Here are the best public areas for pheasant hunting in Iowa:
- Northwest Iowa (typically highest pheasant numbers):
- Badger Lake Wildlife Area (Monona County)
- Elk Grove Wildlife Area (Guthrie County)
- Spring Run Complex (Dickinson County)
- Union Hills WMA (Cerro Gordo County)
- North Central Iowa:
- Union Hills (Worth County)
- Rice Lake Wildlife Area (Worth/Winnebago Counties)
- Big Marsh Wildlife Area (Butler County) These areas combine grassland habitat with wetland edges.
- Southwest Iowa:
- Mount Ayr Wildlife Area (Ringgold County)
- Sand Creek Wildlife Area (Decatur County)
- Forney Lake (Fremont County)
Key tips for Iowa hunting:
- Focus on IHAP (Iowa Habitat Access Program) lands - these are private lands opened to public hunting
- Look for areas combining CRP fields with food plots
- Most productive areas tend to be near the Minnesota and Missouri borders
- Check the DNR's August roadside survey for current pheasant populations by region
- Best hunting often comes after crop harvest
- Public land is more limited than Dakotas, so early season can be crowded
- Winter weather conditions greatly affect bird numbers year to year
by Tim Esse
