Weather impacting birds?

Stevegk

Stevegk

New member
Hi Guys, Despite the heat, thoughts are migrating to hunting. In an earlier post last year, I mentioned about hunting in Kansas this fall. It's getting to the time to start making plans, i.e. coverage, transportation, etc. This trip will probably be a one time trip. I am wondering if the heat has or will impact on the hunting this fall. If it looks like a bad year, I'll delay the plans. If you think the hunting will be good, I'll need your advice on places to hunt, stay, etc. Any and all advice and recommendations would be appreciated. Steve
 
there will be birds, but people will over pressure those areas not adversely affected by the drought and a lot of that is not prime pheasant ground. KDWP will make it sound better than it will be in reality.....i say not this year.
 
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Significant portions of the primary range of our 5 primary gamebirds are in serious condition. Add to that we are 35 days deep in over 100 degree days and chicks can start dying at 103, I would balance distance with potential for a memorable hunt. That potential will be far flung and hard to achieve. Nebraska may see better numbers than Kansas.
 
Thanks guys, I suspected the conditions would be less than ideal. I guess I'll cancel the plans for this year, and hope for next. It will have to be grouse only this year for the young Britt. I'll keep in contact and hope the bird hunters in Kansas can find something to salvage the season. Steve
 
That is probably a good decision to wait a year or two until things start to get normal again. I know I will be drastically cutting back on hunting my normal areas too.
 
I would wait and come another year. There will be spotty pockets of birds, but the word will get out where they are and they will be overhunted.
 
It hit 104 here today with a heat index of 114. I might move all my dove loads into the refrigerator so they won't explode in their little cardboard boxes before the season even opens.
 
the length of this dry spell, but more importantly the length of extreme heat, day after day, is unprecedented.....it will be interesting to see how bad the impact will be on our bird population......my real fear is this may just be the beginning of a multi-year drought.....i pray it is not.
 
The heat was intense today. It's being said tomorrow will be worse.

I'm more worried about keeping an old bird dog alive in this heat than I am about the birds. I've been bringing her inside during the peak hours of the day. She's ready to come in during the AM and ready to head back out late evening.
 
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kansasbrittany said:
The heat was intense today. It's being said tomorrow will be worse.

I'm more worried about keeping an old bird dog alive in this heat than I am about the birds. I've been bringing her inside during the peak hours of the day. She's ready to come in during the AM and ready to head back out late evening.
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good for you, i am sure she appreciates being inside!:thumbsup:
 
I'm more worried about keeping an old bird dog alive in this heat than I am about the birds. I've been bringing her inside during the peak hours of the day. She's ready to come in during the AM and ready to head back out late evening.
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I have one of those myself. Just got back in from wetting him down. Early this afternoon, he'll come inside until the temps get back out of the "danger" range. In fact, today I'll probably bring them all in. I know the young ones can handle the high temps, but why take a chance?
 
Get them dogs inside

It is 106 now and have all three dogs in my office in the basement with me. Now they may think they can hang out here all the time. If your dogs temp gets past 104 it can cause death in just a few minutes. I am no rocket scientist but I can do that math so I got them inside. Good luck and pray for rain and a north wind!
 
Wow, it's been warm/hot here in PA, but not to that extent. Hang in their guys, we'll pray for some relief for you. Steve
 
I spoke to some folks sw of Medicine Lodge. They've had 5.5" of rain this year. Ponds are drying up. Said they haven't seen many fawns this year. Only 20% of the does have fawns and most only 1. Last year, their fawn to doe ratio was 1.6-to-1...now .2-to-1.

Said it appears the does are drying up and can't feed the fawns.

Don't know how that directly relates to birds, but it can't be good.

Mike C.
 
I'll tell you how it relates to birds, it is even worse. the lack of any appreciable nesting cover and insect hatch (without rains) seals the tomb of many birds that may have been lucky enough to get out of the nest.
and if this continues with little or no fall rains, a lot of guys won't even attempt to drill wheat, as it their is no moisture to help it come up.....bad, bad deal for many, besides wildlife.
 
There were recorded temps of 115+ in the KC metro area today... it's absurdly hot out. Things aren't looking good at all... :(
 
PassItOn said:
I spoke to some folks sw of Medicine Lodge. They've had 5.5" of rain this year. Ponds are drying up. Said they haven't seen many fawns this year. Only 20% of the does have fawns and most only 1. Last year, their fawn to doe ratio was 1.6-to-1...now .2-to-1.

Said it appears the does are drying up and can't feed the fawns.

Don't know how that directly relates to birds, but it can't be good.

Mike C.
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In relation to the deer...if thats true thats a good thing. We have too many of them.
 
I went to Las Vegas on a direct flight from Wichita (Left friday 7-29 at 10pm) and came back this evening and landed around 8pm. It was clear skies once we got over the SW part of KS, OK Panhandle, Texas, the only green I saw were irrigated circles of Alfafa, (Im assuming some milo and beans) and the trees along the few creeks or dried up creek beds.

Holy crap everything was brown. All the corn from the air looks like it will definitely come out of the fields early if its even worth harvesting. Some of the green I was seeing could have been corn that was put in late and still on irrigation, but a ton of it was the golden yellow you see later in the year.

I wish the Jet stream (at least thats how I understand it) would move this heat dome as theyve been calling it, out of the way. The whole time I was in Las Vegas it was about 10* cooler than Wichita. They even got showers a couple days while we were there. The locals I talked too while at the poker tables all stated it had been a fairly mild and wet summer for them (at least for Vegas standards).

Wierd how the weather pattern has flip flopped for different parts of the nation.

Definitely ready for fall and consistent rains when it cools down so my grass will come back to life.
 
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