Pheasant hunting in Arizona
By Tom Cadden, public information officer, and Bob Henry, Yuma regional game specialist, Arizona Game and Fish Department

Are you looking for a different and challenging type of small game hunt in Arizona? You might want to consider a pheasant hunt in the southwestern part of our state.

Pheasant hunting options are far more limited in Arizona than in Midwestern states. Our pheasant populations are largely confined to agricultural areas having relatively high humidity, such as near citrus orchards in the Yuma area. Pheasants have always been considered a specialty game bird in Arizona and are taken by a relatively small number of hunters, who either obtain one of the limited hunt permits periodically available, or who hunt with falcons or with a bow and arrows.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department in the past has tried to introduce pheasant populations in suitable river valleys in other parts of the state, but those efforts had limited success, and the department ceased the program in 1973.

Pheasant biology
Pheasants are large, striking birds, particularly the males. A rooster will acquire a harem of from one to three hens, with mating commencing in early April. By mid-May, most of the hens are nesting and of no further interest to the rooster, and he will abandon his territorial patrols by the end of the month. The peak of hatching is during the last week of May, the most arid time in Arizona, which is one of the reasons why pheasants have had difficulty becoming established in the state. After only about two weeks, the youngsters are capable of flight and remain with the hen for only another two months or so before making their own way in the world.

Types of hunts
There are three types of pheasant hunts: shotgun, archery-only and falconry-only. The shotgun hunts are limited to the Yuma Valley area in Game Management Unit 40B. They are spread out over five separate weekends from September through November, with the first being a juniors-only hunt. Permits for these shotgun hunts are issued through a special draw; only 30 permits are issued for each hunt. Successful applicants are actually issued two tags, as there is a two-pheasant bag limit.

The archery-only and falconry-only season dates run from Oct. 13, 2006 through Feb. 12, 2007. Archery-only pheasant hunts are challenging and are open statewide except in national wildlife refuges, Mohave County park lands, or as otherwise specified in the hunting regulations. Falconry-only hunts are specialized hunts requiring a sport falconry license. More information can be found in the 2006-07 Arizona Hunting and Trapping Regulations.

Hunting pheasants
Pheasants need cover for roosting, so the best place to find them is in or around citrus orchards or nearby wheat stubble or cotton fields. Hunters find that they will flush more birds by walking slowly and quietly, working back and forth across the field. This forces the bird to either flush or run ahead of the hunter. Pheasants are known for their running ability, so a group of hunters will often utilize a “blocker” stationed at the end of the field. The presence of blockers forces the birds to hold tighter, giving both walkers and blockers more shooting action. Dogs are useful in hunting and retrieving pheasants.

Hunters should be aware that much of the land in the Yuma Valley area is privately owned, but most of it isn’t posted. Please treat it with respect.