How about a 2 bird limit???

Soonerhead

Soonerhead

Member
Ok, here goes. I have seen a ton of postings about the question of residents only opening weekend. I just wanted to throw this out there to see how everyone feels regarding low bird numbers. Personally, I would fully support a two bird, or even 1 bird per day limit, especially after the severe drought that both my state and the state of Kansas has experienced this year. I have often wondered though, why does the Wildlife Department not amend daily bag limits annually, to optimize game animal numbers for the following years? Anyway, I'd just like to get you guys' thoughts on this...Thanks,

Stacy
and Freckles
 
Soonerhead said:
Ok, here goes. I have seen a ton of postings about the question of residents only opening weekend. I just wanted to throw this out there to see how everyone feels regarding low bird numbers. Personally, I would fully support a two bird, or even 1 bird per day limit, especially after the severe drought that both my state and the state of Kansas has experienced this year. I have often wondered though, why does the Wildlife Department not amend daily bag limits annually, to optimize game animal numbers for the following years? Anyway, I'd just like to get you guys' thoughts on this...Thanks,

Stacy
and Freckles
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I just started this thread in hopes of killing the, "Residents Only 1st Week on Walk-In?," thread. Hehe. In all seriousness, I am anxious to see what my brethren think of this idea.
 
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Interesting thought. I don't know about a one bird limit, but lowering the limit in lean years might work. I'd still be out there.
 
It won't ever change. Hunters have very little impact of bird numbers. If they did change it to 1 bird limit, not sure I'd bird hunt anymore. I'm not going to spend the time and effort getting there to maybe be done in the first 30 minutes of hunting.
 
KansasGsp said:
It won't ever change. Hunters have very little impact of bird numbers. If they did change it to 1 bird limit, not sure I'd bird hunt anymore. I'm not going to spend the time and effort getting there to maybe be done in the first 30 minutes of hunting.
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Seriously though, I have never seen a study where the bag limit has been based on the numbers affected by something like this years drought. I really wonder what effect a two bird limit would have for the future year, if only implemented for one season. I would certainly still make the drive and spend a few days, and a lot of money, hunting in Kansas. I just seriously wonder how bird numbers would be impacted??? I also know that a lot of NRs think that as long as there is a 4 bird per day limit, that all you have to do is show up, and birds will be flying everywhere, but after this years weather, that simply is not the case. Does that impact the average NRs decision to make a return trip the following year? Might be on to something here.
 
KansasGsp said:
It won't ever change. Hunters have very little impact of bird numbers. If they did change it to 1 bird limit, not sure I'd bird hunt anymore. I'm not going to spend the time and effort getting there to maybe be done in the first 30 minutes of hunting.
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it wouldn't make any difference.... at the end of the day, hen survival and carryover/favorable nesting conditions the following spring are the key factors.

besides, KDWP wants your money and that is why they offer a 4 bird limit, while the Daks limit it to 3 per day.....this year it could be a 6 bird per day limit and it just wouldn't matter....the fewer the birds, the warier they become, i have seen years like this in the past.
 
I don't believe it would do much in the way of improving bird #'s, but I could be easily convinced it would make for better late season hunting. Forget the 1 bird thing b/c as KSGSP mentioned, many a morning would end WAAAAY too early for all that drivin' time and expense;)
 
Everything I've read is that it takes very few roosters to service a large amount of hens. As long as all the roosters aren't killed, there will be enough to do the breeding come spring. We already don't kill the hens, thats the main thing.
 
And by the way, you guys need to get to work instead of using company resources hoping somebody is going to post the holy grail of pheasant populations in the next couple of days. :)
 
The quail limit needs to be lowered.

Take eight birds from a Covey, and there is going to be a good chance that that particular covey is done.

JMO.
 
V-John said:
The quail limit needs to be lowered.

JMO.
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Add another to the list that would certainly cast a supporting vote in this direction!

Cheesy,

I can't seem to leave it alone. I've actually considered requesting of the IT department that my access to this site be restricted:rolleyes:
 
I would agree with a lower quail limit but I think that quail are doomed no matter what. I believe between fescue, habitat loss and turkeys there is no hope for them.
 
V-John said:
The quail limit needs to be lowered.

Take eight birds from a Covey, and there is going to be a good chance that that particular covey is done.

JMO.
Click to expand...


The 8 bird quail limit is not a problem. Its assholes that have no respect and will kill 8 birds out of a 20 bird covey and then go back 2 weeks from now and do it again and take them down to 4 birds remaining.

People are the problem when they shoot out a covey.

Habitat is the number one factor regarding that bird. I dont respect anyone that would take the majority of a covies birds, however hunting pressure on quail has been talked about and I believe there are plenty of studies to back up the fact that hunting has a minimal affect on them.
 
So if we raise the limit on turkeys to 4 numbers won't be effected? I understand that the main keys are weather and hen survival but a more conservative bag limit would help especially on the opening weekend SLAUGHTER. 3 birds is a more than fair bag limit.

If we have a severe winter this year what will thinks look like next year?

As far as the NW corner goes, bird numers are not terrible but are significantly less than last year.
 
westksbowhunter said:
So if we raise the limit on turkeys to 4 numbers won't be effected? I understand that the main keys are weather and hen survival but a more conservative bag limit would help especially on the opening weekend SLAUGHTER. 3 birds is a more than fair bag limit.

If we have a severe winter this year what will thinks look like next year?

As far as the NW corner goes, bird numers are not terrible but are significantly less than last year.
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Each Species is different. As we all know the main factor in pheasant numbers is the survival rate of the hens and hen carryover. Not the Roosters. Im thinking studies have shown its ok to harvest 90% of the roosters, Im sure some studies would say slightly less, but the remaining 10% of the males should be able to service most of the hens.

Quail just dont live long enough and their carryover is so minimal our hunting has very little effect. If Ive read and recall correctly, they can be pretty prolific creatures and quite handy at reproduction, provided, THAT they have suitable habitat and the correct environmental factors in play.

Turkey's would be an entirely different ballgame, same as deer, antelope, etc.


Our game harvest numbers are lower than they ever have been in the past with lower hunter participation, this correlates with crappy habitat and low numbers of birds. Look at past harvest info....more people hunted and more birds were taken, this did not have a drastic affect on the bird numbers, the change in farming practices and habitat did.


Deer would be a good example, we kill more and more of the things, yet because they have excellent habitat, food sources, etc they are more prolific than ever.
 
Just looked at the regs for my part of IN..The daily limit is 2 and possesion limit of 4.On quail is a daily limit of 5 and possesion limit of 10. I checked the regs to make sure. It's been like this for a long time here.
 
V-John said:
The quail limit needs to be lowered.

Take eight birds from a Covey, and there is going to be a good chance that that particular covey is done.

JMO.
Click to expand...

common sense should prevail here, no matter what the limit, you just don't "shoot out" a covey........
 
Several of you have been doing your homework! ALL the research on pheasants come back showing that changing the limit will have no effect on the population in the following year. Carry over, habitat and hen condition mean a lot. As for quail, research also supports the fact that rarely does the number of quail taken out of a covey affect the population unless the current weather is so bad that it affects their survival immediately. Quail covies combine and intermingle on almost a daily basis. Instinct drives them to seek a covey size that comes in around 13 for best survival from predators and thermal stress.

On a side note, I CANNOT BELIEVE that we still have people on here that think turkey are eating the quail! In almost 100 years of research there are only a few documented cases. I had a contractor on the area this week that still hadn't been brought into the present. The reason turkey are now dominant where quail once were is due to a habitat shift to higher succession levels. Quail have a much narrower adaptive niche than do turkey. The turkey find the habitat more favorable when it matures and, therefore, reproduce to fill that habitat. Quail find it less useable and either leave or die as a result of other factors.

On the private side of the fence, there are many properties that never see hunters, see poor hunters, or see hunters so few days that the land acts as a refuge. These holdings carryover birds that disperse once the pressure is off and account for significant increases in the more heavily hunted habitats. With the deer leasing in Kansas these days, many parcels see no bird hunting at all. We have to remember that this is a fairly unusual string of horific conditions that Kansas has endured the past few years. Going from Junes that suffered 20 inch rainfalls to 12 month periods that couldn't get 6. Quail have survived in these cycles for eons. We, having a rear-view mirror that only shows back hunting stats for 100 years or so, forget that we live in a world that throbs to a different tune than we understand. Run the dogs, tell tall tales, lift a glass to those that have passed, and think of what's to come. There are children, puppies, and cohorts that need us to look up to. Keep it legal, keep it moral, keep it fun! It's not about the numbers, it's about the miles and the smiles.
 
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