MADISON — Hunters heading out to Wisconsin’s fields in search of ring-necked pheasants will find this year’s pheasant hunting regulations included in the 2006 Wisconsin Small Game Hunting Regulations. In previous years, the pheasant regulations had been published separately.
The pheasant season runs from noon on Oct. 14 through Dec. 31.
Special pheasant regulations and maps of selected public hunting grounds that were normally found within the pheasant hunting regulations can now be found on the Department of Natural Resources Web site or by request at DNR Service Centers.
Hunters visiting the DNR Web site will also find a new 2006 Pheasant Stocking Information Sheet that identifies which public hunting grounds are slated for pheasant stocking. Game farm managers report that they will release approximately 52,000 pheasants into public hunting grounds this fall. That number is up sharply from the 34,000 that were stocked in 2005.
The stocking information sheet, copies of the 2006 Wisconsin Small Game Hunting Regulations and public hunting ground maps are available in hard copy at DNR Service Centers. Local license vendors may also have supplies of some of these materials.
Wildlife managers remind pheasant hunters that a pheasant stamp is required to hunt pheasants in pheasant management zones.
On Oct. 14 and 15, the daily bag limit is one cock and possession limit is two. For the remainder of the season the daily bag limit is two cocks and the possession limit is four. Some public hunting grounds have both hen and cock pheasant hunting and /or 2 p.m. closure times. See the Small Game Hunting Regulations for details.