Iowa pheasant opener

[bhs91]

Any reports? I am headed down this Friday and am looking forward to the walking and seeing my dogs work! Birds will be a bonus.

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

3 words, "Lots of Corn!!"

Right now there is lots of corn in and hope for good weather so they can start to get more of it out. Lower than normal bird numbers in NC Iowa.

[mrfish1991]

My neighbor on my dorm floor went out with his family for opener. He lives in western Iowa and said that all weekend they saw 12 birds total (hens and roosters) and didnt get a shot at them. He said there was too much corn up still but when it comes down the hunting should be a lot better. They also did not have a dog and I know that makes all the difference in the world.

[NWBuck]

Our small group shot shot 3 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday. We hunted about a half day Saturday and less than that on Sunday. Here in northwest Iowa, it looks like our numbers are down a bit from last year, but not significantly. I think there will be a window of time in 2 or 3 weeks when reports of limits are common...just going to take awhile to get the corn out and get to that point. Still quite a few beans in the field around here and the corn is wet, so harvest will not proceed at a normal pace, even with the improving weather forecast.

[crappiebuster]

Iowas numbers have been down for the past 5 yrs. Crp is a joke anymore. Iowas motto till it all under and make money. Not even worth getting your license they dont do anything for habitat but still raise the fees. Used to be pheasents allover not anymore. All about the almighty dollar.

People I knew that went out went south where they didnt get as much rain to hamper the harvest. Still didnt do worth a darn.

[Pumpintheline]

Speak for yourself CrappieBuster. I own 240 acres and lease another 90 with it In IOWA. When I bought the farm 8 years ago there were a few Ditch Chickens on the property along with some deer and turkeys. It had 140 acres tillable and the rest was timber. Today there is no tillable!! Only food plots, CRP, Pilot Wetlands, Filter strips, forest preserve and last but not least A lot of Pheasants, deer and turkeys. Some years they are down and some years they are up. But as I walked around the property a couple of weeks ago I have to say that I heard no more than a dozen differant roosters crowing. Last year when I had to do a burn on a 20 acre section of the farm no less than 70 pheasants flew out of the CRP. As the corn and beans come out and the weather gets colder they will bunch up and I will have a blast. Anybody want to join me?

[delzz7]

Crappiebuster- Me and my buddies have no probelm getting are limit, if we don't its are fault because we missed. I usually don't get down there until after thanksgiving. I have no probelm paying for the license and drive 1.5 hours down there.

[bhs91]

Hey pump kudos to you for managing your land right! I hunt in the Garner area and we typically do OK, some years great some not so great.

Crappie guy, if you knew farmers at all, you would know that they are not chasing the almighty dollar, just trying to make a living. I thave talked to a bunch of farmers in the 15 years that I have been hunting in Iowa that these guys are not an extravagant bunch.

[Pumpintheline]

TY bhs91 THe farm is not farway from where you hunt. It is located NW of Eagle Grove on the Boone river. I lived in Iowa most of my life and there are plenty of places to hunt if you ask. I just wanted my own little piece of heaven to enjoy when the time comes pass it on to my boys (3) And I will agree some years are better than others but each season has it's own memories.

[GSPhunter]

Too much corn in still! Hunted public ground on Saturday morning, dog pointed 3 hens but didn't see any roosters. Hunted some private ground after that, same thing, 3 more hens and 0 roosters. Went out road hunting yesterday morning and seen several roosters but they were wise to me and didn't get to shoot any. Haven't fired a shell yet this season as a matter of fact.

I believe the birds are there this year, just need less standing corn and more cold... then it's go time.

[bhs91]

Just back from the clear lake area after 2 days of hunting.

probably saw a total of 3 dozen birds, 10 shootable roosters, managed to knock down 7. All in all, pretty good 2 days considering the amount of corn still in. I did not see one farmer combing corn, still working on the beans.

[bhs91]

How much snow did you fine folks in the garner/clear lake/mason city area get? headed down next friday for late season birds, can't wait!!!!

BHS

[bradlewe]

10 - 12 inches

[bhs91]

Holy hannah, just got back from the clear lake area and it was AWFUL!! I have been hunting this are since 91 and have never seem so much snow. 4 guys 3 dogs, hunted hard for 3 birds. The drifts were absurd, some ditches were 6' plus drifts. Very bummed to see all that snow given the already lower numbers. Good luck to those who venture out.

[ribsey_77]

Was in the emmitsberg area last weekend 3 days one dog one guy 6 birds and only one miss. monday 25 mph winds made it kinda tough

[delmuts]

2010 pheasanr count not good!

RING-NECKED PHEASANT

Statewide. This year the statewide index is 11.1 birds/route and sets a new all time low count for

Iowa, besting the previous low (13.9 birds/route) set following the severe winter of 2000 (Tables 2 & 3).

Counts declined significantly in 6 of the 9 survey regions, only the NE region reported a slight increase

in bird numbers (Table 2, Fig 6). This year’s index is 56% below Iowa’s 10-year average and 74% below

the historic average (Table 3). This decline was expected given the severity of Iowa’s past winter “1 Dec

09 through 28 Feb10 was the snowiest in state history dating back to the first year of accurate statewide

snowfall record keeping in 1887” .

[FISHINGFARMER]

I have to agree with the survey report for 2010. Here in Dallas and Boone county, I have not seen any at all in ditches,waterways,alfalfa fields and roads. Usually see a few before crops begin going out. Tough times for wildlife with the winter we just went thru and the spring monsoon rains that we recieved.

Farmer

[delmuts]

It's not promissing here in bremer and fayette county either!

[Esox_Magnum]

Early predictions are for another snowy winter.

[eelpout50]

Humboldt and poky county sound bad as well, can't justify $100+ for a license this year.

[harvey lee]

I have a friend who farms in a small town in north central Iowa and he told me to come down as they has quite a few birds on their farm.

[onlyspringers]

I have been suprised at the number of birds that the dogs have flushed in our morning runs. I've seen more birds this year than I did last year on the public land I train the dogs on. I think its going to take a lot of leg work but there are birds to be found. It will be like last year pockets of good cover with birds and marginal cover with no birds.

[delmuts]

I've been fishing at the Volga lake project, and have heard several cackling oner there; so we have a few !

[FISHINGFARMER]

Seen a few today from the combine.

These were the first ones I had seen all spring and summer. Not alot, but gives hope I can get the dog out and do some hunting.

Farmer

[SHANTY]

Speak for yourself CrappieBuster. I own 240 acres and lease another 90 with it In IOWA. When I bought the farm 8 years ago there were a few Ditch Chickens on the property along with some deer and turkeys. It had 140 acres tillable and the rest was timber. Today there is no tillable!! Only food plots, CRP, Pilot Wetlands, Filter strips, forest preserve and last but not least A lot of Pheasants, deer and turkeys. Some years they are down and some years they are up. But as I walked around the property a couple of weeks ago I have to say that I heard no more than a dozen differant roosters crowing. Last year when I had to do a burn on a 20 acre section of the farm no less than 70 pheasants flew out of the CRP. As the corn and beans come out and the weather gets colder they will bunch up and I will have a blast. Anybody want to join me?

That is the only way you are going to shoot pheasants if you own a lot of land that u manage.. Iowa pheasant hunting is a JOKE anymore. NO COVER AND NO CRP!