What states have huntable pheasant populations?

sdsujacks · Post by **sdsujacks** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 1:28 pm

Aside from the big name states, SD, ND, MN, IA, KS, NE, CO, MT, what other states have huntable wild pheasant populations? I grew up in Iowa, and have since lived in SD and now MN so I don't really know what it is like out there elsewhere. From time to time on here or other sites I see people talk about pheasant hunting in CA, PA, NY, OH, IL, etc. and I'm curious what wild pheasant hunting is like in those states? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

ACooper · Post by **ACooper** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:04 pm

You can add Oklahoma and Texas to your list.

coff20 · Post by **coff20** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:20 pm

Eastern Oregon has some. Here's a few I shot last week:

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UglyD · Post by **UglyD** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:43 pm

The Rocky Mountain states have some- some more than others- not and I say not destination spots- but if you live there and have the time to learn and put in the work it's certainly worth keeping bird dogs.

rinker · Post by **rinker** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:45 pm

There are a few counties in North-Western Indiana that have an excellent pheasant population. The rest of the state has none.

RickB · Post by **RickB** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:51 pm

Illinois has pheasants that people hunt. But it is far from a destination state. Last numbers I saw kicked around were like 24,000 roosters shot in a year. I do not know what goes into that number...I hope it is not the put-and-take hunting that the DNR provides around the state.

The problem is access. The little bit of public land managed for pheasants is granted access by lottery only. Road ditch hunting is not allowed, and even if it were, there are very few brushy ditches.

The vast majority is on private land. Which means you need to ask permission. I am a falconer, and I managed to secure access to some private land as a falconer, but I was warned that others also hunt the land. Nearly every potential spot has someone with a lab who will visit once a year. Due to extenuating circumstances, I have never hunted private land for pheasants.

So, here, you have pockets of swamp, CRP, and other non-farmable lands. Places that might hold a rooster or two. Places that you can hit once in a season.

I am not long for the state, but I am planning a trip downstate in the spring to request bird access. My goal is to gain access to 10 quality (i.e. CRP) properties...one per weekend during gun season. A promise to hit each only once. I am devilishly handsome and charming, so gaining access ought to be a breeze :roll:.

Rick

natel24 · Post by **natel24** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 1:45 am

I hunt strictly private land in Northern Illinois I have a handful of spots that I can go. There is a plot of crp that's 120 acres that holds some birds. The rest of what I hunt is waterways, fence rows and creek bottoms. I've been out four times this year and seen multiple pheasants each time. I hunt just my dogs and I we have managed to bag a rooster 3/4 times. The limit in Illinois is 2 rosters and I limit myself to one each time.

Gooseman07 · Post by **Gooseman07** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 6:45 am

In the last few years I have started to hunt public land in PA for pheasant. The state allocates pheasants per the size of game land. I'm going out the next few days so I can report back. I've missed the 'stocking' days before so not much luck for me. I've got a good dog this year too.

partyofone · Post by **partyofone** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:15 am

Gooseman07 wrote:In the last few years I have started to hunt public land in PA for pheasant. The state allocates pheasants per the size of game land. I'm going out the next few days so I can report back. I've missed the 'stocking' days before so not much luck for me. I've got a good dog this year too.

I also hunt PA game lands. On stocking days, it's easier because the birds haven't been all busted up and educated. After that, you have to really hunt them, but they are there. Usually buried in briars or in the woods along the fields.

My buddy has killed a lot this year, but he works hard for them.

sdsujacks · Post by **sdsujacks** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:45 am

rinker wrote:There are a few counties in North-Western Indiana that have an excellent pheasant population. The rest of the state has none.

Does that area get hit pretty hard being basically right between Chicago and Indianapolis? Any public land or all private?

sdsujacks · Post by **sdsujacks** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:47 am

Gooseman07 wrote:In the last few years I have started to hunt public land in PA for pheasant. The state allocates pheasants per the size of game land. I'm going out the next few days so I can report back. I've missed the 'stocking' days before so not much luck for me. I've got a good dog this year too.

So the state will have days that they will release birds on public lands? I'm picturing this being somewhat similar to around here when the state will release trout on an announced date and they pretty much all get fished out instantly.

sdsujacks · Post by **sdsujacks** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:48 am

natel24 wrote:I hunt strictly private land in Northern Illinois I have a handful of spots that I can go. There is a plot of crp that's 120 acres that holds some birds. The rest of what I hunt is waterways, fence rows and creek bottoms. I've been out four times this year and seen multiple pheasants each time. I hunt just my dogs and I we have managed to bag a rooster 3/4 times. The limit in Illinois is 2 rosters and I limit myself to one each time.

Do most landowners want money to access their land in that area? Or is too far off the beaten path that you can get on by being nice and friendly?

Gooseman07 · Post by **Gooseman07** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 12:32 pm

sdsujacks wrote:
Gooseman07 wrote:In the last few years I have started to hunt public land in PA for pheasant. The state allocates pheasants per the size of game land. I'm going out the next few days so I can report back. I've missed the 'stocking' days before so not much luck for me. I've got a good dog this year too.
So the state will have days that they will release birds on public lands? I'm picturing this being somewhat similar to around here when the state will release trout on an announced date and they pretty much all get fished out instantly.

Yes, it's similar to that but like mentioned, they either get shot or educated and chased deep into woods. I've been told about guys watching from the parking lot when they stock then go 'hunt'. I didn't have much luck this morning but there's only about 200 or so acres where I went and in a highly populated region. It gets hunted pretty hard. I'm going to a different SGL tomorrow that still gets pressure but is much much larger. Hopefully it's a better day!

natel24 · Post by **natel24** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:14 pm

sdsujacks wrote:
natel24 wrote:I hunt strictly private land in Northern Illinois I have a handful of spots that I can go. There is a plot of crp that's 120 acres that holds some birds. The rest of what I hunt is waterways, fence rows and creek bottoms. I've been out four times this year and seen multiple pheasants each time. I hunt just my dogs and I we have managed to bag a rooster 3/4 times. The limit in Illinois is 2 rosters and I limit myself to one each time.
Do most landowners want money to access their land in that area? Or is too far off the beaten path that you can get on by being nice and friendly?

I'm fortunate because my dad has good friendships with some of the farmers around our hometown (population 530). My parents have lived in the same home for 40 years. And where we come from the time honored tradition of helping those that help you still exists. My dad is a retired air conditioning guy, and has fixed ac's on a lot of combines. We also trim back the tree lines around the fields every year for them and clean up any downed trees. We also are generous with summer sausage from the deer we get on there land. But I have heard of people from out of town leasing some deer ground around us.

Pheasanttracker · Post by **Pheasanttracker** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:21 pm

I hunt PA all season and regularly limit out but all the birds are stocked. Best bet for PA is to look at the game lands the state stocks and hit the area within the First three days after it is stocked. Stocking ends Dec 19th but the season goes well into Feb. finding birds after the new year takes a dog that will crawl thru briars. Forget about finding any birds in open fields at that point. Either they were shot or eaten by foxes if they stayed in the open grass or standing crops. Of course it is only the crazy diehards that hunt PA at that point. All the "gentlemen" hunters have moved on to game farms.

DudeRN · Post by **DudeRN** » Sat Dec 06, 2014 10:48 pm

New Hampshire stocks pheasants, and I think a few other New England states do, too

AtTheMurph · Post by **AtTheMurph** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 4:11 pm

rinker wrote:There are a few counties in North-Western Indiana that have an excellent pheasant population. The rest of the state has none.

There are also pheasant from what I would call W. Central IN in a line to the NE corner of the state where IN, MI and OH meet.

I'd say IL has more than IN mostly in E central IL centered in Iroquois and Ford counties. In Indiana prime pheasant Counties are Benton, Newton, White.

WI should also be on the list. E Central seems to have the best populations now but SW WI is the best area but suffered a terrible ice storm and heavy snows that did a real number of birds. I've seen upwards of 80 birds in a day in Lafayette Co WI but last couple of years have been bad but getting better.

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