Ahead of the pheasant hunting season is typically the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Pheasant Roadside Survey.
The survey is conducted during the first two weeks of August as DNR crews travel on designated 30 miles radius paths in each of the nine regions of the state and count the number of birds on the roadside in the early morning hours. Greene County Conservation Director Dan Towers says pheasant numbers are up statewide.
“We had weather last winter and this spring (that was) ideal for pheasant survival weather. We had a very mild winter and that led right into a dry spring. And those two combinations, they set up for excellent pheasant numbers.”
Statewide, the pheasant population is up 18-percent over last year, from an average of 17.2 to 20.2 pheasants. However, Towers says with Greene County being in the west-central region, the pheasant population is down eight-percent compared to last year, from 27.6 to 25.3 pheasants. Towers describes his opinion about the region’s results.
“Because of the drought that we’re in, and the dry conditions, it was hard finding a morning with heavy dew. So that is kind of a misrepresentation of the population. But everybody that spends much time in the field or outdoors all through the summer has noticed considerably more pheasants than we have in past years.”
The pheasant youth hunting season begins October 24th and the regular hunting season starts October 31st. Click the link below to see the 2020 survey results.