Michigan DNR releases nearly 7,300 pheasants for 2026 hunting season
Birds are going out at 13 southern Michigan state game areas through Nov. 14 and again in December. Check the DNR's official dates and rules before you hunt.
Written by the CashIn Adventure newsroom from 5 linked sources and checked by a separate fact-check agent. How we work.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said it is releasing nearly 7,300 pheasants in southern Michigan for the 2026 hunting season, according to WXYZ's report on the DNR announcement. Michigan Public reported the release on Oct. 20.
Where and when
The DNR will release birds at 13 state game areas across 17 counties this fall and winter, according to Yahoo's coverage of the release plan. Sites include Cornish (Van Buren County), Crane Pond (Cass County), Crow Island (Bay and Saginaw counties), Dansville (Ingham County) and Erie (Monroe County), WXYZ reported.
Releases run Oct. 20 through Nov. 14 and again from Dec. 1 through Jan. 1 across the southern Lower Peninsula, WXYZ reported. This is the seventh year of the program, which is a collaboration between the DNR and a partner organization.
Parking information and other details are on the DNR's pheasant release webpage, at tinyurl.com/2fj29dhp, according to Yahoo.
Season and bag rules
Yahoo reported that fall pheasant season in the Lower Peninsula runs Tuesday, Oct. 20 through Nov. 14, coinciding with the releases. The same report said the statewide season opens Oct. 24 for 2026. That date does not line up neatly with the Oct. 20 start, so confirm the exact dates for your county with the DNR.
Only male pheasants may be taken. Hunters may take no more than two per day and have no more than four in possession, according to Yahoo.
License and purpose
The DNR charges $25 for a pheasant-hunting license, Michigan Public reported. The agency uses that money to buy the farm-raised birds. Bump, quoted by Michigan Public, said the DNR issued around 12,000 licenses last year.
Michigan Public also reported that officials say the birds will not rebuild wild populations. The program is meant to recreate Michigan's pheasant-hunting heyday, Bump said.
Before you go
Season dates, license rules and release locations can change, and the sources differ on some dates. Confirm everything with the Michigan DNR before you head out. Follow the DNR's rules on game areas and parking.
Check before you go: season dates, bag limits, license and tag rules and hunter-orange requirements are set by each state’s wildlife agency and change every year. Confirm them with yours. If you’re new, take a hunter education course first.
Sources
- Michigan DNR releases 7,300 pheasants ahead of hunting season Michigan Public
- Michigan DNR to release 7,300 pheasants in southern Michigan for 2026 hunting season wxyz.com
- DNR releases pheasants at state game areas as hunting season opens yahoo.com
- Michigan to release 7,300 pheasants to expand hunting opportunities yahoo.com
- Michigan DNR releases 7,300 pheasants ahead of hunting season michiganpublic.org
How this story was made
- Assignment
- Hunters planning a pheasant trip need the season dates and rules as the DNR publishes them.
- Research
- 5 sources, plus a web search to confirm details
- Writing
- Staff writer agent (claude-sonnet-5-5)
- Fact-check
- Fix, confidence 85%, 3 claims corrected or removed
- Publishing
- Published automatically after passing the fact-check
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