The morning was … frustrating. Opening day of the 2005 pheasant season, and Dave Novak and I were hunting on his uncle's farm near Marengo in Iowa County. The place has textbook habitat: a wide, grassy draw bisecting medium-sized cornfields, a big patch of Conservation Reserve Program grass nearby to provide ideal nesting cover -- even an impenetrable patch of thorny brush that could shelter birds from the most determined predator.

We'd shot many roosters on the farm in years past, but this morning our efforts had so far proved futile. Despite walking slowly through heavy stands of switchgrass and canary grass we hadn't flushed a single bird. Not even a hen!

But just as we were tiring enough to lapse into a daydream, the event that makes pheasant hunting exciting happened: A rooster exploded from under Dave's feet, cackled, and made a beeline for the thick brush.

It took Dave a few seconds to regain his composure, but he's a seasoned hunter, and, having refocused his attention, he swung his Winchester on the bird; the rooster folded with the shot. It left a lasting memory of last year's opener, and we went on to have a fun, productive season.

Last season, Iowa pheasant hunters reported a mixed bag. Some found outstanding bird numbers; others' experience was more like what Dave and I found: slim pickin's, a few birds scattered here and there. The big question now is: What's in store for the 2006 season. Will there be plenty of birds, or will the season yield more exercise than roosters?

Biologists and veterans of the ringneck wars alike predict a good season, but guardedly, concerned about habitat changes that have made Iowa pheasant hunting more challenging. Whether hunters find excellent or poor hunting, few doubt that the face of Hawkeye State pheasant hunting is changing.

"The potential is good," said Iowa Department of Natural Resources' chief pheasant biologist Todd Bogenschutz. "We had a mild winter statewide, and that helps,"

Of course, he had to qualify his answer a little bit. I had asked him to predict this fall's pheasant season in late April, and because of publication schedules, this article was written in early May. A lot can happen in the spring and summer that has an impact on fall pheasant abundance.

"With good spring nesting conditions pheasant numbers should be up over last year," continued the biologist.

Whether Iowa's 2006 statewide season will be a memorable or mediocre depends on two factors, and while one can be controlled, the other can't. Habitat is the key. "With no habitat, there are never any pheasants," said longtime pheasant hunter Jim Tinker, of Cedar Rapids. "Never."

Habitat, of course, varies from spot to spot across Iowa. In general, it's gradually improved on public land, and is often ideal on private CRP grasslands. Elsewhere on private land, habitat quality is variable, but in general is declining as farmers continue to remove fencerows and waterways.

The news isn't all grim. Pheasants Forever and other conservation groups have mounted a strong effort to encourage landowners to improve habitat, and in some places they have been remarkably successful.

"Our PF chapter continues to plant food plots in the midst of large CRP fields that are away from trees that encourage hawk and owl predation," said Pheasant Forever volunteer Matt Schrantz, of Lisbon.