The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced a youth-only pheasant hunting weekend in Western New York, scheduled for October 11-12, 2025. The event is part of the DEC’s ongoing efforts to support hunter recruitment and retention through its pheasant propagation program, which supplies over 50,000 adult pheasants annually for upland game bird hunting across the state.
A significant number of these birds are set aside specifically for youth hunting opportunities. According to the DEC, “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.” Youth hunters aged 12-15 must be accompanied by an experienced adult mentor during the hunt.
For this year’s event in DEC Region 9, approximately 1,200 adult roosters and hens will be stocked immediately before the youth hunt weekend. All birds will come from the DEC Reynolds Game Farm.
Special permits are required for those wishing to hunt at Joseph Davis, Golden Hill, and Wilson-Tuscarora State Parks in Niagara County. Each permit allows for one junior hunter and gives them the option to name another junior hunter on their permit. There will be two separate hunts each day: one from sunrise until 12:30 p.m., and another from 12:30 p.m. until sunset.
Junior hunters interested in entering the permit lottery for these parks should mail a separate file card with their information—such as name, address, contact details, license back tag number, preferred date and park—to each respective park manager. Only one permit per hunter per day will be issued. All entries must arrive by noon on Friday, September 26.
Those wishing to hunt in Allegany State Park must pick up a free hunting permit at the park’s administration building prior to participating.
For further questions about permits or other aspects of the youth pheasant hunt weekend, individuals can contact DEC’s Bureau of Wildlife or respective park managers at provided phone numbers. More information about pheasant hunting is available on DEC’s Pheasant Hunting webpage (https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9349.html).
Individuals whose schedules do not align with this particular event can visit DEC’s HuntFishNY Event page (https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/huntfishny-events) for additional opportunities related to hunting and outdoor skills throughout New York State. This resource provides access to sponsored hunts, mentored events, target shoots, seminars and more that cater to various experience levels.
Pheasant hunting boundary descriptions can be found on page 49 of the 2025-2026 Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide; all standard regulations remain in effect during this special weekend.
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