Pheasant hunting season to open October 12

HELENA – Pheasant season opens on Saturday, Oct. 12. This fall, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will release nearly 18,000 birds on wildlife management areas, fishing access sites and some school trust lands around the state.  

This is the third year of the annual pheasant release program. In 2022, the Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the release of up to 50,000 pheasants annually on FWP WMAs through 2026. In 2021, the Legislature authorized spending up to $1 million each year for the program.  

The purpose of the program is to get new hunters out in the field and have success early to encourage future hunting and participation in conservation around the state. In Montana, like other states, fish and wildlife conservation is funded primarily through license dollars. Hunting and fishing is an active way to support wildlife management, habitat protection and conservation efforts. 

To see a map of the release sites, go to fwp.mt.gov/hunt/roosters-for-recruitment. For more information on hunting pheasants and other upland game birds, go to fwp.mt.gov/hunt/regulations/upland-game-bird. To read the upland game bird forecast, click here. As hunters head into the field, they should keep bear safety in mind and remember the potential for fire danger.