Idaho Department of Fish & Game (IDFG) will release over 1,300 pheasants this fall at four locations throughout the Clearwater region. In addition to a hunting license, an upland game bird permit is required to hunt stocked pheasants at these regional locations. Permits are not required to hunt pheasants or any other upland game birds outside these stocked locations. The cost of the permit is $23.75 (price locked), $28.75 (non-price locked) and $51.75 (non-resident) and will be valid for six birds—multiple permits may be purchased during the season. The daily bag limit is two roosters at release sites.
Idaho Fish and Game uses an online sign-in process to manage hunter numbers at each of these properties in the Clearwater region to ensure opportunities are available to all hunters. Each individual hunter has to register online to use Access Yes! properties in the region. Sign-in rules indicating how many days hunters may sign-up for etc. are listed on each sign-up website.
Idaho Fish and Game staff and landowners enrolled in the Access Yes! pheasant stocking program periodically check vehicles parked on each property to ensure hunters have registered to hunt—this helps alleviate concerns about trespassing and poaching problems. Idaho Fish and Game maintains relationships with landowners enrolled in the program and listens to their concerns about things they see from hunters on an annual basis. Landowners take pride in providing opportunities to hunters and want opportunities to be distributed fairly so that all hunters can enjoy the chance at a harvest. Additionally, respecting private property (e.g. not driving through fields or wet roads, closing gates, keeping the area clean, etc) is key to keeping lands enrolled in the program as well as adding new properties.
Palouse River Upland Game Area and the Petersen Loop Access Yes! site will continue to be stocked this year. Two new release sites will include a portion of the Genesee Access Yes! area and Redbird Canyon on Craig Mountain WMA. Pheasant releases will occur weekly during the youth-only season (October 3-9) and for most of the general season (October 10-December 18). More information including pheasant stocking locations and directions can be found on the pheasant stocking webpage.
Pheasant stocking area rules include:
- Each Upland Game Bird Permit allows the take of six pheasants, and multiple permits may be purchased.
- The two rooster pheasant daily bag limit, and six pheasant possession limit apply at release locations
- In the Clearwater region, shooting hours are from 8 a.m. to one half hour after sunset, during the pheasant season, 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.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. Hunters can find locations codes for each Upland Game Bird Permit Release Area in the table below, or on Fish and Game’s upland game bird permit webpage.
Location codes required
These locations codes are required to validate a permit after a pheasant is harvested, but they are NOT in the 2020-21 Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer rules booklet. Please consider printing and carrying it with you if you plan to hunt on Upland Game Bird Permit Release Areas. You can double click and download it to your desktop.
Additional information regarding pheasant hunting seasons and regulations can be found at Upland Game, Furbearer, and Turkey Seasons and Rules—hard copies of regulations are available at licensed IDFG vendors as well as the Clearwater Region Office (3316 16th Street, Lewiston, ID 83501). If you need any assistance/guidance regarding 2020 pheasant hunting opportunities, please call the Clearwater region office in Lewiston at 208-799-5010.
