The early pheasant forecast shows hunters in Iowa could once again have a lot of birds to chase. DNR wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz uses weather information to predict pheasant numbers.
If the bird numbers are up, Bogenschutz says that will continue a positive trend.
Bogenschutz says the winter didn’t have any real extremes that hurt the adult birds, and spring weather was good for the hatch of the young birds.
Bogenschutz says their annual roadside survey in August will help confirm the pheasant forecast. He says higher bird numbers tend to entice more hunters to get out into the fields.
The number of birds taken in 2025 are expected to be released soon, as Bogenschutz says they are expected to be in the 600,000 to 700,000 range.
