DEC Releases Updated Strategic Plan for Pheasant Stocking to Enhance Hunter Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today released the 2026-2035 Strategic Plan for Pheasant Stocking to Enhance Hunter Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation. The plan updates and replaces the 2010–2020 Management Plan for Ring-necked Pheasants in New York State.

"Pheasant stocking programs offer a highly accessible gateway to the outdoors, serving as an ideal introduction for hunters from non-traditional pathways,” DEC Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Jacqueline Lendrum said. "This updated plan refocuses the pheasant program to more effectively promote participation in small game hunting and to maximize satisfaction with hunting experiences across the state.”

The plan advances three main goals: 1) advance a pheasant program to increase small game hunter participation and cultivate a community dedicated to conservation, 2) educate and inform the public of the status of pheasants in New York and the goals of the pheasant program, and 3) minimize disease risks for DEC-stocked pheasants and New York’s wildlife.

Major plan elements:  

• Description of the loss of wild pheasant habitat and the importance of pheasant hunting in New York State;
• Focusing DEC’s pheasant management efforts to leverage the stocking program as a tool for hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation; and
• A proposal to simplify pheasant season structures, improving equity and access to hunting opportunities by increasing the number of stocking sites near major population centers, and modifying stocking procedures to enhance hunter satisfaction.

A copy of the plan and summary documents is available on DEC’s website. DEC will accept comments on the updated plan through July 25, 2026. Comments must be submitted in writing via e-mail to [email protected] (use “Pheasant Plan” in the subject line) or mail to ATTN: NYSDEC Game Management Section, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233.