(Area) Heavy snowfall this winter is expected to be detrimental to the pheasant population.
30″ of snow is the level the DNR hopes to stay under for the sake of over winter survival for pheasants. “When it exceeds 30 inches, pheasant populations have always declined the following year regardless of the nesting season. We call it a magic mark, that 30 inches. When you see 30 inches you can almost be assured that your pheasant numbers are likely to decline.”
Most of Southwest Iowa is pushing if not already exceeding 30″ of snow for the season. “It’s not looking real promising for maintaining the upland bird populations that we’ve had. We’ll be hoping for a good spring and successful nesting which really brings home the point of maintaining that good over wintering cover out there to get birds through a snowy winter like this. You need that habitat and cover that will stand up to the snow.”
The pheasant population is coming off of a strong increase for the fall of 2020. The annual roadside counts last August showed a population index 32% above the ten year trend.
