Phone calls poured in after the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) posted its annual pheasant survey on the Internet. Hunters from across the Midwest wanted to know the best place to hunt.
“I expect our hunter numbers to be similar to 2023 when we had nearly 84,000 resident and nonresident pheasant hunters,” said Todd Bogenschutz, DNR upland wildlife biologist. “If we hit 90,000, that would be the highest in years.”
Based on the expected participation, he estimates Iowa could see between 600,000 and 700,000 roosters bagged this fall. If more hunters show up that number could hit 750,000. Iowa’s pheasant season opens this Saturday, Oct. 25. The youth-only season took place Oct. 18 to 19.
“Crop harvest will likely be 70 to 80 percent, which is similar to last year and if that’s the case, we could have a tremendous start to the season,” Bogenschutz said.
The excitement is due to the jump in pheasant numbers, thanks to a string of mild winters and cooperative springs. The statewide average of 28 birds per route is the highest since 2005. Regionally, the northwest region was the highest since 2005; northeast region was the highest since 1998; west central similar to last year; east central highest since 2007; south central highest since 2017; and southeast, highest since 2020.
“Last year was a decent year for pheasant hunting. 2023 was a good year for pheasant hunting. This year could be excellent,” he said.
There are pockets of good bird numbers in each region, but good numbers are relative, he said. For example, in the southwest region, the average count was eight birds per route, which is double from 2024. “Within that region, there are some areas with more birds than others,” he said. “It comes down to managing expectations.”
The Iowa DNR has resources available to hunters online, including a hunting atlas identifying all public lands open to hunting, information on private lands enrolled in a habitat-improvement program that allows public access (IHAP), the August roadside survey and more.
With all the buzz surrounding the 2025 pheasant season, Bogenschutz said it would be a great time for hunters who haven’t pursued ringnecks in a while to come back to Iowa’s prairies this fall. “Some parts of the state will be fantastic; others not as good, but if hunters do some scouting and know how to identify good habitat, they should have success,” he said.
The DNR and Pheasants Forever are celebrating 100 years of pheasant hunting in the Hawkeye State. The first season was held Oct. 20 to 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. That year an estimated 75,000 hunters participated.
