F&G's stocked access sites provide golden opportunity for Idaho pheasant hunters

The 2023 fall pheasant season is in full swing as upland hunters take to nearly two dozen Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and other private and federal property sites across the state. 

The ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus for you bird nerds out there) is among the most colorful game bird species found in Idaho, and WMAs are a popular place to hunt them. Pheasants are often found in lowland fields and brushy roadsides, and sport an uncanny copper-and-gold plumage with a bright red and green head. 

Fish and Game will be stocking nearly 30,000 of these birds across the 24 permitted areas, including 14 WMAs. 

“Pheasants are among the most popular game bird species for upland game hunters in the state,” said Jeff Knetter, Upland Game and Migratory Game Bird Coordinator. “Hunters and supporters of pheasant hunting asked us to expand the pheasant stocking program to include additional properties.”

In recent years, Fish and Game has doubled the traditional number of pheasant stocking sites across the Gem State.

So what does this mean for hunters? For residents and nonresidents alike, fall in Idaho is arguably the high point of the hunting season. The trees are vibrant, the air is crisp and pure and many game species are available for hunters to have a truly interactive experience with nature.

Because pheasants often inhabit private lands, gaining access to these prized birds can be a challenge, so Fish and Game provides its WMAs for an easily accessible place to go pheasant hunting. Fish and Game also partners with private landowners and federal agencies to provide additional access to pheasant hunting and stocks birds at these locations. WMAs and other stocking sites offer hunters a golden opportunity to access pheasant-rich hunting properties up and down the state with no shortage of fall scenery.

Know the rules where pheasants are stocked

All pheasant stocking areas fall under the same rules as Wildlife Management Areas where pheasants have been stocked in the past, which include:

• Each Upland Game Bird Permit allows the take of six pheasants, and multiple permits may be purchased.
• The two pheasant daily bag limit, and six pheasant possession limit apply.
• When a pheasant is reduced to possession, the hunter must immediately validate the permit by entering the harvest date and location in non-erasable ink and remove a notch from the permit for each pheasant taken. 
• Shooting hours are from 10 a.m. to one half hour after sunset, during the pheasant season, with the exception of the Clearwater Region, where shooting time is 8 a.m. and online sign-up is required.
• All upland game bird hunters are required to wear at least 36 squares inches of visible hunter orange above the waist during pheasant season (a hunter orange hat meets this requirement). This includes all upland game bird hunters on Upland Game Bird Permit Release Areas, not just those pursuing pheasants. This is not a requirement for upland game hunters who are hunting other sites.
• The permit is not required to hunt any other upland game bird species in Idaho, including in Upland Game Bird Permit Release Areas.
• The Upland Game Bird Permit is not required for pheasant hunting outside of Upland Game Bird Permit Release Areas.

Pheasant hunting rules, including shooting hours and bag limits, are different for hunting outside of areas where pheasants are stocked. Those rules can also be found in the Idaho Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer seasons and rules brochure, and are largely unchanged from previous years.