On Oct. 28, pheasant season opens in Iowa, reigniting a traditional Iowan pastime.

Many students, like Jeff Hook, sophomore in pre-business, have been hunting a variety of game since childhood.

“I hunt with a bunch of friends,” Hook said. “My dad got me hooked on it when I was little.”

Hook said he hunts all the major types of game Iowa has to offer – pheasant, duck, turkey and deer.

Pheasant is the most popular game in Iowa, said Andy Long, hunting and fishing manager at JAX Outdoor Gear, 4723 Lincoln Way.

“It’s popular because it’s pretty simple,” Long said. “It’s inexpensive and you don’t need much storage.”

Long said deer hunting is the second most popular, with various waterfowl trailing behind.

Because it is simple and does not require much equipment, pheasant is the ideal game for first-time hunters.

Long said the only gear needed to hunt pheasant effectively is a basic pump shotgun and warm clothing – at least one piece of which must be blaze orange.

Assuming students can’t borrow a shotgun from a hunting buddy, JAX Outdoor Gear and other hunting retailers sell a variety of guns starting at about $240.

It takes more than just equipment to go hunting, however. Hunters must also pass a safety course and purchase a license.

The last hunter safety education course offered nearby is in Ottumwa and starts Oct. 24. Further details are available on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Web site at www.iowadnr.com.

Hunting licenses are available at JAX Outdoor Gear, Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart and Kmart. License fees depend on the game that is intended to be hunted. Students, regardless of their hometowns, are treated as residents and pay the lower resident fees.

Long estimated that about 25 percent of the hunters visiting his store were students and that a substantial portion were from out of state.

Because of the prolific nature of pheasants, there are many places they can be hunted.

“You can hunt basically anywhere more than 200 yards from a house,” Long said.

He said a popular approach is to hunt farmers’ fields and roadside ditches.

“Farmers are generally pretty receptive to hunters,” Long said. He stressed the importance of asking permission to hunt a field, however.

Long said there are several public hunting areas near Nevada, but some require using nontoxic shot. Privately owned game preserves are also an option, although they tend to be fairly expensive.

Pheasant hunters have to be aware of a few simple regulations.

The most important regulation is only male (rooster) pheasants may be shot. There is a hefty fine for shooting a female (hen).

Long said roosters are readily identifiable by their long, brightly-colored tail feathers. Hens tend to be smaller and more drably colored.

“When in doubt, don’t shoot,” Long said.

The other crucial law is the daily limit on birds that may be taken; it is three per hunter. Further, a person may only possess six dead pheasants at any time.

In any activity involving firearms, safety is always a concern. Long said safe hunting consists simply of the lessons learned in the hunter safety course and common sense. Specifically, Long warns hunters not to trespass and to unload their guns whenever crossing a road or fence.

Responsible hunters are also conscious of ethics. Hunter education courses stress respect for the game in addition to safety.

“It’s not just about killing animals,” Long said. “When we go out hunting, we eat everything we kill.”

Hunting is more than just a way to get food. It is a source of recreation for many and also serves to maintain animal populations.

“I think [hunting] is good,” Hook said. “It keeps the populations in balance, and it’s fun.”