Upland game bird populations are suffering in a major way.
A record rainfall in 2013 resulted in the lowest August roadside pheasant survey in recorded history.
“It’s crashing terrible. There are hardly any wild pheasants,” said Dale Hogenson of Chase the Adventure Hunt & Gun Club in Decorah.
Hogenson operates one of the 53 private shooting preserves in Iowa that are all trying to give hunters and their dogs an outlet. With game scarce, preserves have become a much more popular option for small game, and it’s trending toward the only option.
“Preserves are about the only place you can guarantee you’re going to see birds,” Hogenson added. “We’re putting birds out there into the fields and can guarantee there are birds in the fields to hunt.”
This is both good and bad.
In the short term, preserve business is good as seasoned hunters will go where the game is. In the long term, dampened spirits are an issue and the number of hunters, in general, is dwindling.
“Overall, it’s bad for us, as hunters get discouraged,” said Larry Statler of Safari Iowa in Parnell. “In general, it’s a good and bad thing.”
“A lot of young people aren’t getting into hunting like they did years ago because there are so few places to hunt anymore,” Hogenson concurred. “I hate to paint a bad picture, but when numbers of wildlife are down, people lose interest in hunting.
“On the other hand, the preserve does better. It’s a bittersweet story to that as temporarily our business will pick up and do better.”
Individual memberships at Chase the Adventure are $125 with family memberships running $225. Then it is $18 to hunt a minimum of five pheasants, $13 for chukar and $8 for quail. There is also non-member pricing and several other services offered.
Those kinds of fees don’t appear to be going anywhere.
“I don’t see much to reverse the (bird population) cycle,” said Statler. “I’m afraid hunting land is to become more and more scarce, the habitat gets more scarce and the appropriate insects get more scarce.”
Rates at Safari Iowa are a tad higher, but it markets itself as more than just a hunting preserve. Tiered pricing, depending on how many hunters are in the party, ranges from $129 to $159 per hunter. That includes minimums of three pheasants, four chukar and eight quail, per hunter.
Multi-day getaways and family plans are also included as Safari Iowa’s land includes cabins with all the amenities of home.
“We have three target audiences,” Statler said. “One is the walk-on hunter that wants a half-day hunt. The family group that wants a safe family-friendly place and hunting is a family tradition. Or groups that want access to quality lodging and do some grilling or breakfast with us. We’ve made quite an effort to offer those kinds of things.”
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