State Game Farm: Day-old Chick Program

The State Game Farm also provides day-old chicks to conservation clubs enrolled in the Day-old Chick (DOC) program. Cooperating clubs sign an agreement [PDF 72KB] which states they agree to provide all labor and costs for raising the birds. Under this agreement, the clubs have 2 options to choose from:

1) Public Hunting Option - which states the club will release pheasants on private land open to public pheasant hunting or on approved state-owned lands. Interested pheasant hunters must contact the landowner prior to pheasant hunting on private property.

2) Cost Share Option - which states the clubs may release pheasants on private lands closed to public hunting, but they must return a percentage of the pheasants they raised back to the WDNR according to the schedule provided as part of the agreement. The percentage returned is dependant on the pheasant age at the time of release.

The DOC program currently involves conservation clubs [PDF] that normally receive about 35,000 rooster chicks annually. If your club is interested in becoming a DOC cooperator, fill out the application and agreement referenced above and mail to your local wildlife manager.

DOC clubs are required to submit a release location form [PDF 40KB] by October 1 and a rearing report form [PDF 32KB] by December 15 to their local wildlife manager. Failure to comply could result in denial of program participation in the future.

Private lands open to public hunting are available upon request from the State Game Farm or your local wildlife manager.

Questions for Wildlife Management

Contact the Game Farm