The start of pheasant hunting season is a few weeks away and Iowa conservation officer Mike Ryan says the crop of birds looks meager this year, primarily due to Ole’ Man Winter.
Ryan says the rain and cold temperatures of this spring combined to keep the pheasant population struggling to grow.
Last winter’s record snowfall stressed the birds by covering their food sources and making them cold and miserable.
Pheasant hunting season opens in Iowa on October 27th and runs through January 10th.