Pheasant season to open at noon Oct. 14

MADISON – Pheasant hunters venturing into the prairies and marshes of southern Wisconsin can expect good success in 2006, with summer brood surveys showing a slight decrease in naturally-reproducing birds but stocking levels increasing substantially from last year, according to state wildlife officials. The 2006 Wisconsin statewide pheasant hunting season opens at noon on Oct. 14.

Department of Natural Resources wildlife staff will again stock selected public hunting grounds this fall with approximately 52,000 game farm pheasants. This is an increase from 2005 when 34,000 game farm pheasants were stocked. Stocking levels were increased this fall due to a change in the pheasant stamp appropriation with passage of the state budget last summer. The change dedicates 60 percent of the revenue from sale of the pheasant stamp to the stocking and propagation of pheasants on state lands, which will result in increased and more stable stocking levels in the future.

In the past pheasants reared for release into the put-and-take hunting program have been paid for by general license dollars, not pheasant dollars. With this change, hunters will see pheasant stamps increase to $10. The other 40 percent of pheasant stamp revenue will continue being dedicated to developing, managing, preserving, restoring, and maintaining the wild pheasant population within the state.

Wisconsin’s wild, naturally-reproducing pheasant population experienced a fair nesting season this year. Both the spring crowing count survey and the rural mail carrier pheasant survey showed a slight decrease in the number of roosters counted compared to last year. Brood surveys from this summer also showed a slight decrease (25 percent) in the number of broods seen while the average size of the brood was essentially unchanged. Pheasant numbers are likely to be down slightly compared to last falls hunting season.

Areas within the pheasant management counties that contain adequate winter cover such as cattail and shrub-carr marshes and well established native prairie fields, and with 15 percent or more of the landscape in idle grassland will have the highest pheasant densities.

In Wisconsin research has shown that wetlands are one of the most important year-round cover types for pheasants. Over the long-term throughout the Midwest, pheasant populations have shown a decline. Changes in pheasant populations have coincided with changing agriculture and land use patterns. Pheasants once relied on small grain and hay fields for nesting and brood rearing. These areas are now being replaced with larger row crops of corn and soybeans. It will be important for hunters to identify areas with high quality habitat and concentrate hunting efforts in that area.

Hunters should note that there are no longer Special Pheasant Hunting Regulations. A complete set of pheasant hunting regulations is now included in the 2006 Small Game Hunting Regulations. In addition, a new one page flier entitled 2006 Pheasant Stocking Information lists public hunting grounds DNR staff plan to stock with pheasants this fall. Both the regulations and the flier can be found on the pheasant page of the DNR Web site.

A pheasant stamp is required to hunt pheasants within the pheasant management zone. Pheasant hunting opens statewide at noon on Oct. 14 and closes on Dec. 31. From Oct. 14 to 15, the daily bag limit is one cock and possession limit is two. For the remainder of the season the daily bag limit is two cocks and the possession limit is four. Some public hunting grounds have both hen and cock pheasant hunting (requires free permits and tags) and /or 2 p.m. closure times. See the 2006 Small Game Hunting Regulations pamphlet for details.

Pheasant hunters are reminded that blaze orange requirements are in effect during gun deer hunting seasons. This includes: the regular gun season Nov. 18-26 and muzzleloader deer season Nov. 27-Dec. 6, the four-day antlerless only gun hunt Dec. 7-10 , the statewide two-day youth deer hunt on Oct. 7-8, and in chronic wasting disease control hunts within CWD units. For a complete list of units and dates refer to the 2006 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations, which are available on the Hunting Regulations page of the DNR Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrea Mezera (608) 261-8458 or Scott Hull (608) 267-7861