Iowa Quail Hunting

Overlapping Upland Birds

Mid-America Hunting Association do it yourself Iowa quail hunting lease land is limited to the south central and west region of Iowa and to wild Bobwhite Quail hunting.

Within this region wild quail and pheasant coexist within the available cover of brush filled drains in crop fields often referred to in Iowa as "Ditch Hunting". This map shows where the Association leases Iowa land listing county name and leased acreage. No other regions in Iowa has a greater quail population.

Season

Daily bag limit is 8.

Iowa also has specified or locally known as "shooting hours" from 8AM to 4:30 PM. This is after first light and before dark for most of the season.

Iowa has a split ending for its upland bird season ending the pheasant season in early January when its seasonal upland bird license expires while allowing quail may continue to be hunted until January 31. What occurs is that most do not hunt the quail only middle to late January period.

This time period, in our most northern of the three states of leases, typically allows for colder dog friendly weather and plenty of tree covered drainages to block any wind making for a higher probability of better hunting conditions. This may be contrasted to the big open of Kansas even with its greater abundance of pheasants and greater probability of higher wind speeds. And, very few hunters hunt Iowa quail during this period as most by this point of the three month season have walked and hunted plenty and their hunting intensity has waned. An additional motivational degradation is the psychological block of having to buy another license at the season's end even though it is good for the subsequent fall as well.

For those that truly want to quail hunt and do so when seeing another hunter is at its least probability this 20+/- day period is the time to be hunting.

Do it yourself hunters pictures always show more than posed outfitter pictures.

It certainly is enjoyable when taking pictures of your dog is the primary goal.

The picture at right is of one of the Association staffers' dog with that bird dogs share of the harvest. While not a limit in the picture, we certainly had the opportunity to harvest a limit. The quail hunt include some unplanned rooster opportunities as well.

We had birds all day in some tough, through the trees shooting, that gave us a good day's hunt that wore us out and laughs at our shooting. Hunting is more than limits in the bag. That mentality will show through during our interview process and disqualify the applicant.

Habitat

Iowa wild Bobwhite Quail habitat is along crop edge, fence lines and in filed drainages allowing miles of hunts for those with the dog power to hunt such linear edge. Compared to Missouri. Iowa's edge habitat has fewer woods and more open areas making for easier shooting conditions.

Kansas while being considered a flat plains state is also know as the "drainage state" remarkable for the extensive river basin of the Kaw Valley or Kansas River watershed with its numerous tributaries. In the regions MAHA leases land in these other states the quail covey density exceeds that of Iowa. The other advantage Kansas offers is bobwhite hunting through to January 31. This combined with the October opener in the Hawkeye state allows for a 94 day long season.

A recurring theme about our Bobwhite Quail hunting is that three elements must exist for successful hunts. These elements are the hunter's willingness to walk; accurate shooting in spite of physical fatigue and third, dog power. From these three elements, dog power is overriding. Without dog power specific to our central mid-west edge cover the probability of finding coveys is degraded. Those that have quail hunted Texas, Oklahoma or any of the large grasslands will find our quail hunting habitat far different and the large circle running dog poorly equipped to handle it. A significant advantage to the linear edge habitat created by tree covered drainages running through grain fields is the far more frequent singles action after the covey flush.

MAHA Hunts

MAHA brings to wild quail hunting private land in Iowa where for the effort of a telephone call the Association member may have the ability to go quail hunting and do so at his own pace and with his own dogs. Add to that the presence of pheasants for a mixed bag hunt and the ability to try different habitat types in different states gives plenty of reason to be in the field rather than at home.

Kansas Bobwhite hunts

Missouri Quail on crop edge

Topic Index

Iowa Quail Hunting

State

Habitat

Gallery

Upland Bird

Of Interest

Overlapping Upland Birds

Season

Habitat

MAHA Hunts