Pheasant Hunters in Wisconsin Face Challenges as Stocking Numbers Drop
As pheasant hunting season kicks off in Wisconsin, hunters may notice a scarcity of birds due to a significant reduction in stocking by state wildlife officials. This change is a result of budgetary constraints faced by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Originally from Asia, ring-necked pheasants have been hunted in Wisconsin since the late 1800s. This year’s hunting season spans from October 17 to January 3, but hunters will face a 13% decrease in farm-raised pheasants stocked across state lands. The DNR plans to release only 65,000 birds this fall, compared to 75,000 last year.
The reduction is implemented across 82 properties in 32 counties and will conclude before the gun deer season. According to Taylor Finger, the DNR’s game bird specialist, this cost-cutting measure is due to financial challenges within the state’s fish and wildlife account. “We can’t continue to do the same things that we have always done,” Finger remarked.
Revenue from hunting and fishing license fees, a primary source for the account, has stagnated over the past two decades while inflation has surged by about 70%, increasing costs at the State Game Farm in Poynette.
Kelly Maguire, operations supervisor for the farm, highlighted that feed alone costs $300,000 annually, and the price to raise a single pheasant has risen from $6.91 to $9.80 between 2021 and 2025.
Rising maintenance costs for the farm property compound these financial issues. Maguire noted that repairing pens for the birds has seen costs double from $3,000 to $6,900 on one field alone. “We don’t change them out all at once, so we have to stagger it,” Maguire explained.
To manage expenses, reductions in supply costs and temporary staff are being pursued. The farm, stocking birds for nearly a century, now operates with six full-time employees, a stark contrast to the 65 staff in 1939.
Even though a $15 million transfer was approved to address budget shortfalls, rising costs remain a challenge. The Friends of the Poynette State Game Farm, led by president Kevin Quamme, supports the DNR’s efforts. Quamme, a hunter for 57 years, stated that the reduced stocking will likely affect hunting success and participation.
In Wisconsin, pheasants’ natural habitats have diminished due to urban development and farming changes. The Conservation Reserve Program shows a decline of over half a million acres of cropland converted to grassland since 1994. Marty Moses from Pheasants Forever emphasized the importance of habitat for pheasants and other species.
Despite the setback, Moses is optimistic about finding a long-term solution to the funding problems, potentially by increasing license or stamp fees. “By and large across the state, hunters are very much in favor of being willing to pay a little more to enjoy that hunting tradition,” Moses commented.
