OTTUMWA — Hunters hoping to bag a bird during the upcoming 2008-09 pheasant hunting season may have a difficult time doing just that.

Because of a harsh winter and spring, southeast Iowa’s pheasant population has dropped off significantly.

“The decline this year is certainly related to the weather conditions,” said Iowa State University Pheasant Biologist Todd Bogenschutz. “Pheasants are like humans; they can’t withstand severe temperature for long periods.

“They can get hypothermia, too, and that is what kills them off.”

Bogenschutz said statewide counts are 32 percent lower this year compared to last year.

“In the southeast region near Ottumwa there is a 74 percent loss in pheasants from last year,” he said.

Bogenschutz said ISU and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources travel around the state to determine pheasant numbers.

In the first two weeks of August, officials conduct observation polling. They typically wait until morning when there is a heavy dew; pheasant hens do not like staying in wet grass, so they loaf along the roadside, making it easier for surveyors.

“With some of our modeling, we are expecting a 50-60 percent loss of hens. If you don’t have many hens, there won’t be a good population for hunting this year,” Bogenschutz said.

“For several years we have had a decline in birds. Quail and pheasants and turkeys are in a hurt right now,” said Rick Stevens, owner of Stevens Taxidermy in Ottumwa. “I used to get a lot of calls for birds, but I haven’t had many lately. It has been on a decline for around four years.

“The numbers of birds in the last three years have continued to go downhill. The weather and nesting conditions have been extremely bad.”

Ottumwa hunter Jim Hetzler said he has only noticed a pheasant decline in the last two years.

“Pheasant are on a rapid decrease right now,” he said. “Three years ago we were seeing triple the amount of pheasants that we are seeing today.”

Hetzler said he walks his country road every morning — three years ago he said he would have seen a variety of young birds walking along the road. This year, however, he has seen fewer pheasants.

“Normally you would see quite a few this time of year,” he said. “Last year, if I wanted to shoot three a day it would have taken me all day to get three birds. Three years ago it would only take a couple hours.”