Iowa’s roadside pheasant count began on August 1, as staff with the Department of Natural Resources aim to give hunters a forecast for the upcoming fall.

Through August 15, the statewide survey will be conducted in 225, 30-mile routes on Iowa’s gravel roads. These counts are performed at dawn on mornings with heavy dew, as birds move closer to the road to dry off. The same routes have been used for the survey since 1962.

In 2023, the fall survey produced the highest numbers in eight years. Southeast Iowa saw a four percent increase from the year prior, but east-central Iowa’s numbers were down by 29 percent. The 2024 Pheasant season begins for youth on October 19. The rooster pheasant season for the rest of Iowa hunters is from October 26 to January 10.