DES MOINES--For outdoor enthusiasts the world over, few thrills compare to the explosive, heart pounding flush of a cackling rooster pheasant. By now, it's no secret that this year's pheasant opener promises to be a big one. Ask any farmer, rural mail carrier, or bus driver and they'll all give you the same story. The birds are out there, and they're out there big time.

"Things are looking very positive for Iowa pheasant hunting this year. So good, in fact, that hunters across most of northern and central Iowa can expect to enjoy the best season they've seen in ten years," says DNR wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz.

According to Bogenschutz, the state's greatest pheasant densities will be found in the state's northwest region where the number of ring-necks increased a full 73 percent over last year. This year's count is the third highest ever recorded in the region. Pheasant numbers [in the northwest] are currently 50 percent above the 10-year average, and are 40 percent above the long-term average. It's simply the best of the best that Iowa has to offer.

Another top area to look for ring-necks is in the north central region of the state. Here, pheasants increased 53 percent over last year and are at the highest level since 1994. Pheasant populations are also abundant across most of central Iowa.

But regardless of how many roosters may currently be lurking in your favorite hunting hot spots, Opening Weekend success will be enhanced, or hindered, by two additional factors -- weather conditions and corn harvest.

For upland bird hunters, rain and excessive winds spell disaster. Fair skies and light breezes all but guarantee a roast pheasant for Sunday dinner. We'll just have to wait and see which conditions we get. After all, this is Iowa.

The status of this year's crop harvest is easier to predict. As of Monday, a little better than half of the state's corn was out of the field and in the bin. This is great news for pheasant hunters -- especially Iowa residents who will be tromping the fields the entire season.

Here's how it lays. Come Saturday's opener, enough corn will have been harvested to make good numbers of birds available to hunters. The other side of the shiny coin, is that there is also enough corn left standing to provide thousands of acres of temporary refuge. As the harvest continues, this will insure a new supply of roosters during the weeks ahead.

Any way you slice it, all signs point to a banner year for Iowa pheasant hunting.

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