You can find some success outside of those areas as long as you're in the southern two-thirds of the lower peninsula, but it gets spottier as you go north."

However, Michigan's "Thumb" also holds some excellent habitat and can provide good hunting opportunities. Pheasants Forever staff accountant Tonya Sies lives in this area and hunts the Thumb regularly. She says habitat looks to be in excellent shape this year.

"The last time I really got out and drove around was in June, but at that point everything was looking really good," she says. "I have a small state game area close by my house. I drove by about a week ago and it looks absolutely beautiful. We're seeing quite a few birds in that area, so I'm hoping that's a good sign for the other places in the Thumb."

Michigan has several public access programs available for anyone who's not able to hunt private land. The state's Hunter Access Program (HAP) lands offer private lands leased to provide public access. There are numerous properties in southern Michigan, which can be found on the Department of Natural Resources website and of course onX Hunt.

Michigan's Adopt A Game Area program is also providing excellent places for the public to hunt roosters.

Season Details

The Michigan pheasant season runs October 10-31 in zone one (upper peninsula), October 20-November 14 in zones two and three (lower peninsula), and December 1-January 1, 2026 in a portion of zone three. More specific information on the boundaries for each zone can be found in the complete 2025 Michigan Small Game Hunting Regulations Summary. The daily bag limit in Michigan is 2 roosters, and possession limit is 4.

We Minnesota pheasant hunting types fret over everything weather-related, and what the skies might do to bird numbers.

Bitter cold. Nasty blizzards. Ice storms. Pounding hail. Scorching drought. Big rains.

This year, that last concern was top of mind after May became June, nesting season turned into hatching season, and the summer rain faucets turned on after a mild winter that saw excellent pheasant survival and a gentle spring that came early.

But not to worry. Pheasants are tough. Good habitat pays big dividends.

Pheasant numbers in the 2025 Minnesota August Roadside Survey were up nearly 50% from 2024 and 21% above the 10-year average, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

"The increase in pheasant numbers across the state and all regions is great news," says Steven Woodley, acting upland game research scientist with the DNR. "Our milder winter likely helped the overwinter survival of hens, and the drier and warmer spring created better conditions for nesting and brood-rearing relative to last year."

The roadside survey painted a good picture of Minnesota pheasant numbers. "Temperature, dew, wind, and sky cover conditions were all similar to 10-year averages," says Woodley. "Overall, weather conditions during surveys (run in early August) were good in 2025."

While pheasant production in some areas was hampered by the wet summer, much of the state saw excellent nesting success.

This year's statewide pheasant index was 75 birds per 100 miles of roads driven, compared to 51 in 2024. Pheasant numbers increased in every region. Compared to 2024, pheasant numbers increased the most in the Southeast region (189%), followed by the Southwest (86%), East Central (82%), South Central (40%), Central (33%), and West Central (19%) regions.

Pheasant numbers are also above their 10-year averages in every region within Minnesota's pheasant range. The regions with the highest indices include the Southwest (152 birds per 100 miles), South Central (82 birds per 100 miles), and West Central (76 birds per 100 miles), followed by the Central region (59 birds per 100 miles).

Here is Minnesota's 2025 Pheasant Hunting Prospects Map, courtesy of the Minnesota DNR.

There were four chicks per brood, the same as in 2024; however, there were 81 broods per 100 hens, an increase from 77 broods per 100 hens in 2024.

"Most broods were 6 weeks or older," says Woodley. "However, some young broods (less than 2 weeks old) were observed, as well as older broods (10 weeks or older)."

"The increase in brood numbers is welcome after their decline last year due to wet spring conditions," Woodley said.

Habitat and weather are the main influences on Minnesota's pheasant population trends. Weather causes annual fluctuations in pheasant numbers, while habitat (as we PF fans so well know) drives long-term population trends.

"Winter weather conditions were favorable for adult pheasant populations," says Woodley. "And with little snow cover and warmer spring conditions, early nests and young broods before June rains probably did well, while nests that hatched during the rainy period in June likely suffered."

This year's later hatch date indicates that some nests hatched after the June rain, which may have helped boost the population by allowing them to avoid the worst weather. Second nesting attempts always matter.

Regional Reports

Let's take our annual tour around Minnesota's pheasant country, and see what folks on the ground are saying. Want a consistent theme? Bring your waterproof boots!

Alexandria Area

Last year's winter was another mild one with little snow and above average temperatures. This set us up with good numbers of hens making it through in excellent shape for nesting.

May through early June were, in my non-pheasant opinion, excellent for nesting. I think we probably had a decent number of early nesters reach hatch.

After that, the rains came, with July and August being wet and very wet, respectively. My rain gauge told me received just over 10 inches in August … and that was with a few days left. That is 7 inches over the average!

My late summer observations appear to show that those early hatch birds are doing great, especially considering the abundance of bugs this rain has provided. I was seeing large chicks in late August that were almost indistinguishable in size from the hen already.

I have not seen any "smaller" chicks from a mid- or late-summer hatch. Nesting and brood-rearing is difficult when it downpours one to three inches a couple times a week.

I anticipate pheasant hunting around here will be average. There are birds to be had, for sure. But every wetland, creek and ditch is overflowing, so bring good boots and buy a duck stamp too.

Brown County Area

I really didn't start seeing broods around the area until the first couple weeks of August, but that's normal.

We did not get the flooding rains here that other areas of the state received. We just had good rains here … not the monsoons. Our biggest rain all summer was in mid-August — 5 inches over 2.5 days. North of us, the rain was a different story.

The farmers say the crops are stellar. The wildlife habitat looks good.

I think we pulled off a pretty good first hatch in Brown County and the area. Couple that with a good "crop" of birds that made it through a relatively mild winter last year.

And in the broods I saw in later August, the young birds were almost adult-sized. The young roosters were even starting to color up.

We did not seem to have a second hatch here. I think the birds pulled it off at that critical first attempt. Hunting will be good.

Kandiyohi County Area

Winter was quite good for the birds in west central Minnesota for the second year in a row. Large number of birds were seen pre-nesting. Some people said it was the most they could remember seeing in the last 20 years.

Unfortunately, it started to rain, and it never seemed to shut off here for all of May, June and July. The week of peak hatch we got 5 to 10 inches of rain in much of Kandiyohi County and the surrounding area, along with daytime high temperatures of upper 40s and low 50s for several days. That definitely hurt nest and brood survival.

That said, I have been hearing about, and seeing on my own, some broods. Most of what I am seeing are broods from second nesting attempts; small birds for this time of year, and smaller brood sizes. With the observed increase in hens this spring, hopefully this will equate to a decent number of birds this fall, even if nesting was difficult for them.

Having a tricky time identifying those young roosters may extend a little further into the season this year compared to most. That might also mean more roosters to hunt come late season.

Good waterproof boots will be crucial. There is a lot of water across west central Minnesota, and areas that normally aren't wet, are. We've all found birds in areas you'd think only ducks would be in, but I wouldn't be surprised if birds have been using lower quality habitat at times, at least for roosting, because the lower areas of thicker cover are just too wet.

Whatever the bird numbers are, my Epagneul Breton Obe and I will be out there hunting them.

Lac Qui Parle County Area

I am thinking we will be similar to last year for bird numbers. I am seeing a fair number of birds.

It has been an interesting hatching and brood-rearing season. I saw my first brood of chicks way back on May 30. In late August I saw a brood that was maybe two weeks old.

That's quite a mix: Early-hatch roosters were already coloring up in late August … while other birds were just learning to fly.

It was the rain. The early nesters made it through the rains that started in June. Then we got even wetter. But some second-attempt nests seem to have hatched in late summer. That's good.

So, it is wet out here. Bring your waterproof boots! Don't be surprised if somewhere you like to hunt is under water. You might want to make a scouting trip or two to see.

The grass is lush, and the cattails are 7 feet tall. You are going to work for your birds.

Hauck is excited to work up some birds with Rex, his young yellow Lab, who has been learning the ropes, flushing some roosters, and is ready rock-and-roll.

Lyon County Area

In southwestern Minnesota we had a mild winter with a dryer spring, which led to ideal conditions for the first pheasant nesting attempts hatch this year.

We did have a couple of significant weather events that hit the area with heavy rain, hail and wind, in mid-July and early August, but it didn't seem to affect the population too much.

Talking with landowners in the area, they have been commenting on how many birds they have been seeing this year. I have been seeing quite a few birds as well while I am out in the field.

As of now it's setting up to be a good hunting season. It might be a little more challenging in the early part of the season if the crops are not out, but once they are off, hunting should improve.

My prediction for this season in Lyon County and its neighboring counties is: The dogs are going to be busy!

Morris Area

Between mid-July And mid-August I totaled 14.56 inches of rain in my rain gauge. On Saturday July 26 alone, we had 5.5 inches, with some localized areas west of Morris receiving 7 to 10 inches. Some portions of crop fields, those bordering streams or diches, were inundated and destroyed; not good for our farmer friends.

Up until that point, though, I think the birds had it pretty good. The broods I was seeing in late August were a third to half grown. They were big enough to have survived or escaped all the August water.

The pheasant habitat has responded well to ample rains all summer. Overall, there is good cover. Some of the rain events pounded down cover, though; that won't bother the birds, but walking while hunting might get tough!

All in all, despite the wetness, I think it will be a good season in the area. But it is very wet, no doubt, so be aware and be ready with proper boots.

I am always optimistic for the pheasant hunt in our area … and this year I think the birds got off enough of a good first nesting and brood-rearing attempt, and that will make for some good hunting if you are willing to work.

My setter Ellie and I are ready.

Nobles County Area

I think bird numbers are going to be about as good as they can be.

I know there is a lot of talk about lots of rain. But we didn't get inundated (though some places just north of Nobles County did).

We had 1.4 inches the second week of June, but the birds can handle that. And there was a big storm of just over 2 inches of rain the first week of August. Other than those, we just had nice rains.

The nice rain translated into great habitat. On my personal route that I do for the DNR roadside pheasant survey, I counted 25% more pheasants than I ever have before on that same route. To be clear, that is just my route, but that was nice.

The third week of August, three friends and I were heading from different directions to do some habitat work on a WMA early one morning, and we counted almost 60 total birds on our trips.

Brood sizes are strong too. Usually a hen has 5 or 6 chicks and you think "good." Lots of that. But we are seeing bigger broods too, and one hen add a dozen chicks.

The young ones are not little "peepers" either. They are substantial. Roosters are coloring up. These are first-nesting-attempt birds.

Woohoo, get ready.

Pipestone County Area

Our pheasant news is all quite positive down here in the Pipestone area.

We have had a good, steady amount of rain all summer, but not enough (and nothing extremely big or alarming enough) to cause concern. The habitat looks just great.

We are seeing a good presence of both first-attempt and second-attempt broods, with plenty of stories from friends, chapter volunteers, farmers and others, to the likes of, "Well I had to stop again for a couple broods on the road again this morning."

That's always fun to hear.

Long and short, folks are definitely seeing more birds on the landscape than we did last summer.

What we aren't seeing are the raccoons like we used to. It could be, coyotes are helping by keeping them and other small nest-raiders in check. Maybe that has helped the birds. But good habitat matters most, as we all know.

All in all, the birds are here. It should be a good hunting season.

Southeastern Minnesota

We had another pretty mild winter down here in southeastern Minnesota, which I think served the birds well.

We did have a wet spring. But during my field visits in May and June, I came across quite a few broods. First nesting attempts seemed to be successful. Almost every field I visited, I was kicking up or hearing birds.

The habitat has been on par with last year, which is great to see.

Given the habitat conditions and the bird numbers I've seen this spring and summer, I think we are in a pretty similar spot as last year. It's hard to estimate the amount of population increase (Minnesota DNR roadside counts were in fact up in the Southeast), but I think we are trending up for bird numbers.

It should be another good season for those hitting the fields this fall!

 

Stearns and Wright Counties Area

Central Minnesota saw a cold winter, but it was only average for snowfall. Adult pheasant adult survival appeared to be pretty good.

Spring was all over the board with cold, then hot, then wet, and repeat. As such my personal observations are that pheasant brood success has been hindered.

Out my back door, there are two pheasants with broods of one each, and I have yet to see a pheasant brood of more than five. The broods I've seen are first hatches.

But there is some reason for hope. I have been hearing recent reports of broods with younger looking chicks. So there was some second-attempt nesting going on.

Although recruitment is likely to not be as good this year, there are a fair number of adult birds … and some great looking habitat.

Hunters who are willing to expend some shoe leather will likely still find plenty of opportunities this fall.

Season Details

Minnesota's pheasants season runs October 11 to January 4, 2026. The daily bag limit is 2 roosters (possession limit 6) until November 30. Starting December 1, the daily bag and possession limits increase to 3 and 9, respectively. Shooting hours are 9:00 a.m. to sunset.

Read the full Minnesota DNR Roadside Survey Report here.

Missouri's 2025 pheasant outlook remains steady, with numbers holding similar to previous years.

The state isn't a primary pheasant destination, and hunters typically consider roosters more of a "bonus bird" while pursuing bobwhite quail.

Still, those intent on chasing pheasants can find opportunities in the far northern counties, where pockets of habitat support huntable populations of roosters. Success often depends on scouting, persistence and covering ground. But for hunters willing to put in the work, scout, and knock on doors, the chance at a "Show-Me State" rooster adds extra excitement to Missouri's upland experience.

Habitat Conditions and Pheasant Numbers

Where there is habitat, Missouri pheasant numbers have been slightly increasing for the past two years. 2025 is looking to be a continuation on that trend, with pheasant populations remaining stable to slightly up in the northern two to three tiers of counties, where pheasant habitat is found.

"We had a tremendous year last year for both pheasants and quail," says Andrew White, PF and QF's Missouri State Coordinator. "All eight regions of the state were reporting positive growth in roadside survey data."

"We received above average rainfall here until recently," White says. "That has kept habitat green and lush. Similarly, the rain kept the insects around, so the birds are fat and happy. I imagine with the above average precipitation across much of the state, hunters will get a workout pushing through the thick vegetation this fall. "

It is important to note that beyond the beneficial weather, conservation efforts are making a big difference in Missouri.

Nesting and brooding cover has increased throughout the state thanks to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) programs. The last few years these programs, along with PF and QF efforts, have funded over a million dollars of projects designed to improve quail and pheasant habitat.

Healthy habitat means healthy bird numbers, and thanks to conservation projects like those mentioned previously, Missouri pheasant numbers are slightly up, especially in areas with quality pheasant habitat.

Those areas with large blocks of pheasant habitat are found north of I-70, in the northernmost counties, particularly those near Iowa where CRP or other grassland conservation efforts have taken place.

"Beyond healthy habitat, nesting and brooding in Missouri is largely influenced by avoiding large gully washers and colder temperatures as we get into the late spring and early summer," adds Ayden Carey, PF and QF's Missouri Regional Representative. "This summer, we certainly got our fair share of rain early. But in the areas I frequent, we avoided the huge downpours."

Those huge downpours occurred mostly in counties south of I-70, so pheasants living in northern Missouri were spared from the storms and should be in good shape when fall hunting season opens.

"Pheasants in Missouri continue to be fairly restricted to areas with heavy cover in the northeastern and the northwestern parts of the state," says Beth Emmerich, Quail and Upland Game Biologist with the MDC. "The Northeast and Northwest seem to be up over last year."

Access

Hunters should check the Missouri Department of Conservation's interactive map showing Missouri Recreational Access Program sites (MRAP), where private land is leased for hunter access.

Hunters also shouldn't overlook Missouri's Quail Restoration Landscapes (QRL), where habitat work on both public and private land has led to quail densities of up to a bird per acre. Pheasant and quail habitat often overlaps, and you will often find both birds in QRLs.

"Missouri has some great opportunities to hunt birds on public land, and that's where I do the large portion of my bird hunting," says Carey. "If I were looking for a place to start, I would look at our QRLs. We have some great habitat within those, and many of those projects have been supported by PF and QF chapters across the state."

"The further north you go from the Missouri River, the more pheasants you will encounter," adds Andrew White. "Much of this regional shift is in large part due to CRP enrollment."

"I expect the Northwest and Northeast to have better bird numbers," says Emmerich, "but there will be good pockets of birds where there is habitat."

Missouri's QRL's are precisely where you will find those pockets of healthy habitat.

For current drought conditions the U.S Drought Monitor is an invaluable resource.

Missouri Pheasant Hunting Tips

Missouri pheasants can be tough, and hunters should be prepared to cover a lot of ground.

One tactic for hunters willing to get up early, is to get to a hunting area before sunup and listen for crowing roosters and covey calls. If nothing else, it is a good way to start the day heading in the right direction.

Beyond MDC's online maps, onX Hunt is an invaluable resource in finding areas to hunt.

Another factor to consider is overlapping hunting seasons.

"I'm always cognizant of Missouri's rifle deer season," says Carey. "It is right smack in the middle of the upland season, and while the rifle deer season is going on, public areas that allow rifle hunting can be very crowded. To avoid conflict, I stick to the public areas that are archery only. If I were coming from out of state, I might consider avoiding this timeframe altogether ... unless you are looking to double dip and come home with both hooved and winged critters in the bag!"

Season Details

Both pheasant and quail seasons in Missouri run from November 1 through January 15, 2026. The pheasant bag limit is 2 roosters, with a possession limit of 4. There is a youth pheasant and quail season October 26 - 27.

In most of Montana's three highest pheasant-producing regions, early nesting conditions looked good, but dry conditions lingered well into summer. After that relatively dry spring, Montana's Big Sky opened up with summer rain events that greened up the eastern prairie as time crept toward fall.

How these conditions affected broods of young pheasants was on my mind when I began requesting interviews for this report.

Regional Reports

Region 7 - Southeastern Montana

The northern portion of Region 7 produced slightly better than the state average for uplanders last season. After a good start this spring, it seems that weather around the region is making things difficult for our experts to pin things down.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park (FWP) Game Bird Specialist Justin Hughes is doing a little head scratching. "Conditions have been conducive for good crops of upland birds the last few years. This one is hard to tell due to the severity and scattered nature of the weather we have received this summer."

Henry Hastig, President of the Baker chapter of PF in Region 7 shares his concern for making an accurate pheasant count. He says, "It may prove difficult to predict pheasant production due to the amount of cover this year. I will say there is currently plenty of suitable habitat and enough grasshoppers to have kept broods safe and fed."

Hastig suggested that some locations may have required a second nesting attempt. He notes, "There are some first-nesting-attempt, early spring roosters that are about colored in, and smaller young still clad only in earthy beige and brown."

Hastig offers this prediction: "Pheasants are looking okay; the broods I have seen are averaging strong numbers of young birds. I think last year will be hard to beat for hunting, but this year is looking solid."

Hughes remains confident, and says: "Where conditions remained decent, odds are all our upland birds should pull off decent fall numbers."

Hughes advises, "Hunters should remain mobile and observant of habitat conditions. Seek out areas of best-looking habitat to find bag limits of birds."

Region 6 - Northeastern Montana

Last season, Region 6 hovered around the 2024 state average daily pheasant harvest per hunter. Experiencing a relatively mild winter and accommodating spring conditions, perhaps the region is due for a rooster rebound?

"Summer started out hot and dry. Daniels County in particular spent 8 weeks in D2 (severe drought) status," says Stephanie Berry, long-time PF employee and new Farm Bill Manager for the state of Montana.

Based in Scobie where she enjoys the uplands with her Brittany, Berry has plenty of knowledge about upland bird trends in the eastern end of the region.

She remarks: "Looking around the area, some grain and hay fields were slow to grow initially. In July, we had a number of large storms roll through and with them — rain. Things greened-up and, based on MT FWP reports and my own field observations, I expect there should be plenty of birds on the landscape."

Biologists conducted brood surveys to gauge regional brood survival. "Looks like about average production up in the region's far east corner," reports Scott Thompson, Regional Wildlife Manager for MT FWP based in Glasgow.

Thompson continues: "However, the central portion of the region was not quite as good; likely due to high chick mortality during early brood rearing, (June). We are seeing some very small chicks in August, due to second nesting attempts."

On the very western end of the region, MT FWP Wildlife Management Biologist Scott Hemmer reports: "After some drier conditions early this spring, we have had above average rain this summer so, habitat conditions are good. The observations and reports I have heard for both pheasants and partridge have been positive as well."

According to MT FWP sources, the far eastern portion of Region 6 should offer pheasant hunters nearer to average bird numbers, but slightly lower than previous years. Meanwhile, in the central (Glasgow and Malta) and far-west (Havre) portions of the region, hunters should expect pheasant populations to have improved to average or slightly above, where good habitat is found.

Berry offers some thoughtful advice: "Hunters may need to be patient this season. Taking the conditions into account, patience and backup options would be my main suggestions for those making the trip out this fall."

Region 4 - North-Central Montana

The winter experience along the Rocky Mountain Front and western Hi-Line was below average snowfall and average winter temps. Spring brought average temperatures and precipitation, which was great for habitat conditions. Drier conditions continued into spring, which generally offers favorable nesting opportunities.

As for pheasants, spring surveys in north-central Region 4 showed pheasant crow counts above last year's counts with good habitat availability and slightly below average in areas with poor habitat. Spring counts for pheasants in the eastern part of the region (Great Falls to Lewistown) were up from 2024 — even in areas with marginal habitat.

Portions of the eastern rangeland in Region 6 enjoyed better than average summer rainfall. Matthew Strauch, the region's Upland Game Bird Specialist, relays this late summer report:

"Midsummer rainfall events should have been of some benefit to habitat conditions and brood survival. Things dried out quickly in mid to late August, and grasshopper numbers have increased since things started drying out. Some early summer hailstorms in the central portion of the region could have had some negative effects on young broods."

Further north, Ali Marschner, PF Farm Bill Biologist based in Conrad, shared Strauch's concern about localized hailstorm mortality but remains hopeful. She days, "Based on the number of birds I'm seeing along roads and on our (trail) cameras, I feel like there are as many or more pheasants than last year."

Strauch's region-wide final word on pheasants: "Similar to prairie grouse, overall pheasant numbers are looking good to very good in the areas with quality habitat and seem to be fair to good in areas with marginal habitat."

Strauch advises using summer weather data to determine areas hardest hit by severe hail. Both regional experts remind hunters that parts of Region 6 are grizzly bear country, and uplanders have had run-ins with bruins in the past.

So remain vigilant. Watch for bear sign, and keep an eye open for clues your dog is sending. Having bear spray handy is a pretty good idea in some areas.

Final Word

As always, let's be courteous to ranchers and other hunters this fall. Leave room at gates for farm equipment access, be aware of fire danger — tires on gravel and shoe leather in the field — and keep parking areas free from litter. Pick up litter that disrespectful, unappreciative people leave behind.

Season Details

Montana's pheasant season runs from October 11 to January 1, 2026. The bag limit is 3 cocks, with 9 in possession.

A special youth season runs September 27 and 28. It is open to legally licensed youth ages 15 and under when accompanied by a nonhunting adult at least 18 years of age.

Nebraska pheasant hunters have reason for optimism heading into fall 2025. Timely rains, abundant insects and strong survey numbers point toward a season with more birds across much of the state.

While localized weather events and habitat variability will influence hunting success, conditions are shaping up favorably for pheasants and quail alike.

Habitat Conditions

After a dry early spring, above-average rainfall in late spring and summer rejuvenated Nebraska's uplands. Habitat looks lush across most regions, with abundant cover for nesting and brood-rearing.

Severe weather — hail and heavy rain — may have affected production locally. But overall, conditions were favorable.

"In May our dry conditions softened, and we received some much-needed moisture," says Ben Wheeler, a Coordinating Wildlife Biologist for Pheasants Forever. "The dry conditions opened up some bare ground and promoted wildflower and forb production, creating excellent brood cover. So, even though nesting conditions might not have been optimal, brooding conditions were very favorable. 2025 has been a great year to be a pheasant or quail chick fresh out of an egg."

Frequent brood sightings statewide, including later nests, indicate strong production. Grasshoppers and other insects have been abundant, providing an excellent food source for growing chicks. With cover in good shape and strong brood-rearing success, habitat is primed to support upland birds this fall.

"Consistent rains have been well received by landowners, but the timing on some of the major rains likely contributed to lost primary clutches and late secondary nesting in some areas of Nebraska," says Robert van Lieshout, a Nebraska-based Prescribed Fire Specialist with PF and QF.

"I noticed pheasant broods in the second week of August that were very young, not much bigger than a golf ball," he continues. "On the flip side of that, the moisture does equate to some great habitat, less emergency haying and grazing, and less intense rangeland grazing. I would expect to see a lot of birds, but also a lot of young birds."

With healthy habitat across much of the state, Nebraska pheasant hunters are anxious to see what the 2025 hunting season will bring.

Pheasant Numbers

Nebraska's pheasant population is analyzed based on annual rural mail carrier surveys. Looking at the entire state, this year's April pheasant survey increased by a whopping 83% with increases in all six pheasant management regions across Nebraska. However, a later July survey showed a 12% statewide decline from last year, with decreases in half the survey areas.

So what's with the conflicting reports? The aforementioned swing in spring and summer precipitation for one.

Secondly, while rural mail carrier surveys give a decent year-to-year picture of pheasant numbers, they are not an exact science.

One thing that is for certain: Habitat across the state is in great shape heading into the 2025 hunting season.

According to the Nebraska Upland Game Bird Hunting Outlook, hunters should be optimistic.

The Panhandle and Southwest are expected to hold the highest pheasant densities, while the Central, Northeast and Sandhills regions all showed increases from last year. The Central region exceeded the 5-year average by 80%, and the Northeast increased from last year by 3%. Perhaps best of all, the Sandhills increased 198% from 2024.

"Pheasant numbers seem to be stable in most areas and increasing in others," says Wheeler.

"On a scale of 1-10, I feel like this year is an 8," adds van Lieshout. "The outlook is good, but it's never a quick walk for a limit. Be prepared to put some miles in for success wherever you go."

Hunters looking for the highest concentrations of pheasants should look to Cheyenne, Box Butte, and Morrill County in the Panhandle; Hitchcock, Red Willow, and Furnas County in the Southwest; and Antelope, Cedar, Dixon, and Knox County in the Northeast.

Access

Nebraska remains more than 97% privately owned. But hunters enjoy strong public opportunities through the Open Fields and Waters (OFW) Program, Wildlife Management Areas, federal lands, as well as PF and QF's Public Access to Habitat (PATH) program, known as NCAP in Nebraska.

Nebraska currently has over 350,000 acres enrolled in the Open Fields and Waters Program, with an additional 30,000 acres expected to be enrolled by fall.

The most up to date information can be found in the Nebraska Public Access Atlas. Be sure to check the guide before heading into the field. Properties are added and removed each year so there is no guarantee that a good hunting location from last year will be available in 2025.

Nebraska's OFW Program is funded through the purchase of a habitat stamp, federally matched funds, as well as by conservation groups like Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

Additionally, the Public Access to Habitat (PATH) initiative — known locally as the Nebraska Community Access Partnership (NCAP) — continues to expand upland hunting opportunities on private lands. Since its launch in Nebraska, NCAP has enrolled over 44,000 acres of quality habitat spanning the pheasant, quail and prairie grouse range in western parts of the state. By offering landowners incentives, this program enhances both cover for upland game and public access near communities like Ogallala.

Nebraska also publishes a Stubble Guide, which shows fields of wheat and milo stubble available for public access.

For current drought conditions the U.S Drought Monitor is an invaluable resource.

Hunting Tips

Stay Mobile

Weather patterns vary drastically across Nebraska. A short drive may lead to greener cover and more birds.

"There were several extreme weather events this summer that involved hail, high winds, heavy rains, or all three," says Wheeler. "Many of these were localized, down to the county, township, or even 1-mile section. Devastating hail may have hit hard, but only a couple miles away, things were fine. If you are planning a trip, look into what weather events may have occurred and talk with locals about what they experienced throughout the year."

Scout Early

With localized hail, and haying/grazing, preseason scouting is crucial to identify high-quality cover. Don't expect to show up to last year's honeyhole and find it in the same shape as when you last hunted it. OnX Hunt's "recent imagery" tool is a great resource for accomplishing this pre-season scouting from out of state.

Target Food & Edges

Birds are often found where quality cover abuts crop stubble, especially wheat and milo. Nebraska's annual stubble guide is a great resource to identify these areas.

Check the Husker Football Schedule

Local hunters thin when Nebraska kicks off, leaving more ground for less-football-obsessed hunters.

"The opening week of pheasant and quail season can be a mad flurry of trucks in parking lots. Pay attention to the college sports schedule and plan your trips when the locals are cheering on the Huskers," says van Lieshout.

Study Nebraska's Outlook

Take a tour through Nebraska Game & Park's robust Upland Game Bird Hunting Outlook for more insights on bird numbers and where-to-go.

Season Details

Pheasant season (along with quail and partridge) season in Nebraska runs from October 25 to January 31, 2026. The daily bag limit is 3 roosters, with a possession limit of 12.

There is a special youth-only season October 18-19.

Heading into the 2025 spring nesting season, North Dakota Game and Fish Upland Biologist RJ Gross allowed himself the luxury of thinking big.

After all, it's extremely rare that North Dakota — a state on the northern edge of the pheasant range and one notorious for long, cold and snowy winters — has consecutive "ridiculously mild winters."

"When you consider the number of adult breeding birds we had going into spring after back-to-back mild winters, I started thinking we were headed for an outstanding year of production," says Gross, an avid bird hunter. "But Mother Nature always gets her say. I turn into a storm chaser in May, June and July, and unfortunately spring storms ended up hurting pheasant production in some areas."

Indeed, numbers from North Dakota Game and Fish Department's annual late-summer roadside pheasant brood counts reflect Gross' analysis. Statewide numbers were down 3% percent from last year, though, Gross adds, the numbers are still 48 percent above the state's 10-year average.

The best overall pheasant densities, Gross says, will be in southwestern North Dakota, followed by the northwest quadrant of the state.

In 2024, 55,401 pheasant hunters (up 3%) and harvested 357,018 roosters (up 12%), compared with 55,819 hunters and 319,287 roosters in 2023.

Counties with the highest percentage of harvested pheasants in 2024 were Hettinger, Divide, Burleigh, Williams and McLean.

"I believe we are still poised to have a good season, probably on par with last year or even a little better," says Gross. "I just can't help but think of what might have been."

By the Numbers

In addition to total pheasants observed (91.6 per 100 miles) being down 3% percent from 2024 statewide, broods (11.4) per 100 miles are down 1.7% from last year. The average brood size (5.12) is down 6.4%.

That final summary is based on 285 survey runs conducted along 100 brood routes across North Dakota from July 20 to August 31. Gross says 85 state cooperators — mostly agency staff — ran each route a minimum of three times. "It's a large, comprehensive survey," says Gross.

• In the Northwest, 14.7 broods and 115 pheasants per 100 miles were tabulated, which is down from 20.8 broods and 164 pheasants in 2024. Average brood size 4.31 chicks, down 18 percent from last year.
• In the Southwest, 14.8 broods and 125.2 pheasants were counted per 100 miles this year, which is up from 13.8 broods and 119 pheasants per 100 miles in 2024. Average brood size was 5.8 chicks, down 3% percent from last year.
• In the Southeast, 9.6 broods and 73 pheasants were counted per 100 miles, which is up from 7.9 broods and 57 pheasants in 2024. Average brood size was 4.73 chicks, up 2% percent from last year.
• In the Northeast, 4.9 broods and 37.5 pheasants were counted per 100 miles, which is up from 4.3 broods and 37 pheasants in 2024. Average brood size was 4.39 chicks, down 20% percent from last year.

Field Reports

"I'm optimistic about the upcoming season," says Kent Reierson, habitat chair for the MonDak chapter of Pheasants Forever in Williston. "We've had two straight mild winters, and the carryover population of pheasants going into the nesting season was just tremendous. I know we had pockets where we lost nests because of the heavy rains. But I think overall, and based on what I'm seeing, we're going to have another really good season."

A retired attorney who chases pheasants "every chance I get" with his five-year English cocker Zoey, Reierson says periodic summer rains set the table for "fantastic" habitat conditions heading into fall. "Grasslands look really healthy," he says. "Insect production for chicks has been really good. It's very rare to see so much green this time of year."

Renee Tomala, Senior Field Representative for Pheasants Forever in North Dakota, and president of the Dakota PF chapter in Bismarck, agrees.

"It's actually kind of strange, because it's usually really brown and crispy this time of year," she says. "But the cover looks especially good this year."

Gross says the wild card for the upcoming season is the "re-nesting effort."

Hen pheasants, he says will re-nest multiple times (as many as four) after losing nests, though subsequent brood sizes are almost always smaller.

"We had torrential rains in western North Dakota and around Bismarck in late May that washed out nests," Gross says, adding that hail in isolated areas of northwestern North Dakota killed some adult pheasants, too. "But hen pheasants are resilient and want to raise a family," he says. "And if you're going to lose nests, it's better to do it in early spring," after which there is a lot of summer left for the hens to go back to work.

Gross says this year's stellar grassland conditions should have helped the re-nesting effort. "Chicks had, and still have, no shortage of insects to eat, and the cover is so thick that should help keep predators at bay," he says. "It is possible we could see plenty of young birds on the landscape heading into the opener, but we'll just have to wait and see."

If re-nesting attempts were successful, that also bodes well for hunting as the season goes on and those your cockbirds color up more.

Plenty of Places to Hunt

Gross says uplanders chasing pheasants and other gamebirds are lucky because North Dakota has ample public land to hunt.

There's the popular Private Land Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS) program, which has 880,000 acres enrolled this year.

There are 200-plus state Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in North Dakota. Unless specified otherwise, WMAs are open to hunting, trapping and fishing.

In addition, North Dakota has roughly 289,000 acres of Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) open to public hunting. Those tracts, which are sprinkled throughout the state, are managed by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. "I think WPAs are underutilized," Gross says. "They have a lot of cattail sloughs, the kind of heavy cover that attracts pheasants when it gets cold and nasty." Bring your steel or bismuth.

Gross also says that while more and more private land is now posted in North Dakota, that shouldn't stop hunters from asking for permission to hunt. "I think there's a misconception out there that posted land is completely off limits — but you can and should ask for permission to hunt," Gross says. "Just be respectful when you do."

One tip is to wait until late season, when the whitetail rut, and rifle deer hunts, are over. Permission can be easier to come by then.

Gross has one more piece of advice for those hunting in North Dakota. "Slow down when you hunt," he says. "Grasslands are in excellent condition … and with that heavy cover this year, you want to hunt as thoroughly has possible. If you're in too much of a hurry, you're going pass right over birds."

Other Upland Opportunities

Jesse Kolar, upland game management supervisor for the North Dakota Game and Fish in Dickinson, says 2025 sharp-tailed grouse numbers are well below last year.

"Sharptails are down statewide, in every district," says Kolar, adding production was hurt by spring rainstorms. "Production was very poor this year … one of the lowest we've seen in the past 20 years. The decline is significant enough that hunters will notice it this fall."

Meanwhile, gray partridge numbers are about the same as last year. "The numbers remain high … but there were noticeable declines in the northwestern part of the state, where densities had been near all-time highs," he says.

A total of 21,660 grouse hunters (up 1%) shot an estimated 73,010 sharptails (up 8%) last year, compared with 21,512 hunters and 67,710 sharptails in 2023.

In addition, 21,887 hunters (up 8%) harvested 67,465 gray partridge last year. In 2023, 20,313 hunters shot an estimated 67,481 Huns.

Season Details

North Dakota's 2025 pheasant season runs from October 11 to January 4, 2026. The daily bag limit is 3 roosters, with 12 in possession. Note that nonresidents cannot hunt state WMAs, or PLOTS lands, during the pheasant season's first 7 days. Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.

Important Resources

• North Dakota Game and Fish: PLOTS Guide
• North Dakota Game and Fish: Pheasant Hunting

Although there were a few tough stretches of weather events for Buckeye birds this year, conditions turned a corner over the summer and the habitat on the Ohio landscape is in good shape heading into the fall season.

Things seem to have remained fairly consistent from 2024 to 2025, and opportunities to chase pheasants should be there for those willing to put in the work.

Weather and Conditions

After a few relatively stable years of decent weather conditions, last winter packed a little more punch than the previous few.

According to Cody Grasser, Ohio state coordinator for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Ohio received some heavy snowfall in early to mid-January, which was followed by an extended period of cold temperatures.

"Some of the snow melted after 1-2 weeks, but not all of it before it got cold again, with a few below zero days in a row in late January," says Grasser. "Conditions like these always pose a threat to the birds and it likely took a toll locally in areas lacking suitable winter cover," he adds.

Grasser also added that the spring didn't provide the immediate relief upland birds may have needed coming out of the winter months.

"May was wetter than normal across most of the state," says Grasser. "The wet spring was followed by a somewhat normal June and July with some locally heavy rain events. Then dry weather hit much of Ohio in August. The wet spring early on does not bode well for nest success and brood rearing, but hopefully late nesting and second-clutch nesting attempts went well."

Habitat, Broods and Counts

According to Joseph Lautenbach, wildlife biologist for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the amount of upland habitat available to pheasants has remained relatively stable from 2024 into 2025.

"Most of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres look to be in excellent condition," he says. "And ODNR staff have done an excellent job maintaining upland habitat on Ohio's public wildlife areas."

Lautenbach goes on to say that there have been some anecdotal reports from staff reporting signs of a decent hatch.

Ohio completes a spring survey of crow counts for pheasants and whistle counts for quail each spring. According to Lautenbach, results from the 2025 survey indicate that Ohio's pheasant population remained stable compared to 2024.

Even with the decent reports from the field, Grasser is hoping to see more habitat on the landscape in general.

"Habitat loss and fragmentation continue to be a limiting factor for grassland habitat in Ohio, making proper management and maintenance of existing habitat all that more critical," says Grasser.

"Through PF and partner organizations, Ohio has a robust team of wildlife biologists available to assist private landowners with their grassland habitat needs, and that group remains busy and in high demand," he says. "On top of that, PF and partner organizations are also making a concerted effort to improve grassland habitat on public lands across the pheasant and quail range."

Grasser is hopeful these efforts are helping the quality of upland habitat in Ohio to steadily improve … and along with it, bird numbers.

Top Spots

Both Grasser and Lautenbach offered up a few spots to key in on to chase upland birds in The Buckeye State this fall.

"Visiting Deer Creek Wildlife Area and nearby Wildlife Production Areas in south-central Ohio can be very productive," Lautenbach says. "Deer Creek Wildlife Area is managed with crops and grassland interspersed throughout the area, creating excellent pheasant habitat. Hunters can easily visit a few Wildlife Production Areas in a day with a number of them in close proximity. These areas can be very productive, especially after crops are harvested on adjacent private lands."

He went on to add that many private lands in this region are associated with Scioto River CREP and can be very productive.

Grasser agrees, saying: "For many years the Scioto River watershed, as well as the extreme northwestern corner of the state, have provided the best pheasant hunting opportunities in Ohio. There are some good public land hunting opportunities in these areas, along with some walk-in access opportunities through ODNR's OLHAP program, as well as plenty of CRP on private land where you can seek out hunting permission from the landowner." Lautenbach reminds hunters to obtain written permission before hunting these areas.

Visit the Ohio Division of Wildlife website to find public land hunting opportunities and check out walk-in access opportunities through ODNR's OLHAP program (Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership).

Lautenbach also adds that Big Island Wildlife Area (Marion County), as well as Lake La Su An Wildlife Area (Williams County), and surrounding private lands, are popular for many of Ohio's wild pheasant hunters. Pheasants may be readily found on many fields of the wildlife areas, as well as the CRP on private lands surrounding these areas.

Insider Tip

Grasser offers a couple tips to give hunters a leg up on upland birds in Ohio this fall.

"Seek out habitat with some diversity in structure and plant species, where birds are likely finding good cover and/or forage, and then thoroughly hunt those areas," he says. "Make adjustments as the season progresses and food sources and/or habitat needs change, particularly after snowfall."

"Birds on public land will get jumpy further into the season," he adds, "and may require a change in strategy as well, or more patience."

Grasser also reminds hunters that it may take some significant scouting to best prepare for the season and ensure success.

When it comes to hunting public land, Lautenbach recommends going during the week when possible, to avoid other hunters and improve the quality of the hunt.

"With a little bit of effort," he says, "folks can find some of the less visited portions of the wildlife areas, even during the busy weekends." He also reminds hunters that they should make sure that they have written permission on private lands if they choose to take advantage of the quality habitat private lands with CRP or CREP provides.

Season Details

Ohio's pheasant season runs from November 7, 2025 to January 11, 2026. The daily bag limit and possession limit are one and the same: 2 roosters.

Ohio Division of Wildlife offers relatively new private lands access program. Head to the Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership page on the Ohio DNR website for more information.

While the Sooner State might be on the southern edge of the pheasant range, there can still be rooster opportunities found for the avid upland hunter in the 2025-2026 season.

2025 has brought record highs in terms of rainfall, providing a great deal moisture for wildlife habitat that has experienced many droughts in past years.

Tell Judkins, upland game biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), describes the conditions.

"Weather patterns across the state have brought cooler temperatures with increased rainfall, creating excellent habitat conditions throughout the state," Judkins says. "We're currently seeing drought conditions across only 15% of Oklahoma."

This has brought some very good news for Oklahoma birds, agricultural producers and hunters alike.

"In fact on June 3, Oklahoma was 100% drought free for the first time in nearly 6 years!" Judkins adds.

Oklahoma Grassland Biome Programs Manager for Pheasants Forever, Tanner Swank agrees with these sentiments.

"We are currently on track for the ninth wettest season on record statewide, and fifth wettest in the prime north-central pheasant range in Oklahoma," says Swank. "The moisture has provided lush forb and grass growth. But the influx of moisture may have hindered some production of successful broods, specifically during the early nesting season."

That said, the robust habitat should have provided some help.

The wet conditions did cause the Oklahoma DWC to have mixed results in their pheasant crow call surveys this spring.

"There was a slight increase in the crow calls, but rains in the April through May period seemed to subdue some of the calling," Judkins describes. "In areas of the state where folks typically see pheasants, I would expect to see a few more than previous years. I've seen a few broods in my time in the field and have been hearing positive reports from counties within the pheasant range."

Pheasants Forever's Oklahoma Regional Representative, Laura McIver, expands on this struggle to pin down where the birds might be.

"This past spring and summer brought some wild ups and downs in both rainfall and temperature, even breaking records — storms have also gotten more intense, with more hail and flooding," McIver says. "This makes forecasting harder because it's tough to predict where birds might be hit the hardest."

If you make your way to Oklahoma this season, targeting the panhandle and north-central regions of the state will generally provide the most success.

"The most consistent numbers of pheasants are certainly closely tied to row crop agriculture, and are even better when near patches of prairie," Swank remarked. "There are several Wildlife Management Areas, OLAP (Oklahoma Land Access Program) properties, and PATH (Public Access To Habitat) properties dispersed throughout the area."

Check out this website to find more resources on pheasant hunting in Oklahoma.

New this year — nonresident pheasant hunters on WMAs need to attain a Game Bird Permit as well as check-in and out of the WMA they access via the Go Outdoors Oklahoma App or at GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com.

Additionally, nonresidents hunting OLAP properties will also need a Land Access Permit.

Oklahoma DWC's 2025 Pheasant Season Outlook will be available on this website towards the end of October.

Season Details

Oklahoma's pheasant season runs from Dec. 1-Jan. 31, 2026. The daily bag limit is two roosters, and the possession limit is four birds. Shooting hours are from sunrise to sunset.

For regulations and more information, consult the Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing Guide online at wildlifedepartment.com/hunting/regs or in print wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.

Oregon's pheasant range has been on the rise in recent years.

Typically considered more of a destination for quail, a string of good years has left habitat in excellent shape across Oregon's pheasant range. This should set the state up for a quality hunting season in 2025 according to Mikal Cline, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's upland game bird coordinator.

"In general our habitat is in way better shape over the last three years than it's been in a while," Cline says. "Oregon has been sort of dipping in and out of drought conditions for a long time, but we've had about three years in a row of pretty decent conditions, so there's a lot of good cover out there on the ground."

Weather and Habitat Conditions

Winter was excellent for pheasants in Oregon this year. Plenty of precipitation kept habitat in good shape, and lack of cold meant good overwinter survival. Upper elevations in eastern Oregon saw heavy amounts of snowfall, which meant conditions were particularly wet heading into spring.

"Especially in those 5,000-foot-plus elevations, there were areas that exceeded well over 100 percent of their normal snowpack," says Alexander Dohman, a rangeland biologist with the Harney County Soil and Water Conservation District in Burns, Oregon. "Some areas were even seeing close to 200 percent of their average."

This did lead to some localized flooding after an early warmup, but Dohman said this likely did not significantly impact birds.

"We went from a really late, wet winter into a wet spring, so there was a lot of water on the landscape," Dohman says. "But I think the majority of our flooding occurred before any nesting, so I don't think it impacted too many birds. The areas where I've seen birds since, look like they are doing pretty well."

Summer was fairly dry across eastern Oregon. But sporadic thunderstorms kept habitat in good shape. Fire is always a concern in Oregon, and 2024 produced particularly bad wildfires across some of the state's pheasant range. But this summer has been more stable so far, according to Cline.

"Last year was really rough. We lost a ton of rangeland and some forest in 2024," Cline says. "But for whatever reason our humidity was up this year, so we had lots of fire starts, but they haven't really gotten away from us — fingers crossed."

All things considered, habitat is in excellent shape as fall approaches.

"There's lots of cover out there on the ground right now," Cline says. "Which makes people who fight fires a little nervous. But as far as the birds are concerned, that's a good thing."

Top Spots

Eastern and central Oregon are the go-to pheasant areas of the state, while the western side is much more conducive to mountain quail and grouse species. The Columbia Basin is traditionally seen as one of the top rooster destinations, and that will remain true again this year.

"We've got pheasants all throughout the Columbia Basin," Cline says. "Things are pretty static with our pheasants, as they've been relegated to what's left of the permanent cover. So we definitely encourage people to look at wetland edges and things like that."

Dohman echoes Cline's stance, and says honing in on particular types of habitat across eastern Oregon will yield the best results.

"Definitely stick to areas like our river corridors and riparian areas," Dohman says. "In those riparian areas I've seen what looks like bird numbers increasing compared to what we've had the last several years."

Dohman also recommends all hunters in eastern Oregon be fire-aware as they are out and about this year.

"For folks who plan on making trips out west, we're still in fire season," he says. "So I just want to pass along to everyone to be fire-aware. Here in Harney County we've had some red flag alerts, and we have burn bans in certain areas that will still be in effect as we travel during the early part of hunting season."

Season Details

The Oregon pheasant season runs from October 11 to December 31, with a bag limit of 2 roosters per day and a possession limit of 8. For more pheasant and upland game bird regulations, visit the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Upland Gamebirds Page.

The pheasant news coming out of South Dakota is overwhelmingly positive.

For starters, the 2024 pheasant season was one of the best in recent memory, with hunters bagging north of 1.3 million roosters according to a South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) press release published June 3.

Plus, for the second year in a row, winter hardly made a dent in bird numbers. Even better, habitat conditions for spring nesting were average or better across most of the state's prime pheasant country, with a few exceptions here and there.

All things considered, most people in the know believe this fall could be even better than last year.

"Other than a couple big rain events that might have washed out a couple nests, things should be about as good as we could hope for," says Matt Gottlob, Pheasants Forever's state coordinator in South Dakota.

"Not trying to be too overly optimistic, but what we are hearing from all the field staff is that they are seeing birds, both grouse and pheasants, everywhere," says Gottlob. "The habitat conditions should be really good, and I'm as excited as I've been for quite a while. We should certainly be on track to be even better this year."

Those same thoughts were echoed by Alex Solem, South Dakota GFP's senior wildlife biologist and upland bird guru.

"We had very strong bird numbers going into the nesting season," Solem states. "After such a great spring and summer, folks should really be excited for what they are going to see when they hit the fields come pheasant season."

Regional Reports

Here are regional field reports from around The Pheasant Capital.

Aberdeen Area

The Aberdeen region is poised for an exceptional pheasant season according to Casey Weismantel, executive director for the Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Weismantel admitted the area was dry heading into spring, thanks to a dry fall and a winter with no snow, but he says the region caught timely spring rains that bolstered bird production.

"The nesting cover we had this season is the best we have seen in quite some time, and we've continued to catch timely rains as needed throughout the summer," Weismantel reports. "As a result, the habitat in our region is ideal heading into fall, and we're hearing reports of broods. Broods everywhere!"

"Last year, the report was seeing large numbers in the broods," continues Weismantel. "This year we are seeing large numbers of broods. I spoke to some guides and outfitters that are seeing multiple broods per mile. Personally, in all my years I've never been given reports like this."

Weismantel knows excitement for the fall season is building both at home and abroad, and one tip he has for hunters is this: Consider hunting later in the season.

"Seasoned hunters know the prime time to chase roosters starts around the middle of November at the earliest," says Weismantel. "The crops should be harvested by then — and the harvest might be even later than normal this fall in some areas that have received lots of rain. Also, it is cooler then for the hunting dogs, there is a lot less hunting pressure, and the hotel and accommodations usually run a little cheaper. All of these factors can elevate your hunt if you can plan your trip a little later in the season."

Mobridge Area

South Dakota Farm Bill Program Manager Tom Zinter hails from Bowdle and says that spring nesting conditions were very good in the north-central part of the state.

"After a dry fall and open winter, there was a lot of concern that conditions would not be good, but consistent rains showed up and provided us with good grass growth and habitat conditions," Zinter says.

"Brood-rearing conditions have also been good," he continues. "We have continued to have rains roll through the area and keep insects and grass growing. We have had enough rain to keep water in the wetlands, but we've avoided the flooding of quality habitat like some other parts of the state have seen."

Zinter says everything he has seen and heard points to another good year for bird numbers.

"Any trips I make around dawn or dusk reveal a handful of broods," he reports. "A lot of the broods that I have seen look to be from first nesters, but I have still seen some smaller chicks coming from later nesting attempts."

Similar to the Aberdeen area to the east, Zinter believes the crop harvest might be a bit later this fall, an important factor hunters should keep in mind.

"We have kept getting some rain showers to move through the area which has led to good grass growth," he continues. "Small grain harvest is wrapped up in the area, but things are looking like soybean and corn harvest will be later this year compared to last fall."

In closing, Zinter mentions that hunters should be aware that some haying and grazing of CRP acres has occurred in the north-central part of the state.

"There has been some non-emergency haying that has taken place as part of the required management by landowners on their CRP contracts," he notes. "That haying is generally 30-50% of the contract though, so those areas still have additional standing cover for the birds to use."

Pierre Area

"Pheasant hunting last fall was pretty special as we saw a record number of birds around the area," reports Robert Hettinger, a pheasant hunter and agronomist from Pierre who works with producers in Hughes, Sully and Lyman counties.

"Nesting conditions were favorable for the birds again this year with adequate vegetation around the area," he continues. "We had a dry start to the year, as well, so no issues with multiple heavy rains hindering nesting."

Hettinger says the initial hatch seemed earlier than normal this year, with little adverse weather to negatively impact birds.

"After the initial hatch, young broods had their fill of the great protein source that insects provide. Most of the heat was met with high humidity and dewy mornings — perfect for pheasants to take advantage of for a drink," he says.

The fair amount of summer rain has allowed the CRP and crops to provide ideal habitat, and Hettinger believes this will no doubt be another exceptional year of pheasant and grouse hunting in the Pierre area.

"With record numbers last year and another great hatch this year, hunters should expect to see plenty of opportunity" he says.

His best advice? Remember the blue-sky rule.

"Make sure you see blue sky below and above that bird before taking a shot," reminds Hettinger, who just finished a HuntSAFE class with one of his boys this summer. "Too many accidents happen every year because we get excited and shoot before that bird gains elevation. Take your time. There are plenty of birds out there!"

Miller Area

"It was a dry spring here to start the year, so new cover was slow to get going," reports Michael Hagan, a PF Farm Bill biologist based in Miller. "But with much-needed rain in May, that helped jumpstart our cool-season grasses and cover. Overall, we got the rains needed in this area at the right time and cover was up for hens to begin nesting."

Hagan says summer conditions were ideal for brood-rearing, with mild temps and plenty of rain to maintain cover and help the warm-season plants find success.

"Luckily, most of this rainfall has come intermittently, so I don't foresee a die-off of young chicks due to flooding," Hagan says.

In the last few months, Hagan reports seeing a good number of broods.

"I saw some broods in the early summer and late spring, but I have also seen some younger broods the last few weeks up in the more northern portions of Hand and Hyde counties," he notes. "I have seen more broods this past year than the previous two years I have been here, so I am very optimistic about high pheasant production this year."

Hagan says the habitat looks great. And because there was no drought in the area, there has been little to no emergency haying occurring on CRP ground this year.

"Some producers mow portions of their CRP annually to help manage the cover, but no field was allowed to be 100% removed this year," Hagan clarifies. "So, there should be plenty of habitat come pheasant season for hunters. When passing by the local PATH (Public Access to Habitat program) and Walk-In Areas, most have been left to stand and are in great shape for hunters."

With that in mind, Hagan believes hunting should be great around the region again, with plenty of different public areas to explore.

"I would just like to remind hunters that a lot of these lands that are open to public access are still privately owned," Hagan says. "So please respect the fields you use by cleaning up after yourself, parking in designated locations, and being respectful of landowners and their homes."

"The South Dakota Pheasants Forever team is constantly working to increase the amount of public land for hunters to enjoy," concludes Hagan, "but hunters can help out too by using these areas properly and treating them as if they were their own."

Consider being a bigger person and cleaning up after hunters less considerate and respectful than you.

Redfield Area

Nesting conditions in Spink County also got off to a dry start, but then the rains showed up, says Sam Fryman, a PF Farm Bill Biologist III from Redfield.

"We probably lost a few early nests that were started in and around the pothole wetlands as they got filled up. But overall nesting conditions were really good here this year," reports Fryman.

He adds that brood-rearing conditions were above average, with no shortage of moisture and protein-rich bugs for the chicks.

"Recruitment this year looks to be similar to or better than last year, and, following suit, hunting should be similar to or better than last year." Fryman continues. "I've been hearing lots of good reports of hens with broods, and decent-sized broods. Personally, I started seeing broods in early to mid-June and just saw a brood of 2-week-old birds in late August from a re-nesting attempt."

Considering how dry the spring started off, Fryman says the habitat rebounded well and looks good heading into fall, noting that public lands really look good.

He warns hunters that the heavy rains the area received have made some of the area's minimum-maintenance roads hard to navigate, so keep that in mind if you plan on hunting in the Spink County area this fall.

Watertown Area

"This spring we started off fairly dry; however, things quickly changed once mid-May rolled around," reports Joe Mayrose, PF Farm Bill biologist from Watertown.

"Heavy and consistent rains created some tougher spring nesting conditions," he says. "Despite these conditions, we had a fairly open winter, and birds came into the nesting season in great condition."

"Brood-rearing conditions throughout the summer were good," Mayrose adds. "Ample rains prevented emergency haying in the local area, allowing plenty of undisturbed habitat for nesting and brood rearing."

Mayrose says he has both seen and heard plenty of good reports from the field, including that some re-nesting and late hatching occurred in the area.

"Habitat conditions are looking great going into fall, with minimal CRP hayed this year," Mayrose adds. "With the Big Sioux River CREP program recently starting in 2022, keep in mind that some of these areas are still in the establishment phase of the seeding and may have been clipped for weed control. In my coverage area we have also added some new Walk-In Area (WIA) and PATH (Public Access to Habitat) areas with some great looking habitat."

"Hunters in the area should expect a great fall with ample opportunities to chase birds," he concludes. "Hunters should also be aware that it is still very wet in the area and to be cautious when traveling less-maintained roads, as flooding in areas has been an issue throughout the summer."

Huron Area

"Spring nesting conditions were good, with no major weather events that would have negatively impacted nesting. The early nesting season was more dry than wet, but cover was sufficient for hens to nest and, overall, it was a positive nesting season," reports Darwin Weeldreyer, a landowner and habitat manager who is also a PF Life Member and an active member of the Wessington Springs Chapter.

"Later in the spring and into early summer, cover became bountiful, and with the warmer temperatures and increased rain opportunities, the bugs responded," Weeldreyer says. "During August, grasshoppers have become a thing and are providing the pheasants a healthy diet. There have been some strong, spotty summer storm events as of late. With these summer storms, the areas impacted are not widespread and are generally concentrated to small areas."

With the positive nesting and brood-rearing conditions, Weeldryer says pheasant production should have been good.

"I have seen all sizes of pheasant chicks to date, which indicates it's been a full nesting season with first-hatch success and some hens having to re-nest," he reports. "Habitat looks good going into fall. The recent rains have kept grasses green and dense. If we get average fall moisture, the cool-season grasses should respond well."

Weeldryer says hunters should have a good season, but he also says they should keep an eye on the weather as the season nears.

"Fall harvest is really going to depend on what direction the weather goes," he says. "If it stays wet, I can see the harvest being pushed later. If it goes more to the dryer side with an early frost, that will speed up harvest season."

"The carryover birds were plentiful this past spring, and I anticipate pheasant production was average to above average given the conditions," he concludes. "Whether hunting private or public lands, large standing fields of corn and beans can make a hunt challenging. Adjust your hunt accordingly, concentrating on catching birds going from row crops to roosting areas. Any time you can shrink your hunt area, the better chance of success you will have."

Woonsocket and Howard Area

Justin Enfield, a PF Farm Bill biologist based out of Woonsocket, says he has seen an upcycle in bird numbers the last few years.

"We have seemed to improve upon our pheasant population each year, and this year really put it all together with a mild, snowless winter, good nesting conditions, and great brood-rearing weather," says Enfield.

"We have had some heavy hailstorms that hurt cover in isolated areas, but there hasn't been a noticeable impact on pheasants in those areas," he continues. "To put it simply, broods are everywhere when you drive the gravel roads — even paved ones, too! There seems to have been a great many early broods, as there are a very noticeable amount of fully colored young roosters out strutting their stuff."

"There are younger broods, too, but very few late ones," Enfield adds. "Most of the broods I see are more than grown enough to be ready for winter."

Enfield says some late moisture this summer has created plenty of green cover, and that crops will likely take longer to dry out, which will likely lead to a later harvest. He also adds that CRP and CREP haying will be light this year in the absence of drought declarations in these counties.

"Also, many producers took advantage of haying two years ago, so they still haven't reached the 3-year interval where they can hay CRP again," he adds.

All in all, Enfield says hunters this fall should prepare to be amazed.

"I'm a local and remember the '90s," he says. "We aren't there yet, but this will be the closest we have seen since the CRP heyday."

Even though bird numbers will be great and fall cover should be good, Enfield believes hunters should still make time to scout.

"If you are a smaller hunting group, finding a CREP that has been partially hayed or a Walk-In Area that has smaller areas to hunt will allow you to have more success as you can cover those areas better than an entire quarter section," he concludes. "Also, come out in December and January. If you don't know how great late-season hunting can be, you don't know what you are missing!"

Mitchell Area

Pheasant hunting was very good in this area last fall, even with the late hatch because of last spring's excessive rainfall and flooding. So says Zackry Stamps, a PF habitat specialist serving these counties.

"We've had some good, timely rains this spring and summer, making good brood-rearing habitat and minimal negative impacts on nesting," Stamps says. "Pheasant production has seemed very good this year. I have seen mainly early broods and a few late ones while out in the field working, and I have seen plenty in the ditches on the way."

Even though the calendar reads September, Stamps says the habitat looks great and is still green.

"Our new grass on Game Production Area that were planted last fall and this spring have done very well — lots of forbs and warm-season grasses that are holding a lot of pheasants," he reports. "There will be plenty of birds this fall, as the locals keep talking about all the pheasants they've been seeing."

Farm Bill Biologist Sydney Settles agrees and says several landowners have reported an abundance of broods in areas abundant in tall grasses and cropland, especially in western Davison, northern Hanson and all of Douglas County.

"Go to western Davison County and Douglas County for more hilly terrain," advises Settles. "Go east to Hanson and McCook counties for more moisture-induced prairie."

Winner Area

Like other areas in the central part of the state, Farm Bill Biologist Jayd Chmela says spring started out dry, but timely rains in mid-May gave habitat a necessary shot in the arm. She says nesting conditions were okay, but not the best they could've been.

Summer stayed dry until recently, but Chmela says grasshoppers have been plentiful for young chicks to eat.

"I have seen quite a few broods when out and about," she reports. "It seems like there have been a wide range of older broods and younger broods at the same time. The habitat in the area looks OK. With quite a few late-summer rain showers and storms everything has greened up fairly well. I would say this season will be relatively close to what last season was like based on what I have heard."

Western Area

Farm Bill Biologist Zach Vilkauskas says spring conditions in the western parts of South Dakota pheasant country were great, with mild temperatures and a good amount of rain.

"Brood-rearing conditions have been very good through the summer," Vilkauskas says. "Again, the temperature was not too extreme throughout the summer, keeping the grass looking nice for the broods, combined with the rainfall that we got. There was a good number of insects in the fields for the chicks to eat as they were growing to keep them healthy."

Vilkauskas reports a good number of broods running around the area and believes that hatch was early.

"From talking with some friends and co-workers, it seems that all around there are a large number of broods running around with a good number of chicks that survived up to this point of the year," he says.

As summer wore on, conditions have dried out a bit, and he notes a few CRP areas being cut.

"There is still going to be lots of habitat standing in my area," Vilkauskas says. "There are two WIAs that I know of that are being partially cut as management while leaving enough habitat for the wildlife to utilize," he says. "Hunters should expect good pheasant populations in my area along with good harvest numbers."

Season Details

South Dakota has a youth-only pheasant season that runs September 27 to October 5, and a resident-only season that opens October 11 and closes October 13.

During youth season, hunters can hunt on public and private lands.

Public lands are the only areas open during the resident-only season.

Those two seasons are followed by South Dakota's traditional pheasant season, which is open from October 18 to January 31, 2026.

Regardless of season, shooting hours are from 10 a.m. to sunset. Central Standard Time is used for opening shooting hours statewide. The daily limit in the regular season is 3 rooster pheasants, with a possession limit of 15.

Texas is known for a lot of things. Pheasant hunting is not one of them.

However, parts of Texas can still yield successful pheasant hunts for those willing to let their dogs run, and to put some miles on their boots.

After nearly a decade of rough conditions brought on by prolonged drought, those miles might get a little easier this year. Ample rainfall in North Texas brought habitat back from the brink, giving Lone Star hunters their best shot in years at bagging some wild roosters.

Weather and Habitat Conditions

Winter was stereotypically mild in North Texas, which gave existing birds a good opportunity for carryover. That set the stage for a high-quality spring, according to Patrick Schutz, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's upland game bird program leader.

"We still do have a challenge with lower bird numbers," Schutz says. "But coming into spring in the Panhandle, in the High Plains, we couldn't have asked for a better opportunity with the rainfall and weather conditions going into the breeding and nesting season."

That optimism carried over into the core brood-rearing season, and Schutz has heard encouraging reports from across the Panhandle.

"Folks have been seeing birds," he says. "And there' are successful hatches that we're getting reports on."

Timely rains continued throughout the summer, leaving habitat in good shape heading into fall.

"Conditions this year have been pretty good, if not above average," says Thomas Janke, Pheasants Forever's Texas state coordinator. "We've had mild conditions, we haven't had super cold or super hot. And we've had rain. So habitat wise, it's setting us up pretty well."

Many of us will remember the devastating wildfire that hit much of the Texas Panhandle in February 2024. The Smokehouse Fire eventually burned more than one million acres across Texas and Oklahoma, causing millions of dollars in damage and resulting in two fatalities. The economic and social impact of that fire will continue to linger across the two states. But the habitat it burned has begun to recover.

"From what I've seen and heard, that area is recovering very well," Janke says. "Both lives and livelihoods were lost during that time, and there's nothing positive about the fire. But from a habitat stance, there's a reason it burned. And we're pleased to see that it's recovering."

Top Spots

The northern Panhandle is typically the stronghold for pheasants in Texas. Counties like Dallam and Sherman generally produce decent bird numbers, and the northern and western border counties also see good production. Schutz echoed that longstanding claim, and said the north should see a great year in 2025.

"As far as the outlook," Schutz says. "It continues to feel like that northern and northwestern part of the Panhandle are going to be where I would tell folks to be looking for some opportunities. There are still opportunities further south in the High Plains, but it's just pockets of birds."

Season Details

The general season for pheasants in Texas runs from December 6 to January 4, 2026. Only 37 of the state's 254 counties have a season. Local regulations for each county can be found here. The daily limit is 3 cocks, and the possession limit is 9.

If you are considering a road trip to Utah, you are more likely to be planning a ski vacation than an upland hunting trip.

But locals know that the Beehive State can be a wingshooter's paradise, with long seasons and a variety of species to hunt.

Mountain valley pheasants are a unique and exciting experience, but unfortunately neither locals nor travelling hunters are likely to see banner days this season.

Weather and Conditions

Although 2024 brought some very good pheasant hunting to Utah, 2025 is a different story.

Drought conditions have Utah pheasants struggling to make it, with fewer forbs and insects than usual spread through the riverbottom covers. That's especially hard on the young of the year birds, which can't pack on enough weight with limited food sources.

Jordan Menge is a PF & QF project manager in southwestern Utah. He says, "We are currently in a state of severe to extreme drought conditions. With these conditions, we can expect a setback with wild bird numbers."

If there is a saving grace, it's the fact that last winter was fairly mild, so a good number of adult pheasants made it to breeding season. That might mean pockets of decent hunting where the drought is less pronounced.

Cache Valley Pheasants Forever chapter member Dr. Chris Wilson lives in the middle of Utah's best pheasant hunting. He knows how to find birds in tough conditions. "The weather has been pretty grim for wildlife. Birds will be concentrated in areas where food and water are available."

Making the Best of It

Heather Talley is the state of Utah's Upland Game Coordinator. She echoes Wilson's predictions: "Brood size has been small, and few young birds have been observed." She expects decreases in pheasant numbers statewide, except for southeastern Utah, which has few wild roosters to begin with.

While wild pheasant hunting is available along the Green, Sevier and Duchesne Rivers, these opportunities are mostly on private land.

Per usual, wild pheasant hunters are best off to focus their efforts on the river valleys in northeastern Utah, along the flanks of the northern Wasatch and Bear River Ranges. Urban sprawl continues to whittle away at lowland hunting opportunities on the Wasatch Front.

While the overall picture is far from rosy, creative hunters will still have some success. Irrigation ditches and field edges that run right up to the river are the best places to spend your time. Don't be afraid to knock on a few doors and offer to trade some fence repair or other odd jobs for a few pheasant walks if you are serious about finding wild birds in Utah.

Heather Talley points out that even with the dry conditions, Utah's state-operated pheasant release program will still give bird hunters a chance. "Hunting opportunities for pen-reared pheasants should be excellent this fall as Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) will continue to release a large number of male pheasants across all DWR properties and Walk-In Access areas in pheasant habitat throughout the month of November."

Season Details

Utah's 2025 pheasant hunting season runs from November 1 through December 7. The daily bag limit is 2 roosters, and the possession limit is 6. The state also holds a youth hunt season from October 25 through October 30. Be sure to check WMA regulations, as some have temporary or season-long closures.

Washington's rollercoaster weather patterns since last hunting season made for some good and some bad stretches for upland birds.

Even with the inconsistent conditions, though, there is reason to be hopeful that some of the state's top producing areas should expect similar rooster results to the past few seasons.

According to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Small Game Specialist Sarah Garrison, the number of eastern Washington pheasant hunters last season was similar to 2023, but they hunted more days and harvested fewer pheasants in 2024. The number of pheasants harvested per hunter decreased slightly, but remains about 3 pheasants per hunter. Hunters averaged less than 2 days of hunting per harvest.

WDFW harvest estimates from the 2024 season:

While it may have taken a bit of hard work, hunters looking for wild birds across Washington were able to have some success in the 2024 season. 2025 looks like it is going to be similar.

Weather and Conditions

The winter of 2024-25 started out favorable for pheasants and other upland birds, but the rollercoaster of weather conditions started as the winter went on.

"Most of the winter in eastern Washington's pheasant range was mild, but unusually high snowfall in February may have impacted pheasant winter survival in some areas," says Garrison.

Heavy snowfall may not be ideal for pheasant's winter survival rates, but it may have given a leg up for nesting season.

Garrison explains the good and bad of the heavy snow further: "A positive tradeoff is that this precipitation along with a wetter March allowed for good vegetation growth for nesting cover. Then a warm, dry spring provided ideal conditions for hatching."

Summer months across the state restarted the rollercoaster of conditions, but this time it was even more regional. "By the end of June, core pheasant range in southeastern Washington was experiencing drought, but the western parts of pheasant range (in the Columbia Basin) experienced less severe dryness through the summer," Garrison reports.

Habitat, Broods and Counts

Habitat quality may range across the state based on the weather patterns, Garrison describes, but then the question becomes what that means for broods across the state.

"Washington collects summer brood data for pheasants (among other species) from incidental observations, but too few pheasant observations have been reported to provide meaningful monitoring data," says Garrison. Learn more about the wild turkey and upland birds survey for broods and distribution here: Wild turkey and upland bird survey for broods and distribution | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.

For more detailed information on each of the districts across the state you can check out the states annual Hunting Prospects Page.

Top Spots

Garrison offers a few recommended areas where hunters have had previous success.

"In 2024, Whitman County saw the most pheasants harvested and the highest number of harvests per hunter (more than 5 pheasants per hunter). Grant County had the second-most pheasants harvested (with just less than 3 pheasants per hunter), but Franklin, Garfield and Asotin counties each averaged more than 3 harvests per hunter."

Insider Tips

In addition to some of the top spots that Garrison mentioned, she also recommends that pheasant hunters look into the WDFW's Private Lands Access Program, which offers multiple access and reservation types throughout the state.

As a reminder, WDFW does release some pheasants in areas of western Washington where wild pheasant populations don't exist, as well as in a few locations across the eastern part of the state to supplement hunting opportunity. You can find more information on those areas here.

Season Details

The season for wild pheasants in Eastern Washington runs from October 18 to January 19, 2026. The daily bag limit is 3 birds, with a possession limit of 15.

Pheasant crowing counts have increased in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the Wisconsin DNR spring pheasant surveys, and that can be a key indicator for a good season ahead.

Crews conducting this annual roadside survey reported an average of .81 crows per 6-minute stop for the survey. This represents nearly a 30% increase over last year's .62 bird per survey stop. Surveys were completed on 81 of the state's 83 routes.

"This year's survey in the Northwest was the highest on record for any region of Wisconsin since the survey was redesigned in 2013," says Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) St. Croix Area Wildlife Supervisor Cody Strong.

The Wisconsin DNR divides the state into three regions for the purpose of its spring pheasant crowing counts: Region 1 in the northwest; Region 2 in the Greater Fox River Valley; and Region 3 in the south.

That crow counts were highest in the northwest makes sense from a habitat point of view. According to Strong, "This northwestern area OF Wisconsin has relatively abundant grassland, wetland, and shrubland habitat intermixed with agriculture."

Breaking it Down

While loss of grasslands is a concern across Pheasant Country in general, Region 1 has fared better than some parts of Wisconsin and the Midwest. Sizable chunks of public land, federal waterfowl production areas, public wildlife areas, and a mosaic of grasslands and wetlands, all help to create the right mix cover for wild pheasants.

An average of 2.698 crows heard per stop was recorded in 2025, an increase both over last year's 1.937 crows heard per stop and the region's long-term average of 1.536.

Hunters looking to find viable populations of wild pheasants in Wisconsin will want to target the northwestern part of the state — the counties of Barron, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix.

St. Croix and Polk counties are standouts in this list because of concentrations of grasslands and wetlands.

While pockets of habitat can still be found in specific areas of Regions 2 and 3, expect to burn a lot of gas, boot leather and dog power for any birds you might harvest in these locations. The average number of crows heard per stop regionwide (.24 crows in Region 2 and .218 in Region 3) is about a tenth of what they are for Region 1.

And it's worth noting that even Wisconsin's best counties hold far fewer pheasants than powerhouse states like the Dakotas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. Still, there are birds to be found.

Crowing survey data provides a good snapshot of wild pheasant populations going into the breeding season. But brood survival at the landscape scale is not fully known at this point.

On one hand, Strong and other DNR staff in the field report seeing good numbers of broods in the state's northwestern counties this summer. On the other hand, heavy rainfall events — which can negatively affect brood survival — were common during July and early August.

Information on brood survival will be available on the DNR's Wisconsin Wildlife Report prior to the hunting season. Good brood survival sets the stage for a productive hunting season; poor brood survival means it's going to be a lot tougher to find birds.

Other Options

It's worth noting that mixed bags add variety and opportunities in rich and lean years alike, and Wisconsin bird hunting is nothing if not varied.

Grouse and woodcock provide plenty of action in the northern and central parts of the state, and DNR's Field & Forest Interactive Gamebird Hunting Tool (FFLIGHT) can you locate quality covers.

Those looking to purse large gallinaceous birds, may want to take advantage of fall wild turkey season.

At the same time, miles of Great Lakes coastline, Horicon Marsh and the Mississippi River provide quality water fowling opportunities, with robust populations of wood ducks breeding and migrating through the state's smaller waterways.

Pursuing pheasants stocked by the state game farm is another option. Some 75,000 birds are expected to be released on public lands in the southern and eastern part of the state. For details, visit the Department's Pheasant Stocking webpage.

Season Details

The 2025 pheasant season runs from October 18 (9 a.m.) to January 4, 2026. The daily bag limit is one rooster per day on opening weekend and 2 roosters per day for the rest of the season. The possession limit is 3 times the daily bag limit.

Last season was a mixed bag for Wyoming's rooster aficionados. Hunting ranged from mediocre to excellent depending on the location.

After a mild winter and variable spring moisture, the 2025 season will also be hit or miss.

Weather and Conditions

Just like last year, northern Wyoming has seen decent weather leading into the hunting season.

Although spring rains were paltry in many places, a wetter than average summer will help carry chicks through. Linette Sutphin is PF's biologist in north-central Wyoming. She says, "Public pheasant hunting mostly depends on birds raised at the bird farm, but the outlook for wild upland birds is encouraging overall."

She expects a good season for hunters seeking colorful flushes. "Mild winter conditions and consistent moisture through spring and summer have helped provide good nesting and brood-rearing cover for pheasants, which are usually strong indicators of healthy bird numbers."

Although the state of Wyoming doesn't conduct formal population sampling, Wyoming Game & Fish wildlife management coordinator Tim Thomas is also optimistic. "This past winter was fairly open until mid-January through mid-March," he says. "And with the early spring … I've seen several medium to large pheasant broods in my travels."

Further southeast, the North Platte River valley is still under stubborn drought conditions, albeit less pronounced than the last few seasons. Solid spring precipitation has turned things around some, especially since hailstorms were sparse. In this region, bird hunters can expect improving pheasant numbers, but still at or below average in most places.

Where to Hunt Wild Roosters

Wyoming might be a sleeper state for pheasant hunting, but opportunities exist for those that do their homework.

Pheasants are invariably tied to agricultural land, so spend your time working irrigation ditches and tree rows along riverbottom grain fields or creekside hay meadows. Generally speaking, the closer you are to a ranch yard the more pheasants you will see. But don't be afraid to walk out into brushy side draws and native prairie. As the season progresses, thick cattails become hotspots for thermal cover.

The North Platte River valley is Wyoming's best rooster mecca. Fields stretch from west of Casper to the Nebraska state line, offering not only pheasants but mixed-bag sharptail and Hungarian partridge wingshooting. Add in the river's legendary waterfowl opportunities, and it's obvious why this region draws bird hunters.

Public hunting access is rather limited for upland hunters in northern Wyoming. The best bets are creekbottom state parcels east of the Bighorns and along the flank of the Black Hills. The Bighorn River offers some opportunities further west. Small pheasant populations can be found along the main river corridors in southern Wyoming.

Keep in mind that the majority of Wyoming pheasant habitat is on private land. Bake some cookies, knock on some doors, and see if you can get access. Wyoming's Access Yes program provides a few walk-in parcels scattered across lowlands where roosters might be found.

A significant portion of Wyoming's state pheasant management is focused on farm-raised bird releases. While not the same as a wild bird hunt, these pheasants provide wingshooting opportunities, especially in north-central and southeastern Wyoming.

Season Details

Wyoming's pheasant hunting season runs from November 1 through December 31. The daily bag limit is 3 roosters, and the possession limit is 9. Special season and bag regulations apply to youth hunts and state bird farm release areas at Ocean Lake, Table Mountain, Springer and Yellowtail. A Pheasant Special Management Permit is required to hunt pheasants on any state bird farm release areas and other state lands.