An important survey for small game hunters in Iowa begins next week. Iowa Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz oversees the upland game survey that includes around 200 people.They drive 30-mile routes and count the game that’s come out of the ditches to escape the wet morning dew. Bogenschutz says the routes are driven about the same time every year.Pheasants are the most popular game included in the survey. Hunters will likely be watching after a record low harvest of 470-thousand last year. Bogenschutz says the conditions bode well for pheasants to recover, as this past winter was mild and that help birds survive the winter. He says eastern Iowa was hurt by a wet spring, but numbers should be up in the northern and western part of the state. Bogenschutz says the roadside surveys usually prove to be pretty accurate.Bogenschutz says the state also set an all-time record low harvest for quail, rabbits and partridge last year. They’re also part of the survey and he expects their numbers to be up.
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