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DNR News Releases

Archive by tag: roadReturn

Pheasant survey predicts another year of good hunting for most of Iowa

• 8/27/2024 11:42:00 AM
• View Count 11741

Results of Iowa’s 2024 pheasant population survey are in and the results were nearly identical to the 2022 and 2021.

Dolliver Memorial State Park closed for road renovations

• 8/7/2024 7:25:00 AM
• View Count 5116

LEHIGH – The road through Dolliver Memorial State Park closed on Aug. 5 for a major road repaving project. The closure includes the campgrounds, cabins, lodges, shelters, and picnic areas. Additionally, boaters on the Des Moines River will not be able to access the boat ramp in the park as the road into the park is closed for repaving. The project is expected to last several weeks, depending on weather.

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.

F20 (Amana Road NW) Bridge to close week of Feb. 19

• 2/15/2024 1:53:00 PM
• View Count 2711

A bridge replacement project over Swisher Creek in Johnson County, will close a portion of Amana Road NW.

Pheasant survey results highest in eight years

• 8/29/2023 2:12:00 PM
• View Count 15024

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

• 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.

Swan Lake Road closed for road improvement project

• 7/18/2023 11:45:00 AM
• View Count 2950

SWISHER - A section of Swan Lake Road on the Hawkeye Wildlife Area west of Greencastle Road, will be closed for several weeks while a bridge is being replaced.

Weather model forecasts bump in Iowa pheasant population

• 6/20/2023 2:24:00 PM
• View Count 4716

Favorable winter and spring weather across much of Iowa is expected to benefit pheasant hunters this fall.

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

• 10/11/2022 11:53:00 AM
• View Count 12942

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.

Pheasant survey predicts a repeat of last year’s excellent hunting for most of Iowa

• 8/30/2022 1:02:00 PM
• View Count 12415

Results of Iowa’s 2022 pheasant population survey are in and the results were nearly identical to that of 2021, when hunters harvested the highest number of roosters in more than a decade.

Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

• 7/26/2022 12:46:00 PM
• View Count 6612

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 survey predicts another good year of hunting for most of Iowa

• 8/31/2021 11:42:00 AM
• View Count 9912

Results of Iowa’s 2021 pheasant population survey shows the impact that weather can have on the popular game birds. In the regions where less snow fell, the counts were better; where more snow and ice fell, the counts were worse.

Iowa pheasant population survey begins Aug. 1

• 7/28/2021 11:41:00 AM
• View Count 4073

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

• 7/13/2021 1:18:00 PM
• View Count 3363

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.

Flash flooding causing closures at Yellow River State Forest

• 7/1/2021 1:33:00 PM
• View Count 2204

ALLAMAKEE COUNTY, Iowa – Recent heavy rainfall has caused some significant road damage at Yellow River State Forest.

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.

Pheasant, quail, rabbit, dove and partridge harvest all down in 2019

• 8/25/2020 1:21:00 PM
• View Count 3268

Pheasant hunters harvested nearly 284,000 roosters in Iowa during the 2019 season, which was the second highest harvest in the last decade. In 2018, hunters harvested an estimated 320,000 roosters.

Road construction project to begin at Big Creek State Park

• 6/16/2020 1:45:00 PM
• View Count 2594

A new road construction project at Big Creek State Park will begin this week, according to DNR park staff.

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?

Body of missing boater located on Mississippi River

• 10/23/2018 2:38:00 PM
• View Count 3388

GUTTENBERG, Iowa – On Thursday, October 18, around 3:00 p.m., a 911 caller advised he located a body in the Mississippi River.

Popular northeast and central Iowa paddling destinations closed

• 5/10/2017 3:12:00 PM
• View Count 3721

This weekend’s warm weather is perfect for paddlers to get out on rivers around the state. Water recreationists should avoid three popular destinations this weekend and possibly longer.

Railroad Cleaning Up Tracks From Leaking Tanker

• 6/7/2016 4:26:00 PM
• View Count 4274

DES MOINES – A railroad tanker carrying 25,000 gallons of animal fat leaked along tracks Monday from Missouri Valley in Harrison County to Fairfax in Linn County, a distance of approximately 200 miles.

Road Closures at Big Creek State Park

• 4/11/2016 9:40:00 AM
• View Count 4461

Des Moines – The main road into Big Creek State Park will be closed beginning Tuesday, April 12.

Late Winter is Best Time to Manage Roadsides

• 3/8/2016 6:34:00 AM
• View Count 9257

Iowa has more than 1.6 million acres of road right-of-ways and when properly managed these roadsides provide important nesting, roosting, and escape habitat for pheasants, partridge, quail, ducks, rabbits and many different songbirds.

Recycled Salt Brine Protects Roads - and Iowa's Streams

• 3/1/2016 4:29:00 AM
• View Count 19525

During cold and snowy Iowa winters, salt is a must to keep cars on the road. A new approach protects streams and creates a new product to help drivers make a safe trip.