Iowa’s annual August pheasant survey found an average of 23 birds per route this year, marking the second-highest count in more than a decade, trailing only last year’s total. Todd Bogenschutz, upland game biologist with the Iowa DNR, says weather likely contributed to a slight dip from 2025, but this year’s average still ranks near the top of the past decade. He credits a normal winter followed by a wetter, warmer-than-usual spring for helping populations rebound in areas with good habitat.
Hunters in the Northeast Region will likely see the biggest decline, while the Northwest, North-Central, and West Central regions should be comparable to last year. The survey, conducted along 225 fixed routes between August 1st and 15th, also tracks bobwhite quail, gray partridge, cottontail rabbits, and jackrabbits. Quail numbers were down 21 percent statewide but remain near the 10-year average, with the strongest counts in the Southwest, South-Central, and West-Central regions.
Cottontail rabbits hit their highest population level since 2014, running 30 percent above the 10-year average, led by the South-Central and Southeast regions. Bogenschutz noted survey conditions worsened after August 5th due to overcast, rainy weather, which can affect count accuracy. The Iowa DNR says hunters should expect a solid season when it opens October 31st.
You can read the entire report here: https://www.iowadnr.gov/things-do/hunting-trapping/types-hunting-trapping/pheasant-hunting
