Wisconsin’s 2023 Pheasant Season Opens
Saturday, Oct. 14
The DNR plans to stock approximately 75,000 pheasants from the state game farm on over 80 properties statewide. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds hunters that the state’s 2023 pheasant season opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 and will run through Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024.
Pheasant hunters need a valid small game license and a 2023 Pheasant Stamp, which can be purchased through the Go Wild website or at a license sales location.
There is a special daily bag limit of one rooster per day over opening weekend, Oct. 14-15. Starting Monday, Oct. 16, the daily bag limit increases to two roosters per day. This limit will remain in place for the remainder of the season. Hunters may harvest a rooster or hen when hunting in designated hen and rooster hunting areas (see page 18 of the hunting regulations for a list of these areas).
Several pheasant hunting properties close at noon on weekdays beginning Oct. 16 and running through Nov. 3. Hunters are encouraged to double-check the legal shooting hours on the properties they intend to hunt and consult the DNR’s hunting rules and regulations before going out.
The DNR plans to stock approximately 75,000 pheasants from the state game farm on over 80 properties statewide. Depending on production levels, pheasants are released once before the pheasant hunting season and twice a week for the first two to three weeks of the season. After that, birds are released about once a week until the nine-day gun deer season opens on Nov. 18.
Hunters can use the DNR’s Fields and Forest Lands Interactive Gamebird Hunting Tool (FFLIGHT) to locate properties stocked with game farm pheasants. FFLIGHT allows hunters to use aerial maps, topography and measuring tools to identify areas of interest and make their trips more productive and enjoyable.
Due to changing habitat conditions, Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area and Liberty Creek Wildlife Area, both in Green County, will not have pheasants released this season. Hunters can visit the DNR’s Pheasant Stocking Information webpage to check the status of a specific property.
For more information, including complete pheasant hunting regulations, hunting hours and helpful tips, visit the DNR’s Pheasant Hunting webpage.
Hunt To Eat: Venison Offers Hunters Much More Than A Meal
Few things are more rewarding for hunters than sitting down alongside their families to enjoy a hot meal featuring venison from their latest hunt.
The time and skill involved in harvesting, processing and then preparing wild game for the dinner table forges a unique connection between person and plate that goes far deeper than sustenance. It’s special a bond that links an experience, an animal and an environment together.
It doesn’t hurt that it tastes great as well. Try getting your food from the source this fall.
Photo Credit: iStock/Alisa Korolevskaya |
DNR To Host Root River Steelhead Facility Open House
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites the public to an open house event at the Root River Steelhead Facility in Racine on Saturday, Oct. 14. The event will be held rain or shine.
This free event will allow eventgoers to see fish up close and personal with guided tours and fish spawning demonstrations. Visitors can learn about Lake Michigan fishing methods, try their hand at casting fly rods, catch a backyard bass or learn how to tie flies.
Thanks to partnerships with Salmon Unlimited, Trout Unlimited and the Kenosha Sport Fishing and Conservation Association, there will be educational fishing stations and a Touch of the Wild education trailer on-site, offering a great opportunity for attendees to get a hands-on connection with nature.
EVENT DETAILS
What: Root River Steelhead Facility Open House
When: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14
Where: Root River Steelhead Facility
2200 Domanik Drive
Racine, WI 5340
Photo Credit: Erika Sherry |
Imagine A Day Without Water
The DNR reminds anglers that the general inland trout fishing season will close on Sunday, Oct. 15, at which point trout anglers will no longer be allowed to fish inland streams, springs and spring ponds for trout or salmon.
Trout and salmon can still be harvested from most inland lakes or ponds, though there are some exceptions. Check the 2023-2024 Guide to Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations for details.
Anglers can use the DNR’s Trout Regulations and Opportunities User Tool (T.R.O.U.T) to find trout fishing locations across the state.
The DNR encourages anglers to continue practicing responsible catch and release. Advice on responsible catch and release can be found on the DNR’s Responsible Catch and Release webpage.
The general inland trout season will reopen on May 4, 2024.
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