Iowa’s pheasant hunting Thanksgiving tradition

Pheasant hunting has been as much a part of the Thanksgiving holiday for generations of Iowans, as cranberries and stuffing. And with a weather forecast that will likely put birds in cover, this would be a good year to continue that tradition and get back to the fields.

“It’s a good opportunity for hunters to get out with less competition,” said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “Would also be a good time to invite someone new along and pass along that tradition.”

The Iowa DNR offers an apprentice license that allows someone to give hunting a try under the supervision of an adult mentor without completing hunter education. This license may be purchased twice in a lifetime before the individual is required to complete a hunter education course.

Iowa’s pheasant population is down slightly from last year when hunters bagged the highest number of roosters since 2007. According to the August roadside survey, the regions with higher pheasant counts are north of Interstate 80.

“The harvest is following what the roadside counts showed – better hunting in northern Iowa with lots of young birds out there,” Bogenschutz said.

Last year, more than 83,000 hunters harvested over 590,000 roosters, providing an estimated economic impact of $180 million in Iowa.

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.

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.