This story on the NPR website yesterday.  Surprisingly fair article on the decline of hunters in the USA and what it is costing the conservation efforts.

Only about 5 percent of Americans, 16 years old and older, actually hunt. That's half of what it was 50 years ago.   Down over 18% in 25 years.  

https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/593001800/decline-in-hunters-threatens-how-u-s-pays-for-conservation

Hardly surprising.  Too many other things to do, lack of hunting ground, lack of game (pheasants specifically), destruction of habitat (yes, I'm looking at you farmers), etc, etc.

Most of my pheasant hunting is on a preserve.  Every year we struggle for deer hunting ground.  Whenever the farm lease changes the new tenant almost always reserves the hunting rights.  I can see the end of my deer hunting crew due solely to lack of ground.

Pheasants are out for me due to timing, but I’ve also quit deer hunting. It usually means a drive across the state to a buddy’s farm ($$) a hunting license ($) and a non-privileged/regular deer tag ($$). For the opportunity to be skunked out due to irresponsible behavior of other hunters, weather, etc.

Not worth the gamble, time, or expense anymore. I’ve gone once in the last 5 years to take a buddy’s kid on some local ground one of my customers offered up.

ETA: Same deal here. Hunting rights have become a hot commodity for the upper/upper-middle class outside of the IC/CR corridor. CRP ground going for crazy money, hunting rights being sold, etc. Kids are really getting the short end of the stick on this one.

DSM Ames corridor is just as bad.  I still have access to ground but it gets harder and harder every year.  I have friends that have hunted the IC corridor for decades and they are pretty much squeezed out of every place they've ever hunted.

Ya,
Gave up on pheasants several years ago around the Waterloo area.  My hunting dog passed to the great hunt in the sky and I never replaced him with another dog due to the lack of pheasants.  
Heck when I see a pheasant now, I would feel guilty if I shot one, so few in my area.  

I stopped hunting several years ago. Ames-DM corridor.

Lack of birds on top of a bunch of 10 acre plot housing developments removing even the possibility to walk ditches.

Wound up taking a bunch of time and driving to get a couple squirrels or a rabbit each season.

Like I was telling my brother-in-law...Hunting is expensive. Beef and chicken are cheap.

Hunting leases are above crazy. I don't mind driving for some pheasant action on decent public ground, but even that has less and less appeal to me every year.

I had a no-fail deer spot at my father-in-laws. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, and the mother-in-law is going to sell. I can't afford a second place. The thought of deer hunting on public ground has zero appeal.

Same here just east of you in Buchanan county.  Habitat sucks, its kinda coming back.