It Looks Grim

Drove the back roads through Kiowa, Edwards, and Pratt Counties over the last two days. Killed a few doves. Did not see a pheasant and I was out and about at dawn and dusk. Saw two fresh sets of tracks (pheasant) near a puddle I was sitting on. Few areas of decent habitat-mostly corners that haven’t been bothered. Most looks horrible. Much if not most has been mowed and or turned over. I was not out there in 2012 but imagine it looked something like it does now. My drive is 4 hours. Haven’t made my mind up on whether or not I’ll go this fall. I heard one quail whistling at daylight this morning. Heard no cackling off in the distance anywhere. Worst conditions I’ve seen in that general area since I’ve been going.

Our best spot from last season has about a dozen cows on it. it was unrecognizable.
 
akp said:
Drove the back roads through Kiowa, Edwards, and Pratt Counties over the last two days. Killed a few doves. Did not see a pheasant and I was out and about at dawn and dusk. Saw two fresh sets of tracks (pheasant) near a puddle I was sitting on. Few areas of decent habitat-mostly corners that haven’t been bothered. Most looks horrible. Much if not most has been mowed and or turned over. I was not out there in 2012 but imagine it looked something like it does now. My drive is 4 hours. Haven’t made my mind up on whether or not I’ll go this fall. I heard one quail whistling at daylight this morning. Heard no cackling off in the distance anywhere. Worst conditions I’ve seen in that general area since I’ve been going.

Our best spot from last season has about a dozen cows on it. it was unrecognizable.
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It looks nothing like it did in 2012. In 2012 we still had ample CRP.
 
That’s not what I was referring to. I was referring to extreme drought conditions and everything dried up. There hasn’t been ample CRP for several years. Even the corners we hunt that were left alone didn’t look very thick.
 
akp said:
That’s not what I was referring to. I was referring to extreme drought conditions and everything dried up. There hasn’t been ample CRP for several years. Even the corners we hunt that were left alone didn’t look very thick.
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This drought was much worse and more wide spread. Last time we had heat like this was 1984. There was twice as much crp in 2012 if I remember correctly.
 
s.davis said:
Cool, now, don't read theirs and quit your crying. Problem solved. With the time you save, you can build a time machine back to 1995, when there was "no problem" with Kansas hunting...
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1995: what a great year for pheasant hunting in Kansas.
 
I hunted a WIHA parcel the opening weekend of Dove season and shot easy limits both days. When back yesterday and found 100 head of cattle on it. The landowner waited til after the opener, then ran the cattle on it. These guys know how to work the system.
 
westksbowhunter said:
I hunted a WIHA parcel the opening weekend of Dove season and shot easy limits both days. When back yesterday and found 100 head of cattle on it. The landowner waited til after the opener, then ran the cattle on it. These guys know how to work the system.
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On a NE opener I found a quarter of corn stalks with cattle on it and called it in.
 
I grabbed a atlas from a gas station Saturday just hoping something would jump out and convince me to head out west this year. The drop in parcels is noticeable just to the eye in the areas I go, maybe half of last year? (Trying to find last years to compare) but then I figure only a quarter of those spots left MIGHT be huntable and that's probably being generous. Just check the hay market pages fellas, it'll tell ya real fast where the habitat all went.
 
I used to have walk in spots around Wichita that I could drive out to and maybe squeeze an hour in after work. One year I drove out to one and It was bailed I was so pissed a complete waste of gas.
It’s nothing to drive around the far west and see dozens of properties a day that have been bailed. I’m all for guys making a living and know that the usda had to loosen up restrictions to keep enrollment up at the current pay rates. But it’s not working. We are still losing acres. What a waste.
 
When there were lots of birds and habitat, WIHA made sense and worked. Over.
 
westksbowhunter said:
Time to ditch the WIHA program. Look at something like IHAP that is a habitat program. It's our tax dollars and license purchases. We should be getting more in return.
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They won’t ever do that. Advertising all the WIHA for unknowing out of state hunters is what brings in the money. It’a all about OOS hunters $$$.

Wait until the upland forecast comes out. It will say the exact same thing it’s said for years. They largely cut and paste with a few changes.
 
Does the WIHA lease payment have stipulations in it that the property can't be grazed? Or are there (and I'm assuming this is correct) different tiers of payments, ungrazed gets this much money, grazed gets this much money, crop stubble gets this much, grass gets this much? How does the average Joe know what is agreed to and allowable on the property (by the landowner/tenant) and what is not as part of the WIHA lease agreement?
 
duckn66 said:
They won’t ever do that. Advertising all the WIHA for unknowing out of state hunters is what brings in the money. It’a all about OOS hunters $$$.

Wait until the upland forecast comes out. It will say the exact same thing it’s said for years. They largely cut and paste with a few changes.
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it won't take long for the NR's to figure it out, license sales and empty parking lots will bust KDWP in the nuts.
even the deer hunters will see the problem as well.
 
cheesy said:
Does the WIHA lease payment have stipulations in it that the property can't be grazed? Or are there (and I'm assuming this is correct) different tiers of payments, ungrazed gets this much money, grazed gets this much money, crop stubble gets this much, grass gets this much? How does the average Joe know what is agreed to and allowable on the property (by the landowner/tenant) and what is not as part of the WIHA lease agreement?
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as usual, government programs (officials) don't want you to know the details.
boycott license sales now, you won't be missing anything, anyway.
go to a preserve for your dog work.
 
cheesy said:
Does the WIHA lease payment have stipulations in it that the property can't be grazed? Or are there (and I'm assuming this is correct) different tiers of payments, ungrazed gets this much money, grazed gets this much money, crop stubble gets this much, grass gets this much? How does the average Joe know what is agreed to and allowable on the property (by the landowner/tenant) and what is not as part of the WIHA lease agreement?
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It has gotten really cloudy over the years. When the program first came out the stipulations were clear and farmers were even required to leave standing strips in crops that were leased by WIHA. Now good luck finding anything in writing as it would then require them to enforce such stipulations. I too would like to see an organized boycott to just make uncomfortable conversations to be had and maybe changes made from the top leaders and policies down.
 
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