Massachusetts · Pheasant · 2026 Edition
Massachusetts Pheasant Season 2026: Dates, Zones & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Pheasant season, segment 1 | Statewide — public and private lands open to hunting; find exact stocked sites via MassWildlife's interactive map (mass.gov/info-details/find-a-pheasant-stocked-area) | Oct 17 – Nov 29 |
| Pheasant season, segment 2 (resumes after shotgun deer season) | Statewide — public and private lands open to hunting | Dec 13 – Dec 31 |
02 — Bag limits
| Daily | 2 (no season limit) |
|---|---|
| Possession | 4 |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (October 17, 2026) 07:02 — 17:59
Rule: Sunrise to sunset, per MassWildlife's pheasant hunting regulations page; hunting is prohibited on Sundays statewide. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Massachusetts sun times for any other date.
04 — License
Pheasant hunters in Massachusetts need a Massachusetts hunting license — a Pheasant/Quail Permit (age 15+; $20 resident, $30 nonresident) in addition to a hunting or sporting license (residents) or a small game/big game license (nonresidents)
Massachusetts hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in Massachusetts — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does pheasant season open in Massachusetts?
The earliest 2026 opener is October 17, 2026. See the table above for each segment and zone.
When does pheasant season end in Massachusetts?
The latest 2026 closing date is December 31, 2026. Individual segments and zones can close earlier — see the table above.
Can I shoot hen pheasants in Massachusetts?
See the bag limit table above — most states restrict the daily bag to roosters only, but rules vary and this is worth double-checking against Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) before you hunt.
How many pheasants can you shoot in Massachusetts per day?
2026 bag limits: Daily — 2 (no season limit). Possession — 4. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting pheasant in Massachusetts?
On opening day (October 17, 2026) legal light runs 07:02 to 17:59. The rule is: Sunrise to sunset, per MassWildlife's pheasant hunting regulations page; hunting is prohibited on Sundays statewide. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Massachusetts sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt pheasant on my own land in Massachusetts without a license?
A Massachusetts landowner with 300 or more contiguous undeveloped acres, or a farmer earning at least half their income from farming, may hunt small game on that land without a license. Deer, turkey, or bear on the same land needs a separate Farmer/Landowner permit, which also covers immediate family and resident tenants.
Verified · MassWildlife (Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife) · Last verified 2026-08-15
Publisher's note. mass.gov blocks direct WebFetch (403), so this page and the related deer/tips/stocked-area pages were read through the r.jina.ai text-extraction proxy. The regulations page states the season runs 'the first Saturday after Columbus Day to December 31' and is 'closed during shotgun deer season,' without printing the reopening date itself — for 2026, Columbus Day is Mon. Oct. 12, so the opener is Sat. Oct. 17, 2026, and MassWildlife's own shotgun-deer-season dates (Nov. 30-Dec. 12, 2026, found via search of MassWildlife's deer-regulations material) were used to bracket the mid-season closure, giving a first segment of Oct. 17-Nov. 29 and a second of Dec. 13-31; this bracketing is inferred from two separately-read MassWildlife facts, not read as one combined statement on a single page, so treat the exact reopen date as high-confidence rather than page-verbatim. Bag limit (2/day, 4 possession, no season limit), permit requirement (Pheasant/Quail Permit, age 15+, $20 resident/$30 nonresident), and the ~40,000 statewide stocking figure are read directly from the regulations page and the 'Find a pheasant stocked area' page. Not included in methods below: MassWildlife's separate Youth Pheasant Hunt Program (Hunter Ed graduates ages 12-17, registration required by Aug. 31, 2026, class/mentored hunt days on select Saturdays Sept. 5-Oct. 10, 2026) — this is a registration-and-class mentoring program, not an open early season, so folding its dates into the opener/seasonCloses window would misrepresent general public access; it is noted here for completeness only.