North Dakota Pheasant Season 2026: Opener, Limits, Outlook

Q: What are pheasant shooting hours in North Dakota?

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department sets pheasant hours as one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Q: Where can I hunt pheasants on public land in North Dakota?

Private Land Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS), about 925,000 PLOTS acres.

Oct 10

Opening day

Saturday

Jan 3

Last day

Sunday, 2027

3 roosters a day

Daily limit

12 in possession

Up 3.8%

2026 outlook

released September 8, 2026

Are there birds this year

The 2026 North Dakota pheasant outlook

The 2026 outlook from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has birds up 3.8% on last year, with a survey index of 80 per 100 miles. Against the longer run: 57% above the 10-year average.

Up 3.8%Upland Game Brood Survey, released September 8, 2026

Total pheasants observed (80 per 100 miles) are up 3.8% from last year. Broods per 100 miles (9.6) and average brood size (5.3) are similar to last year. The statewide number of pheasants observed per 100 miles is 57% above the 10-year average.

Upland Game Brood Survey, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source

Against last year: up 3.8% from last year
Survey index: 80 per 100 miles
Against the longer run: 57% above the 10-year average

Region	Index	Change
Northwest	85 pheasants per 100 miles	up 7%
Southeast	64 pheasants per 100 miles	down from 72 pheasants in 2025
Southwest	112 pheasants per 100 miles	similar to 115 pheasants in 2025
Northeast	43 pheasants per 100 miles	compared to 22 pheasants last year

Last season’s harvest

Last year, 53,008 pheasant hunters (down 4%) harvested 344,975 roosters (down 3%), compared to 55,401 hunters and 357,018 roosters in 2024.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 2025-26 harvest, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source

Dates and limits

North Dakota pheasant season dates and bag limit

North Dakota's pheasant season opens Saturday, October 10, 2026, and closes January 3, 2027. The youth season comes first, Oct 3 to 4. The daily limit is 3 roosters and 12 in possession. Only roosters may be taken.

North DakotaOct 10
Season, Oct 10 to Jan 3; Youth, Oct 3 to 4

General season Youth huntsNorth Dakota, Oct 10 to Jan 3

General season: Saturday, October 10, 2026 to January 3, 2027
Youth season: Oct 3 to 4
Daily limit: 3 roosters a day
Possession: 12 in possession
Which birds: Roosters only
Shooting hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Youth Pheasant SeasonOct 3 to 4statewide; residents and nonresidents 15 and younger, accompanied by an unarmed adult
Male PheasantsOct 10 to Jan 3statewide; nonresidents may not hunt WMAs or PLOTS Oct 10 to 16

The daily bag limit shall be 3 and the possession limit 12.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source

North Dakota Game and Fish Department regulations, read October 8, 2026.

Where to hunt

Public land and walk-in access in North Dakota

Private Land Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS)about 925,000 PLOTS acres
“This year features about 925,000 PLOTS acres. Because PLOTS tracts can be added or removed from the program throughout the year, hunters are encouraged to use the Game and Fish mobile app or other mapping and browser-based applications to locate and identify these tracts.”
Open the atlas Program page

License

What it takes to hunt pheasants in North Dakota

Residents: Small Game License (age 16 or older) $20, plus Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate $2 and General Game and Habitat License $20; or Combination License $62
Nonresidents: Small Game (ages 16 and older) $150 for a 14-consecutive-day or two 7-consecutive-day periods, plus Certificate $5 and General Game and Habitat License $20

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

North Dakota pheasant questions

When does pheasant season open in North Dakota?

What is the pheasant limit in North Dakota?

What are pheasant shooting hours in North Dakota?

How many pheasants are there in North Dakota this year?

The 2026 outlook from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has birds up 3.8% on last year, with a survey index of 80 per 100 miles. Against the longer run: 57% above the 10-year average. In the agency's words: "Total pheasants observed (80 per 100 miles) are up 3.8% from last year. Broods per 100 miles (9.6) and average brood size (5.3) are similar to last year. The statewide number of pheasants observed per 100 miles is 57% above the 10-year average."

What license do I need to hunt pheasants in North Dakota?

Residents: Small Game License (age 16 or older) $20, plus Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate $2 and General Game and Habitat License $20; or Combination License $62. Nonresidents: Small Game (ages 16 and older) $150 for a 14-consecutive-day or two 7-consecutive-day periods, plus Certificate $5 and General Game and Habitat License $20. Prices are as the North Dakota Game and Fish Department lists them.

Where can I hunt pheasants on public land in North Dakota?

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

North Dakota read October 8, 2026 from North Dakota Game and Fish Department, 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.