2015 us drought monitor

Bleu,

Here was the previous SNOTEL

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I recently drove from Colorado Springs to Salina Kansas and back. I could NOT believe how green everything is in both Kansas and eastern Colorado. If we don't get some terrible hail that hits a lot of the east, I'm thinking there will be a boatload of pheasants this year. Looks like it will be the best yet in the last maybe 10 years!
 
So... how much affect will this improvement have on the birds this year? Will it affect next year more?

My limited logic thinks that it is too late to create nesting cover for this year. Growth this year will help that next year. That said, moisture should help insect life which should help chick survival? So sum total, is moderate improvement this year, and then a big jump next year, if the drought does not return?

Thoughts?
 
My thoughts are that last year was pretty good in some areas with plenty of cover left for nesting. I also think the wet weather has been around since April so I think there's been enough time for other nesting areas to develop. But most importantly, I think good cover provides more chances to avoid predators from hawks to coyotes and creates more insects for the young chicks to eat before the grain ripens. At the end of last year, I saw pockets of 50-100 birds, mostly hens. I really think this could be a very good year. Guess we'll know in a few months.
 
I will go out on a limb and say there will be more birds than last year!!! Still to early. Conditions have improved. May have lost some nests to heavy rain/hail. Still time to renest. Roosters are still fighting, so I am guessing there are hens still being bred for round 2 renesting... :thumbsup:
 
BleuBijou said:
I will go out on a limb and say there will be more birds than last year!!! Still to early. Conditions have improved. May have lost some nests to heavy rain/hail. Still time to renest. Roosters are still fighting, so I am guessing there are hens still being bred for round 2 renesting... :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

I was up in north-east Colorado a month ago. I have never seen it so green before. The spots that I cruised by had cover from last year and new tall grass was beginning to sprout.

I live east of 76, and have been blown away by the height of the grass in our field. Some of the warm season grass started popping up about 2 weeks ago. Wheat fields out our way are as tall as I have ever seen them.

As for bird numbers, this is a good start, but it is still early. A few days of severe storms with frozen baseballs falling from the sky can decimate bird numbers and beat down existing cover.
 
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CO_Weimar said:
I was up in north-east Colorado a month ago. I have never seen it so green before. The spots that I cruised by had cover from last year and new tall grass was beginning to sprout.

I live east of 76, and have been blown away by the height of the grass in our field. Some of the warm season grass started popping up about 2 weeks ago. Wheat fields out our way are as tall as I have ever seen them.

As for bird numbers, this is a good start, but it is still early. A few days of severe storms with frozen baseballs falling from the sky can decimate bird numbers and beat down existing cover.
Click to expand...

Or flooding rains that we are getting today during the peak of the hatch!!:(
 
I think next season is looking promising right now. Even with some bad hail I think the hunting could be much improved for the 15'/16' season. Hail is rarely widespread. I'd take a summer with bad hail and lots of rain over a drought with more emergency haying and grazing.:)
 
Don't think this could be any better in mid/late June...Could of been a little dryer in areas, but not complaining at this point!!
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Talked to a farmer out in Eastern Colorado tonight. He said they should start cutting wheat around the 10th or so. They received a half inch of rain tonight as well.
 
No change in this weeks drought monitor. Looking really good...:cheers:
 
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