Rooster pheasants will be released on 13 state game/wildlife areas throughout southern Michigan this fall. Releases will take place today-Nov. 14 and Dec. 1-31, coinciding with pheasant hunting seasons.

Adam Bump, Department of Natural Resources upland game bird specialist, said, "For seasoned hunters and newcomers alike, this is a great opportunity to connect or reconnect with upland bird hunting in Michigan.”

Directions to parking lots at release sites are provided online.

Parking Lot Directions

Releases will take place during the regular pheasant season at locations below. Locations include:

• Cass City (Tuscola County).
• Cornish (Van Buren County).
• Crane Pond (Cass County).
• Crow Island (Bay and Saginaw counties).
• Dansville (Ingham County).
• Erie (Monroe County).
• Lapeer (Lapeer County).
• Leidy Lake (St. Joseph County).
• Townline 16 (Bay County).
• Pointe Mouillee (Monroe and Wayne counties).
• Rose Lake (Clinton and Shiawassee counties) - Temporarily paused.
• Stanton (Montcalm County).
• St. Johns Marsh (St. Clair County).

All hunters must adhere to pheasant hunting regulations, license requirements and bag limits. Only rooster pheasants may be harvested. The daily bag limit is two, and the possession limit is four.

$25 pheasant license

All pheasant hunters must have a base license, and some may also need a $25 pheasant license. The $25 pheasant license is required to hunt pheasants on any public lands in the Lower Peninsula or on lands enrolled in the Hunting Access Program.

The following people do not need a pheasant license to hunt pheasants in Michigan:

• Pheasant hunters on private lands.
• Pheasant hunters on public lands in the Upper Peninsula.
• Pheasant hunters on a game bird hunting preserve.
• Pheasant hunters 17 years old or younger.
• Lifetime license holders.

Season dates

The pheasant management unit open to hunting Oct. 10-31 in Zone 1 (Upper Peninsula) includes all of Menominee County and portions of Delta, Dickinson, Iron and Marquette counties. Zones 2 and 3 (Lower Peninsula) are open to pheasant hunting Oct. 20-Nov. 14. A portion of Zone 3 is open to pheasant hunting Dec. 1- Jan. 1.

To learn more about the pheasant release program, including pheasant management units, license requirements and season dates, visit Michigan.gov/SmallGame.

Questions?

Contact DNR Wildlife Division at 517-243-5813.