During the late 1960's and early 1970's upland game bird hunting for pheasants had no equal. The raucous cackle of the male pheasant flushing from cover was common place. Today, the wild pheasant population is at an all time low. Not to be dismayed, hunters can still enjoy days afield looking for those hidden pockets of wild pheasants in western New York or pursuing state-stocked pheasants raised on the Richard E. Reynolds game farm in Ithaca. Annually, over 25,000 adult pheasants are released just prior to and during the fall pheasant hunting season.
Releases occur across the state on well publicized state and private lands open to public hunting.
Most pheasant hunting takes place in open agricultural fields associated with grain farming or on abandoned farmland covered in aster, goldenrod and other early succession plants. Abandoned farmlands make great release sites for stocking game farm-reared pheasants. Remember, pheasants are not a woodland species. They prefer to nest, roost and raise broods in grassland areas nestled in among rows of corn, wheat, oats and an occasional cattail marsh used for winter cover. Hunting pheasants in this open setting is what makes pheasant hunting so appealing.