"Pheasants are an open-grassland bird, and I always say that we manage the vegetation, not the species. You need the right kind of vegetation. You can say that if you build the habitat, the birds will come, and that the amount of habitat you have will determine how many birds will survive."

The IDNR and the Polk County Conservation Board jointly own thousands of acres in the Skunk River valley in the northeastern part of the county, with the vast majority belonging to the County Conservation Board. The area sees some heavy hunting pressure in its upland timber and prairie, some of which is dense. Hunters with bird dogs will have a decided advantage. The roosters' irritating habit of holding to cover until you step on them is always a problem in high grass. Here's where a good setter, pointer or retriever will shine, and probably mean a higher number of bagged birds.

Additional information can be obtained from the Red Rock Unit at (515) 961-0716.

LOST GROVE LAKE WMA
"We have got 1,580 acres of premier pheasant area at the Lost Grove Lake Wildlife Management Area," said Bob Sheets, a wildlife biologist with the Maquoketa Wildlife Management Unit. "Guys hit it hard during pheasant season, but they never get to the breeding stock. Every year we have excellent reproduction. If hunters spend a couple hours out here they'll probably get a bird."

Lost Grove has been open for nearly 10 years, with plenty of planning going on to enhance the pheasant hunting. "We're just waiting to put a lake in," said Sheets. "In the meantime we've been developing the upland habitat. We have 250 acres of native grasses, 150 acres of row crops, 80 acres with additional forage and three small wet areas that are growing cattails. There's ragweed, cedar and all sorts of annual weeds you could expect to find on idle land."

According to Sheets, a good bird dog is invaluable any time heavy cover is being hunted. "A lot of public land birds tend to run instead of fly because they're harassed so badly," he explained. That's where a well-trained dog is worth its weight in ringneck feathers."

The area is located five miles east of Eldridge and six miles north of Davenport in Scott County; the Utica Ridge Road bisects the area. For additional information on hunting the area, contact the Maquoketa WMU at (563) 652-3132.

GOOSE LAKE WMA
"The southern portion of the Goose Lake management area is good," said biologist Sheets. "There are 500 acres of really good wintering habitat of smartweed, willow, cattail and bulrush. There's cropland nearby where the pheasants can feed and then go back into cover."

Some good shooting is to be had in this public hunting area near the Davenport area, but to hunt it properly takes considerable persistence. "It's a hard hunt, and tough on the dogs, because they tend to get cut up, since the brush is so thick," said Sheets. "But what's new about that in pheasant hunting?"

Birds spend first light in the morning looking for gravel and grit and begin feeding soon afterwards. They're most vulnerable when moving between fields where they roosted and the heavy cover where they'll spend midday. During the evening hours, birds will begin moving back towards the fields where hunters can typically get off a few more shots.

Goose Lake WMA is five miles north of Jefferson on Highway 4 in Greene County. Contact the Maquoketa Wildlife Management Unit at (563) 652-3132 for more information.

For more information regarding any and all of the public lands for pheasant in the state, contact the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Wallace State Office Building, Des Moines, IA 50319-0034. Or, residents can call (515) 281-5918 and request a copy of the Iowa Public Hunting Areas brochure. The IDNR can also be reached at www.iowadnr.com. Trip planning assistance is available from the Iowa Tourism Office at 1-888-472-6035 or online at the address www.traveliowa.com.