Hunter Resources

There's always a reason to get excited about pheasant season — sometimes big, sometimes small — but the anticipation is always high.

This year, the thrill is even greater because I'll be introducing a new pup to the very thing she was bred for: pheasant hunting!

On dewy morning hikes, I watch her learn and grow with every scent trail her nose follows, every quick perk of her ears at a far-off rooster call, and every proud look on her face when she finds a single feather.

Each moment makes me grin ear to ear. And boy oh boy, she has no idea what awaits her this fall in Iowa, where we live and hunt.

And I'm not the only one fired up. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 2025 roadside survey shows pheasant numbers at their strongest in two decades.

How fitting that in the same year Iowa celebrates 100 years of pheasant hunting, the outlook has never looked brighter.

This year's annual roadside survey delivers the news hunters have been waiting to hear for years: The pheasant count is the highest seen statewide in the last two decades.

Multiple key factors aligned to play a role in the increases:

• A mild winter followed by a normal spring led to exceptional overwinter female survival
• Iowa's two-year drought broke in June and July, and the rains were largely late enough that most first nesting attempts were minimally impacted
• The first two weeks of survey conditions were favorable for consistent results

"The weather model predicted a population increase following the mild winter (December-March, with less than 30 inches of snowfall) and a drier, warmer-than-normal spring (April-May, with less than 8 inches of rainfall). This year, our roadside survey confirmed the model's prediction, showing a statewide population increase of 43%," says Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife research biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

This year's roadside survey averaged 28 birds per route, a big jump from last year's 20 bird per route, and well above the long-term average.

Even though chick survival rates were a bit lower than in 2024, the sheer number of hens left after the mild winter meant more nests overall — easily making up the difference. Almost every region saw strong double-digit gains, with the Central region holding steady.

It all shows just how much weather shapes bird populations from year to year.

Hunters should see more birds in 2025 in all regions of Iowa. Last fall's pheasant season in Iowa proved strong, with hunters taking 464,000 roosters — the second-largest harvest since 2007.

With an average of 28 birds per route statewide in 2025, the survey projects hunters could bring in between 600,000 and 700,000 roosters this year.

"Make this year be the year that you share the experience of chasing roosters with a new hunter, and do your part to ensure that we continue this tradition," encourages Josh Divan, Iowa State Coordinator for Pheasants Forever.

Regional Reports

Let's take our annual tour around the state.

Northern Iowa

Iowa's northern regions are leading the way in this year's pheasant rebound, with counts showing impressive double-digit increases of 39% to 69% over last year.

The Northwest stood out with an average of 55 birds per route — the highest density recorded anywhere in the state for 2025 and the strongest showing there in 25 years.

The North-Central and Northeast turned in averages of 34 birds per route, their strongest counts in 17 and 27 years.

"I've been seeing a lot of adult birds out in the field, along with smaller groups of young birds in different sizes," says Kurt Nielsen, longtime board member of the Kossuth County Pheasants Forever Chapter.

"The heavy rains we had in the spring disrupted the initial nesting season," Nielsen continues, "but it looks like the birds rebounded and had a successful second attempt. Just the other week, while running the dogs, I saw half-grown birds. I've been seeing birds everywhere, and it's also encouraging to see good groups of partridge making a comeback."

"The habitat is fabulous this year with all the rain," he adds. "It's basically going to be a jungle out there. The CRP is thick, full-grown and really well established, so hunters are going to have to work through some dense cover early in the season."

Central Iowa

Encouraging upticks in pheasant numbers were also recorded across central Iowa, though they didn't match the dramatic numbers up north. More adult roosters and hens were counted across the West-Central, Central and East-Central areas compared to last year, pointing to strong overwinter survival.

Despite the impact heavier late-summer rains may have caused, West-Central stood out as the only area to top 30 birds per survey route. East-Central posted the biggest jump, up 31%, with 17.4 birds per route (marking the best count in 17 years there).

"That's really accurate for our area." Says Kevin Kuester, habitat chair of the Prairie Creek PF Chapter. "The population looks higher from what I can tell. Obviously, where there's CRP or good cover you're going to have birds, but this year we're seeing them in places we don't usually see them."

"I've got six acres of CRP behind my house," Kuester adds, "and I can sit in my living room and watch chicks walk along the edge. They're getting bigger and starting to show their colors. Along with them I'm seeing quail and even some partridge. It's shaping up to be a pretty good mix of birds this year."

Southern Iowa

The southern third of Iowa also showed promising gains, with all three regions posting double-digit increases over last year.

While the Southwest and South-Central still recorded the lowest average route counts in the state, their numbers were well above recent trends — 22 to 55% higher than their 10-year averages.

South-Central turned in its best count in seven years, and Southeast posted its strongest numbers in a decade, coming in 14% above the long-term average. Hunters will see a noticeable improvement over last year.

"Dew was a factor," says Matt Dollison, wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR and habitat chair for the Page County Chapter of Pheasants Forever. "We had the best survey conditions in at least four years thanks to more moisture. Birds don't like wet vegetation, so on heavy-dew mornings they move into open areas, making them easier to count. In drier years, they are more likely to stay in cover and be harder to see, which affects survey results."

"Roadside survey numbers can be a little misleading for quail because the sample size is small," Dollison adds. "Even considering these qualifiers, though, I'd definitely say our pheasant and quail populations are up significantly this year, based on the number of broods we've been seeing and what I've been hearing from area farmers."

CRP at the Core

Iowa's CRP has become critical for pheasant populations with the loss of small grains and hay lands to corn and soybean production over the last few decades.

As of June 2025, Iowa has 1.67 million acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which is close to what the enrollment was in 2024. Yet a major shift is on the horizon.

"Based on early projections, Iowa will see at least 30,000 acres exit CRP later this month," says Divan. "But the larger concern is that almost 600,000 acres will be expiring over the next two years unless landowners choose (or are even able) to reenroll."

"Those 600,000 acres equate to more than 40% of CRP acres in the state," says Divan. "A loss of CRP at that scale would be catastrophic to pheasants across Iowa and would quickly reverse our rebounding bird numbers."

Says Divan: "If you care about chasing wild birds in Iowa, let your elected officials know that you care about CRP and urge them to strengthen the program in the next Farm Bill."

"CRP is making up a bigger share of grassland habitat in the state because small grains and hay have declined," adds Bogenschutz. "It is becoming the primary habitat type where we can really produce pheasants. If we see major losses in CRP now, it's definitely going to impact pheasants, quail, Huns — really all the species we monitor in the small game survey. Although CRP is a federal USDA program, we continue to work closely with it and with other initiatives to strengthen habitat."

Bob and Huns

Bobwhite quail numbers bounced back big in 2025, more than doubling from last year.

Brood sightings were up, and the survey count came in 15% above the 10-year trend — the best statewide total since 2018.

While numbers are still about 19% below the long-term average, the outlook is good. Quail numbers took off in the Southwest and South-Central, with steady climbs in the Southeast, West-Central and East-Central.

Gray Partridge numbers were up 19% statewide compared to last year, but the results were mixed depending on where you looked. The Northwest and Northeast saw the biggest boosts, while West-Central actually slipped a bit; heavy rains in June and July probably cut into reproduction there.

Anticipating a Season to Remember

Iowa's corn crop is already maturing quickly in early September. If that keeps up, and the weather trends to the dry side, hunters could be looking at wide-open fields by the pheasant opener. And when the crops are out, we all know opener success is usually at its best.

All signs point to plenty of action at the season opener. But don't forget about late season either.

This fall is shaping up to be one of those seasons hunters will be grinning about for many more decades to come.

Season Details

Iowa's pheasant season begins October 25 and runs through January 10, 2026. The daily bag limit is 3 roosters, and the possession limit is 12 roosters.

See the full 2024 Iowa Roadside Survey Report here.