Who hunts in Iowa?

Who are the 250,000 who hunt in Iowa each year?

Story County Conservation director Steve Lekwa said hunting was once a white male-dominated sport, but now there are no stereotypes.

“Every year, there is a higher and higher percentage of women and minorities,” Lekwa said of Iowans’ hunting habits.

Chris Prizler, senior in agricultural business and president of ISU’s chapter of Pheasants Forever, said 10 to 15 percent of the ISU Pheasants Forever Club are women — a figure that has steadily increased during the past three years.

Lekwa agreed that the number of women in the sport is increasing. “It’s not uncommon to see women form their own hunter buddies and seek their own opportunities hunting in a field,” Lekwa said.

Despite the large numbers of hunters in Iowa, the number of hunters and places to hunt across the country are dwindling.

“Nationwide, the number of hunters is not growing,” Lekwa said. “There are fewer places to hunt and public areas are widely scattered.”

In rural areas, farmers are changing practices in order to make an effort to encourage hunters, but hunting on these properties is limited by the landowner’s specifications, Lekwa said.

“People have to drive to hunt — it’s not in the backyards anymore,” he said. “It is more specialized, and they travel to pursue their interest.”

Story County has six public hunting areas, but ISU students said they tend to drive home to hunt.

“It also gives me a chance to go home, see my parents and help out with harvest,” said Michael Strauser, ISU Ducks Unlimited president and senior in animal ecology.

What’s hunted in Iowa?

Among small game, pheasants are one of the most popular targets for hunters. Story County Conservation director Steve Lekwa said there are “lots and lots of hunters chasing pheasants.”

The pheasant population has increased by 40 percent over 2002 and is at the highest level since 1994, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Mild winters and decent nesting seasons are both credited for the rebound in pheasant populations from the overwhelming winter of three years ago.

“It shows that they had good nesting [this season] and enough habitats out there,” said Michael Strauser, ISU Ducks Unlimited president and senior in animal ecology.

Though the conditions are good for pheasant hunters, the season’s mild weather has hindered both deer and duck hunters.

“[Deer and duck] hunters have been disappointed with the warmer weather,” Strauser said.

Strauser said colder weather would force duck migration, which results in more birds.

“Deer hunters are having a difficult time spotting deer because of the greener leaves,” he said.

Recently, the trend of hunting has been shifting from shooting small species to larger species.

“The tradition of hunting squirrel and rabbit is a forgotten art,” Lekwa said. “The larger species, like the white-tailed deer, are starting to be of more interest.”