Iowa pheasant hunters to celebrate 100 years of tradition

Iowans have an unlucky private game farm owner to thank for stocking the Hawkeye State with pheasants.

A windstorm struck William Benton’s Cedar Falls farm in 1900 or 1901, allowing about 2,000 ring-necked pheasants to escape and establish a wild population. The colorful birds thrived in Iowa’s oat, corn and hay fields and pastures.

Pheasants are native to China, and were first brought to the U.S. in the 1800s.

In 1925, 60,000 wild eggs were collected from farm fields and 7,000 wild birds were trapped so that the Conservation Commission could distribute them to other counties, according to the Iowa DNR. That year, Iowa held its first pheasant hunting season in 13 north central Iowa counties. About 75,000 hunters participated in the first season.

In 1976, the entire state was open to pheasant hunting. In 2023, the Iowa DNR estimated more than 590,600 pheasants were harvested.

This history will be celebrated Feb. 7 at the Iowa Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever State Convention at Bien Venu Event Center, 7400 Hudson Rd., Cedar Falls. This is the organizations’ biggest event of the year and they’ve opened their Friday night social to the public.

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“For those who may not be familiar with what we do, our slogan is we’re the habitat organization, and we’re not just about wild birds and wild pheasants and wild quail, but we want to create more habitat for them to live and for other wildlife as well,” said Lexi Ashbrook, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s regional field representative in Eastern Iowa.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are organizations that support the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public access, education and conservation advocacy.

Ashbrook said of Iowa’s 99 counties, there are 95 active Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters.

The goal of the event is to celebrate the tradition and heritage of pheasant hunting and conservation and leave attendees inspired.

Outdoorsman, author and chef Hank Shaw will deliver the event’s keynote address, titled “It’s All About the Habitat: How Anyone Can Kill Their Lawn, Create Biodiversity — And Eat It, Too.”

“Everyone knows that wildlife, not just the game species we hunt, hinges on habitat. And every little bit counts. From grand restorations and protections to pivotal ancestral plots, down to projects you can do even in a tiny urban lot,” Shaw said.

Shaw will speak about pheasant hunting traditions and his career as a chef and an author while inspiring Iowans to think about what they can do to increase conservation efforts. Attendees are encouraged to “come with your best cooking and hunting questions for Shaw to answer after his presentation.”

Each attendee will be entered to win an autographed cookbook from Shaw.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com