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Season November 14 to January 31

Colorado Pheasant Season 2026

Colorado's pheasant season opens Saturday, November 14, 2026, and runs to January 31, 2027 east of I-25 and January 3, 2027 west of I-25. The 2025 outlook has birds up 51% on last year.

Nov 14
Opening day
Saturday
Jan 31
Last day
Sunday, 2027
3 roosters a day
Daily limit
9 in possession
Up 51%
2025 outlook
on last year
Are there birds this year

The 2025 Colorado pheasant outlook

The 2025 outlook from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife has birds up 51% on last year, with a survey index of 31.2/station average.

Up 51%Eastern Plains Pheasant and Quail Forecast, 2025 outlook
Pheasant populations across the eastern plains of Colorado will range from slightly better to significantly better than 2024, depending on local conditions.
Eastern Plains Pheasant and Quail Forecast, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source
Against last year
up from 20.6 in 2024, a 51% increase
Survey index
31.2/station average
  • NE Colorado (Yuma, Phillips, Sedgwick, Logan, Washington, Morgan and SE Weld Counties)Populations across the region will be slightly better than 2024.
  • East Central Colorado (Southern Yuma, Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Kiowa Counties)Pheasant populations should be similar to 2024.
  • Southeast Coloradopheasant populations look to be significantly better than in 2024, in the good category for 2025.

Last season’s harvest

Hunters harvested more than 26,000 pheasants in Colorado in 2024-25, which, although it represented a 62.5% increase from the previous, is the second lowest harvest on record
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2024-25 harvest, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source
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Dates and limits

Colorado pheasant season dates and bag limit

Colorado's pheasant season opens Saturday, November 14, 2026, and runs to January 31, 2027 east of I-25 and January 3, 2027 west of I-25. The daily limit is 3 roosters and 9 in possession. Only roosters may be taken.

  1. East of I-25Nov 14
    Season east of I-25, Nov 14 to Jan 31
  2. West of I-25Nov 14
    Season west of I-25, Nov 14 to Jan 3
General seasonColorado, Nov 14 to Jan 31
East of I-25
Nov 14 to Jan 31
West of I-25
Nov 14 to Jan 3
Daily limit
3 roosters a day
Possession
9 in possession
Which birds
Roosters only
Shooting hours
one-half hour before sunrise to sunset
  • Pheasant Season 1Nov 14 to Jan 31east of I-25
  • Pheasant Season 2Nov 14 to Jan 3west of I-25

Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations, read October 8, 2026.

Where to hunt

Public land and walk-in access in Colorado

  • Walk-In Access Program (WIA)

    “The Walk-In Access (WIA) program provides opportunities to hunt small game, migratory game birds and furbearers on enrolled properties, only during established season dates.”

    Open the atlas Program page

License

What it takes to hunt pheasants in Colorado

Residents
Small Game $38.49 (one-day $18.07), plus the 2026 Habitat Stamp $12.76 for ages 18-64
Nonresidents
Small Game $104.86 (one-day $21.90), plus the 2026 Habitat Stamp $12.76 for ages 18-64
Stamp or permit
Habitat Stamp $12.76 (ages 18-64, once a year)

Every Colorado license, resident and nonresident, with what each costs, is on the Colorado hunting license page.

Colorado pheasant questions

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Pheasant season in other states

Pheasant openers in every stateThe whole season on one calendar, with each agency's outlook.Colorado small game seasonsQuail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel dates in Colorado.Colorado hunting licenseWhat a Colorado license costs and who needs one.Colorado waterfowl seasonsDuck and goose dates in Colorado, by zone.Colorado duck migrationWhere the ducks are in Colorado this week.Colorado CWD testingDeer sampling rules in Colorado.
A brown speckled hen pheasant walking through rows of young green wheat with old stubble between them
A hen in a South Dakota wheat field. Hens carry next year’s birds, so the bag in the wild bird states is written for roosters only, and the brown bird that gets up beside a rooster is the one to let fly. “NRCSSD03010 - South Dakota (6147)(NRCS Photo Gallery)”, Dennis Larson, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Public domain

Colorado read October 8, 2026 from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, every source linked above. An agency can move a date or close an area between the printed regulations and opening day, so its page is the one that governs. Every state is on the pheasant season calendar.