(State) Listening sessions have been held with the public and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources following the close of each hunting season.
Bryan Hayes with the Iowa DNR Office in Lewis says these public input sessions take about 40 minutes. The DNR values feedback. “The timing of these listening sessions are right as the seasons conclude while the legislature is in session so that we can have time to react if we need legislation and also ahead of any season setting. So if we need to change things with the seasons, quotas, all that stuff we can get that done through our commission before the regulations are printed this summer.”
Hayes says the pheasant harvest is expected to be similar to both 2020 and 2021. “Both of those years we were well above the 10-year average for pheasant harvest in the state. Expect a similar harvest number in 2022 when that comes out. That 10-year average is 255,000 pheasants and in 2021 we harvested 370,000 so we were well above that 10-year average.”
Quail numbers were significantly higher in Southwest Iowa. Both quail and pheasant numbers are expected to climb next year based on winter conditions thus far. Hayes says the 100 year anniversary of pheasant season will take place in 2025.
