Iowa has an annual two-day pheasant hunting season for residents of the state who are 15 or younger and it’s coming up this weekend.
The young hunters do not have to buy a state hunting license, but they must hunt under the direct supervision of an adult who has one. The Pheasants Forever chapter in Delaware County is sponsoring a hunt for rooster pheasants this Saturday for kids who are 12, 13, 14 or 15. Kevin Lamphier, who’s from Delhi, is a member of the chapter. He says the day will start with a gun safety talk, followed by a trap shoot.
“We’ve got people that are handling birds, stocking them in the fields and once they’re done with the trap shooting, then we send them out to the fields
and they’ve got the opportunity to shoot a bird,” Lamphier says.
State law allows a youth hunter during this special season to bag just one bird per day. “Hopefully their mother or father comes with them, witnesses and it’s a great thing for them to see their kid shoot their first bird ever, possibly.”
The Delaware County Pheasants Forever chapter provides the shells, but not the guns for the the hunt. It will be held on a farm near Ryan and Lamphier says up to 25 kids can participate.
(By Janelle Tucker, KMCH, Manchester)