Read this important notice
Unless otherwise specified, all dates and information on this page apply to the 2022 season, which is closed. Details for 2023 will be available Aug. 1. Season dates for 2023-2028 are available by browsing to the pheasant section of the hunting and trapping season dates page.News & notices
Annual roadsides report
Check out this year's map of pheasant hunting prospects and supporting data. The information is compiled from sighting data collected each year along 169 25-mile-long routes and released every fall.
Licenses and stamps
Pheasant stamp and small game license requirements vary based on age and residency. View the quick summary in the regulations section below, which provides a link to complete information in the hunting regulations booklet.
You need blaze clothing
Pheasant hunters must wear at least one visible article of clothing above the waist that is blaze orange or pink. This could be a hat, jacket or hunting vest. Remember that more blaze will make you more visible to other hunters.
Seasons
| Season | Dates |
|---|---|
| Statewide | Oct. 15 - Jan. 1, 2023 |
| Vermillion Highlands | Dec. 12 - Jan. 1, 2023 |
Shooting hours
9 a.m. to sunset (Sunrise and sunset data)
Limits
Daily | |
| Dates | Limit |
|---|---|
| Oct. 15 - Nov. 30 | 2 roosters |
| Dec. 1 - Jan. 1, 2023 | 3 roosters |
Possession | |
| Dates | Limit |
| Oct. 15 - Nov. 30 | 6 roosters |
| Dec. 1 - Jan. 1, 2023 | 9 roosters |
Range
Wildlife Management Areas • Walk-In Access
Transportation
Pheasants harvested in the field and being transported must have have one leg or a fully-feathered wing attached.
Regulations
- A person may not shoot pheasants with a rifle or handgun other than a .22 caliber rimfire using short, long or long rifle ammunition.
- Shotguns used when hunting pheasants may hold more than three shells.
- Residents and non-residents16 and older must have a valid small game license.
- Residents and non-residents ages 18-64 must have a pheasant stamp.
- Residents 65 and older don't need a pheasant stamp but must have a small game license, which can be purchased at a reduced price.
- Non-residents 65 and older must have a pheasant stamp and a small game license.
- Check the complete stamp and small game requirements.
Learn to hunt
Do you value strong connections to your outdoors and the food you eat? Are you looking for a new way to interact with the fields, woods and waters around you?
Please check out our pheasant hunting how-to guide to get started.
Management
Hunting is only one aspect of the DNR's effort to manage pheasants for the public trust. Visit our pheasant management page to learn about the many things we do to manage ring-necked pheasants for the benefit of all Minnesotans now and into the future.