Regulations

Regulations for upcoming seasons are posted online throughout the year. Upland Game Bird regulations are typically posted mid July.

All downloads below are in PDF format.

• 2024 Upland Game Bird Regulations

Plan Your Hunt Online

Launch maps, obtain legal descriptions, regulations, and statistics all in one place.

• Launch the Montana Hunt Planner 

These dates are provided only as a general reference. Check current regulations or use FWP's online Hunt Planner for specific dates.

Mountain Grouse: Sept. 1 - Jan. 1

Partridge: Sept. 1 - Jan. 1 (except for portion of Carbon County, where it is Sept. 1 - Jan. 10)

Ring-necked Pheasant: Oct. 12 - Jan. 1

Youth Hunt: Sept. 23 - Sept. 24

Sage Grouse: Sept. 1 - Sept. 30

Sharp-tailed Grouse: Sept. 1 - Jan. 1

Falconry: Sept. 1 - March 31

Upland Game Bird

Details: Residents 12-17, 62 or older, and the disabled may purchase for half cost ($3.75). Nonresidents 12-17 may purchase for half cost ($55).

Fees:

• Resident: $7.50

• Nonresident: $110

3 Day Upland Game Bird

Details: 3-day license for nonresidents. The license is not valid for sage grouse at any time or for ring-neck pheasants during the opening week of the season.

Fees:

• Resident: N/A

• Nonresident: $50

Upland Game Bird 3-Day Preserve

Details: Nonresidents need a Conservation and Base Hunting License as prerequisites. Valid only on state-licensed private Shooting Preserves.

Fees:

• Resident: N/A

• Nonresident: $20

Nonresident Montana Native Upland Game Bird License

Details: For a former resident who was born in Montana, with current resident relative, other qualifications apply.

Fees:

• Resident: N/A

• Nonresident: $55

Availability 

Upland Game Bird licenses are available Over the Counter.

Want more birds? Habitat is key for game bird production, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks collaborates with private landowners, public land managers, and conservation organizations to enhance, conserve, and manage lands for game birds. 

• Learn more about the UGB Enhancement Program

Montana’s broad diversity of habitats provide for an array of wildlife, including nine upland game bird species. 

Three of the nine game bird species are not native to Montana yet arguably are the more popular game birds to hunt:  Ring-necked Pheasants, Gray Partridge, and Merriam’s Wild Turkey. 

Learn more about Montana’s upland game birds, including their habitat requirements, diagnostic characteristics, and general distributions, by visiting the Montana Field Guide links:

• Chukar

• Dusky (Blue) Grouse

• Gray Partridge

• Ring-necked Pheasant

• Ruffed Grouse

• Sage Grouse

• Sharp-tailed Grouse

• Spruce Grouse

• Wild Turkey

Wondering where to start?  Check out FWP’s Hunter Access programs.

Learn how Montana FWP and other state and tribal agencies use federally awarded dollars to fund access programs:

• Accessible Public Lands: A Report on the Voluntary Public Access Habitat Incentive Program

Pheasant Release Sites

FWP’s pheasant stocking program releases birds on state lands with suitable habitat around Montana every fall. In 2023, nearly 12,000 birds will be released on wildlife management areas, fishing access sites, and some school trust lands around the state.

• Pheasant release site for 2023

• Eyeworm FAQ (PDF)​​​​​

• Cool that Hot Dog (PDF) - Heat can hurt and even kill dogs; here's how to prevent heat stress and heat stroke 

• Removing Pets from Traps (video)

• Tom Roster's 2016 Nontoxic Shot Lethality Table (PDF)