Species Guide — Big Game, Upland Birds & Waterfowl

Big game & turkey ranked by hunting unit

Mule deer

Odocoileus hemionus

Big-eared deer of the West with a black-tipped tail and a bounding gait. Bucks grow forked antlers.

Habitat: Broken country: badlands, breaks, sagebrush foothills and high basins.
How it is ranked: Ranked by hunting unit on harvest density, hunter success, habitat and public land. Always kept separate from whitetails.

Find mule deer units in

White-tailed deer

Odocoileus virginianus

The most widespread deer in North America, recognized by the white underside of its tail.

Habitat: River bottoms, farm country, timbered draws and field edges.
How it is ranked: Ranked by hunting unit (by county in North Carolina) on harvest density, success, habitat and access.

Find white-tailed deer units in

Elk

Cervus canadensis

Large deer that bugle during the September rut and travel long distances between summer and winter range.

Habitat: Timbered mountains, parks and foothills; agricultural edges in some areas.
How it is ranked: Ranked by unit on harvest history, timber and foothill habitat, season dates and public land.

Find elk units in

Pronghorn antelope

Antilocapra americana

North America's fastest land mammal. Hunted by spot-and-stalk in open country.

Habitat: Open prairie, grassland and sagebrush flats.
How it is ranked: Ranked by unit on harvest, open-country habitat and access. Licenses are mostly drawn.

Find pronghorn antelope units in

Moose

Alces alces

The largest deer. Licenses are limited and drawn in every state covered.

Habitat: Willow bottoms, riparian corridors and dense timber near water.
How it is ranked: Ranked by unit on harvest and riparian and forest habitat, assuming you hold a license.

Find moose units in

Bighorn sheep

Ovis canadensis

Wild sheep of steep, rocky terrain. Rams carry heavy curled horns.

Habitat: Cliffs, rocky breaks and alpine terrain.
How it is ranked: Ranked by unit on harvest and steep, high-country habitat. Licenses are limited.

Find bighorn sheep units in

Mountain goat

Oreamnos americanus

Sure-footed white goat of the highest cliffs. Coats prime in October and November.

Habitat: Cliff bands, talus and alpine ridges.
How it is ranked: Ranked by unit on harvest and alpine habitat. Licenses are limited.

Find mountain goat units in

Bison

Bison bison

The largest land mammal in North America. Hunts are few and drawn.

Habitat: Open grassland and Yellowstone-area winter range.
How it is ranked: Ranked on habitat, access and location where hunts exist.

Find bison units in

Black bear

Ursus americanus

Black bears come in black, brown and cinnamon. Spring and fall seasons in most western states.

Habitat: Forest, berry slopes and mixed timber.
How it is ranked: Ranked by unit on harvest, forest habitat and season, including hound seasons where legal.

Spring season 2027

MarAprMayJun

Montana Apr 15 – May 31
Wyoming Apr 15 – Jun 15
Idaho Apr 1 – Jul 31 · in 88 of 98 units
Colorado No spring season
North Carolina No spring season

Find black bear units in

Mountain lion

Puma concolor

Elusive big cat, mostly hunted on fresh tracking snow, often with hounds.

Habitat: Broken, rocky and timbered terrain near deer and elk.
How it is ranked: Ranked by unit on harvest and habitat. Quotas can close areas early.

Find mountain lion units in

Gray wolf

Canis lupus

Pack hunter of the northern Rockies. Tags are sold over the counter, with harvest quotas by unit or region.

Habitat: Elk and deer range: timbered mountains, foothills and winter range.
How it is ranked: Ranked by wolf unit or hunt area on reported harvest, habitat, season and public land. Quotas can close areas early.

Find gray wolf units in

Wild turkey

Meleagris gallopavo

Wild turkeys are hunted in spring for gobblers and, in some states, in fall.

Habitat: Timber edges, river bottoms and farm country with roost trees.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county or unit on reported harvest, habitat and season.

Spring season 2027

MarAprMayJun

Montana Apr 15 – May 31
Wyoming Apr 1 – May 31
Idaho Apr 15 – May 25 · in 44 of 98 units
Colorado Apr 10 – May 31 · typical dates
South Dakota Apr 1 – May 31
North Carolina Apr 17 – May 15

Find wild turkey units in

Upland birds ranked by county

Ring-necked pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Introduced game bird and the most popular upland bird in the Dakotas. Only roosters may be taken in most places.

Habitat: Grain fields, CRP grass, shelterbelts and cattail sloughs.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on reported harvest where published (South Dakota county, Montana region), plus cropland and wetland cover, season and access.

Find ring-necked pheasant counties in

Montana Oct 10 – Jan 1 · 56 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Nov 1 – Dec 31 · 23 of 23 counties open
Idaho Oct 15 – Dec 31 · 44 of 44 counties open
Colorado Nov 14 – Jan 31 · 64 of 64 counties open
North Dakota Oct 10 – Jan 3 · 53 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Oct 17 – Jan 31 · 66 of 66 counties open

Sharp-tailed grouse

Tympanuchus phasianellus

Native prairie grouse. South Dakota combines it with prairie chicken as "prairie grouse".

Habitat: Native grassland and grass-shrub mixes, often near cropland edges.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on harvest where published, grassland cover, season and access. Closed west of the Continental Divide in Montana and Wyoming.

Find sharp-tailed grouse counties in

Montana Sep 1 – Jan 1 · 46 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 1 – Dec 31 · 18 of 23 counties open
Idaho Oct 1 – Nov 8 · 14 of 44 counties open
Colorado Sep 1 – Sep 20 · 3 of 64 counties open
North Dakota Sep 12 – Jan 3 · 53 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Sep 19 – Jan 31 · 66 of 66 counties open

Sage grouse

Centrocercus urophasianus

The largest North American grouse, tied to big sagebrush. Seasons are short and need a permit or tag.

Habitat: Large unbroken sagebrush basins.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on sagebrush cover, season and access. Only counties in open areas or zones can rank well; closed in the Dakotas.

Find sage grouse counties in

Montana Sep 1 – Sep 30 · 46 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 19 – Sep 30 · 13 of 23 counties open
Idaho Sep 15 – Oct 31 · 14 of 44 counties open
Colorado Sep 12 – Sep 18 · 6 of 64 counties open

Gray (Hungarian) partridge

Perdix perdix

Also called the Hungarian partridge or "Hun". Fast coveys that flush wild.

Habitat: Wheat stubble, grass edges and sagebrush-grass mixes.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on harvest where published, cropland and grass cover, season and access.

Find gray (hungarian) partridge counties in

Montana Sep 1 – Jan 1 · 56 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 15 – Jan 31 · 23 of 23 counties open
Idaho Sep 15 – Jan 31 · 44 of 44 counties open
North Dakota Sep 12 – Jan 3 · 53 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Sep 19 – Jan 31 · 66 of 66 counties open

Chukar

Alectoris chukar

Introduced partridge of steep, rocky canyons. Known for running uphill and flushing downhill.

Habitat: Steep, rocky canyons with cheatgrass and sagebrush.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on harvest where published, shrub and rock cover, terrain relief, season and access.

Find chukar counties in

Montana Sep 1 – Jan 1 · 56 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 15 – Jan 31 · 23 of 23 counties open
Idaho Sep 15 – Jan 31 · 44 of 44 counties open
Colorado Sep 1 – Nov 30 · 64 of 64 counties open

Forest grouse

Ruffed, dusky (blue) and spruce grouse

Woodland grouse, often hunted along forest roads and creek bottoms early in the season.

Habitat: Aspen and conifer forest, brushy creek bottoms and forest edges.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on forest cover, harvest where published, season and access.

Find forest grouse counties in

Montana Sep 1 – Jan 1 · 56 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 1 – Dec 31 · 23 of 23 counties open
Idaho Aug 30 – Dec 31 · 44 of 44 counties open
Colorado Sep 1 – Nov 22 · 42 of 64 counties open
North Dakota Sep 12 – Jan 3 · 4 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Sep 19 – Jan 31 · 4 of 66 counties open
North Carolina Oct 12 – Feb 28 · 34 of 100 counties open

Quail

California and northern bobwhite quail

Small covey birds. California quail are common in southwest Idaho; bobwhite are North Carolina's classic bird dog quarry.

Habitat: Brushy draws, field edges and riparian thickets at lower elevations.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on farm and shrub edge cover, season and access.

Find quail counties in

Idaho Sep 15 – Jan 31 · 44 of 44 counties open
Colorado Nov 14 – Jan 31 · 64 of 64 counties open
North Carolina Nov 21 – Feb 28 · 100 of 100 counties open

Waterfowl & migratory birds ranked by county, by flyway and zone

Ducks

Mallards, teal, wigeon, gadwall, wood ducks and more

Puddle and diving ducks, hunted over decoys on marshes, rivers and potholes, or in grain fields. Bag limits cap some species and hens.

Habitat: Prairie potholes, marshes, rivers, reservoirs, coastal sounds and flooded grain.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on the USFWS Harvest Survey 10-year county duck harvest, open water and wetland cover, each county's flyway and zone season, and access.

Find ducks counties in

Montana Oct 3 – Jan 19 (by zone) · 56 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 26 – Jan 31 (by zone) · 23 of 23 counties open
Idaho Oct 3 – Jan 31 (by zone) · 44 of 44 counties open
Colorado Sep 12 – Jan 31 (by zone) · 64 of 64 counties open
North Dakota Sep 26 – Jan 3 (by zone) · 53 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Sep 26 – Jan 14 (by zone) · 66 of 66 counties open
North Carolina Sep 10 – Jan 30 (by zone) · 100 of 100 counties open

Canada and dark geese

Branta canadensis and other dark geese

Canada and cackling geese (and white-fronted geese where included). Early seasons target resident birds in late summer.

Habitat: Grain stubble and pasture near big-water roosts, rivers and reservoirs.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on the USFWS 10-year county goose harvest, grain and water cover, zone seasons (including early Canada goose seasons) and access.

Find canada and dark geese counties in

Montana Oct 3 – Jan 27 (by zone) · 56 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 1 – Feb 14 (by zone) · 23 of 23 counties open
Idaho Sep 1 – Feb 15 (by zone) · 44 of 44 counties open
Colorado Sep 1 – Feb 14 (by zone) · 64 of 64 counties open
North Dakota Aug 15 – Jan 1 (by zone) · 53 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Aug 15 – Feb 14 (by zone) · 66 of 66 counties open
North Carolina Sep 1 – Feb 6 (by zone) · 100 of 100 counties open

Snow and Ross's geese

Anser caerulescens and A. rossii

Snow (including blue-phase) and Ross's geese. Large flocks; a spring conservation order with no bag limit runs in several states.

Habitat: Big roost lakes and nearby grain fields, mostly in the Central Flyway.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on grain and water cover, fall and spring conservation order seasons, and access. Light geese have no county harvest estimate.

Spring season 2027

MarAprMayJun

Montana Mar 1 – May 15 · in 29 of 56 units
Wyoming Feb 15 – Apr 30 · in 18 of 23 units
Idaho No spring season
Colorado Feb 15 – Apr 30 · in 23 of 64 units
North Dakota Feb 21 – May 10
South Dakota No spring season
North Carolina No spring season

Find snow and ross's geese counties in

Montana Oct 3 – Jan 27 (by zone) · 56 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 26 – Feb 14 (by zone) · 23 of 23 counties open
Idaho Oct 3 – Mar 10 (by zone) · 44 of 44 counties open
Colorado Oct 3 – Feb 14 (by zone) · 64 of 64 counties open
North Dakota Sep 26 – Jan 3 · 53 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Sep 26 – Jan 8 · 66 of 66 counties open
North Carolina Nov 7 – Mar 10 · 100 of 100 counties open

Mourning dove

Zenaida macroura

Fast, small dove hunted mostly in the first weeks of September over sunflower, grain stubble and water holes.

Habitat: Grain stubble, sunflower fields, field edges, shelterbelts and stock ponds.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on farm and grass cover, season and access. Dove harvest is reported only by state.

Find mourning dove counties in

Montana Sep 1 – Oct 30 · 56 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 1 – Nov 29 · 23 of 23 counties open
Idaho Sep 1 – Oct 30 · 44 of 44 counties open
Colorado Sep 1 – Nov 29 · 64 of 64 counties open
North Dakota Sep 1 – Nov 29 · 53 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Sep 1 – Nov 9 · 66 of 66 counties open
North Carolina Sep 5 – Jan 30 (by zone) · 100 of 100 counties open

Sandhill crane

Antigone canadensis

Tall, long-legged crane hunted over field decoys. Several states require a permit or drawing; whooping cranes migrate with them.

Habitat: Shallow-water roosts beside grain stubble, mostly on the plains.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on grain, grass and wetland cover, the county's crane hunt area or permit season, and access.

Find sandhill crane counties in

Montana Sep 1 – Nov 29 (by zone) · 39 of 56 counties open
Wyoming Sep 1 – Nov 8 (by zone) · 19 of 23 counties open
Idaho Sep 1 – Oct 30 (by zone) · 8 of 44 counties open
Colorado Oct 3 – Nov 29 · 37 of 64 counties open
North Dakota Sep 19 – Nov 15 · 53 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Sep 26 – Nov 22 · 50 of 66 counties open

Tundra swan

Cygnus columbianus

Large white swan hunted only with a drawn or limited permit, one bird a season in most places.

Habitat: Big lakes, sounds and nearby grain fields.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on open water, wetland and grain cover, the permit area's season, and access.

Find tundra swan counties in

Montana Oct 3 – Jan 7 (by zone) · 36 of 56 counties open
Idaho Oct 10 – Dec 1 · 4 of 44 counties open
North Dakota Oct 3 – Jan 3 · 53 of 53 counties open
South Dakota Oct 3 – Jan 8 · 35 of 66 counties open
North Carolina Nov 7 – Jan 30 · 100 of 100 counties open

American woodcock

Scolopax minor

Migratory shorebird of the uplands, usually hunted with pointing dogs in damp thickets.

Habitat: Moist young forest, alder and aspen thickets and damp field edges.
How it is ranked: Ranked by county on moist forest and wetland cover, season and access.

Find american woodcock counties in

North Dakota Sep 19 – Nov 2 · 53 of 53 counties open
North Carolina Dec 10 – Jan 30 · 100 of 100 counties open