Michigan’s pheasant hunting season opened Tuesday, Oct. 20, with more than 7,000 birds scheduled for release across state game areas in the Lower Peninsulas.
Pheasant hunting remains a popular sport in Michigan, but wild pheasant populations have declined over time. The annual pheasant release program has run for nearly a decade.
Jack Ammerman is the executive director of the Michigan Pheasant Hunting Initiative.
“It's just not a Michigan problem, so they came up with an idea that let's release pheasants on public land during hunting season for pheasant hunters to go out there and spend some time and try and find one,” Ammerman said.
The program is administered through a partnership between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Association of Gamebird Breeders and Hunting Preserves. Revenue from $25 pheasant hunting licenses funds the purchase and release of birds.
Ammerman said the program welcomes hunters of all experience levels, including those without hunting dogs.
“Anybody can hunt these birds. It’s not like the '50s, but it certainly isn’t like the '90s. They’re out there, and you can find them,” Ammerman said.