The first reports of pheasant chick broods have been coming in to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources over the past two weeks, marking the beginning of the 2025 hatching season.
Normally June is when the peak hatch occurs. Hens will begin incubating after the last egg is laid and eggs hatch after 23 days of incubation. In addition, the Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever are celebrating 100 years of pheasant hunting in the state.
The first season was held October 20th-22nd in 1925, when 13 counties in north central Iowa were opened to pheasant hunting. Hunters were allowed a three-rooster limit, for a half-day of hunting. An estimated 75-thousand hunters participated.
