Hunting Pheasant in New Hampshire

Successful thirteen-year-old Chris Forsey, with Rick Orford, both from Webster, hunting in Hopkinton. Photo by Eric Orff.

New Hampshire's pheasant hunting season runs from October 1 through December 31. This fall, 13,500 adult ring-necked pheasants will be released in all 10 counties during the three-month season, an average of 160 birds per site.

Pheasant Season Outlook
By Karen Bordeau, pheasant project leader

The ring-necked pheasant is one of the most colorful of the game birds. It can run like the wind and disappear instantly into a hedgerow. It takes to the air only as a last resort, testing the skills of many hunting dogs with its hide-and-seek behavior.

Pheasant hunting has a long history in New Hampshire -- the first pheasants were stocked here over a hundred years ago. Today the time-honored tradition of pheasant hunting is possible in the state only because private landowners continue to allow hunters access to their land. Hunters can strengthen this important relationship with landowners by closing gates, controlling their dogs and parking in designated areas to avoid blocking driveways and entrances. Please take the time to be courteous and thank these landowners for their generosity.

Click here for tips on Pheasant Hunting Safety.

2010 Season Dates and Stocking Details

Pheasant season: Oct. 1-Dec. 31
Daily limit: 2
Season limit: 10
Pheasant license required ($26)

Pheasant season opens October 1 and continues through December 31. There is a daily bag limit of 2 and a season limit of 10. A hunter may harvest two hens as part of the daily limit. To hunt pheasant, you need a valid New Hampshire hunting license and a pheasant license. Non-residents may hunt with a pheasant license and either a non-resident N.H. hunting license or a non-resident N.H. small game license. The $26 pheasant license fee is in effect for both residents and non-residents.

The Fish and Game stocking crew unloads crates of pheasants. Photo by Eric Orff.

For 2010, there will be 77 stocking sites in 48 towns throughout the state (see list below; printed versions are available at NH Fish and Game headquarters in Concord and at regional offices).

The birds will be distributed over three full stockings at all sites, generally on Thursdays and Fridays. Selected larger sites receive an additional stocking during the first and last weeks of October. Note that the pheasant release site in Seabrook will be closed this year because of a construction project, but is expected to reopen next year.

Most of the release sites are on private land and are stocked with landowner permission. Please respect the rights of landowners and express your appreciation to the landowners that cooperate in this program.

Fish and Game asks that hunters refrain from training dogs at pheasant release sites for three days prior to October 1. Dog training flushes pheasants from the release sites, often onto posted property or other areas not suitable for hunting.

Pheasants are purchased with revenues derived from the sale of pheasant licenses. Of the $26 fee, $1 is retained by the agent and $25 is available for the program. In 2009, 13,500 pheasants were purchased from Full Flight Game Farm in Massachusetts, at a cost of $9.22 per bird.

Youth Pheasant Event Applications
Sporting clubs interested in holding youth pheasant hunting events may contact Karen Bordeau at N.H. Fish and Game's Region 2 Office at 603-744-5470 to request an application packet. Participating youth must be between 12 and 15 years of age, and must have completed their Hunter Education certification. Events may be held ONLY on the Saturday prior to September 29.

Ring-necked Pheasant Stocking Sites -- 2010

The following list provides a road name for sites in New Hampshire stocked with pheasant. Most sites are stocked on Thursdays and Fridays.

Locations shaded with italicized bold print are state-managed lands, while the rest of these sites are on privately owned land open to public hunting. Locations with more than one stocking site on the property are noted.

The tradition of pheasant hunting is available only because landowners continue to allow hunters access and areas to hunt pheasants. Please respect their property and take the time to thank them for their generosity.

TOWN	ROAD NAME
*Allenstown*	*Black Hall Road, Bear Brook State Park***
Belmont	Friend Road
Bennington	Route 202/Contoocook River
Benton	Route 25
Boscawen	River Road (2 release sites)
*Brentwood*	*Pine Road, Deer Hill Wildlife Management Area*
*Canaan*	*Goose Pond Road, Mascoma River Wildlife Management Area*
Charlestown	Route 12/Great Meadows
Charlestown	Hidden Valley Road/Conn. River
Charlestown	South Hemlock Road
Claremont	Route 12/Grissom Lane
Claremont	Sugar River Drive/Case Hill Road
Claremont	Route 12A/Boat Launch Conn. River (2 release sites)
Claremont	Route 12A/Jarvis Hill
Conway	Route 16
Conway	West Side Road
Croydon	Route 10
*Dover*	*Old Garrison Road, Bellamy Wildlife Management Area*
*Dublin*	*Route 137, Edward McDowell Dam*
*Enfield*	*Route 4A, Lower Shaker Village Wildlife Management Area*
Epsom	Off River Road
*Exeter*	*Route 101, Conner Farm Wildlife Management Area*
Grafton	Hardy Hill Road
Greenland	Post Road
Haverhill	Route 10
*Henniker*	*Hopkinton-Everett Flood Control Area (2 release sites)*
*Hill*	*Franklin* *Falls* *Flood Control Area (5 release sites)*
*Hopkinton*	*Hopkinton-Everett Flood Control Area (2 release sites)*
Hopkinton	Maple Street
Hopkinton	Penacook Road
Jaffrey	Route 124/Wit Hill Road
Loudon	Captain French Road
Lyndeborough	Cemetery Road
Marlborough	Richardson Road/Horse Hill Road
Milan	East Milan Road (2 release sites)
*Milford*	*North River Road, Milford* State Fish Hatchery**
Milford	Route 101
Monroe	Route 135
Mont Vernon	Lamson Drive
*New Hampton*	*Franklin* *Falls* *Flood Control Area*
Piermont	Route 10
Pittsburg	River Road
Pittsfield	Webster Mills Road
Pittsfield	Range Road
Rollinsford	Rollins Road (1 release site)
*Salisbury*	*Blackwater Flood Control Area*
*Sanbornton*	*Franklin* *Falls* *Flood Control Area (3 release sites)*
Sandwich	Bearcamp Pond Road
Sandwich	Intervale Road
Stewartstown	North Hill
Strafford	Whig Hill Road
Success	Success Pond Road
*Surry*	*Surry Flood Control Area/Route 12A (2 release sites)*
Unity	Mica Mine Road
Walpole	Whipple Hill Road/County Road
*Weare*	*Hopkinton-Everett Flood Control Area*
*Wentworth*	*North Dorchester Road, Foster and Colburn State Forest***
Westmoreland	Route 63/Conn. River (2 release sites)
Westmoreland	River Road/County Farm
Winchester	Old Westport Road (4 release sites)
Winchester	Route 78

Hunt Pheasants Safely: Follow these tips!

With the October 1 start of pheasant hunting season comes a reminder from Fish and Game to hunt carefully. "We urge hunters to follow a few simple guidelines to hunt safely and enjoy their times hunting pheasants," says Pete Davison, Fish and Game's Hunter Education Coordinator. "Pheasant hunting is a lot of fun. It's a great time to be out there, but we want people to do it safely."

Incident numbers from the year 2000 underscore this point: that year, there were four hunting-related shooting injuries in New Hampshire involving all kinds of hunting, none of which was fatal. Three of those four involved pheasant hunting. In one case, a hunter lost an eye, and in the other case, a hunter was shot in the face.

Don't be a pheasant hunter statistic -- follow these safety tips:

Control your firearm muzzle at all times.
Always wear safety glasses.
Know where your hunting partners are at all times.
Shoot only within your zone of fire.
Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
Always keep your hunting dog under control.
Wear hunter orange on your head, back and chest.

One last point -- watch out for the guys and gals in green! Pheasant hunters should not begin hunting at a pheasant release site until all stocking activity is completed.