Wisconsin is ending pheasant stocking on Nov. 19, earlier than in previous years, due to budget shortfalls, the Department of Natural Resources announced.
The department plans to stock approximately 65,000 pheasants from the state game farm on 82 properties statewide, beginning the week of Oct. 12. The pheasant hunting season runs through Jan. 3, 2027, with a daily bag limit of one rooster on the opening weekend of Oct. 17-18, increasing to two roosters per day starting Oct. 19.
The shortened stocking period reflects broader funding challenges. The DNR said 95 percent of its wildlife management funding comes from hunting and trapping license fees and a federal tax on firearm and ammunition purchases, not state income taxes. License sales have declined over the past 20 years, limiting available funding and the state's ability to manage rising costs from inflation.