Iowa has long been known as one of the best places in the United States to hunt pheasants. Our rich tradition began on October 20, 1925, and to mark this occasion, the Iowa DNR is celebrating all aspects of pheasant hunting in the Hawkeye State.

The ring-necked pheasant is an immigrant to the United States, first established when wild birds from China were released in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 1881. The gaudy ring-necked became an instant hit with Americans, and birds were soon moved to other states. The first birds in Iowa were accidentally released when a windstorm wrecked the rearing pens of game breeder William Benton of Cedar Falls in 1901, releasing 2,000 birds into the agricultural landscape.

To say the birds “liked” Iowa’s corn, oat, and hay fields of that day is a vast understatement. This mixture of small, weedy crops, hayfields, and pastures dominated by horse drawn equipment was a perfect recipe of “habitat” for growing pheasants.

And grow they did. READ MORE

Click HERE for an expanded timeline of Iowa’s rich pheasant hunting tradition.

Get Ready for the Small Game / Upland Hunting Season

2025-2026 Rooster Pheasant Season Dates, Limits, & Key Regulations

Species	Season Dates	Shooting Hours	Daily	Possession
Rooster Pheasant (Youth)	Oct. 18-19, 2025	8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.	1	2
Rooster Pheasant	Oct. 25 – Jan. 10, 2026	8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.	3	12

For a complete list of upcoming small game and upland season dates and limits: 2025-2026 Iowa Hunting Seasons & Limits Card

Transportation Requirements:
Individuals cannot transport a pheasant within the state without a FOOT or FULLY FEATHERED WING, or FULLY FEATHERED HEAD attached to the carcass.

Blaze Orange Requirements:
Iowa requires upland game bird hunters to wear at least one of the following articles of visible, external apparel, of which at least 50% of the surface area is solid blaze orange in color: hat, cap, vest, coat, jacket, sweatshirt, sweater, shirt or coveralls.

2025-2026 Rooster Pheasant Season Dates, Limits, & Key Regulations

Places to Hunt and Shoot

Iowa has many opportunities for public hunting and shooting. The DNR’s Wildlife Bureau manages over 410,000 acres that are available for public recreational use every day of the year within its Wildlife Management Areas. All of these areas are managed with revenues from the sale of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses that are purchased by resident and non-residents.

Through the Habitat & Access Program (IHAP), Iowa landowners open their land to public hunting and in turn receive funding and expertise for habitat improvements. IHAP has enrolled more than 30,000 acres across 57 counties that are now open for walk-in public hunting from September 1 – May 31 each year.

Shooting ranges, both public and private, can also be found throughout the state. For more information on Iowa DNR ranges or to locate a facility near you, visit: www.iowadnr.gov/ranges.

The hunting atlas is an interactive map that shows all lands open to public hunting in the state, totaling 763,810 acres. The hunting atlas also gives basic information about those areas such as: acres, general habitat description, expected species and links to more information. It will also tell a user what hunting zones any area of the state falls into. Check it out to help you plan your next hunt!

August Roadside Survey

Each year the Iowa Department of Natural Resources uses a roadside survey to assess its upland game populations. The August Roadside Survey, as it is called, is conducted on sunny calm mornings, with a heavy dew on the grass, between August 1st-15th of each year with results posted in September. Most upland wildlife, particularly pheasants, hate to be wet. On mornings with a heavy dew, hen pheasants bring their broods to the roadsides to dry off before they begin feeding. This natural tendency allows the birds to be counted and reproduction can be evaluated by counting the number of broods seen and their size.

Survey routes are 30 miles long and are entirely on gravel roads. When conditions are favorable, Iowa DNR biologists and conservation officers drive their assigned routes, at 10-15 mph, and count all the pheasants, quail, partridge, rabbits, and jackrabbits seen. In all, there are 210-30 mile routes driven (6,300 miles) every August to assess Iowa’s upland game populations. Most counties have 2 routes, and the information from all of these routes is condensed to produce the following:

• 2025 Small Game Distribution Map
• 2025 August Roadside Survey Map – Shows the current information on ring-necked pheasants, along with comparisons to the previous year’s survey.
• 2025 August Roadside Survey Report – The full report is also provided online for individuals who would like to see more detailed and long-term trend information.

Helping Landowners with Wildlife Goals

With over 97% of Iowa being privately owned, conservation depends greatly on private landowners who care about wildlife, water, soil health, and thriving ecosystems.  Discover how both the Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever are working with landowners to enhance wildlife habitat, increase soil and water quality, and open more acres to public hunting.

• Iowa DNR Wildlife Landowner Assistance
• Iowa Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists Program

Education Classes, Events, and Banquet Opportunities

Both the Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever host numerous classes and events for beginners of all ages to learn about upland bird hunting.  Whether you are looking for a hunter education class to get started or want to increase your knowledge and skills about hunting upland game, the Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever got you covered. 

To locate or register for a hunter education class or learn to hunt workshop, visit the link below.

• Iowa DNR Classes, Workshops, and Events

With around 100 chapters across the state of Iowa, there’s not another organization out there capable of accomplishing more for wildlife, conservation advocacy, and youth outreach like Pheasants Forever.  The funds raised to accomplish the mission of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever starts and ends with these local chapters, who each host dozens of banquets, events and workshops.  To locate or register for a class, event, or upcoming banquet, visit the link below.

• Pheasant Forever Banquet and Events
• Iowa State Convention:
  January 30-February 1, 2026
  Holiday Inn & Suites / Bien VenU Event Center
  Cedar Falls, IA
• National Pheasant Fest:
  February 20-22, 2026
  Minneapolis Convention Center
  Minneapolis, MN

News Releases & Videos

News Releases:

Annual pheasant survey shows Iowa’s population at 20-year high

 

Iowa’s statewide pheasant population is at a 20-year high, and state wildlife experts are forecasting a banner year for hunters.

“The mild winter really put us over the top this year,” said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife research biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “Our adult hen survival was excellent; our adult rooster survival was excellent. That really drove the population increase.”

Bogenschutz coordinates the annual August roadside survey of small game populations, covering 225 30-mile routes. The 2025 survey counted more pheasants, quail, cottontail rabbits and partridge than last year. The survey results are available online by clicking the 100 Years of Pheasant Hunting promo at www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey.

“Chick survival wasn’t as good as last year, but we had so many more nests that it offset the drop in the number of chicks per hen,” he said. Statewide, staff reported 1,038 pheasant broods, which is 338 more than last year.

“We had an early hatch which is good because the nesting season got wet later and that may have impacted chick survival or re-nesting efforts,” Bogenschutz said.

The statewide average of 28 birds per route is the highest since 2005. Regionally, the northwest region was the highest since 2005; northeast region was the highest since 1998; west central similar to last year; east central highest sense 2007; south central highest since 2017; and southeast, highest since 2020.

Bogenschutz said if hunter participation is similar to 2023, the pheasant harvest could be in the 600,000-700,000 range.

“Last year was a decent year for pheasant hunting. 2023 was a good year for pheasant hunting. This year could be excellent,” he said.

The Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever are celebrating 100 years of pheasant hunting in the Hawkeye State. The first season was held Oct. 20-22, 1925, when 13 counties in north central Iowa were opened to pheasant hunting. Hunters were allowed a three-rooster limit, for a half-day of hunting. An estimated 75,000 hunters participated.

Hunters can commemorate the 100th anniversary by purchasing a hard card featuring Iowa Pheasants Forever Print of the Year. Pheasants Forever is offering commemorative apparel featuring both the 100 Years of Pheasant Hunting graphic and PF logo through an online, pop-up store. The store will be accepting apparel orders as the pheasant season approaches.

Pheasant season

• Oct. 25 – Jan. 10, 2026
• Oct. 18-19 Youth only pheasant season – Iowa residents only, age 15 or younger. Additional information

August Roadside Survey

Survey routes are 30 miles long and are entirely on gravel roads. When conditions are favorable, Iowa DNR biologists and conservation officers drive their assigned routes, at 10-15 mph, and count all the pheasants, quail, partridge, rabbits, and jackrabbits seen. In all, there are 210-30 mile routes driven (6,300 miles) every August to assess Iowa’s upland game populations. Most counties have 2 routes, and the information from all of these routes is condensed to produce the following:

• 2025 Small Game Distribution Map
• 2025 August Roadside Survey Map
  • Shows the current information on ring-necked pheasants, along with comparisons to the previous year’s survey.
• 2025 August Roadside Survey Report
  • The full report is also provided online for individuals who would like to see more detailed and long-term trend information.

Source: https://www.iowadnr.gov/news-release/2025-09-02/annual-pheasant-survey-shows-iowas-population-20-year-high

Upland Game Recipe