The positive impact Iowa's mild winter and reasonably dry spring have had on pheasant nesting success will likely be seen when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources conducts its annual roadside pheasant counts between Aug. 1-15.

The statewide survey is conducted by Iowa DNR staff who drive 218, 30-mile routes on gravel roads at dawn on mornings with heavy dew. Hen pheasants will move their broods to the edge of the gravel road to dry off before they begin feeding, which makes them easier to count.

"Conditions for the survey are important as the accuracy of the counts depend on the dew c...