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Pheasant Release Sites

Pheasant Release Sites for 2007

Annually, over 25,000 adult pheasants are raised on the Richard E. Reynolds game farm in Ithaca and released just prior to and during the fall pheasant hunting season. Releases occur across the state on both state and private lands open to public hunting. By following the links in the box to your right you can find out where, in your area, we plan to release birds.

Youth Pheasant Hunt - Beginning in Fall 2007, DEC will offer the first specially designated Youth Pheasant Hunt. Pheasant hunting was one of the first hunting experiences for many of today's adult hunters, and this new two-day hunt will help maintain this traditional introduction to hunting.

The Department is releasing adult pheasants on specific sites for the Youth Pheasant Hunt weekends September 29-30 and October 13-14 (consult the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide for the applicable dates in your area). Junior hunters can hunt these sites, which are designated below "YH", with a good chance of finding released birds. Sites designated "RS" are locations where birds will be released for the Regular Season.

For further information on release sites contact:

Region 1

For further information on release sites contact: - Bureau of Wildlife
Stony Brook Office at 631-444-0310

Suffolk County

  • Brookhaven - Rocky Point State Natural Resources Management Area* (RS)
  • Riverhead & Brookhaven - Otis Pike Preserve* (RS)

* a daily permit must be obtained from the Ridge Hunter Check Station. There is currently no youth pheasant hunt on Long Island because DEC lacks regulatory authority to set pheasant seasons in that area of the State.

Region 3

For further information on release sites contact: - Bureau of Wildlife
New Paltz Office at 845-256-3098

Dutchess County

  • Amenia - Wassaic Multiple Use Area (YH, RS)
  • Milan - Lafayetteville Multiple Use Area (YH, RS)
  • Red Hook - Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)

Orange County

  • New Windsor - Stewart Forest (YH, RS)
  • Tuxedo - Sterling Forest State Park - Must obtain hunting permit from Sterling Forest Park Office. (YH, RS)

Putnam County

  • Kent - Big Buck Mountain Multiple Use Area (YH, RS)
  • Kent - Ninham Mountain Multiple Use Area (YH, RS)
  • Patterson - Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)
  • Patterson - Great Swamp WMA, access off Cornwall Hill Rd., park in designated areas only (6 car capacity) (YH, RS)

Sullivan County

  • Freemont - Crystal Lake State Forest (YH, RS)
  • Mamakating - Bashakill Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)
  • Thompson - Wolf Brook Multiple Use Area (YH, RS)

Ulster County

  • Hurley - Gill's Farm - Must obtain permission from landowner. (YH, RS)
  • Rochester - Davis Farm - Must obtain written permission from landowner. (YH, RS)
  • Rochester - Kelder Farm - Must obtain written permission from landowner. (YH, RS)
  • Wawarsing - Ver Nooy Kill State Forest (Lundy Estate), access from Lundy Road off 209 (YH, RS)

Region 4

For further information on release sites contact: - Bureau of Wildlife
- Schenectady Office at 518-357-2070 or
- Stamford Office at 607-652-7367

Albany County

  • Berne - Partridge Run WMA - Corner Bradt Hollow and High Point Roads. (YH, RS)
  • Berne - Partridge Run WMA - East side of Beaver Rd., south of Waxwing Pond (YH, RS)
  • Berne - Partridge Run WMA - Intersection Cook Hill & Bradt Hollow Roads. (YH, RS)
  • Knox - Margaret Burke WMA - west side of Cty Rte 254. (YH, RS)
  • New Scotland - Diamond Hill Rd. above Clipp Rd. (YH, RS)

Columbia County

  • Claverack - County Rt. 29 near Rt. 9H (YH, RS)
  • Kinderhook - Dahlgren Rd. & Rt. 21 (YH, RS)
  • New Lebanon - Co Rt5A and Old Post Rd.- Ask permission (YH, RS)
  • New Lebanon - West Hill near Royce Rd. (YH, RS)
  • Stockport - Alvord Dock Rd. (YH, RS)

Delaware County

  • Colchester - Bear Spring Mtn. WMA - Trout Brook Rd. (YH, RS)
  • Franklin - Rt 357 and Chamberlain Hill Rd -Ask Permission (YH, RS)
  • Franklin- Off of Rt. 357 across from Merrickville Rd. On Town property. Permission may be required to hunt surrounding private land. (YH, RS)
  • Walton - Bear Spring Mtn. WMA - West Trout Brook Rd. (YH, RS)

Greene County

  • Athens - Rt. 74 on the South side by the RR tracks (YH, RS)
  • Coxsackie - Rt. 9W & Flintmine Rd. (YH, RS)
  • Durham - NY Rt. 145 and Meeting House Hill just S. of Durham. (YH, RS)
  • Jewett - State land near Colgate Lake (YH, RS)

Montgomery County

  • Canajoharie - Seebers Lane - Ask permission (YH, RS)
  • Canajoharie - North of Clinton Rd., east of 163 (YH, RS)
  • Canajoharie - Maring Rd. Near Rt. 89 (YH, RS)
  • Canajoharie/Minden - Nestle Road (YH, RS)
  • Minden - Walts Rd. (YH, RS)
  • Palatine - McKinley Rd. near Oswegatchie (YH, RS)

Otsego County

  • Middlefield - Co. Rt. 43 & 35 (YH, RS)
  • Milford - Rt. 28 , South of Milford - Ask permission, must stay on farm road, do not drive on fields to avoid puddles and ruts (YH, RS)

Rensselaer County

  • Nassau - Jefferson Hill Rd. - Ask permission. (YH, RS)
  • Nassau - Mead Rd. - Ask permission at the first house on County Route 15 north of the intersection with County Route 16. (YH, RS)

Schoharie County

  • Blenheim - Rt. 31, near Cole Hollow Rd. (YH, RS)
  • Broome - Woods Rd. off of Route 145 near Franklinton Vlaie (YH, RS)
  • Esperance - Rt. 20 between Sloansville and Esperance (YH, RS)
  • Fulton - Rt. 30, SE side, S. of Vroman's Nose (YH, RS)
  • Gilboa - Mace and Bailey Rd. Jct. (YH, RS)
  • Richmondville - Rt. 23, near McDonald Rd. (YH, RS)
  • Seward - Wineguard Rd. near Clove (YH, RS)

Region 5

For further information on release sites contact: - Bureau of Wildlife
- Raybrook Office at 518-897-1291 or
- Warrensburg Office at 518-623-1240

Clinton County

  • Beekmantown - Monty's Bay Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)
  • Schuyler Falls - North of Brand Hollow Rd, west of Rt. 22B (YH, RS)

Essex County

  • Westport - Near the junction of Lake Shore Rd & Clark Rd on state land (YH, RS)

Franklin County

  • Bangor - North of Rt. 11 between Brockway Rd. & Garvin Rd. (YH, RS)
  • Fort Covington - Howard Rd. (also known as the Griffin Rd.) (YH, RS)

Fulton County

  • Ephratah - Rt. 140 west of the Village of Ephratah (YH, RS)
  • Ephratah - Rt. 67 Ephratah Rod and Gun Club (YH, RS)

Saratoga County

  • Greenfield - Daketown State Forest (YH, RS)

Washington County

  • Greenwich - Carter's Pond Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)
  • Hartford - Eldridge Lane (YH, RS)
  • Jackson - Eldridge Swamp State Forest (YH, RS)
  • Whitehall - South of the Village of Whitehall between County Rt. 12 and the barge canal and along Greenmount Rd. (YH, RS)

Region 6

For further information on release sites contact: - Bureau of Wildlife
- Watertown Office at 315-785-2261 or
- Potsdam Office at 315-265-3090 or
- Utica Office at 315-793-2554

Herkimer County

  • Danube - Nowadaga Creek (canal) (YH, RS)
  • Newport - Stumlock Rd. between North Gage Rd. and Brayton Rd., FWMA sign (YH, RS)

Jefferson County

  • Brownville - Perch River Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)
  • Cape Vincent - Ashland Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)
  • Clayton - French Creek Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)

Lewis County

  • Croghan - Belfort Rd. (YH, RS)
  • West Turin - Lesser Wilderness State Forest (YH, RS)

Oneida County

  • Rome - Rome Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)
  • Verona - Verona Beach State Park Co-op (YH, RS)
  • Whitestown - Oriskany Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)

St. Lawrence County

  • Canton - Upper & Lower Lakes Management Area (YH, RS)
  • Louisville - Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area (RS)
  • Macomb - Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)

Region 7

For further information on release sites contact: - Bureau of Wildlife
- Cortland Office at 607-753-3095 ext 247

Broome County

  • Triangle - Whitney Point Multiple Use Area (YH, RS)

Cayuga/Tompkins Counties

  • Ledyard, Genoa, Lansing - Cayuga Tompkins Co-op Hunting Area (YH, RS)

Cayuga/Wayne Counties

  • Savannah, Conquest - N. Montezuma Wildlife Management Area (RS)

Chenango County

  • Smithville - Long Pond State Forest (YH, RS)

Madison County

  • Hamilton - South of the Village of Hamilton along Payne Brook to Middleport Rd. or County Rte. 77. (RS)
  • Lenox - Ditch Bank Road along Cowaselon Creek (RS)

Onondaga County

  • Lysander - Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)

Oswego County

  • Richland - Deer Creek Marsh Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)
  • West Monroe - 3-Mile Bay Wildlife Management Area (RS)

Tioga County

  • Richford - Michigan Hill State Forest (YH, RS)

Region 8

For further information on release sites contact: - Bureau of Wildlife
- Avon Office at 585-226-5380
- Bath Office at 607-776-2165

Chemung County

  • Veteran - Chemung County North, middle third of the northern half of Veteran Township (RS)

Genesee, Niagara County

  • Alabama, Royalton - Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)

Genesee County

  • Darien - Darien Lake State Park (RS)
  • Oakfield, Alabama - Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area (RS)

Livingston County

  • Conesus - Conesus Wildlife Management Area (RS)

Monroe County

  • Greece - Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)

Ontario, Yates Counties

  • Naples, Italy - High Tor Wildlife Management Area (RS)

Seneca County

  • Fayette - Poorman Farm, Poorman Rd. off Rt. 414 (RS)

Steuben County

  • Erwin - McCarthy Road. (RS)
  • Tuscarora - Nichols Farm on Thompson Road (RS)

Wayne, Cayuga Counties

  • Savannah, Conquest - N. Montezuma Wildlife Management Area (RS)

Wayne County

  • Wolcott/Huron - Lake Shore Marshes Wildlife Management Area (YH, RS)

Region 9

For further information on release sites contact: - Bureau of Wildlife
- Buffalo Office at 716-851-7010 or
- Allegany Office at 716-372-0645

Allegany County

  • New Hudson - Hanging Bog WMA along New Hudson Road (YH, RS)
  • Wellsville - West side of Rt. 19 (RS)

Cattaraugus County

  • Conewango, Randolph - Conewango Swamp Wildlife Management Area - between Rte 241 and Conewango Creek. (RS)
  • Farmersville - Harwood Lake Multiple Use Area - Special permit required to hunt opening day Oct. 20.** (YH, RS)
  • Red House - Allegany State Park, Wolf Run Rd. & Upper Bay State Rd. (free permit necessary from Admin. Bldg.) (YH, RS)
  • South Valley - Allegheny Reservoir Wildlife Management Area - vicinity of Bone Run off Onoville Rd. (RS)

Chautauqua County

  • Sherman - Alder Bottom Wildlife Management Area - off Idora Rd. and Rte 76. (YH, RS)

Erie County

  • Brant - East of Mile Block Road, south of Milestrip Road. - Hunting by permission only (RS)
  • Collins - Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area - South of Vail and Unger Road and Button Road. - Special permit required to hunt opening day Oct. 20.** (YH, RS)

Erie, Niagara Counties

  • Royalton, Newstead - Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area (RS)

Niagara County

  • Lewiston - Joseph Davis State Park - - Special permit required for hunting pheasants on Sat. Oct. 20, Sat. Oct. 27, and Sat. Nov. 3.* (YH, RS)
  • Newfane - Hoffman Road just east of Hess Road (RS)
  • Newfane - East of Hess Road, near Charlotteville Road. (RS)
  • Somerset - Golden Hill State Park - - Special permit required for hunting pheasants on Sat. Oct. 20, Sat. Oct. 27, and Sat. Nov. 3.* (YH, RS)
  • Somerset - West of Hosmer Road, between Townline Road and Hoffman Road (RS)
  • Somerset - East of Hosmer Road, between Haight Road and West Somerset (RS)
  • Wilson - Wilson-Tuscarora State Park - Special permit required for hunting pheasants Sat. Oct. 20 & Sat. Oct. 27.* (RS)
  • Wilson - West of Maple Road, between Nelson Road and Shadigee Road. (RS)

Wyoming County

  • Middlebury - Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area & Sulphur Springs F.W.M.A. Coop - 5 miles north of Warsaw. (YH, RS)

*Contact NYS Parks, Niagara Frontier Region to apply for permit, 716-278-1770

**Contact NYSDEC, 270 Michigan Ave., Buffalo, NY 14203, 716-851-7010