Pheasant Hunt Opens Saturday in North Idaho

The regular pheasant season opens in northern Idaho on Saturday, October 13. The season opens October 20 in areas 2 and 3 in southern and eastern Idaho. Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, except on opening day in areas 2 and 3 when shooting starts at noon. On the Fort Boise, C.J. Strike, Montour and Payette River wildlife management areas, shooting hours are from 10 a.m. to one-half hour after sunset, except on opening day when shooting starts at noon. The daily bag limit is three cocks, and the possession limit is six after the first day, except on wildlife management areas where pheasants are stocked, in which case the daily limit is two cocks and four in possession. Hunters need a wildlife management area upland game bird permit - formerly a pheasant permit - to hunt on the nine Idaho Fish and Game wildlife management areas where pheasants are released, including the Fort Boise, C.J. Strike, Payette River, Montour, Sterling, Market Lake, Mud Lake, Cartier Slough and Niagara Springs wildlife management areas. The new law that went into effect July 1 expands the scope of the wildlife management area pheasant permit to include other stocked upland game birds. All pheasant hunters are required to wear hunter orange on wildlife management areas where pheasants are stocked. And all hunters must have a valid 2007 Idaho hunting license.