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| Hunt QualityIowa pheasant hunting for the do it yourself hunter that has his own dogs, wild hunting skill and equipment. This article is intended for those not familiar with Iowa pheasant hunting. For those that want to know more of how MAHA self guided upland bird hunts work please use these links. When talking to the general pheasant hunter about upland bird hunts most will comment that Iowa as being the best to be experienced or at least second best compared to South Dakota. These pheasant hunting quality assessments are largely based on total number of birds harvested within a single season and regardless of any other quality. This seems to be pervasive amongst pheasant hunting magazine articles as much as it is amongst hunters both in and outside of the state. While there is no doubt that Iowa pheasant hunting is good, it also will not be argued that the best is in localities, good in general throughout a great portion of the state and some areas not worth the time to travel there to hunt.
Iowa is also different than that of Kansas or Missouri in terms of winter habitat. Bird dogs are worked along the thinly wooded, heavy in brush and grass dry drains that make up the many watersheds that dissect the large gain crop fields, that is the prime Iowa habitat. These two key environmental factors in combination is what makes up the best Iowa pheasant habitat, that is, row crop fields of large grains and miles of brush and grass tributaries make this hunt what it is. This is true also due to Iowa not having the large tall prairie grass fields (Kansas) or softer farm field edge existent is less efficient agricultural areas (Missouri). This by default makes pheasant hunting the remaining habitat type in Iowa, the brushy drain the place to find the birds. That habitat advantage contrasts with some of Kansas' best pheasant habitat of the more dry land small grain fields such as milo with the cover habitat being tall prairie grass or more heavily wooded larger watershed tributaries both dry and wet. In this case the prime upland bird holding watershed is composed of the brush filled draw surrounded by crop. A habitat cover type likely to hold pheasant as quail. The more wooded creek bottoms make for tougher shooting, less rooster habitat and more likely to find Bobwhite Quail. The tall prairie grass that holds ringnecks by the flocks is distained by many as being too hard to hunt or their dogs simply do not have good enough check back to allow for closer in points. For others the tall grass is good for a day or two. After that every grass field is the same and most find the easy to find birds no longer a challenge and the grass walking hard. A chance to get on some easier crop edge quail and pheasant mixed hunts with more eyes on the dog action becomes more appealing than just another limit. In any case we offer wild upland bird hunts and all the challenges that come with such hunts along with the hunter being able to select his habitat of choice.
Farm ComparisonMissouri pheasant hunting is also different compare to Iowa as Missouri's creek and river bottoms have steeper slopes that make for tougher walking conditions and the more rolling terrain allows for less efficient agriculture and larger bands of soft edge habitat. These winding edges of variable cover make many a loafing spot and increases the upland bird diversity. The further south traveled from the Iowa state line the ringneck numbers decrease just as the habitat quality does and Missouri's Bobwhite Quail density increases.
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