• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Outdoors / Survey finds good pheasant numbers in most of the state

Survey finds good pheasant numbers in most of the state

August 29, 2018 By Dar Danielson

Young pheasants trying to escape the morning dew. (DNR photo)

The state’s pheasant population is expected to be up when hunters take to the fields, despite up and down spring weather this year.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz says the results from the roadside survey show an uptick in numbers. He says he put the numbers into the weather model he uses and that showed stable to increasing numbers — so it was a “pleasant surprise” to see the numbers up. Bogenschutz says most regions of the state had more birds out and about when the survey took place.

“Last year they came out about 15 a route and this year were 21 — so about a 39% increase,” Bogenschutz says. “You know we had a fair bit of snow in northwest and north-central and the counts didn’t change up there, they are basically the same. The rest of the state saw some pretty nice increase, anywhere from 30 to 100 percent.” The birds are counted in the morning when the dew is on the grass and they come to the side of the road to dry off. Bogenschutz says the lack of dew through off their count last year and they had to adjust it.

“Counting conditions were much better this year, so that could be part of the increase…I think there’s probably a few more birds than what we counted last year. But, even if I tried to account for that as best I can, I think our counts still went up this year, even if I tried to kind of fix last year,” according to Bogenschutz. The bird counts lead to an estimation that hunters could take 250 to 300,000 roosters this fall.

“You know it’s our second best count in the last 10 years,” he says. “It was 2015 when we were a little bit higher than we are this year. And that was our best harvest in about the last 10 years — best harvest and most hunters. So, I think we should probably see an uptick in both hunters and harvest this fall.” The pheasant season opens October 27th and runs until January 10th.

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Outdoors Tagged With: Department of Natural Resources, Hunting & Fishing

Featured Stories

Grundy Center man sentenced to life for killing State Trooper

Jodi Husientruit remembered 27 years after she disappeared

Iowa Supreme Court rules in Mahaska-Marion County regional airport dispute

Pheasant harvest and hunter numbers both up this year

Iowa Supreme Court overturns ruling creating constitutional abortion right

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 6/27/22

AJ Green signs with Milwaukee

Iowa to host Georgia Tech in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Iowa State adds a defensive back

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 6/20/22

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC