DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials are monitoring the weather’s impact on pheasant numbers in the state. The state Department of Natural Resources says spring nesting season is a critical time for pheasants. Their counts in the state could decrease if temperatures in April and May are below normal and rainfall is above normal. The opposite outcome in weather would lead to an increase.

The northwest region of the state, which had below normal snowfall amounts this winter, could have an increase in populations with a good spring. The state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says March was the coldest winter on record in Iowa since 1975, and it was the snowiest since 1998.