Upland Forecast

westksbowhunter said:
My friend is the former upland biologist for KS and when he doesn't have many birds on his properties it's bleak.
Click to expand...
I know that guy too. He knows more about what's good pheasant habitat in Kansas than anyone. He spent a day with me once looking at my family's ground because I asked him to make some recommendations.

Hail's a killer for sure when broods are young, but we didn't get any during the critical time. Our wheat was just way too short in mid April to be decent nesting cover. 10" for nesting by mid-April according to the same guy. I'm not sure it was 10" when the insurance adjuster came out in June. Of course it had started raining by then, but it was too late for the wheat so we grew a lot of weeds.
 
Has Kansas always left out the actual count (number) statistics in their forecasts? Or has it gotten so bad that they decided to take that out to provide a glimmer of hope?
 
Yes and no. The "forecast" is KDWP's interpretation of the data. Others might say "spin on the data." I don't read it much, and I don't really remember it having numbers. I read the underlying brood survey. The brood survey itself is available here:

Research Publications

The official website of the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
ksoutdoors.com ksoutdoors.com

click "Wildlife Research and Surveys" on the left, and then click on "Upland Bird" back towards the right. The 2023 Brood Survey is first item listed.
 
matto said:
I know that guy too. He knows more about what's good pheasant habitat in Kansas than anyone. He spent a day with me once looking at my family's ground because I asked him to make some recommendations.

Hail's a killer for sure when broods are young, but we didn't get any during the critical time. Our wheat was just way too short in mid April to be decent nesting cover. 10" for nesting by mid-April according to the same guy. I'm not sure it was 10" when the insurance adjuster came out in June. Of course it had started raining by then, but it was too late for the wheat so we grew a lot of weeds.
Click to expand...
Yep I bow hunt on his property.
 
matto said:
Yes and no. The "forecast" is KDWP's interpretation of the data. Others might say "spin on the data." I don't read it much, and I don't really remember it having numbers. I read the underlying brood survey. The brood survey itself is available here:

Research Publications

The official website of the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
ksoutdoors.com ksoutdoors.com

click "Wildlife Research and Surveys" on the left, and then click on "Upland Bird" back towards the right. The 2023 Brood Survey is first item listed.
Click to expand...
That makes sense and that's probably the way they've always done it. They sure didn't make it easy to find that brood survey this year though... and probably for a reason. Thanks for the info.
 
Fine line between taking the dog for a walk carrying a gun and actually hunting. Which is it? Enjoyed some great hunts in NC Kansas, sad to see it change. Between deer leases and drop in bird numbers, our group had to relocate to the Dakotas. I sure do miss the quail, best eating bird.
 
Last edited:
BirdGuy said:
Cant shoot the one remaining Kansas pheasant by sitting on the couch! I'll take a day in the field over a day sittin at the desk 10/10 times despite the impending doom on bird populations.
Click to expand...
I don't think anyone is planning on sitting on the couch. Just hunting different states. I live here in Kansas pheasant country and I will be traveling.
 
This was a depressing thread to read. Here in IA, the CRP that doesn't get baled or grazed should be full of birds, but when those fields are mowed/baled, they are also very poor for early spring nesting the following spring. Obviously that also displaces all the birds into the remaining cover, which usually not as robust as the CRP is, so the winter will be harder on survival rates of the birds. We still have a few wet areas and buffered waterways, but that cover is disappearing too. If KS government cared about the birds, they would limit the haying/grazing of the CRP, but they are trying to look-out for the livelihood of the people, which I guess should be a priority. If you can't feed the cattle, they can't feed us. With less cover, you have fewer birds, you have fewer hunters to complain and fewer for the government to try to appease. Need more rain to reduce the abuse to the CRP and improve the conditions, that is the one thing that can make a change. I hope we can get back to the rain levels we had been used to.
 
Chestle said:
KS isn't about upland anymore.
Click to expand...
You could make the argument that there isn't a state in the entire country that doesn't make deer hunting its top priority, other than South Dakota. State wildlife agencies have to focus on what sells licenses and gets participants into the open season. Here in Minnesota, deer hunting has more participants than all the other seasons combined, and that number is only going to go up because they just legalized the use of crossbows for everyone during archery season. We may not necessarily agree with it here, but deer matter and everything else is secondary almost everywhere.
 
remy3424 said:
This was a depressing thread to read. Here in IA, the CRP that doesn't get baled or grazed should be full of birds, but when those fields are mowed/baled, they are also very poor for early spring nesting the following spring. Obviously that also displaces all the birds into the remaining cover, which usually not as robust as the CRP is, so the winter will be harder on survival rates of the birds. We still have a few wet areas and buffered waterways, but that cover is disappearing too. If KS government cared about the birds, they would limit the haying/grazing of the CRP, but they are trying to look-out for the livelihood of the people, which I guess should be a priority. If you can't feed the cattle, they can't feed us. With less cover, you have fewer birds, you have fewer hunters to complain and fewer for the government to try to appease. Need more rain to reduce the abuse to the CRP and improve the conditions, that is the one thing that can make a change. I hope we can get back to the rain levels we had been used to.
Click to expand...
Here's the kicker, there's more hay in Eastern Kansas then can be used.
 
westksbowhunter said:
What I don't understand is why allow emergency haying when the KS hays is being sold to Texas. There is not enough cattle out here to eat all the hay that is being baled.
Click to expand...
That is an easy answer. The state doesn’t prioritize upland habitat or species. I guarantee the state of ks wouldn’t approve emergency cutting of our timber in the eastern part of the state to ship to Kentucky or other states. That would to significantly effect our “ big Buck” population which is being sold. It’s all money and priorities. Unfortunately upland hunting doesn’t bring in the money or make tv shows like deer does.
 
centralkshunter said:
That is an easy answer. The state doesn’t prioritize upland habitat or species. I guarantee the state of ks wouldn’t approve emergency cutting of our timber in the eastern part of the state to ship to Kentucky or other states. That would to significantly effect our “ big Buck” population which is being sold. It’s all money and priorities. Unfortunately upland hunting doesn’t bring in the money or make tv shows like deer does.
Click to expand...
You're barking up the wrong tree, sort of. The state of Kansas has no say in whether emergency haying and grazing is allowed. Those provisions are written into the CRP contracts between the producer and some sub-agency of the USDA.

However, Kansas could write something into WIHA contracts about it. That might turn out great: "I won't cut hay this summer even though I can because I'll lose my WIHA payment". That might turn out neutral: "I'm cutting hay anyway, I'll make more money selling it than I would get from the WIHA payment." That might turn out poorly: "I'm not enrolling it in WIHA with that provision."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top