More than 14,000 ring-necked pheasants will be released by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources this fall at 36 public hunting areas across Ohio, including Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area.
According to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife news release, 100 rooster pheasants will be released at Kokosing Lake's 39 huntable acres. Twenty pheasants will be released for youth hunts on Oct. 19 and 26. The remaining 60 rooster pheasants will be released in groups of 20 on Nov. 1, 9, and 28. Delaware's 334 huntable acres will have a total of 1,180 rooster pheasants released over the same days. Urbana's 154 huntable acres will see the release of 150 pheasants.
The Division of Wildlife said that Kokosing Lake and Urbana Wildlife Areas are open to hunting by controlled access permit only, while the Delaware Wildlife Area is open to public hunting.
Ohio's ring-necked pheasant hunting season is scheduled from Friday, Nov. 1, to Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. The daily harvest limit is two male birds; no hens may be harvested. A valid Ohio hunting license is required to hunt pheasants and other game birds.
The news release also mentioned that pursuing small game is an excellent way to introduce someone to hunting. It suggested that more information can be found by exploring the interactive Introduction to Upland Game Birds online resource. Additional details on Ohio's fall pheasant release can be accessed at wildohio.org, which contains maps of public hunting areas and current hunting and trapping regulations.
