The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the pheasant hunting regular season in Western New York will open on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. DEC will release approximately 6,102 adult ring-necked pheasants on Region 9 lands open to public hunting for this fall’s season. 

Stocked pheasants will be provided by DEC’s Reynolds Game Farm in Ithaca. A complete statewide list of pheasant release sites is available on DEC’s 2025 Pheasant Release Sites Interactive Mapper and Table. 

Hunters are encouraged to review the 2025-2026 New York State Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide before going afield, and to be sure of their targets and beyond when hunting. The guide identifies boundary restrictions and other important information, including “cock only” and “cock and hen” boundary descriptions are located on page 49 of the guide. 

There will be the following hunting closures on DEC Region 9’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and Multiple Use Areas (MUA) for safe and effective pheasant stocking to improve hunt quality and the hunting experience. Pheasant hunting is closed each Friday at Carlton Hill MUA and each Thursday at Zoar Valley MUA, Clear Lake WMA, and Hanging Bog WMA during October and November. 

Hunters are reminded to ask permission from private landowners before hunting on their lands. Many of these release sites are available for hunting because of the cooperation of private landowners. Good landowner/hunter relations are critical to ensure that these areas remain open to hunting in future years. 

A special permit is required for hunting small game during the opening day of pheasant season on Zoar Valley MUA in the town of Collins (Erie County), and Harwood Lake MUA in the town of Farmersville (Cattaraugus County). Hunters interested in entering the DEC permit lottery for these MUAs should mail one standard-size postcard to: 

NYSDEC, Bureau of Wildlife 

700 Delaware Ave. 

Buffalo, NY 14209 

Postcards must include the hunter’s name, address, telephone number, 2025-26 hunting license number, preferred time of hunt (sunrise to noon or 1 p.m. to sunset), and the management area desired in order of preference. All entries must be received by Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. There is no fee for the permit, and hunters awarded permits will be able to name one additional hunter on their permit. Ten permits will be issued per time block on each management area. Small game hunting on all other days will remain sunrise to sunset with no permit required. 

Hunters should also note that dogs are not allowed within the designated area on the MUA for any purpose during the 48-hour period immediately preceding opening day of the fall pheasant season as posted on Zoar Valley MUA and Harwood Lake MUA. 

Hunting throughout the pheasant season is allowed at Golden Hill, Joseph Davis, and Wilson-Tuscarora State Parks in Niagara County. However, permits are required on Oct. 18, Oct. 25, and Nov. 1, 2025, for Golden Hill, Joseph Davis, and Wilson-Tuscarora State Parks. There will be two separate hunts each day that a permit is required with the first hunt between sunrise until 12:30 p.m., and the second hunt will be from 12:30 p.m. until sunset. 

Hunters interested in entering the permit lottery at Golden Hill, Joseph Davis, and Wilson Tuscarora State Parks should mail a separate, standard-size file card for each date and park that they would like to hunt. Only one permit will be issued to each hunter per day. Cards may be put into an envelope for each respective park and mailed together to the appropriate address below: 

Information on the file card should include the hunter’s name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, 2025-26 hunting license number, hunt date, a.m. hunt or p.m. hunt, and desired park location.  Entries will be computerized to avoid duplications. All lottery entries must be received by noon on Thursday, Sept 25, 2025. Please call the respective Park managers at the numbers provided above with questions regarding the permit lottery. No pheasant hunting will be allowed at Golden Hill, Joseph Davis, and Wilson Tuscarora State Parks on release days -- Oct. 17, 24, and 31, 2025. There is no fee for the permit and hunters awarded permits will have the option of naming one additional hunter on their permit. 

Hunters wishing to hunt pheasants in Allegany State Park are reminded that they must pick up a free hunting permit at the Administration Building (2373 ASP 1, Salamanca, NY 14779) near Red House Lake before hunting in the park. No small game hunting is allowed in Allegany State Park during the regular big game season that runs from Nov. 15 to Dec. 7, 2025. 

The attached tables provide a summary of the number of pheasants to be stocked and release sites in each Region 9 county. Program related questions may be answered by contacting DEC’s Bureau of Wildlife at (716) 851-7010 in Buffalo or (716) 372-0645 in Allegany. Additional information about pheasant hunting is available on DEC’s Pheasant Hunting webpage.