Iowa Pheasants Make A Comeback

Iowa Pheasants Make A Comeback

By Jessica Graham

Growing up, I would hear hunting stories from my Dad about his youth, most of these were shared while we were in the field pursuing our own game. During his youth, deer were scarce, there were just a few days a year set aside for deer hunting seasons. You can forget bowhunting. However, everyone in southern Iowa had a shotgun ready for the bountiful pheasant population. If you skip forward to my childhood, the opposite is true. Southern Iowa is a mecca for whitetail. My memories revolve around tagging along with my Dad and uncles during shotgun seasons, muzzleloader seasons, and eventually bow seasons. I saw a few pheasants while I was out. To be honest though, seeing a pheasant was a rare occasion. If I happened to see a rooster, I would generally pass it up, hoping he would find a mate and the population would multiply. It was not uncommon to see quail once in a while where I grew up, but pheasants were a special sighting.

Over the years, the pheasant population began to shift. While turkey hunting, I would hear the cackle of roosters flushing in the mornings. Eventually, I began to see more and more pheasants while hunting. A few years ago, my husband, his uncle, and I got together to push a CRP field for pheasants. On this particular field, we saw a few roosters. The population, is definitely healthier than it was while I was growing up. Iowa pheasants are making a comeback.

The Rise of the Pheasant Population
This past winter was cold. I know on the days surrounding Christmas, at one time the whole continental United States was below freezing. One day, windchill factors were about 40 degrees below zero, and it stayed below zero for several days. These horrible elements are tough on wildlife – particularly the bird population. Bobwhite populations really suffer during hard winters and wet springs. They prefer milder winters combined with better springs for successful hatch rates. It is a little uncertain what the game bird population will look like once the seasons open up this fall. You can actually notice an uptick in population from the years following milder winters. However, we can take a look at the 2022 study conducted by the Iowa DNR to help gage the pheasant population across Iowa.

2022 The Roadside Study
During the 2022 Roadside Study, conducted August 1-15, the Iowa DNR staff travels through the whole state to scout pheasants. The 205 different routes cover rural ground and a lot of gravel roads. During August, hen pheasants will bring their young towards the shoulders of gravel roads to dry off from the heavy dew. Young pheasants are still growing their feathers and need to dry off to keep their body temperatures regulated. The first few hours of daylight, as the sun is rising, allow officers to scout roadways and spot hens and their young. This helps estimate pheasant populations all across the state.

Last year, we heard about the excellent season our readers had while hunting. Some experienced the most exciting season to date! On average, there are an estimated 19.6 pheasants per square mile across the state. This is slightly lower than the survey last year at an estimated 20.1 birds per square mile. The 2021 numbers of 20.1 were the highest since 2008. So overall, the pheasant population has been strong for 2021 and 2022 according to the study.

Additionally, we saw some numbers fluctuate across the state. The areas that had the biggest population increase are: Northwest Iowa (+6%), Eastern Iowa (+31%), and Southeastern Iowa (+22%). The areas that had a lower number of pheasants observed in comparison with 2021 data include: Northeast Iowa (-20%), Northcentral Iowa (-12%), Central Iowa (-12%), and Southcentral Iowa (-22%). Two out of the nine area divisions had relatively flat statistics: Westcentral Iowa (-2%) and Southwest Iowa (+4%). In short, Eastern/Southeastern Iowa had the strongest increase of pheasant numbers, while central Iowa counties (extending from the north boarder to the southern boarder) experienced a decrease in pheasant numbers. The western counties fluctuated somewhat, but numbers should be pretty flat compared to last year’s pheasant population.

According to the study, populations are estimated to be about 11% higher than the last decade average. We are still aways from the good ol’ days but overall, 2023 will likely hold exciting opportunities for Iowans. More information can be found on the Iowa DNR’s website.

Quail Populations in the South
A few years ago, we saw quail numbers begin to make a comeback, particularly in the southern counties. An impacting factor contributing to increased pheasant and quail numbers is available habitat for the birds. Quail have a chance to thrive in southern counties due to the habitat available in grassy and brushy areas. Brushy fencerows, hedgerows, weedy waterways, and native warm season grasses alongside crop food sources are good places to spend your time looking for quail. The farther southern counties still hold more of the type of habitat quail prefer, we saw an uptick in CRP fields, riparian buffers, pollinator fields, all of which provide nesting and food opportunities for the quail and pheasants. Quail can be found during the fall hunting season in the same places you’ll find pheasants, but quail will often seek shelter in fence rows, terraces, and small grass waterways. A good canopy and cover from prowling predators will attract and hold quail.

In winter months quail need shelter structure from heavy snows in an environment that can give them high-energy food sources nearby without extensive travel. CRP fields with switch grasses give stability to their surroundings in winter while also providing good hidden nesting cover in the spring so predators have a harder time locating them. Several years out of the last decade have had milder winters, and springs fairly mild providing good nesting seasons resulting in their ability to reproduce rapidly. Quail have a reproduction rate that is faster than pheasants. Female bob white quail can have two or even three nests a season. You can see why quail numbers can improve so rapidly if nesting season weather cooperates.

Pheasant Fest 2023
If you are looking for more information and ways to get involved in pheasant and quail hunting, consider getting involved. One way you can collaborate with other upland game hunters is through Pheasant Fest 2023. This year, Pheasant Fest will be held in at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota February 17 – 19. Pheasant Fest will feature a bird dog parade, seminars, hundreds of exhibitors, and will attract thousands of visitors. If you are looking for organizations to get involved with, besides your local Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever chapter, this is the upland event of the Midwest. Utilize the time to network with people sharing the same passion as you. You can learn more about food and structure pheasants and quail need by chatting with vendors at the booths. The event is one of the best kept secrets in the pheasant and quail world, and is worth a visit.

If you are active outside in the southern part of our state, I’m sure you will hear the whistle of the bob white nearby and the cackle of a rooster pheasant. Pheasants in Iowa still may not be back to where they once were during the eighties and nineties but it is encouraging to see the populations thrive again. I look forward to the first cool morning this fall when I can venture out through the CRP fields in search of pheasant and quail.