The #1 dedicated pheasant hunting website & community!
Find out more about our business services & solutions.
Welcome, New User

Montana Pheasant Hunting

Credit: (PF)

2010 Montana Pheasant Hunting Forecast

orecast: Montana is such a big state that an entire overview doesn't do it justice. That said, generally milder winter conditions coupled with moderate spring conditions have Big Sky country as a top-10 pheasant hunting destination this fall. Rick Northrup, game bird coordinator with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, reports that northwest Montana will be similar or lower in bird numbers compared to last year, as recurring moisture and cold conditions are keeping numbers below average. North-central Montana was about 60 percent below average in pheasant harvest last year, and hunters there should expect some improvement. Central Montana, in and around Judith Basin County, experienced a late snowstorm around the first of May which was severe enough to kill adult birds. The greater Billings area received moderate spring conditions, and average or above average bird numbers should be found there. The area from Havre to Glasgow, north of Missouri was up last year but will be closer to average this year. Eastern Montana north of Glasgow and to the North Dakota line should see improvement in pheasant abundance from last season, but still below average. The region North of Interstate 94 to Fort Peck Reservoir and Sidney was the recipient of good spring conditions, and a rebound in numbers is expected there. Finally, southern Montana south of Interstate 94 to the Wyoming border was 26 percent above average harvest last fall, and similar numbers are expected this year. Season Dates: October 9 through January 1, 2011 Daily Bag Limit: 3 Possession Limit: 9 Field Notes: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has new upland hunting information, and with some seasons (Hungarian partridge, Sharp-tailed grouse) now open, it may be time to check the state's upland game birds hunting guide.

More Montana news and articles

Montana Pheasant Hunting Directory

View our comprehensive directory of Montana Pheasant Hunting lodges, guides, outfitters, preserves and places hunt in Montana.

More listings here along with the full Montana directory.

Montana Pheasant Hunting Information

It's unlikely that Big Sky pheasant hunting will be as fruitful as last year’s harvest of 127,000 roosters. Prolonged winter with deep snow in the northeastern counties affected carryover, and drought during summer across the Montana Hi-Line from the Rocky Mountain Front to North Dakota state line likely affected brood survival and will limit hiding cover. Crowing counts in northeast and north-central Montana were down. Further south, habitat tends to be more limited, but overwinter survival was better and production/brood survival is generally expected to provide comparable or better pheasant hunting opportunities this fall relative to last fall. Hunting further west in intermountain valleys remains a very limited opportunity due to public access limitations, and pheasant abundance is expected to be near average in these areas. In cooperation with PF and others, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has two habitat farming positions – in Billings and Lewistown – focusing habitat work on lands that are accessible to public hunting. Montana's three CRP SAFE projects are halfway enrolled, providing over 9,600 acres of pheasant winter cover, prairie pothole and sagebrush habitat. * Season Dates: Season Dates: Youth-only weekend September 26 & 27; General season runs October 10 thru January 1, 2010 * Daily Bag / Possession Limits: 3 / 9