The 2021 pheasant season in Iowa was the best in more than a decade, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The season, which ran from Oct. 30 through Jan. 10, saw hunters bag an estimated 375,000 roosters. That is the largest pheasant harvest since 2008, and DNR Wildlife Research Biologist Todd Bogenschutz says, “We had a slight increase in the number of hunters, but a 25-percent increase in the harvest, which tells me that the birds were there and hunters did really well.” Last season does not appear to be a fluke, as the spring nesting outlook is expected to produce similar population figures for this fall. Additionally, quail and other game bird populations are also on the rebound following harsh winters and springs in recent years. The annual roadside survey of pheasants, quail, rabbits, and partridge is slated to get underway at the beginning of August and should provide a more accurate representation of game populations when results are released in September.
