Iowa's Pheasant Season - Opening Day Report

[Kernel]

Iowa's Pheasant season opened last Satuday, 10/26. My parents have a 480 acer farm in Page county in SW Iowa - all of it CRP, ditch, fence row, or pasture. Weather was crisp and overcast. With 7 friends and three bird dogs we hunted from nine to noon and bagged 18 pheasants between us. Saw probably as many roosters that weren't shootable. I'd say the pheasant population was at least 20% higher than last year.

Two of the dogs were German Shorthairs, one really knew her stuff. One was a Britney still learning the ropes.

I was the only one shooting a 20ga, a 26" Benelli Montefeltro, though I was shooting 3" 1-1/4 oz loads. Everyone else shot a 12ga. One Berretta 390, two Remington 1100, two 11-87s, one Mossberg 500, and one guy had a Spanish O/U imported by American Arms guns and made by Hermanos Zabala (for under 6 bills seem like a nice single trigger box-lock). I think everyone was shooting sixes, except for one who shot fives.

Rained all day Sunday and I didn't go out bird hunting, though I did shoot my .44 Mag Ruger SBH some off the back porch to test some handloads and to sight it in for deer season in December. Mom cooked pheasant for lunch on Sunday and it was delicious. Planning to go back again in two weeks. Legs are a little sore from all the walking. The Montefeltro was sweet. God, I love that little shotgun - light as a feather and shot like a dream. -- Kernel

 

[dakotasin]

at least there's pheasants somewhere...

opening day here, between 8 hunters, we shot 3 birds, and watched an additional 4 that were unshootable for one reason or another fly away. decided that waterfowl was the more exciting option, and i haven't been out for pheasants since (and the geese and ducks are mighty cooperative).

 

[CD1]

Kernel,

I'm trying to get a hunt together for a group of my Iowa clients. Do you know of any good guides in Iowa? I hear the best pheasant hunting is in the northern part of the state, is that correct? I've seen several "reserves" offering hunts, do you know anything about these? I certainly don't want to go hunt tame birds. Any answers you could provide would help. Thanks.

CD1

 

[Art Eatman]

Kernel, sounds like a great time! Good hunting with good friends is hard to beat.

, Art

 

[Kernel]

CD1,

I've always hunted family owned lands, so I've never looked into guide services. Sorry, can't help there. The Iowa DNR does a August Roadside Survey of small game every year. Below is the map from their web site. I never pay much attention to it since I'm gonna hunt on the same places every year regardless. There's more info here - Iowa DNR August Roadside Survey - including a very detailed PDF file on predicted pheasant populations.

I'm from Page County, which is on the bottom row second over from the western boarder. According to the DNR map Page is considered "POOR". If what I saw Saturday is POOR then they must be beating pheasants off with sticks up in Northern Iowa.

My therory is the actual pheasant population is higher down south than the DNR counted. There was a drought this year south of I-80 and west of I-35. I don't think the drought hurt the pheasants one bit, what it did was kill off the vegetation in the roadside ditches. When the DNR does their survey they just drive around and count pheasants in the ditches. Well, the pheasants weren't in the ditches - the ditches were dead - all the pheasants were in the (half dead but standing) corn and soy bean fields.

If you're looking for places to hunt get at least 60 miles from the larger population centers, drive around on a gravel road until you see a nice place to hunt, go to the nearest farm house and send one unarmed guy to the door to ask permission. If they say "No" or "That's not our farm" drive on. Don't worry you'll find a place. The whole state is solid corn and beans feilds from the Mississippi to the Missouri (or as Iowans would say "From the East Coast to the West Coast). -- Kernel

 

[geo57]

here in nebraska we opened the 26th too. our bunch was hunting in thayer county which is in the southeast part. 9 hunters bagged 6 roosters and about a dozen quail. we hunted pretty hard from 7:30 until dark. 2 average dogs. the fellowship ( brews and grilled steaks) that evening was the gravy for the day.