Iowa Outdoor Enthusiasts Celebrate 100 years of Pheasant Hunting

Washburn's Outdoor Journal / October 28, 2025

Opening Day Meets Expectations

Iowa’s much anticipated, centennial pheasant season got off to a roaring start as hunters from across the state – and in some cases, from across the nation – gathered to pursue Iowa’s number one gamebird.

Rooster Pheasant – The ring-necked pheasant is Iowa’s number one gamebird. With statewide pheasant numbers currently at a twenty year high, wildlife biologists are predicting a banner year for Iowa hunters.

The October 25^th opener was enhanced by seasonably mild temperatures and light winds. With the state’s corn harvest 95 percent complete, hunters found the greatest concentrations of pheasants on public and private grasslands. Overall hunter success was high, with most hunters bagging at least one or two roosters, and many attaining three bird limits, according to state conservation officers. Hunters utilizing trained bird dogs generally fared better than hunters without dogs. No surprises there.

Pheasant hunting enthusiast, Craig Lonneman poses with an Opening Day limit of pheasants bagged in Northern Iowa with the aid of Shadow, his trained Pudlepointer. Wildlife biologists are predicting a banner year for Iowa hunters. [C. Lonneman photo]

Based on the results of this year’s August roadside game surveys, Iowa pheasant populations are currently at a twenty year high. DNR biologists are predicting a harvest of 500,00 to 600,000 roosters by the time the season concludes on Jan. 10, 2026.

CRP Roosters – A flock of roosters explode from an Iowa grassland.

About The Author

Lowell Washburn

Born in North Central Iowa, Lowell Washburn has enjoyed a lifelong interest in the out of doors. He began photographing wild birds at age 10, and outdoor photography soon became his passion and eventually a career. Washburn is best known for images that portray migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife in their natural habitats. His best photographs are often obtained after spending hours floating amid natural marshlands, half submerged within the dark confines of a floating muskrat house blind. Upon completing military service as a sergeant with the Fourth Infantry Division in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Washburn returned to Iowa in 1970. His wildlife photos began appearing in Iowa newspapers in 1971 and he began authoring outdoor news columns in 1978. Today, his photos and writing have appeared in over 50 national and international magazines including Outdoor Life, International Wildlife, Field&Stream, Ducks Unlimited, Pointing Dog Journal, the NAFA Journal, and others. After working as a naturalist for Iowa’s county conservation board system, Washburn was recruited by the Department of Natural Resources in 1984. His primary duties included statewide communication with Iowa newspaper, television, and radio news agencies with a primary goal of increasing the level of public awareness and appreciation for Iowa's natural resources. During his tenure he also served as staff member for the Iowa Conservationist Magazine and for the DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine. Washburn retired from the DNR in 2010. In addition to wildlife photography, his ongoing outdoor passions include falconry, traditional bow hunting, waterfowling, spending time with hunting dogs of all types, and herpetology.

About The Author

Lowell Washburn

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