A special youth-only pheasant hunting weekend will be held in Western New York on Oct. 8 – 9, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. The youth-only pheasant hunting weekend helps acclimate junior hunters to upland game bird hunting when fewer hunters are afield and to learn safe hunting values and skills from experienced hunters. 

The hunt will occur one week prior to the regular pheasant hunting season, and will provide junior hunters (ages 12-15 years old) the opportunity to hunt pheasants with a licensed adult companion.  The 2022-2023 regular pheasant season opens Oct. 15.

Junior hunters must be accompanied by a licensed adult hunter during the youth pheasant hunt.  Accompanying adults will not be allowed to possess a firearm or take a pheasant during this special season.  During the two-day youth hunt, junior hunters will be allowed to take two birds per day, as allowed during the regular season.  Pheasant hunting boundary descriptions can be found on page 43 of the 2022-2023 Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide (also available online at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/29453.html ).  All other pheasant hunting regulations remain in effect.

A special permit will be required to hunt at Joseph Davis, Golden Hill, and Wilson-Tuscarora state parks located in Niagara County.  An individual permit will be required to hunt on Saturday, Oct. 8 and Sunday, Oct. 9.  The youth hunt this year will allow for a second youth hunter to be named on the permit.  There will be two separate hunts each day that a permit is required: The first hunt will be from sunrise until 12:30 p.m.; the second hunt will be from 12:30 p.m. until sunset. 

Junior hunters interested in entering the Permit Lottery at Golden Hill, Wilson-Tuscarora and Joseph Davis 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 addresses below:

Information on the file card should include the junior hunter’s name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, hunting license back tag number, hunt date, and desired park location.  Entries will be computerized to avoid duplications.  All lottery entries must be received by noon on Thursday, Sept 29.  If you have any questions regarding the permit lottery, please call the respective Park Managers at the numbers provided above.  There is no fee for the permit and junior hunters awarded permits will have the option of naming one additional junior hunter on their permit. 

Approximately 889 adult roosters and hens will be stocked in DEC Region 9 immediately prior to the youth hunt weekend. All the birds will be provided from the DEC Reynolds Game Farm.  Please refer to the attached table for a summary of release sites in each county. 

Youth hunters wishing to hunt pheasants in Allegany State Park must pick up a free hunting permit at the park’s administration building near Redhouse Lake before hunting in the park.  For questions about pheasant hunting in Allegany State Park, please call (716) 354-9121.

Questions about the Youth Pheasant Hunt can be directed to DEC’s Bureau of Wildlife at (716) 851-7010 in Buffalo or (716) 372-0645 in Allegany.  See the table below for Youth Pheasant Hunt Stocking Locations.  To apply for a permit, contact NYS Park managers identified above.  Additional information about pheasant hunting is available on DEC’s website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8363.html.