POYNETTE, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has announced a reduction in the number of ring-necked pheasants that will be stocked this fall. Due to budget constraints within the DNR’s Wildlife Management Program, the recent stocking goal of 75,000 pheasants over 82 state-owned properties will be reduced to 65,000 birds.

An additional cost-saving measure for the 2026 pheasant stocking includes shortening the stocking season to end on Nov. 19, 2026. The late season stocking that is normally scheduled for late December will not occur this year. It is important to note that although the pheasant stocking schedule has changed for 2026, the pheasant hunting season remains unchanged and will run from Oct. 17, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027.

Hunters and trappers provide critical support for Wildlife Management Program activities via the purchase of licenses and wildlife stamps; however, fees for those products have remained stable for 21 years, whereas program costs have increased by an estimated 66% over that period. This has forced the program to identify means of reducing costs. These reductions will come from multiple areas, including the pheasant stocking program. The rising costs of supplies and labor are major contributors to this decision. For example, in 2021, the cost to raise a pheasant was $6.91 per bird; by 2025, that cost had increased to $9.80 per bird. Similarly, the cost of supplies needed to replace a pheasant pen increased from $3,060 in 2021 to $6,915 in 2025.

“We continually strive to maximize the value of conservation funding for Wisconsin’s wildlife, their habitat and our constituents,” said Scott Walter, director of the DNR’s Wildlife Management Program. “However, with declining revenue and rapidly increasing costs, we are having to make very difficult decisions that strive to maintain the many services our program provides. The Joint Finance Committee recently approved additional spending authority that will allow us to maintain 65,000 pheasants for the 2027 season, but without increases to revenue over the long-term, additional reductions in those services will become increasingly necessary.” 

Stocking will take place over a six-week period. Pre-stocking efforts will begin the week of Oct. 12 to ensure birds are on the landscape for the pheasant hunting season opener on Oct. 17, 2026.

“Pheasants will be stocked in larger numbers during each release, providing greater opportunities for hunters who are unable to participate on the day of stocking or immediately afterward,” said Kelly Maguire, DNR natural resources operations supervisor at the Poynette State Game Farm.

The Richard Bong State Recreation Area, which supports a managed pheasant hunt and releases pheasants daily, will be the only property that will stock pheasants the week of Nov. 30. Daily pheasant hunting permits are required. More information can be found on the DNR website.

To learn more about the 2026 pheasant stocking, visit the DNR’s Pheasant Stocking Information webpage.