Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is releasing pheasants on public lands across the state this fall as part of its Roosters for Recruitment program, an effort to give younger and newer hunters a better chance at a successful first season.
The program runs through a partnership with the Montana Department of Corrections and targets public access areas where beginning hunters are likely to be afield. The idea is straightforward: stocking birds in accessible locations levels the playing field for hunters who don't have private land connections or years of experience reading the landscape.
FWP officials noted that once released, the birds don't sit still — most take to the air quickly and disperse across the landscape, which means even stocked hunts require real fieldwork to be productive. The program is active statewide through the fall season, with Lewis and Clark County public lands among the eligible release areas.