Weather, nesting conditions have been good for Iowa pheasants in recent months

Iowa’s pheasant population is expected to benefit from the 2024-25 mild winter and average spring that much of the state experienced.

According to Iowa’s state climatologist, last winter was the fourth least snowy in 138 years, and the spring was normal for rainfall and temperature.

“Given the statewide information, we are expecting a good nesting effort and our weather model is predicting pheasant populations will likely be higher for the 2025 hunting season,” said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The Iowa DNR’s weather model is based on 50 years of weather data and roadside pheasant counts. “I expect there will be regional differences, but hopefully we will see nice increases in all survey regions,” he said.

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The Iowa DNR conducts its annual upland population survey each August, which is the best indicator of what populations will be this fall. Results from the August roadside survey will be available online around Sept. 15.

Reports of hens with chicks started in southern Iowa in middle May and sightings have since been reported from across the state.

“When we have early nesting years, we typically have the highest number of chicks and it is looking like 2025 will be an early nesting year,” Bogenschutz said.

Hens will begin incubating after the last egg is laid and eggs hatch after 23 days of incubation, with peak hatch in Iowa occurring June 10-15. The young pheasants begin to make short flights – around five feet – at 10 days old and can keep up with the hen on longer flights after another five days.

A century of pheasant hunting

The Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever are celebrating 100 years of pheasant hunting in the Hawkeye State. The first season was held Oct. 20-22, 1925, when 13 counties in north central Iowa were opened to pheasant hunting. Hunters were allowed a three-rooster limit, for a half-day of hunting. An estimated 75,000 hunters participated.

Hunters can commemorate the 100th anniversary by purchasing a hard card featuring Iowa Pheasants Forever Print of the Year when they purchase their 2025 hunting and fishing licenses.

Information on places to hunt, the August roadside survey results and more is available online by clicking the 100 Years of Pheasant Hunting graphic at www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey.