The opportunities should be there for hunters who flock to Yuma County and the region for the opening weekend of the 2025 pheasant season.
The season opens in this area Saturday, November 8, and continues until January 31, 2026.
“It’s looking pretty good,” Colorado Parks & Wildlife Officer Josh Melby said. “Overall the counts are up across the board throughout the region. It still is not as high historic counts in past years, but it is getting closer.”
Weather conditions are not going cause the ringnecks to bunch up in fields with highs Saturday and Sunday in the 50s, though the wind on Saturday is forecasted to be 20 to 30 miles per hour, with possible occasional gusts over 40 mph.
Nevertheless, the chances will be there.
“Hunters should find birds consistently,” Melby said. “There’s no shortage of cover this year with the late summer rains we had.”
There are thousands of acres of walk-in access available to hunters. Hunters can access these properties on foot without needing a special permit or permission from the landowner, as long as they have a valid hunting license. Locations are available in hardcopy, or one can access the maps on your phone.
Corn harvest is a little late this year, meaning several fields still have standing plants. Hunters are reminded they cannot hunt in fields that have not been harvested or even in the process of being harvested.
The daily bag limit is three, and the total limit is nine.
The Yuma County Pheasants Forever Banquet is Saturday at the Irrigation Research Foundation one mile north of Yuma. The doors will open at 5 p.m. A dinner of Rocky Mountain Oysters and BBQ will be served starting at 5:30. There will be games for both adults and youth, lots of great prizes, and guns. The live auction will begin at 7 p.m.
Lodgings in Yuma and the surrounding area are full for the opening weekend, as usual, as many hunters are expected for the opener. The same goes for RV spaces.