(Radio Iowa) – The pandemic helped Iowa see a huge 2020 pheasant harvest. The D-N-R reports Iowa hunters bagged nearly 300-thousand roosters during the 2020 season — the second-highest harvest reported in more than a decade — and around 16 thousand more than 2019. D-N-R Wildlife biologist Todd Bogenschutz says there were 10-thousand more hunters in 2020 — which he credits mainly to the pandemic — as all types of outdoor activities saw increased.

Bogenschutz says the roadside survey heading into the season showed an 18 percent increase in birds, which was another factor in the good harvest.