Thinking of Novemeber??

K

KDWPT Small Game Program

New member
Are you thinking of November yet? Well you should be!!!

Now is the time to think about where you saw lots of birds and what you can do to make sure they're there next year, or where you didn't see birds and what you can do to get them there. Weather and habitat are the 2 things that impact our birds and you can only control 1.

If you have control of property and would like assistance in planning and/or need finiacial assistance, we have 30 biologist in our private lands "HABITAT FIRST" program that can help you create habitat on your land.

http://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Priv...nce/Wildlife-Biologists/Habitat-First-Program

If you don't control it put a bug in your friends, neighbors, families ear. There is always something that can be done and often times there are things that can be done that increase or don't effect the bottom line.

Ax, Match, Cow, Plow my friends. Kansas is a big state we need your help to improve it.
 
I've been using it. Biologist came out and told me what to do to increase bird numbers. I planted th food plot seed and he is also assisting me with native grass restoration in areas currently dominated by broke and fescue.
 
I'll ask this question but I understand if for reasons of job security you can not answer it.

Could you please fully explain who/what has control over setting deer seasons, tag allotments and who is in charge of managing the current deer herd?

(IE is there a biologist, a committee at the KDWPT, the state legislature etc)

(I know on an upland forum some may ask why I'm asking this question, but deer are what create most of the access issues we all face in KS hunting whether we like it or not)

Also do we have any updates on the listing status of the Lesser Prairie Chicken. I'm still hoping clearer heads can prevail on that issue - listing will solve nothing and will harm the bird - hunting has near zero affect on them - just like upland birds - it's all about the habitat and the weather.
 
Biologist makes recommendations, commission can do as they please, but the legislature is calling a lot of the shots. For example they made it a law that we will "meet demand" with regards to NR tags. Very few leftover tags last year so look for the number to jump this year.
 
There is no minimum property size, obviously with small properties opportunity for management may be limited and may be looking to provide something lacking on the neighboring properties., I personally just moved to a place with 5 acres and will be converting 1.5 acres to native grass and adding a shrub thicket.
 
I have 20 acres here. Pasture all around with the exception of an old rail road track and a few acres of crop. My land has a pond but no real cover.
 
There is a big game coordinator that develops regulation recommdations. He brings these recommendations before the deer committee made up of biologist from across the state for feedback. From this he develops his final recommendations that are reviewed by the secretary of the department and presented before the commission at a public meeting. It is at this meeting that the public has opportunity to provide input into the regulation process. The commission briefing book which describes the schedule for meeting's and meeting time/locations are published on the department website under commission tab. Regulations can be effected by legislative mandates.

The big game coordinator recently retired and we are currently in the process of filling that position.

The Lesser Prairie Chickens is currently under review for federal listing, it is the departments position that federal protection is unwarranted final ruling should come out in September. Hunting is not considered a threat to the speicies, however, the rules of the Endangered Species Act do not allow for possession of a threatened or endangered species thereby effectively preventing a hunting season. The current listing decision is being based on the amount of habitat, threats to habitat from development, and potentially threats from climate change.

Now back to what we can control.HOW ABOUT THAT HABITAT! !!!
 
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There was a lot of useful information on that link. Thanks for posting that. :thumbsup:
 
KDWPT Small Game Program said:
There is a big game coordinator that develops regulation recommdations. He brings these recommendations before the deer committee made up of biologist from across the state for feedback. From this he develops his final recommendations that are reviewed by the secretary of the department and presented before the commission at a public meeting. It is at this meeting that the public has opportunity to provide input into the regulation process. The commission briefing book which describes the schedule for meeting's and meeting time/locations are published on the department website under commission tab. Regulations can be effected by legislative mandates.

The big game coordinator recently retired and we are currently in the process of filling that position.

The Lesser Prairie Chickens is currently under review for federal listing, it is the departments position that federal protection is unwarranted final ruling should come out in September. Hunting is not considered a threat to the speicies, however, the rules of the Endangered Species Act do not allow for possession of a threatened or endangered species thereby effectively preventing a hunting season. The current listing decision is being based on the amount of habitat, threats to habitat from development, and potentially threats from climate change.

Now back to what we can control.HOW ABOUT THAT HABITAT! !!!
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Thank you for this information. I'll try researching it to see if I can come up with the answer but do you have a quick link you may be able to post showing who makes up the commission? (So if I'm to understand correctly - commission makes all final decisions regarding deer seasons, # of tags, if people should hunt in a specific unit/statewide etc?)


RE LPC - lets hope common sense rules the day - the areas where the lesser prairie chicken tend to live are not typically going to be under development, I've seen a decent amount within very close proximity many gas wells/pump jacks etc - much less directly in the front pasture in front of Sunflower Electric near Holcomb - which had the tallest structure west of Wichita to Colorado much less the noise - granted the footprint of the power plant is smaller than a wind farm.

My only concern would be the large scale windfarms which I can't stand anyways. If Elon Musk really can bring his solar shingles and other items to market at a reasonable cost as quick as he is saying, hopefully the demand for wind and the ugly monstrosities will erode as I'm hoping they will no longer make economic sense. If folks practice sound range management it will benefit their pocketbooks (per my understanding), much less having a secondary benefit of helping out the wildlife LPC included. If the state or the LPC Initiative really wants to take on a cause - they should get involved with Wheatland Electric and fix the 30 square miles they/farmers screwed up south of Sunflower. The area needs some work getting back in balance and back to it's native state after the irrigation pivots were turned off. I haven't been there in 2 years but after the rains returned and Sunflowers pastures looked great again, the Wheatland property looked like a desert wasteland. Would make a great scientific study as to what will happen with much of SW KS after it depletes the Ogallala Aquifer.
 
KsHusker said:
do you have a quick link you may be able to post showing who makes up the commission? (So if I'm to understand correctly - commission makes all final decisions regarding deer seasons, # of tags, if people should hunt in a specific unit/statewide etc?)
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http://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Commission
Commission votes on everything except for # of tags which is done each year by secretaries orders but still presented to the commission.

If the state or the LPC Initiative really wants to take on a cause - they should get involved with Wheatland Electric and fix the 30 square miles they/farmers screwed up south of Sunflower. The area needs some work getting back in balance and back to it's native state after the irrigation pivots were turned off.
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That has been identified as a research need within the Lesser Prairie Chicken Conservation Plan and is recognized and being worked on by many that extend far beyond just prairie chickens. So far there has not been much success reestablishing the native grass under those retired pivots in the far SW.

Solar fields have their problems as well for wildlife. From my imited knowledege I understand the heat from the solar can render the areas unusable in the solar fields.
 
KDWPT Small Game Program said:
http://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Commission

That has been identified as a research need within the Lesser Prairie Chicken Conservation Plan and is recognized and being worked on by many that extend far beyond just prairie chickens. So far there has not been much success reestablishing the native grass under those retired pivots in the far SW.
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They screwed the pooch by not leaving the sprinklers on a bit in 2011 which is when I think most ag use went away there - only Russian thistle took over and the native grasses didnt stand a chance. With all the fertilizer used in the sandy soil I'm sure the soil is way out of wack as well. Not sure if the pivots are even functional at all at this point, but man it seemed to be such a head slapper and common sense - you have supplemental water - use it a bit to get the cover going. The subsequent drought didnt help much - but yes I agree this should be studied heavily - this is exactly what will happen when the Ogallala is depleted which is likely a sure thing maybe in our lifetimes. And to top it off there is 30 square miles appx of contiguous land and good publicity if someone stepped up the restoration efforts -- Lots of good PR could be had regarding the LPC I think for that tract. Sunflower should take advantage of their own property and LPC habitat -- Koch industries does the same thing with their ranching operations -- use the ranches and positive stories from the ranches for good PR to offset the negative. I could pass along the name/email of the land manager at Sunflower - you may already have it.



KDWPT Small Game Program said:
Solar fields have their problems as well for wildlife. From my imited knowledege I understand the heat from the solar can render the areas unusable in the solar fields.
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I was actually referring to his solar shingle Tesla unveiled - supposed to be avail to the public hopefully soon - if it's as promised it will be a game changer.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-31/no-one-saw-tesla-s-solar-roof-coming

I'm hoping for this products success and for wind turbines/farms to fall out of favor.
 
Who sat on the grenade? This thread has kind of turned into a political forum and splattered all over the map. Please try to maintain focus on the topics at hand and Small Game will really try to help folks that have land that needs managed. He has the KDWPT patch on his shoulder, but his focus is Small Game, so give him a break and utilize the knowledge he has to offer. You want to talk deer, there's the agency facebook page or any number of other contacts that can serve you there. Small Game has tried to answer your questions, but his forte is not in politics. It's like a cash giveaway, take what he's offering! None of us will fix the political realm ourselves. Attend the commission meetings and be heard is the best advice I can offer!

Husker, when you start talking about habitat restoration in fragile environments like anything west of Dodge, you have to remember that weather is paramount. Trying to re-establish grassland in the drought of '12-'14 would be nuts. We can only see what the short-term forecast tells us, so planning to "not" do a planting is difficult as we humans largely expect normal or good conditions. Out west, on sand, those standards are out of play. To plant a seed that is smaller than the grains of sand around it only to see it sprout as a weak seedling and encounter July/August temperatures and xeric conditions while still a baby and you get nothing! Much like the Alpine Tundra habitats in the high altitudes of the Rocky Mountains, if you destroy it, it may take centuries to restore. SW Kansas isn't that extreme, but it is extreme and we can't put a tomorrow expectation on reclaiming it. You could have spent enormous sums of money trying in 12-14 and still not succeeded. Natural conditions often do the driving on that part of the world and we are forced to ride along.
 
Were bobwhite populations of the '50s and '60s considered out of the ordinary to some extent due to farming practices?
 
I think that they were quite ordinary for the time. With the advent of agri-chemicals and larger equipment, things started in the downhill slide. Add to that exotic species like brome and fescue coming into vogue and the expansion of woodlands and the "feed the world" ag expansion, and here we are.
 
Maybe I didn't word that properly..... was that the peak? Is there much evidence that they were that high prior (like the early part of that century)?
 
Prairie Drifter said:
Who sat on the grenade? This thread has kind of turned into a political forum and splattered all over the map. Please try to maintain focus on the topics at hand and Small Game will really try to help folks that have land that needs managed. ..........................

Out west, on sand, those standards are out of play. To plant a seed that is smaller than the grains of sand around it only to see it sprout as a weak seedling and encounter July/August temperatures and xeric conditions while still a baby and you get nothing! Much like the Alpine Tundra habitats in the high altitudes of the Rocky Mountains, if you destroy it, it may take centuries to restore. SW Kansas isn't that extreme, but it is extreme and we can't put a tomorrow expectation on reclaiming it. You could have spent enormous sums of money trying in 12-14 and still not succeeded. Natural conditions often do the driving on that part of the world and we are forced to ride along.
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Not intending to turn it into a political topic. Simply figured he or possibly you would know how the deer process works. I was looking bigger picture as once I know how it works I am going to get people to light their phones/emails up to fix the problems they've started deer has a trickle down effect for the rest of us unfortunately. But that is probably another topic altogther.

I'm not sure if you've been to the Wheatland Water ranch I'm discussing, I have no idea who was responsible for the habitat restoration, but I know I have a valid point in saying it was screwed up, I do not know who was all involved in the moving parts there, however whats done is done - if anyone is interested in the scientific aspect, it would be a perfect case study of what happens when farming will have to change or goe away over much of western ks due to the depletion of The Ogallala which is a very real thing, not sure if that really falls under the KDWPT's umbrella, but it will have affects on the wildlife and affect us all. I couldnt think of a better living experiment than that place. Appx 30 square contiguous miles sand sage prairie. Not something that pops up as available for study everyday. Sunflower Electric directly to the North is also a case study of what better managed rangeland will look like when the weather normalizes again. And their land borders Wheatlands. Those 2 places were my playground and back yard for a # of years so I'm very passionate about what happens there.

If you are ever out that way I can show you on the map where it is and go take a look for yourself. You'd be sick to your stomach if you knew what it looked like in the earlier 2000's. I'm not trying to stir the pot or talk smack on the KDWPT at all - simply want to help fix some of the things top brass/elected officials have royally screwed up, 1st and foremost deer mgmt or lack thereof and turning it into a consumer demand product. Many want to see change so if I can help facilitate that I will. Fixing some deer problems will help us bird hunters. Or so I think. By all accounts attending a commission meeting is a waste of time as no one listens or if they do their hands are tied and not allowed to make the changes needed/wanted.
 
By all means, I am not trying to quash dialogue. On the contrary, I, and I expect we, offer all we know to the forum. He is on here as a rep of the agency, I am on here as a hunter that works for the agency. To ask either of us to act in a political arena or make comment on politicians or leadership is both unfair and fraught with pitfalls. We know as you know that what we need may not always be what we get, but as sportsmen we have an avenue to interject in that arena and that is at the individual level by contact with leadership whether that be on the political or administrative side. The leasing issue is here to stay.

We have to work with what we can control or have an effect on. To a large extent, that is habitat and knowledge. That we offer you. Small Game wants everyone to know there is a program that can give you the knowledge and also help you fund habitat improvement. The first thing is to do what is needed. The second is to influence those that haven't to do the same. If you drive the roads in this state and evaluate quality of the habitat we have, you will find that most of it could be more productive for both wildlife and ag income. Far too many of the grasslands in the state are in poor shape and are receiving poor management. Fixing that one thing alone could more than double the quail in Kansas easily, probably a multiple factor.

The same could be said about farming practices. I think if we could do the balance sheet on what a lot of operators are doing, the money they spend for those last few bushels is often at a loss. Farming the ditch, removing shelter belts, farming low producing soils and the list goes on, would be both more profitable and more productive for wildlife if put in field borders or some type of continuous CRP. Further, I'm sure there are instances where removing unproductive ground at the farmer's expense would still give a better bottom line than farming it.

Now back to Wheatland. Much of this problem was made clear back in the dirty thirties. The same problems that they had then still exist today. Getting enough average or better years together to establish native vegetation is difficult in that region. The sprinklers may well have helped with that, but July and August are still the jury there and often tip the scales away from success. We have the same problem on the Sandsage Bison Refuge. Tom is continually reseeding it hoping to get a long-term fix only to find years like 2012 win and he loses. It will take time and there are probably a lot of folks working on it.
 
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