Statewide, Iowa — Saturday, October 29th, was Iowa’s pheasant season opener.
According to the Iowa DNR, Iowa’s 2022 pheasant season is expected to be another good year, as more than 60,000 hunters in their “hunter’s orange” take to the fields on opening day. Todd Bogenschutz tells us that the bird numbers from the pheasant survey conducted in August showed that bird numbers are similar to last year, and we are set for a good hunting year, especially here in northwest Iowa.
The August roadside survey for pheasants found that there were slightly under 20 birds per 30-mile route, meaning that Iowa hunters can expect to harvest 300,000 to 400,000 roosters this year, which is similar to last year. The 2021 pheasant season yielded a harvest that was the highest in more than a decade. North Dakota, and Nebraska mirrored Iowa’s status quo. South Dakota does not conduct population surveys.
The result of the pheasant harvest is very dependent on the number of hunters walking the fields of Iowa throughout the season. The past couple years have seen the highest number of pheasant hunters since 2009, counting an estimated 63,000 participating hunters in 2021, slightly above that of 2020.
Iowa often attracts hunters from across the nation, as Bogenschutz tells us that he has recieved calls from hunters from locations such as Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan, and New York interested in coming out to pheasant hunt Iowa’s fields.
Iowa’s pheasant season runs from October 29th through January 10th, with shooting hours between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The daily bag limit is three rooster pheasants, and a possession limit of 12. Hunters hunting in Iowa are required to wear at least one article of clothing that is at least 50 percent solid blaze orange, and have a valid hunting license with a habitat fee. Those hunting on public lands also require nontoxic shot, and hunters are encouraged to pick up their shells.
