Madison, WI – Wisconsin hunters will return to the fields this weekend as the 2025 pheasant hunting season officially opens at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, and runs through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), hunters may take one rooster on the opening weekend, Oct. 18–19. Starting Monday, Oct. 20, the daily bag limit increases to two birds per hunter, a limit that continues through the end of the season. Designated areas also allow for the harvest of either roosters or hens.
The DNR plans to stock approximately 75,000 pheasants on more than 80 properties across the state. Birds are released up to twice a week during the early weeks of the season, with additional releases timed around the nine-day gun deer season, which begins Nov. 23.
Hunters are encouraged to wear blaze orange or pink for safety and visibility. During the gun deer season, at least 50% of a hunter’s upper-body clothing must meet this color requirement, except for waterfowl hunters.
For full regulations, shooting hours, and hunting maps, visit the DNR’s pheasant hunting webpage at dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/hunt/pheasant.html.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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