The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

W

-Wildcat-

Super Moderator
The most recent Pheasants Forever blog is focused on Kansas.

The Good - Crow counts were up substantially this year.

The Bad - The best producing areas of the state are under a severe drought, with poor nesting conditions and insect production.

The Ugly - There is no end in sight for the drought, and the heat is downright ridiculous.

Had the weather cooperated, Kansas could have experienced a "perfect storm", resulting in a booming pheasant population. However, estimates are that the Kansas pheasant population will be down significantly this year due to the harsh summer, drought, and lack of suitable nesting habitat even with the great crow count numbers. :mad:

You can find the article here:

http://www.pheasantblog.org/fieldnotes/kansas-crow-counts-up-17-percent…so-what’s-the-bad-news/
 
Wildcat,

Thanks for sharring the info. I expected this as the Drought is just getting worse each day. Started in TX & OK and moved to KS and looks like NE is next. Might just have too stay home this year.:(:(:(

A few good rains could help some for a late hatch....
 
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We have actually had very adequate rain up here in the nw counties. And I think Nebraska has been pretty wet. It was rainy in May and dry in June but July has been good despite the heat.
 
That sucks you guys are having such a shitty drought this summer. I'm calling it though, this is Colorado's year! With the population carry over from the past two seasons and what seems like a decent spring/summer we could be set for an even better year so come visit!
 
kansasbrittany said:
It's okay if we let 'em think there aren't;)

I expect much of the state to be challenging this season.
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Everything I've heard says its not even worth feeding a dog anymore...... Anybody want a 2 year old shorthair? I'm probably going to sell my guns actually.
 
cheesy said:
Everything I've heard says its not even worth feeding a dog anymore...... Anybody want a 2 year old shorthair? I'm probably going to sell my guns actually.
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Now thats crazy talk :eek:
Only a Jayhawk would say something like that :p
You are going to get a chance to make the 2 year old work hard at it.

Get that dog out and put in the extra miles :thumbsup:

Go Cats!
 
I looked at the crowing count maps, routes, and totals. Doesn't seem to jive with the anecdotal unscientific view of the farmers on the ground, in the field, in the area I hunt the most, NE Kans, who seem to think reproduction is marked improved. Chart indicates otherwise, but both are fragmental samples, limited in scope. Admittedly it would need to improve a lot to get to decent, but it's a start. I will also point out that old timers always told me, in the dirty 30's, with years of drought compounding, there were lots of pheasants and quail. Time will tell.
 
Here is a question, I know that the dry land would be tough on the birds, but what if it is irrigated land. I know the early spring there was a little moisture around, then when the corn was planted and irrigated it would bring much needed moisture and insects for young birds. Just wondering if you hunt a lot of irrigated land (with crp on the corners) if the bird populations would be greater due to presence of water and hopefully insects. Also with the wheat being cut early or turned under or not available would the birds go to nesting in crp if that is there only choice? The land I hunt had a 80 acre and 160 acre patch of crp that was burnt off in early spring. I would assume those birds would relocate to the closest crp areas and nest and rear yound there then move back to the larger areas they were burned out of later on or just stay in the new area (the new area has a pond, with 3 corners of crp hooked together), so I am thinking that could be a real honey hole. Any thoughts or ideas?

Thanks,

Rod
 
I've spent the past week in Western Kansas doing quite a bit of driving around. Northwest Kansas looks so much better than the Southwest part of the state. I think Northwest will be done, but not much. Southwest Kansas is going to be rough this year. There was some carryover from last year, but there is very little cover. The CRP is terrible and so are the dry land crops. I have seen some birds around the past few evenings and most have been by irrigated corn. They need some rain in a bad way out here.
 
Back in 2000 there was a couple of years where it was terrible around the Ness City area. Then it exploded in 2003. Those pheasants are tough. They will be fine and will fair much better than the hunters
 
KB is right fellas we have no birds here at all its been to hot and dry instead of sieng the average 4 bird per mile i have only seen 1 bird per mile :D
 
You're a good man Joe.

If fewer birds means less pressure, I think I'll probably experience about the same harvest rate as I did last season. Heavily pressured areas w/ good populations are tough to hunt....fun, but tough to harvest. However, lower population densities, coupled w/ reduced pressure and cover, will still make for a very enjoyable season for me. Either way, I'll be there!
 
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kansasbrittany said:
You're a good man Joe.

If fewer birds means less pressure, I think I'll probably experience about the same harvest rate as I did last season. Heavily pressured areas w/ good populations are tough to hunt....fun, but tough to harvest. However, lower population densities, coupled w/ reduced pressure and cover, will still make for a very enjoyable season for me. Either way, I'll be there!
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:10sign::10sign::cheers:
 
Guys, I'm telling you, its bad. I've driven from my house to my parents the last 3 weekends and haven't so much as seen an adult pheasant, let alone a chick. I usually switch my route up to see more countryside, the travels include Crawford, Cherokee, Neosho, Labette, Montgomery, and Wilson counties. Thats a lot of driving for no birds.....
 
Here's that nearly 2 year old GSP on point last year (too bad my two buddies couldn't knock down 1 of the 3 roosters that were holding rock-solid in that heavy grass), showing lots of potential, going to miss her. Several on here have littermates I think, as well as her momma.
KatyPoint-1.jpg


:D
 
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