Minnesota pheasant hunting season kicks off Saturday!

Minnesota pheasant hunting season kicks off Saturday!

For hunters preparing to hit the fields, here are a few reminders.

You will need a valid small game license to hunt pheasants. Depending on age and residency, you may also require a pheasant stamp. Kids ages 13 and under may hunt small game, including pheasant, without a license, but must be accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian. Review youth hunting requirements on page 36 of the Minnesota hunting regulations.

Hunters can only hunt pheasants with a shotgun or a .22 caliber rimfire rifle or handgun using short, long or long rifle ammunition. Shotguns may hold more than three shells.

Pheasant hunters are required to wear at least one visible article of blaze orange or blaze pink clothing above the waist. See what qualifies on the DNR website.

The daily limit is two roosters and the possession limit is six roosters through Nov. 30. Pheasants harvested in the field and being transported must have one leg or a fully-feathered wing attached. Review the rules, limits, and roadside survey reports online.

Good luck hunters!

Public invited to land celebration Oct. 13

The public is invited to attend a celebration of new public hunting land in Steele County at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, as part of the 2023 Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener. The ceremony celebrates approximately 40 acres added to Somerset Wildlife Management Area, located southwest of Owatonna.

The ceremony will include comments from local residents, conservationists, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Sarah Strommen, Explore Minnesota Director Lauren Bennett McGinty and other local leaders. Find more details on the DNR website.