October marks 100 years of pheasant hunting in Iowa, and state wildlife officials are predicting a record-breaking year for hunters due to a high pheasant population.
Here’s what to know about pheasant hunting in Iowa, including when it starts and what the outlook is for the 2025-26 hunting season.
When does the Iowa pheasant season open?
The pheasant hunting season in Iowa begins Saturday, Oct. 25 and lasts until Jan. 10.
When is the youth Iowa pheasant hunting season?
Pheasant hunting in Iowa starts with a designated time for youth hunters to try to bag some birds. The youth season is Oct. 18-19, where pheasant hunting is open to those 15 and younger.
How many pheasants were bagged in Iowa last season?
More than 460,000 pheasants were bagged last fall, marking the second-highest harvest in nearly two decades, only surpassed by the 2023 harvest of 590,000. More than 77,400 hunters pursued pheasants in Iowa in 2024, down from the more than 83,600 in 2023, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
What is the outlook for the upcoming pheasant season in Iowa?
The Iowa DNR found that statewide pheasant populations are at a 20-year high, with all signs pointing toward a “banner year for hunters.”
Statewide pheasant populations were found to have 28 birds per 30-mile route, the highest since 2005, according to the Iowa DNR’s annual August roadside survey. Those hunting in Iowa this upcoming season can expect a pheasant harvest between 600,000 and 700,000 if hunter participation is similar to 2023, according to the Iowa DNR.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: When does the pheasant hunting season open in Iowa? Pheasant population at 20-year high
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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