Michigan Pheasant Hunters Gear Up for More Opportunities

The Michigan DNR and its partners will release more than 7,200 pheasants this year, giving hunters more opportunities to get out in the field and enjoy the excitement of pheasant hunting.

Michigan Pheasant Hunting Was Once More Popular Than Deer Hunting

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Pheasant hunting peaked in Michigan during the 1940s and 1950s, with hunters harvesting more than 1.4 million birds in 1944 alone. At the time, small-game hunters far outnumbered deer hunters. Pheasant season was such a big deal, especially in southern Michigan, that opening day sometimes meant schools and factories shut down so people could head out into the fields.

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Pheasant numbers started to decline in the mid-1960s, and that trend continued over the following decades. One major factor was the shift toward large-scale farming, which eliminated fence rows, swales, and unused patches of land to make room for more crops. Unfortunately, those areas provided important habitat for pheasants.

Read More: Chicken of the Woods in Michigan: What to Know

Plenty of Pheasant Hunting Opportunities Coming to Michigan

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According to a Michigan DNR, the agency is partnering with the Michigan Association of Gamebird Breeders and Hunting Preserves to release more than 7,200 pheasants across the southern Lower Peninsula.

Photo by Bob Brewer on Unsplash

The goal of the releases is to revive some of the excitement that once made pheasant hunting so popular in Michigan. The birds will be released from October 20 through November 14, with another round of releases planned for December 1 through January 1. Here’s a look at the counties where pheasants will be released.

• Cornish - Van Buren County
• Crane Pond - Cass County
• Crow Island - Bay and Saginaw Counties
• Dansville - Ingham County
• Erie - Monroe County
• Gagetown - Huron and Tuscola Counties
• Lapeer - Lapeer County
• Leidy Lake - St. Joseph County
• Pointe Mouillee - Monroe and Wayne Counties
• Rose Lake - Clinton and Shiawassee Counties
• St. Johns March - St. Clair County
• Stanton - Montcalm County
• Townline 16 - Bay County

For parking information at these state game areas, visit the DNR's pheasant release webpage.

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👇BELOW: 2026 Michigan Pheasant Hunting Release Locations👇