Iowa is in the middle of its 100th pheasant season this year. Iowa D-N-R wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz says the sport took off quickly and was very popular in the early decades.
“Pheasant hunting had generated so much interest and popularity, you know, even schools kind of closed so that kids could participate,” he says. Bogenschutz says the season used to open in November, and that led to some scheduling conflicts. It was set to open on Veteran’s Day one year and that raised a concern.
“The gratitude our veterans deserve would be overshadowed by the pheasant opener, so they changed the pheasant opener that year so it didn’t fall on Veteran’s Day, just kinda gives you a little hint of how popular it was,” Bogenschutz says. Football had become popular as well, and that created another scheduling concern during the era where coach Forest Evashevski had taken the Hawkeyes to two Rose Bowls.
“November 7th, 1959 was homecoming at the University of Iowa. Pheasant season was delayed a week to avoid a conflict between the Hawkeyes and our Ringneck opener,” Bogenschutz says. He says that the school was worried some fans would be chasing birds in the cornfields instead of watching the battle for Floyd of Rosedale.
“If we have a pheasant opener the same day as the game, we won’t have nearly the fans in the stands,” he says. Iowa won that game 33 to nothing over Minnesota and the Floyd trophy. Hunter numbers dropped off in the 70’s and 80’s as farming changes led to drops in bird numbers. Numbers have been rebounding and Bogenschutz expects this 100th pheasant season will see a lot of success once it is complete in January.
