DEC Announces Youth Pheasant Hunting Weekend for Western New York
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today a special youth-only pheasant hunting weekend to be held in Western New York on October 10–11, 2026. The DEC pheasant propagation program supplies over 50,000 adult pheasants to support upland game bird hunting across the state and is an important hunter recruitment, reactivation, and retention tool. More specifically, a large portion of these birds are reserved specifically for youth hunting opportunities.
Youth hunts offer a focused introduction to upland game bird hunting with the guidance of an experienced adult hunter to help foster a lifelong connection to wildlife conservation, outdoor ethics, and responsible firearm use. On the day of the hunt, youth hunters (ages 12–15) must be accompanied by an experienced adult mentor who guides them through the hunting experience.
Approximately 1,480 adult roosters and hens will be stocked in DEC Region 9 immediately prior to the youth hunt weekend. All birds will be provided by the DEC Reynolds Game Farm. Please refer to the attached table for a summary of release sites in each county.
Pheasant hunting boundary descriptions can be found on page 49 of the 2026-2027 Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide. All other pheasant hunting regulations remain in effect.
Joseph Davis, Golden Hill, and Wilson-Tuscarora State Parks:
For Joseph Davis, Golden Hill, and Wilson-Tuscarora State Parks located in Niagara County, a special permit will be required. An individual permit will be required to hunt on Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11. There will be two separate hunts each day, each requiring a permit: The first hunt will be from sunrise until 12:30 p.m.; the second hunt will be from 12:30 p.m. until sunset. There is no fee for the permit, and junior hunters awarded permits will have the option of naming one additional junior hunter on their permit.
Junior hunters interested in entering the permit lottery at Golden Hill, Wilson-Tuscarora, and Joseph Davis State Parks should mail a separate, standard-size file card for each date and park that they would like to hunt. Only one permit will be issued to each hunter per day. Cards may be put into an envelope for each respective park and mailed together to the appropriate addresses below:
Golden Hill State Park
Attn: Renee Campbell
9691 Lower Lake Rd.
Barker, NY 14012
(716) 795-3885
Joseph Davis State Park
Attn: Jasper Reese
300 Portage Rd.
Lewiston, NY 14092
(716) 754-7766
Wilson Tuscarora State Park
Attn: David Giambra
3371 West Lake Road
Wilson, NY 14172
(716) 751-6361
Information on the file card should include the junior hunter’s name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, hunting license back tag number, hunt date, and desired park location. Entries will be computerized to avoid duplications. All lottery entries must be received by noon on Friday, September 25.
For any questions regarding the permit lottery, please call the respective Park Managers at the numbers provided above.
Allegany State Park:
Youth hunters wishing to hunt pheasants in Allegany State Park are reminded that they must pick up a free hunting permit at the park’s administration building near Red House Lake (2373 ASP 1, Salamanca, NY 14779) before hunting in the park. For questions about pheasant hunting in Allegany State Park, please call (716) 379-6445.
Questions about the Youth Pheasant Hunt in Western New York can be directed to DEC’s Region 9 Bureau of Wildlife at (716) 379-6402. See the attached table for Youth Pheasant Hunt Stocking Locations. Additional information about pheasant hunting is available on DEC’s Pheasant Hunting webpage. Please check DEC’s interactive mapper for detailed hunting lands information.
For information about alternate dates, please visit DEC’s HuntFishNY Event page to find and register for other upcoming events. HuntFishNY Events is a one-stop resource for events offered by DEC and a network of partners and instructors. Events are hands-on and designed to teach the basics about hunting, wildlife, and other outdoor skills. You can find sponsored pheasant hunts, mentored hunts, target shoots, hunting seminars, and more. Events are designed for all ability levels. Check back if you don’t see events in your area. New events are added weekly.
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