The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced plans this week to release more than 6,100 pheasants ahead of the fall hunting season opener in Western New York.
The regular pheasant season for DEC Region 9 begins on Saturday, October 18. Pheasants for public hunting will be stocked at various state-managed lands across the region, including wildlife management areas and state parks.
All birds will be provided by the DEC’s Reynolds Game Farm in Ithaca. A full list of release locations can be found using the state’s 2025 Pheasant Release Sites Interactive Mapper.
Hunters are urged to review the 2025–2026 hunting regulations before heading into the field. Boundary rules for “cock only” and “cock and hen” areas are explained in the regulations guide on page 49.
Permits required for certain locations
Special permits are required for opening day hunts at Zoar Valley and Harwood Lake management areas. To enter the lottery for those permits, hunters must mail a postcard by September 25 to:
NYSDEC, Bureau of Wildlife
700 Delaware Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14209
Include your full name, contact information, 2025–26 license number, hunt time preference, and location preference. Each permit allows one additional hunter and covers either a morning or afternoon time slot.
Dogs are not permitted in the hunting areas at Zoar Valley or Harwood Lake during the 48 hours before opening day.
State park permits also required on select days
Golden Hill, Joseph Davis, and Wilson-Tuscarora state parks in Niagara County also require permits for pheasant hunting on October 18, October 25, and November 1. There are two hunting sessions each day: sunrise to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to sunset. No hunting is allowed at those parks on the days birds are released: October 17, 24, and 31.
Hunters must submit separate cards for each date and park, which should be mailed to the individual park offices. Contact numbers for each park are included in the full DEC announcement.
Additional park info
Hunters at Allegany State Park must pick up a free permit at the administration building near Red House Lake. Small game hunting is not allowed there during the regular big game season from November 15 through December 7.
For questions, contact the DEC Bureau of Wildlife at 716-851-7010 (Buffalo) or 716-372-0645 (Allegany). More details, including the full pheasant stocking list, are available on the DEC’s pheasant hunting webpage.
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