Pheasants to be released for hunting before Thanksgiving

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will release adult rooster pheasants on 18 wildlife management areas leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The WMAs, including counties, are Arnold Trupp (Morrill), Arrowhead (Gage), Bordeaux (Dawes), Branched Oak (Lancaster), Cornhusker (Hall), George D. Syas (Nance), Hickory Ridge (Johnson), James N. Douglas (Johnson), Kirkpatrick Basin North (York), Wood Duck (Stanton), Peru Bottoms (Nemaha), Powder Creek (Dixon), Pressey (Custer), Rakes Creek (Cass), Randall W. Schilling (Cass), Sherman Reservoir (Sherman), Wilkinson (Platte), and Yankee Hill (Lancaster).

To view a map of the pheasant release sites, visit the Upland Hunting page at OutdoorNebraska.gov.

The pheasants will be released to enhance hunting opportunities over the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend and encourage families to spend time together in the field. Non-toxic shot is required at Kirkpatrick Basin North, Peru Bottoms, Randall W. Schilling, and Wilkinson WMAs, but otherwise all usual regulations apply.

Game and Parks reminds hunters that safety in the field and of those releasing pheasants is of utmost importance; for this reason, a specific schedule for pheasant releases will not be issued.

Nebraska’s pheasant, quail, and prairie grouse seasons run through Jan. 31, 2026. Permits and applicable stamps may be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.gov.

For more information on these and other publicly accessible lands throughout Nebraska, visit Game and Parks’ Public Access Atlas online or contact Game and Parks at 402-471-0641.