Pheasant hunters in Iowa shot around 20-thousand fewer birds last hunting season compared to the year before. Iowa D-N-R wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz says the drop follows lower counts in the roadside surveys.
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Bogenschutz says the numbers have held pretty steady in recent years.
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The next pheasant number survey takes place in August and Bogenschutz says all the weather issues this year didn’t help pheasants nesting numbers.
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While Bogenschutz expects the weather to impact the number of pheasants this season — he says southern Iowa had been much drier and that could make for better nesting and numbers there.