(Lewis) The much-anticipated roadside survey counts are in, and John Lorenzen, DNR Fisheries Biologist in Southwest Iowa, looking at trends for Pheasants, Quail, Partridge, and Cottontail, says the published results look okay.
Lorenzen says statewide pheasant numbers are down 17-percent, and quail numbers are off 21 percent. Lorenzen notes that there are no partridges in southwest Iowa; however, statewide numbers show a 6% increase, with the strongest gains in north-central Iowa. Cottontail numbers are virtually the same as last year, with a 1% increase.
The survey shows a significant increase in the Pheasant population in Southwest Iowa. Lorenzen says the report, including Adair, Cass, Pottawattamie, and counties to the south, shows a 43-percent increase in numbers from one year ago. This same region also saw a 14-percent decline in Quail numbers.
Lorenzen says that in the counties of Audubon, Harrison, and Shelby, and in the three tiers of counties north of them, the Quail numbers are identical to last year, and the Pheasant numbers are down 18 percent. However, that area of the state still hosts a large population of Pheasants.
In a nutshell, Lorenzen is confident that if you hunt good habitat, you will find birds, so go out and do some hunting this year; it is going to be a good one.
You can tune in to KSOM every Saturday Morning for the DNR Show, which airs just after 7:30 a.m.
