(Lewis) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported a 43-percent increase in pheasant numbers earlier this week. The southwest and west-central regions of Iowa also saw improvements, according to the latest regional breakdown across the state.
John Lorenzen, DNR Fisheries Biologist, appearing on KSOM Radio’s weekly DNR report, shared some positive numbers for Pheasant hunters in this region of the state. Lorenzen says the Pheasant count showed a 20 percent increase and a 27 percent jump in Quail numbers in west central Iowa, which includes Harrison, Shelby, Audubon, and Guthrie Counties. The Pheasant count is up 102 percent in the southwest Iowa counties defined as Pottawattamie, Cass, Adair, and south.
Lorenzen says the conditions were ideal for the August roadside survey.
Lorenzen says research shows that Pheasant numbers in Iowa go up when we have less than 19 inches of snow during the previous winter, and less than six inches of rain during April and May. He says southwest Iowa received an average snowfall of 11.1 inches, which is 10.3 inches below normal. In April and May, we received 4.7 inches of rain, which is 2.8 inches below normal. Lorenzen says, based on those numbers, our Pheasant population should be up.
Iowa is celebrating its 100th year of Pheasant hunting this fall. Lorenzen says Pheasant numbers in this year’s count statewide are the highest they have been since 2005. The DNR estimates that hunters will harvest between 600,000 and 700,000 birds this hunting season, which runs from October 25 through January 10.
