Pheasant hunting season in Iowa starts Saturday and Iowa D-N-R wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz is expecting a big turnout. “There’s a lot of hunters in the state and they’re going to be excited,” Bogenschutz says. “Looks like our crop harvest is progressing nicely and getting the crops out always helps on that opening day.”

While it won’t likely be a record, he estimates many thousands of hunters will take to the fields and forests this weekend. “We’re expecting somewhere between 55- and 60-thousand,” Bogenschutz says. “Hopefully, more toward the 60-thousand mark, maybe a little better. We should have a bump in hunters this year. Looks like our counts were pretty good.”

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Pheasant counts were up in some regions of the state and down in others, which balances out to being relatively close to last year, which was one of the best for pheasant hunting in several years. The annual youth pheasant hunt was held over the weekend. Between one- and two-thousand young hunters took part in the two-day event for those ages 15 and under. Learn more at: www.iowadnr.gov/hunting.

(Radio Iowa)