(Area) If Iowa pheasant hunters like the hunting they had in 2020, they should like it again in 2021.
Bryan Hayes, with the Iowa DNR, says based on the annual pheasant nesting forecast, Iowa’s pheasant population should be similar to slightly higher than las year.
For the 2020-2021 winter, much of Iowa was at or above normal snowfall totals, which likely reduced hen pheasant survival. However, the April-May spring was significantly dryer than normal across the state which indicates that the hens that survived probably had a good hatch.
While the weather model offers a prediction of the fall’s population, the DNR’s annual August roadside survey is the best gauge of what upland populations will be this fall. The survey results will be posted at www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey around September 15th.
