The 2019 pheasant hunting season gets underway Saturday, Oct. 12 in northern Idaho, and on Oct. 19 for the rest of the state. The season runs through November 30 in eastern Idaho and through December 31 in southern and northern Idaho.
Shooting hours start one-half hour before sunrise, and end one half hour after sunset. The daily bag limit is three cocks, and the possession limit is nine. All hunters must have a valid 2019 Idaho hunting license in their possession while hunting.
The rules are a little different for the nine wildlife management areas (WMA’s) in southern Idaho where pheasants are stocked, including C.J. Strike, Cartier Slough, Fort Boise, Market Lake, Montour, Mud Lake, Niagara Springs, Payette River, and Sterling WMA’s. Shooting hours at the WMA’s start at 10 a.m. during the pheasant season. The daily bag limit is two cocks, and the possession limit is six.
In addition to a 2019 hunting license, hunters over the age of 18 must also have a valid WMA Upland Game Permit in possession while hunting pheasants on a Fish and Game WMA. Those under 18 can hunt pheasants on a Fish and Game WMA without a permit.
The permit must be signed in ink by the holder, and validated by entering the harvest date and location and removing a notch from the permit for each pheasant taken. Each permit allows hunters to take two pheasants per day and up to six pheasants per permit. Multiple permits may be purchased.
All upland game hunters are required to wear a minimum of 36 square inches of visible hunter orange above the waist during the pheasant season when hunting on WMA’s where pheasants are stocked. A hunter orange hat meets this requirement.
Here is some more information and a video about pheasant stocking on Fish and Game’s WMA’s. Before heading out, hunters should check out Fish and Game's 2019 Upland Forecast, which provides regional outlooks for a variety of upland bird species, including pheasants.
For additional details, hunters should consult the current upland seasons and rules brochure available at all license vendors, Fish and Game offices and online at https://idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/rules/upland-furbearer-turkey