Wednesday, September 7, 2011

'Tis The Season, but Bad News for Pheasant Hunters

'Tis the season to be hunting! Iowa's first Mourning Dove season off and flying, alongside Rabbit and Squirrel season. While those seasons started off quite hot, this recent refreshing cool weather reminds us the days of  Deer Season are close too. Soon we'll be sitting in a treestand or ground blind anxiously anticipating that tell-tale crunch of a Whitetail's hoof smashing a leaf within bow range. It's also time to get excited about the sound of a cackling pheasant exploding from the foxtails! Unfortunately for pheasant hunters, it appears the numbers of this popular game bird are at an all time low in Iowa. I came across this report from the DNR also viewable on myabc5.com 

"
ABC5 Newsroom
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Pheasant numbers in Iowa have dropped to an all-time low and state environmental officials are saying another winter with above-normal snowfall and a wet spring are to blame for the declining pheasant population.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the state's pheasant population has fallen to an average of 7 birds counted for each 30 mile route driven. That's down from 11 birds per route in 2010. Officials with the DNR say last winter was the fifth in a row with above normal snowfall followed by a wet nesting season.

They say the drop in pheasant numbers isn't restricted to Iowa. Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska also have seen decreases in pheasant numbers. The pheasant hunting season in Iowa begins Oct. 29 and runs through Jan. 10.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. "

Another big problem hurting this game bird are feral cats and other opportunistic species like Opossums and Raccoons. Hopefully we can get a few mild winters followed by mild/drier springs to help rejuvenate the populations. Consider yourself lucky to bag a few roosters this season. I'll talk more about how this cool weather pattern is affecting the deer and deer scouting in my next blog.
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2011 at 10:40 AM

    Is there anything Iowa residents can do to help aid the pheasant population through the lean winter months without creating a dependency? Also, I think the weekend shows should include an "Outdoorsman's Corner" where you bring in guests to discuss the current events and studies coming out that impact the outdoors in Iowa and the Midwest in general. Thanks Chris!

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  2. ChrisSeptember 12, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    Great question! For the average person, you can make a donation either at tax time or whenever to the Iowa DNR. They are extremely under-funded, and could really put your money to good use maintaining sustainable public lands. As for land-owners, there needs to be a serious push to create habitats that can support pheasant populations. Buffer-strips, no-till agriculture and CRP or undisturbed waterways are virtually non-existent in today's agricultural landscape. These sanctuaries are necessary for sutainable bird populations and unfortunately, with the price of corn, they are disappearing. As for the Outdoors Corner, excellent idea... e-mail my bosses and we'll see what happens :)

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