LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Kevin Daley on Tuesday co-sponsored legislation introduced to continue Michigan’s pheasant hunting licensure program through Jan. 1, 2031.
“Michigan has a rich history of pheasant hunting, and it has been wonderful to see this great pastime flourish again under the success of the licensure program,” said Daley, R-Lum. “Bagging small game like pheasants is a great way to introduce young people to hunting, and the licensure program has helped both to revitalize this sport and conserve land for pheasant populations to thrive again.”
Michigan small game hunters once shot over a million pheasants per year, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Pheasant hunting was once so popular across the state that schools would be closed for the season’s traditional opening day. In recent years, however, Michigan pheasant hunters harvest less than 60,000 roosters annually.
Senate Bill 803 would extend the sunset date of Michigan’s pheasant hunting licensure program from Jan.1, 2026 to Jan. 1, 2031
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