Indiana Pheasant Season 2026: Opener, Limits, License

Q: What license do I need to hunt pheasants in Indiana?

Residents: Annual Hunting $20 plus Game Bird Habitat Stamp Privilege $11. Nonresidents: Annual Hunting $90 plus Game Bird Habitat Stamp Privilege $11. Stamp or permit: Game Bird Habitat Stamp Privilege $11. Prices are as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife lists them.

Q: Does Indiana stock pheasants?

Yes. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife releases pheasants on Atterbury, Glendale, J. E. Roush Lake, Pigeon River, Tri-County and Winamac FWAs. Release timing: Saturday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 29.

Nov 1

Opening day

Sunday

Dec 15

Last day

Tuesday, 2026

2 roosters a day

Daily limit

4 in possession

Dates and limits

Indiana pheasant season dates and bag limit

Indiana's pheasant season opens Sunday, November 1, 2026, and closes December 15, 2026. The daily limit is 2 roosters and 4 in possession. Only roosters may be taken.

IndianaNov 1
Season, Nov 1 to Dec 15

General seasonIndiana, Nov 1 to Dec 15

General season: Sunday, November 1, 2026 to December 15, 2026
Daily limit: 2 roosters a day
Possession: 4 in possession
Which birds: Roosters only

Pheasant (statewide-cock only)Nov 1 to Dec 15statewide, cocks only
2026 Put-and-take Pheasant HuntsNov 21 to 29reservation only, $30 per spot, six fish and wildlife areas

The daily bag limit for ring-necked pheasants is two male (cock) pheasants.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife regulations, read October 8, 2026.

Where to hunt

Public land and walk-in access in Indiana

Reserved pheasant hunts on Gamebird Habitat Areas (Benton, Jasper, Newton, Warren and White counties)
“The Division of Fish, Wildlife & Nature Preserves conducts reserved pheasant hunts on Gamebird Habitat Areas in northern Indiana (Benton, Jasper, Newton, Warren, and White counties).”
Open the atlas Program page
Reserved hunts on private lands: Pheasant, Quail, and Woodcock
“Pheasant, Quail, and Woodcock (Application period: 8/17 - 9/16/2026)”
Program page

Wild and released birds

Indiana pheasant stocking

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife releases pheasants on Atterbury, Glendale, J. E. Roush Lake, Pigeon River, Tri-County and Winamac FWAs. Release timing: Saturday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 29.

Ring-necked pheasants are released for put-and-take hunting on Atterbury, Glendale, J. E. Roush Lake, Pigeon River, Tri-County and Winamac FWAs. Put-and-take pheasant hunting on these DNR properties starts on November 21, 2026.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source

License

What it takes to hunt pheasants in Indiana

Residents: Annual Hunting $20 plus Game Bird Habitat Stamp Privilege $11
Nonresidents: Annual Hunting $90 plus Game Bird Habitat Stamp Privilege $11
Stamp or permit: Game Bird Habitat Stamp Privilege $11

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

Indiana pheasant questions

When does pheasant season open in Indiana?

What is the pheasant limit in Indiana?

What license do I need to hunt pheasants in Indiana?

Where can I hunt pheasants on public land in Indiana?

Does Indiana stock pheasants?

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

Indiana read October 8, 2026 from Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & 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.