DNR’s reasons for pheasant losses suspect

I am tired of the Department of Natural Resources blaming farmers for the loss of pheasants. Why are South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas and Nebraska having increases in pheasants? Why is the bad weather and $4 corn reducing only Iowa pheasants?

Why are turkeys in Iowa increasing? Don't the same bad conditions affect them also? The DNR is refusing to consider other things that are affecting the pheasants.

Turkeys eat many of the same things as pheasants. Plus turkeys eat small animals such as lizards and snakes. Turkeys are five to 10 times as large as pheasants, so one turkey can eat the food for 10 pheasants. Also what are the increasing populations of bobcats and coyotes eating?

One reason for the decline of pheasants is the changing livestock production. Pheasants no longer have many open feed lots for food and shelter. The DNR's decision to end the spreading of manure in the winter greatly reduces the pheasant food supply during hard winters. Even liquid manure is a food supply for birds.

If the DNR wants to blame farmers for decreasing the pheasants, maybe they should praise them for the increasing turkey and bobcat numbers. You could give them credit for feeding baby pigs to the eagles so they do not eat more pheasants.

Larry Conrad

Walker