Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: Slamadoo on August 11, 2025, 05:04:42 PM

Title: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: Slamadoo on August 11, 2025, 05:04:42 PM: I was under the impression that the pheasant release program got cut by the legislature.

However, I see in the new regs that the youth pheasant hunt in Western WA is still a thing. Is this a sick joke and there will be youth season with no releases or did they retain the pheasant release program?

Please advise. The youth hunt has been great for my kids and their friends, but i don't want to take the kids and dog for nothing.
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: EnglishSetter on August 11, 2025, 05:29:34 PM: Quote from: Slamadoo on August 11, 2025, 05:04:42 PM
I was under the impression that the pheasant release program got cut by the legislature.

However, I see in the new regs that the youth pheasant hunt in Western WA is still a thing. Is this a sick joke and there will be youth season with no releases or did they retain the pheasant release program?

Please advise. The youth hunt has been great for my kids and their friends, but i don't want to take the kids and dog for nothing.

Discussion here:

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=291361.0

TMK it's safe this year, but perhaps not next.
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: McCRIZZLEY on August 18, 2025, 03:26:17 PM: I had the same questions and the same understanding. Came here to ask this and figured I'd bump this thread instead.

Hoping someone with more definitive information can chime in before I start penciling all my hunting weekend plans into the calendar.
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: skidynastar33 on September 29, 2025, 02:42:43 PM: Can someone confirm they are still releasing this year?
Is it still weekends and Wednesday?
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: CP on September 29, 2025, 03:19:54 PM: They are selling licenses, and the price is way up.
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: EnglishSetter on September 29, 2025, 04:28:14 PM: Quote from: skidynastar33 on September 29, 2025, 02:42:43 PM
Can someone confirm they are still releasing this year?
Is it still weekends and Wednesday?

There were birds at Kosmos opening day. Rare I didn’t get birds and the consensus was less birds and more hunters. That fit my experience.
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: WSU on September 29, 2025, 04:40:13 PM: Quote from: EnglishSetter on September 29, 2025, 04:28:14 PM
Quote from: skidynastar33 on September 29, 2025, 02:42:43 PM
Can someone confirm they are still releasing this year?
Is it still weekends and Wednesday?

There were birds at Kosmos opening day. Rare I didn’t get birds and the consensus was less birds and more hunters. That fit my experience.

This is what I and others have experienced in Thurston County. More hunters and less birds.
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: metlhead on September 29, 2025, 08:47:50 PM: Must be some birds. I can hear shooting each weekend morning from 0801 til bouts 0820
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: Bookworm007 on September 29, 2025, 09:03:04 PM: I went out to shillapoo for the opening weekend and hunted both days and did not even see a bird. I heard a few shots but there were fewer birds and fewer hunters. I'm hoping this weekend goes better 🤞
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: Torrent50 on September 30, 2025, 08:09:54 PM: Definitely seem to be fewer birds this year. Strangely, I haven't seen a hen yet. All roosters so far.

Also, I was happy to see a game warden out on my first day out. Checked my license, birds, shells, and gun.
Title: Re: Pheasant Release Program
Post by: hookr88 on October 07, 2025, 01:34:26 PM: According to the Ebey Island manager, the State reduced the budget by 30%. Instead of 4 releases/ week it is now 3. Bird release count went from 45 down to 30. I must have miss understood though. I thought that was per release but based on what I’m seeing it seems like it’s per week.
The quality of the birds this year is atrocious. I’ve had to throw 2 away. One had no skin or feathers on its back and the other had bright lime green breast meat.