Pheasant Season Only Six Days Away

I am filled with excitement realizing that pheasant season opens on October 1st and runs through December 31st. It is a time of year that I look forward to. Unlike many years ago, successfully hunting pheasant today is much harder if you don’t have a well trained bird dog, which I don’t. But, it is being out in the fields with friends and family that count the most. Luck comes where you find it.

This fall, Fish and Game will be stocking 13,500 adult ring-necked pheasants that will be released in all 10 counties during the three-month season. That will be an average of 160 birds per site. There are 74 stocking sites in 50 townships throughout the state. Most of the release sites are on private lands and are stocked with landowner permission. The pheasant will be distributed over three full stockings at all sites this year, with one stocking in early October at selected sites. Stocking of pheasant will be completed by the start of the moose season on October 17th.

Cock pheasant

There is a daily bag limit of 2 pheasant and a season limit of10. A hunter is allowed to harvest two hens as part of the daily limit. To hunt pheasant, you must have a valid New Hampshire hunting license, as well as the $16 pheasant license. Non-residents may hunt with a pheasant license and either a non-resident New Hampshire hunting license or a non-resident small game license. The $16 pheasant license fee is in effect for both New Hampshire residents, as well as non-residents.

Pheasants are purchased with revenues derived from the sale of pheasant licenses. Of the $16 fee, $1 is retained by the license agent and $15 is available for the program. This year, the pheasants will be purchased from the Full Flight Game Farm, in Massachusetts, at a cost of $9.22 per bird.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department asks that hunters refrain from training dogs at pheasant release sites for three days prior to October 1. Dog training tends to flush the birds from the release sites, often onto posted properties or other areas not suitable for hunting.

The tradition of pheasant hunting is available only because landowners continue to allow access and areas to hunt pheasant. Hunters should respect their property and take time to thank them for their generosity. Also, carry a trash bag with you and carry out any trash you might create (sandwich wrappers, drink bottles, coffee cups, etc.) or trash left by inconsiderate others.

Now, a word from Pete Davison, Fish and Game’s Hunter Education Coordinator. “We urge hunters to follow a few simple guidelines to hunt safely and enjoy their times afield hunting pheasants. Pheasant hunting is a lot of fun and a challenge. It’s a great time to be out there, but we want people to do it safely.”

“Incident numbers from the year 2000 underscore this point. That year, there were four hunting related shooting injuries in New Hampshire. In one case, a hunter lost an eye, and in the other case, a hunter was shot in the face. Don’t be a pheasant hunting statistic. Follow these safety tips:

1. Control your firearm muzzle at all times.

2. Always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes.

3. Know where your hunting partner/s are at all times.

4. Shoot only within your safety zone of fire.

5. Be very sure of your target and what is beyond it.

6. Wear Hunter Orange on your head, back and chest.”

And, if you are lucky enough to have a canine partner, be sure he or she also wears a Hunter Orange doggie vest as well as a bell. The bell alerts other hunters that a dog and his partner are in the area and the orange vest assures the dog is seen.

I vividly remember when Fish and Game used to stock pheasants right here in Goffstown, even on the Hillsborough County Farm land. That was back when Fish and Game had its own pheasant farm in Brentwood, N.H. It was great hunting back in those days and one didn’t need a hunting dog to be successful in getting a pheasant. They used to stock over 100,000 pheasant statewide, not the 13,500 of today. But, eventually times changed. The farm birds became infected with disease and Fish and Game had to put them all down and eventually burn their pheasant farm to the ground. In time, Goffstown grew as did the county complexes. Today, no pheasants are stocked in Goffstown. There are only memories of the good old days.

A list of roads and state properties, where pheasants are stocked, can be found by going to: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_pheasant.htm

State properties can be readily found. Private properties are listed only by the roads on which they are found within the many townships. You have to do some searching to find the private properties that are stocked. If you see a property that looks to be good, stop and talk with the landowner and get his or her permission.

So, check out the website, get your gear ready and head for pheasant country. Stay safe and good luck.

Bob Harris can be reached via e-mail at: outwriter2@aol.com

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