DNR releases over 7,200 pheasants across southern Michigan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is releasing more than 7,200 pheasants across the southern Lower Peninsula to increase hunting opportunities. The agency is partnering with the Michigan Association of Gamebird Breeders and Hunting Preserves for the initiative, which aims to revive interest in a sport that peaked in the mid-20th century.

Pheasant populations declined significantly after the mid-1960s due to the expansion of large-scale farming, which reduced habitat such as fence rows and swales. The current release program marks a renewed effort to support the species and local hunting traditions.

Read the full story at wgrd.com.