Fewer pheasants were taken by Iowa hunters last year, but state officials say the number was still fairly high overall.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says nearly 284,000 roosters were harvested by hunters during the 2019 season, which was the second highest harvest in the last decade.
That was down from 2018 though, when hunters harvested an estimated 320,000 roosters.
The D-N-R says the 2019 roadside survey showed Iowa’s pheasant population was 17 percent lower than in 2018, so a reduced harvest was expected.
Iowa’s quail harvest followed the same trend. Hunters harvested an estimated 20,710 quail last year, with roadside counts showing quail numbers were 36 percent lower than 2018.
The survey estimated hunters harvested 54,000 rabbits, nearly 89,000 squirrels and nearly 85,000 doves.
Iowa’s 2020 pheasant season begins October 31st.
