The 20 States With the Absolute Best Pheasant Hunting

Upland hunters enjoy the pursuit of pheasants all over the United States. Naturally, some areas are more fruitful than others when it comes to finding these game birds. So, we’ve delved into the states with the best pheasant hunting based on numbers, successes, and public-access initiatives and included them in this article. Read on to discover the 20 states with the absolute best pheasant hunting.

1. South Dakota — Best Hunting All Around

Pheasant hunting is at its best in South Dakota, with more roosters harvested than in any other state. This state has more than 12 million acres of public hunting land for upland game hunters. Specifically, the counties of Lyman, Tripp, Brown, Spink, Brule, and Beadle have the highest harvest numbers when it comes to pheasants.

The season runs from October 21 to January 31. Last year, hunters brought home over 1.1 million pheasants. The 2023-24 year looks to be another excellent year for pheasant hunters in South Dakota. The daily bag limit is three roosters, and the possession limit is 15.

2. Kansas — Best Pheasant Population Consistency

The northwest region of Kansas provides over 12,000 acres of land open to the public. In addition, there are over 300,000 acres of walk-in access to private lands. There are additional acres by the hundred-thousands throughout the north-central region, so many hunters can be accommodated.

The Kansas hunting season runs through mid-October and goes to the middle of March. During this time, hunters can bag four roosters daily with a 16-bird possession limit. Of course, it’s crucial to check with the state’s wildlife and fish department for all current regulations.

3. Montana — Best Hunting Rewards in Challenging Conditions

Upland game hunters have numerous options for pheasant hunting in Montana. If you plan to go to Montana to bag your pheasant limit, though, you may want to wait for November or December when the temperature won’t reach 70° and above. Colder weather brings more productive hunting as birds will concentrate in areas.

The Montana hunting season begins the second Saturday of October and runs through December 31. They have a daily bag limit of three rooster pheasants and a possession limit of nine. You may want to reach out to the state’s local DNR or fish and wildlife department for any updated regulations.

4. North Dakota — Best Hunting With or Without a Sporting Dog

With so many areas within North Dakota that offer the best pheasant hunting, it may be hard to narrow down your choices. However, there are five towns and cities with the absolute best pheasant hunting. Mott has the grassland and buttes that these birds love. Crosby, Wing, and Ellendale have great guides and outfitters. Lake Sakakawea provides excellent opportunities as well.

The regular pheasant hunting season begins on October 7, 2023, and ends on January 7, 2024. Whether hunting with a flushing or hunting dog, on your own, or with an outfitter, North Dakota is an excellent choice for fabulous upland game hunting.

5. Iowa — Best Community Support

People in Iowa understand how pheasant hunters eat, find lodging, and otherwise contribute to the economic stability of their community. Towns like Prairie City even have events to welcome hunters. The Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge holds an annual Tail and Spur contest that judges which hunter has bagged the pheasant with the longest tail.

Pheasant hunting begins on October 28, 2023, and ends on January 10, 2024. According to the Iowa DNR, the northwestern region of the state has excellent pheasant distribution.

6. Minnesota — Best Pheasant Harvest

You won’t always find Minnesota on the list of best pheasant-hunting states. That is, you won’t find it listed until it comes to pheasant harvest numbers. That’s when you’ll see Minnesota listed as one of the best states for pheasant harvests. Southwest Minnesota, in particular, has excellent pheasant cover. There is an abundance of public land for hunters, and the pheasant counts are high.

Pheasant hunting begins on October 14, 2023, and ends on January 1, 2024. You can only harvest rooster pheasants, and the daily limit is two. From December 1 to January 1, however, the bag limit increases to three daily.

7. Nebraska — Best Pheasant Hunting For Adventure-Seekers

If you’re looking for a pheasant hunter’s paradise that has over a million acres of public hunting land and a multitude of walk-in hunting opportunities, Nebraska is an ideal choice. You can find pheasants distributed all over the state. While walking and looking for pheasants, there are beautiful habitats and landscapes to discover, such as the Sandhills region, the Rainwater Basin, and the Platte River Valley.

Pheasant Season begins on October 28, 2023, and ends on January 31, 2024. Nonresident small game hunting permits are only $76 for two days. Daily bag limits are three pheasants with a possession limit of twelve.

8. Colorado — Best Hunting Found in the Northeast Corner of the State

Colorado has an abundance of public hunting land as well as walk-in access to private lands for hunters. Places like Yuma, Burlington, and Sterling are hotspots for pheasant hunters. The dry High Plains has a mix of shortgrass prairie, drylands sage-step, grain fields, and Conservation Reserve Program lands which do well with irrigation and are able to support pheasant populations as well.

The Colorado pheasant hunting season goes from November 11, 2023, to January 31, 2024. The daily bag limit for roosters is three, and the possession limit is nine roosters.

9. Oregon — Best Variety of Hunting Opportunities

If you’re looking for the best areas in Oregon for pheasant hunting, Mid-Columbia, the Union District of the Columbia Basin, Heppner, Umatilla, and the Malheur District are great places to start. Neighboring states often visit Oregon to take advantage of the early start and later ending dates of the season. Additionally, the secluded and meditative feel while hunting in the diverse regions makes the experience fantastic.

Oregon’s pheasant hunting season begins on October 14, 2023, and ends on December 31. The daily bag limit is two roosters, and the possession limit is eight. After bagging your limit of pheasants, you can hunt for squirrels, grouse, partridge, quail, cottontails, jackrabbits, opossums, nutria, and a variety of other game.

10. Nevada — Find the Best Pheasant Hunting in Winnemucca

While Nevada provides public hunting land for pheasant hunters, there are also properties provided by hunting clubs and outfitters. Winnemucca, particularly, is a terrific region to find pheasants. Game bird preserves offer hunting property and even provide guides and dogs for those without canine hunting partners. However you decide to hunt, you’ll be surrounded by spectacular landscapes as you search for pheasants.

The pheasant hunting season in Nevada is a bit shorter than in other states. It begins on November 1, 2023, and ends on November 30. The bag limit is two roosters each day with a six-rooster possession limit.

11. Georgia — Best State With No Actual Pheasant Hunting Season

There’s no actual pheasant hunting season in Georgia. But, don’t let that stop you from your pursuit of the ring-necked birds. You can still hunt during other game seasons — with some exceptions, like during deer season — or during the all-inclusive hunt in October. You also have shooting preserve and pen-raised game bird opportunities between October 1 and March 31 of the following year.

There is no closed hunting season on pheasants in Georgia with varying bag or possession limits.

12. Arizona — The Best Hunting and Shooting Preserves

Though you may not think of Arizona as a pheasant-hunting state, you might just want to try it out. There are some great pheasant recreation and preserve lands that have been in operation for forty years or more where you can experience some of the best upland game hunting.

Pheasant hunting goes from September 1, 2023, to February 22, 2024. This especially long hunting period gives hunters myriad opportunities to bag their limit, which is two pheasants daily and a possession limit of six.

13. Wisconsin — Best State With Pheasant Stocking Program

Since the introduction of pheasants to Wisconsin in the early 1800s, the area’s ideal habitat has allowed this bird to flourish. In addition, Wisconsin has a wonderful pheasant stocking program that gives hunters abundant opportunities to hunt on both private and public hunting lands. The area in and around Park Falls, WI, is a particularly fruitful area for pheasant harvests. Pheasant hunting is exciting and fulfilling in Wisconsin.

Pheasant hunting season begins at 9 a.m. on October 14, 2023, and ends on January 7, 2024. The bag limit is one rooster during the opening weekend, two roosters daily for the rest of the season, and a possession limit of six roosters. Additionally, you can harvest a hen when you hunt in designated hen hunting areas.

14. Michigan — Best State With Agencies Working to Improve Pheasant Habitats

Michigan has three zones — zone one is the whole Upper Peninsula, zone two is the northern half of the Lower Peninsula, and zone three is the southern half of the L.P. — for hunting pheasants. The Pheasants Forever group, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, DNR, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service work together to increase the pheasant population in Michigan by improving the habitats. This coalition has made pheasant hunting satisfaction a great experience.

The Michigan pheasant hunting season goes from October 10 to 31, 2023, in zone one and from December 1 to January 1, 2024, in zones two and three. The daily bag limit is two roosters, while the possession limit is four.

15. Alaska — Best State With No Closed Season or Limit

Alaska has amazing grouse and ptarmigan hunting. Likewise, its pheasant hunting is equally as fantastic. The state has state park and refuge lands, private and military lands, and federal public lands for pheasant hunters to use. A bonus for hunting in Alaska is that you get to take in all the gorgeous scenery around you.

There is no closed season for pheasant hunting in Alaska. Additionally, there is no daily or possession limit.

16. Utah — Best Pheasant Release in Multiple Areas

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is releasing 12,107 pen-reared roosters in various wildlife management areas for the 2023 pheasant hunting season. In addition to the DWR areas, there are wilderness areas and private lands that will be releasing pheasants as well. These are leased for hunting to the public. Overall, you’ll have a multitude of hunting opportunities in Utah for the 2023 pheasant hunting season.

Pheasant hunting season in Utah goes from November 4 to December 3, 2023. The daily bag limit is two roosters, and the possession limit is six roosters.

17. California — Best Pheasant Hunting With Hen Allowance

If you’re planning to hunt in California, there are some great public land options. Sacramento National Wildlife Area is particularly good for pheasant hunting. Delevan, Shasta Valley, and the Gray Lodge are also excellent places to hunt. Many pheasant hunters are successful with private land hunts, of which many are surprisingly affordable.

The general pheasant hunting season is November 11, 2023, through December 24. Archery only, however, is October 14 to November 5, 2023, and December 25, 2023, to January 21, 2024. The daily limit is three pheasants after the first two days of the season with a possession limit of nine. The daily archery limit is one female at most with a total of two per first two days of the season and three per day after that.

18. Wyoming — Best For Pheasant And Sage Grouse Hunting

This western state is the best for sage grouse. However, it’s an ideal state for pheasant hunting as well. Some of the best hunting is in the Thunder Basin National Grassland in the northeastern part of the state. Naturally, any Wildlife Habitat Management areas, as well as walk-in areas are stocked with birds and great options for hunters.

Wyoming pheasant hunting season is dependent on the area, with eleven total areas. The bag limit also varies according to the area.

19. Idaho — Best Pheasant Hunting With Stunning Scenery

Home to a variety of bird species — with several varieties of chukar, quail, grouse, pheasants, and partridge — with healthy populations. You’ll find the pheasant distribution concentrated in the southern portion in places like Twin Falls and Duois as well as in cities like Lewiston and Kootenai.

Idaho has three zones — zone one is the northern portion of the state, zone two is the lower eastern portion of the state, and zone three is the lower western area — with varying seasons. Zone one’s pheasant hunting season is October 14 through December 31, 2023. Zone two is October 26 through November 30, while zone three is October 21 through December 31. The daily bag limit for all three zones is three roosters, and the possession limit is nine roosters.

20. Maine — Best Pheasant Hunting on the East Coast

The East Coast was once a sportsman’s playground for upland hunting. However, the population of upland game birds began to decrease over the years, Maine has over 975 million acres of public hunting land with more than 10,000 hunting units. Aroostook County holds the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi with fruitful upland game hunting.

Maine’s pheasant season goes from September 30, 2023, to December 30. The daily bag limit is two roosters with a possession limit of four.

Summary of States With Best Pheasant Hunting