CWU girl, That isn't the reason they moved the season back 2 weeks, and I doubt if the later season will have much of an effect on how many birds are killed. Opening day will still be opening day, and the birds will be no different, although you are right, the juvenile birds will be a little bigger. In my opinion the hunting will be better, and easier, due to cooler weather. Cooler weather will allow a lot of hunters to hunt longer, before their dogs are done hunting due to the warm temperatures. So maybe more birds will be killed. But the number of birds killed really has no effect on the following year's population of pheasants. Habitat is the main factor that will have an effect on bird populations, and the next most important is probably the Spring weather after the chicks hatch. (I'm sure you know most of this, I'm just kind of thinking out loud, because I'm bored.) Oh, and the only reason they moved the pheasant opener back 2 weeks is because pheasant hunters were interferring with deer hunters in southeast Washington, on opening weekend of deer season, which the last few years has been the 2nd weekend of pheasant season.