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Archive by tag: PheasantReturn
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Habitat planning for bad weather is key to supporting pheasant populations

Habitat planning for bad weather is key to supporting pheasant populations

  • 12/10/2024 12:21:00 PM
  • View Count 1995
The first snow of the season is a popular event with pheasant hunters because it often sends the birds to cover where hunters expect to find them. And while a little snow is good, too much snow can be bad, burying waste grains that are an important food source and collapsing marginal habitat.
Iowa’s pheasant hunting Thanksgiving tradition

Iowa’s pheasant hunting Thanksgiving tradition

  • 11/26/2024 11:52:00 AM
  • View Count 3528
Pheasant hunting has been as much a part of the Thanksgiving holiday for generations of Iowans, as cranberries and stuffing. And with a weather forecast that will likely put birds in cover, this would be a good year to continue that tradition and get back to the fields.
Iowa’s much anticipated pheasant season opens Oct. 26

Iowa’s much anticipated pheasant season opens Oct. 26

  • 10/15/2024 1:11:00 PM
  • View Count 6184
Success during the 2023 pheasant season has Iowa hunters eagerly awaiting this year’s opening day and with bird population estimates similar to two years ago, hunters are expecting another great fall afield.
2023 saw Iowa’s best pheasant harvest in 16 years

2023 saw Iowa’s best pheasant harvest in 16 years

  • 8/20/2024 3:28:00 PM
  • View Count 5175
Iowa’s pheasant hunters bagged more than 590,000 roosters last fall, the most since 2007. The 62 percent increase in harvest was due to a strong population of pheasants and to a 32 percent increase in the number of pheasant hunters.
Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

  • 7/30/2024 1:57:00 PM
  • View Count 6041
Pheasant hunters across the northern half of Iowa had an excellent season last year, and many are looking forward to what 2024 has in store.
Iowa’s 2024 pheasant nesting outlook

Iowa’s 2024 pheasant nesting outlook

  • 7/23/2024 11:43:00 AM
  • View Count 6525
Iowa’s pheasant population typically shows increases following mild winters with springs that are dryer and warmer than normal. While last winter was average to below average snowfall, spring was wetter than normal, with May coming in as the eighth wettest in 152 years of records.
Anticipation is high for Iowa’s 2023 pheasant season

Anticipation is high for Iowa’s 2023 pheasant season

  • 10/24/2023 1:24:00 PM
  • View Count 9938
Iowa’s pheasant population is up, the crop harvest is advancing quickly and the weekend weather forecast is setting up for an excellent opening weekend for Iowa’s pheasant season.
Think safety before opening day

Think safety before opening day

  • 10/24/2023 1:23:00 PM
  • View Count 5037
Hunters heading to the field for the opening weekend of pheasant season are encouraged to review safe hunting practices before they head out.
Pheasant survey results highest in eight years

Pheasant survey results highest in eight years

  • 8/29/2023 2:12:00 PM
  • View Count 15032
The 2023 August pheasant population survey had the highest statewide counts since 2015, with the biggest increases coming from southwest, northwest and northeast regions. The statewide average was nearly 23 birds per route; a 15 percent increase over 2022.
Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

  • 7/25/2023 11:51:00 AM
  • View Count 4893
Pheasant hunters in the northern half of Iowa had an excellent season last year, and many are looking forward to what 2023 has in store. The fall forecast will be based on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) annual roadside pheasant counts, that begins Aug. 1.
Iowa’s pheasant opener was busy, with lots of hunter success

Iowa’s pheasant opener was busy, with lots of hunter success

  • 11/1/2022 1:43:00 PM
  • View Count 4925
Hunters are home, the dogs are resting and Iowa’s opening weekend of pheasant season is in the rearview mirror. Reports from across the state varied from excellent up north to good in central and southwest Iowa, with the consensus that hunting will continue to improve once all the corn is harvested.
Iowa’s pheasant season is expected to be a repeat of 2021

Iowa’s pheasant season is expected to be a repeat of 2021

  • 10/11/2022 11:53:00 AM
  • View Count 12946
Iowa’s 2022 pheasant season is expected to be another good one when more than 60,000 plus blaze orange clad hunters take to the fields on Oct. 29. And based on the results of the August pheasant survey, hunters can afford to be optimistic.
Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

  • 7/26/2022 12:46:00 PM
  • View Count 6615
Iowa pheasant hunters had an excellent season last year, harvesting the most roosters since 2008, and many are looking forward to what 2022 has in store. That fall forecast will be based on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) annual roadside pheasant counts, that begins Aug. 1.
Pheasant hunting on Thanksgiving as traditional as pumpkin pie

Pheasant hunting on Thanksgiving as traditional as pumpkin pie

  • 11/23/2021 3:09:00 PM
  • View Count 2578
For many Iowans, a Thanksgiving Day pheasant hunt is as much a part of the holiday tradition as football, battling over the last turkey leg and an afternoon nap, and this year’s outing may be one of the best.
Iowa's hunters prepping for another good pheasant season

Iowa's hunters prepping for another good pheasant season

  • 10/12/2021 1:42:00 PM
  • View Count 3802
With the annual fall crop harvest running ahead of schedule, Iowa’s 2021 pheasant season is expected to be another good one when 55,000 plus blaze orange clad hunters take to the fields on Oct. 30. 
Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

  • 7/28/2021 11:41:00 AM
  • View Count 4075
The impact that a cold and snowy Iowa winter and driest spring since 1994 had on pheasant nesting success will likely be seen when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducts its annual roadside pheasant counts between Aug. 1-15.
Pheasant hunters and pheasant harvest increased in 2020

Pheasant hunters and pheasant harvest increased in 2020

  • 7/13/2021 1:18:00 PM
  • View Count 3367
Pheasant hunters harvested nearly 300,000 roosters in Iowa during the 2020 season, which was the second highest harvest reported in more than a decade. In 2019, hunters harvested nearly 284,000 roosters.
DNR forecasts Iowa’s 2021 fall pheasant population to be similar to 2020

DNR forecasts Iowa’s 2021 fall pheasant population to be similar to 2020

  • 6/29/2021 1:37:00 PM
  • View Count 7861
If Iowa pheasant hunters liked the hunting they had in 2020, they should like it again in 2021. Based on the annual pheasant nesting forecast, Iowa’s pheasant population should be similar to slightly higher than last year, said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Habitat is critical for pheasants during long, hard winters

Habitat is critical for pheasants during long, hard winters

  • 2/24/2021 10:06:00 AM
  • View Count 3363
Iowa’s run of mild winters is gone, buried under a head-high snowdrift and frozen from weeks of negative temperatures. This return to the extreme has some residents wanting to help the now highly visible pheasants and quail and calling the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) about placing corn and other grains out for the birds to eat.
Hunting seasons begin closing soon

Hunting seasons begin closing soon

  • 12/29/2020 11:35:00 AM
  • View Count 2934
Hunting seasons will begin closing soon, starting with pheasant, archery turkey and deer seasons, and late muzzleloader deer season on Jan. 10. The staggered goose seasons begin closing in the north zone first on Jan. 9, followed by the south zone on Jan. 16, and the Missouri River zone on Jan. 23.
Pheasant hunters gearing up for highly anticipated season opener

Pheasant hunters gearing up for highly anticipated season opener

  • 10/20/2020 12:54:00 PM
  • View Count 5256
Tens of thousands of hunters in blaze orange will take to the fields when Iowa’s pheasant season opens Oct. 31. And with pheasant populations on par with the best counts in the past decade, including six of the nine survey regions averaging more than 20 pheasants per route - the most since 2007, hunters can afford to be optimistic.
Iowa pheasant survey results show popular game bird numbers up significantly

Iowa pheasant survey results show popular game bird numbers up significantly

  • 9/4/2020 9:42:00 AM
  • View Count 12503
Iowa’s recently completed annual pheasant survey is great news for hunters – statewide, Iowa averaged 20.2 birds per 30-mile route, up significantly from 2019, with six of the nine survey regions averaging more than 20 pheasants per route, the most since 2007.
Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

  • 7/21/2020 12:42:00 PM
  • View Count 4732
The positive impact Iowa’s mild winter and reasonably dry spring has had on pheasant nesting success will likely be seen when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducts its annual roadside pheasant counts between Aug. 1-15.
Iowa’s 2020 pheasant nesting outlook positive after mild winter

Iowa’s 2020 pheasant nesting outlook positive after mild winter

  • 6/16/2020 1:42:00 PM
  • View Count 7789
Iowa’s recent mild winter and dryer than normal April and May could lead to positive results for pheasant hunters this fall. Hen survival increases during mild winters, and more hens mean more nests and more nests typically means more pheasants in the fall.
Pheasant hunting on Thanksgiving as traditional as pumpkin pie

Pheasant hunting on Thanksgiving as traditional as pumpkin pie

  • 11/19/2019 2:00:00 PM
  • View Count 3405
For many Iowans, a Thanksgiving Day pheasant hunt is as much a part of the holiday tradition as football, battling over the last turkey leg and an afternoon nap, and this year’s outing may be one of the best.
Pheasant hunters hoping for a repeat of 2018 season

Pheasant hunters hoping for a repeat of 2018 season

  • 10/22/2019 3:40:00 PM
  • View Count 6166
Last year, Iowa pheasant hunters bagged more roosters than they had in the last decade. With that fresh in their memory, how will the 2019 pheasant season measure up?
Iowa’s pheasant population steady, quail down

Iowa’s pheasant population steady, quail down

  • 8/27/2019 11:48:00 AM
  • View Count 9650
Iowa’s pheasant hunters should expect to find a similar number of birds as last year, with the exception of south central and southeast Iowa, where the pheasant population decline was more significant.
Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

  • 7/23/2019 12:35:00 PM
  • View Count 5239
The extent of impact that a cold and snowy late winter and heavy rains and flooding in April and May had on pheasant nesting success will likely be seen when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducts its annual pheasant counts.
2019 pheasant season likely impacted by February winter storm

2019 pheasant season likely impacted by February winter storm

  • 2/26/2019 11:42:00 AM
  • View Count 7201
Story after story on TV, the radio and in newspapers detailed the historic winter storm that swept across northern and western Iowa last weekend, stranding vehicles and closing roads for days. Drivers were warned repeatedly to stay off the roads because not doing so was “taking your life into your own hands.”
2018 pheasant season off to a good start

2018 pheasant season off to a good start

  • 11/20/2018 11:53:00 AM
  • View Count 5141
Three weeks into the pheasant season and hunters are finding success similar to the August roadside survey forecast – good hunting in central and north central Iowa; spotty hunting in southern Iowa.
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