It Looks Grim

For the last 3 Saturdays I have taken my dogs to do some quartering work and to get them some conditioning for the season. Been going to 2 of my good areas of private CRP. We have not flushed a pheasant yet. Did see a quail roost today though. The pheasants behind my house have not been seen or heard since June. Last one I have seen around the house was the last week of June under the bird feeder. Those endless days of 105 degree heat in July were hard on everything.
 
I'll give up a season in KS if it's just not practical but I don't think the upland game is over. Nature has a way of taking care of things. A little common sense doesn't hurt either but I'm not nieve enough to think you can take money out of the equation.
 
last year was poor and the drought plus emergency haying was at an all time high this summer, draw your own conclusions, very little in positive reports here, not just mine, good luck to all.
 
Last year I found the pockets of birds. When I went back at Christmas my fields were bailed. I bet they have already been bailed this year.
 
I don't post very often and I've been hunting KS since 1993. This is the first year I've talked to the farmers that let me hunt on their land. They all say one discouraging word---DRY. They haven't had rain in quite a while and the 100 degree temps in the summer sure didn't help. A lot of the milo will be baled because it was bad and they'll need feed. It does look grim this year, but I'll still head out like a dummy.
 
KDGJ said:
I don't post very often and I've been hunting KS since 1993. This is the first year I've talked to the farmers that let me hunt on their land. They all say one discouraging word---DRY. They haven't had rain in quite a while and the 100 degree temps in the summer sure didn't help. A lot of the milo will be baled because it was bad and they'll need feed. It does look grim this year, but I'll still head out like a dummy.
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It was hotter than 100. Much hotter. Hottest summer since 1984.
 
westksbowhunter said:
It was hotter than 100. Much hotter. Hottest summer since 1984.
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In fact you are correct, much silage throughout the state made our calves and cows happy the last month in far SEK but not the pocketbook however it’s not that much difference when it’s 95 or 110, it’s hot regardless, yeah I get it less water day by day adds up. Here’s to you old westksbowhunter, u may know something about this area
 
hunter94 said:
quail seem to tolerate extreme temps much better than pheasants, still not good.
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I’ve run into 3 coveys out hunting this year and they’ve all been small. Only about a half a dozen
birds.
Oh yeah and I’ve yet to see or hear a pheasant. Not really pheasant ground but in the past I’d see a few
 
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Humans have short memories. One thing I've thought about is with 2011 and 2012 Kansas pheasant population was entering that drought coming off of very good numbers and have never returned. That is not the case this time around.
 
Hutcho said:
Well that makes it seem a little better I guess....
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That’s a good breakdown of the past thanks for sharing, what feels different for me this year is how early the heat came on. May this year was extremely hot, made it feel like a endless summer.
 
The biggest difference where I'm at between 11 and 22 was may. In 2011 I finished cutting wheat on memorial day. Normally we plan on starting the second week of June. Also, this year on my farm we got 16" of rain the last two weeks of May. We were dry before that is the only reason we didn't completely flood. The 16" obviously helped replenish sub soil moisture and filled ponds which made a difference the rest of the summer. After that we got 2" in June, 1.3" from July 1 to now. Still seeing covies in the milo, a few pheasants but not many.
 
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