(Radio Iowa) – The wet spring could lead to a drop in the number of pheasants in Iowa.
Iowa D-N-R wildlife research biologist Todd Bogenschutz says we went from major drought to major flooding in a pretty short time frame, and the flooding coincided with the peak nesting time. He says hunters had their best harvest last year since 2007. The relatively mild winter helped more pheasants survive, so it’s hard to tell what their fall pheasant survey will show.
Bogenschutz says there are still going to be birds out there, but some areas may see a drop in numbers, particularly in those areas that saw flooding. The annual roadside pheasant surveys are held in August and the results on pheasant numbers will be released in September.
