Pheasant Season Opens

The pheasant season is now open statewide for all licensed hunters. The season in Areas 1 and 3 runs through December 31, and in Area 2 it runs through November 30. Hunting begins one half hour before sunrise, except on the C.J. Strike, Fort Boise, Montour and Payette River wildlife management areas, where hunting begins at 10 a.m. 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. Pheasants were introduced from Asia to the United State at the end of the 1800s. Many parts of Idaho once supported thriving pheasant numbers. But the habitat pheasants need to survive and reproduce has changed dramatically in the past half century. Today, pockets of natural reproduction occur throughout the state, but many people who want to hunt pheasants will have to settle for birds raised on game farms. "Our contract price works out to about $10 per bird," said John O'Neill, habitat biologist at the Market Lake Wildlife Management Area near Roberts. Hunters wishing to do some wing shooting on a wildlife management area must buy a $23.75 WMA permit good for six birds. They can buy more cards if they want to shoot more birds. "Hunters need to remember that they need to sign and date their permit each time they get a pheasant," O'Neill said. Physical notching of the permit is not required and does not substitute for recording the correct information on the permit each time a bird is shot. "We've got the special youth area set aside again this year for kids 17 and under to hunt in," O'Neill said. "We'd like to suggest that adults accompanying them in the area to please refrain from harvesting birds. Every pheasant an adult shoots is potentially one less bird for the kids to get." Pheasants are stocked on the Payette, Montour, Fort Boise, Niagara and Market Lake wildlife management areas. Anyone hunting pheasants or other upland game on wildlife management areas where pheasants are stocked, are required to wear hunter orange. And all hunters must have a valid 2006 Idaho hunting license. For information about hunting pheasants go to http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/pheasant.