Birds ‘23
Contributors to this thread:Kansas
From: KB
14-Jun-23
Any reports on the hatch yet? Wheat harvest has to be a week or more behind average at this point. With the scattered moisture and thin stands KState is putting out info on spraying wheat pre harvest. Late harvest and weedy fields has to bode well for chicks?
From: Westksbowhunter
14-Jun-23
Haven't seen any yet. Going to the lake tonite so maybe on the way over I will get lucky and see a brood. Not much haying going on but there isn't much to cut. They butchered everything they could last year. Need the rain to keep coming into July to prevent emergency haying again. I think you will see some cutting out here in about 10 days.
From: Catscratch
14-Jun-23
I'm seeing cutting a week or 2 earlier than normal. Also quite a bit of wheat that wasn't cut at all, just no-tilled beans straight into it. More corn locally than I'm used to seeing.
From: Tejas
14-Jun-23
I’m a NR….whose opinion doesn’t matter. But I’m in KS every few weeks taking care of some properties. I’ve noticed ALOT of corn going in where beans usually are. For whatever that’s worth….just my observations. Do hear and see quite a few quail….SEK
From: KB
14-Jun-23
Saw this Cat and just assumed things were late across most of pheasant country. Can remember a handful of harvests in north central that were done by now. Though it sounds like this is closer to average than I would’ve guessed.
From: Catscratch
14-Jun-23
I was thinking quail instead of pheasants (I'm a little east of central and very south so when I see "chicks" my mind goes to quail). My buddy out west in pheasant country had 5000 acres of wheat that didn't make anything. Hopefully the corn, sunflowers, and milo are good for his birds.
From: Kansan
14-Jun-23
I saw a quail hen with 11 chicks the other day. Southeast Kansas.
From: KB
27-Jun-23
From: Kansasclipper
27-Jun-23
I started seeing the combines rolling for the first time Sunday. They are halted locally today.
From: Matte
29-Jun-23
3800 acres Harper Co. Again pretty dismal reports. I will be in Ulysses Saturday at probly the largest gathering of farmers in the region. I will ask around.
From: Tejas
29-Jun-23
Pretty much done in our part of SEK. Going right back in with beans? Isn’t it awfully late? I ask because I genuinely do not know. Fields where they had no wheat…the beans are already a foot tall
From: Kansan
29-Jun-23
Double cropping beans after wheat is standard practice in this part of the state.
From: Catscratch
29-Jun-23
Soybeans have different maturity "groups". Earlier planted beans are likely a couple of groups different than post wheat beans.
From: ksq232
29-Jun-23
Yep, short season beans go in after wheat.
From: Tejas
29-Jun-23
Well now I know. I thought beans were beans.
From: One Arrow
29-Jun-23
We don’t plant short season beans after wheat, we stick with a longer maturing bean (4.7 or 4.8’s)
A lot of guys around here plant short season beans (3.2’s) right after or coinciding with corn, hoping for summer rains. Around here we lose more bean crops in September than in July or August, it seems. Early season beans have a bad habit of popping, so guys have to pull off corn and get after them.
Looks like we could be headed into another disaster of a year. It can turn on a dime though. Just need a good soaker…. Soon.
From: Ksgobbler
01-Jul-23
Haven't seen any turkey poults. I have a couple hens hanging around one of my food plots. Lots of quail whistling.
From: KB
01-Jul-23
Hwy 24 corridor had a rough go with the hail last night.
From: Kansasclipper
01-Jul-23
Hail is just part of getting rain out here. Pheasants have survived hail out here since they were first introduced. Not a big deal. Besides those map apps are just radar indicated anyway.
From: KB
01-Jul-23
Right. But quite a few reports out there to support the maps for this one, and KState folks are releasing a fair amount of hail damage assessment literature this morning. Did it kill all the chicks? Probably not.
From: KB
01-Jul-23
Near Goodland.
From: Two dogs mobile
04-Jul-23
I saw a turkey hen with one poult this morning. I hope there were more that I didn't see. It seems unlikely that there were any more. The poult was about the size of a Meadow Lark.
From: Slate
04-Jul-23
2 days ago I saw a hen with 12 poults.
From: Thornton
04-Jul-23
I had a hen outside my bedroom window pecking around with 3 or 4 poults a few days ago under the horse feed bucket. Neighbor sent me a video of a bunch under his feeder a mile south of my place. I've been hearing more quail this year behind the house.
From: Catscratch
05-Jul-23
All those notill beans into uncut wheat are starting to look great! This has to be great for birds right?
From: KB
21-Jul-23
Jeff just mentioned it in the drought thread but I was looking the maps this morning wondering how the emergency haying/grazing program was going to shake out this year. The flood warned swath of 2-4” moisture last night across much of SW had me thinking nearly the entirety of southwest Kansas would be out of D2 drought by next week, making them ineligible. But read also that a 40% loss in available forage qualifies a county as well. That seems pretty open ended to me. The map for eligible counties shows more than are currently D2 this week and the actual list on the CRP site of available counties is at 101. Seems to me a lot of SW KS is still eligible while already receiving a years worth of moisture during this growing season.
From: KB
21-Jul-23
KB's Link
From: Ksgobbler
21-Jul-23
Seeing alot of quail. Still yet to see a turkey poult.
From: Kansasclipper
21-Jul-23
I thought on the 15th of July for those in the D2 counties they could apply for emergency grazing. So I am thinking that moisture after that date really wouldn't matter. Especially if they signed up immediately.
From: KB
21-Jul-23
“Emergency haying and grazing status is reviewed and authorized each Thursday using the U.S. Drought monitor. Counties are approved for emergency haying and grazing due to drought conditions on a county by county basis, when a county is designated as level “D2 Drought - Severe” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.”
I found this in my studies this morning. Either way I’m sure there was a mad dash to apply this week as there’s got to be some great quality forage out there.
From: KB
22-Jul-23
KB's Link
Saw that USDA announced the new CRP acres following the spring signup this week. Pheasants Forever was bragging it up as the third consecutive year with a gain in overall acreage. The vast majority of that is from the Grassland CRP program though. By Halloween there will be more Grassland CRP than whole-field General CRP acres that we’re all most familiar with. With haying and grazing still acceptable on Grassland CRP I’m not sure I follow the benefits of the program, especially for wildlife, like that of the crop land General CRP. Their resources are pretty vague. Anyone have experience with the Grassland program?
This article brought up some good points I thought.
From: Ksgobbler
23-Jul-23
250k acres damaged by hail from a thunderstorm https://www.kake.com/story/49233434/man-says-lucky-to-be-alive-after-caught-in-middle-of-western-kansas-storm
Also fwiw talking to some folks at the nwtf banquet last night, not alot of poults seen. Kent Fricke was there but I wasnt going to approach him tonask what data they had.
From: KB
23-Jul-23
Saw a video of a large farm headquarter pretty well trashed from that storm. A friend had some milo in the path. One of the fields was hard to tell it had even been planted.
From: Two dogs mobile
24-Jul-23
I saw my first bunch of baby quail yesterday afternoon. I saw one adult and about six very small chicks. They could not have been more than a week or so old. I know prime nesting is supposed to be April 15 to July 15. I doubt if these were hatched by the 15th.
From: Matte
24-Jul-23
They are swathing Crp now in places in Sw Kansas. Two WIHA fields I hunt have been cut since I was here July 4th.
From: KB
24-Jul-23
What county Matt?
From: Dale06
24-Jul-23
Matte, that really sucks. Lots of habitat and likely small pheasants, lost. I think CRP should not be moved but the USDA never asked me.
From: Matte
24-Jul-23
Grant
From: KB
24-Jul-23
Damn. The KState station in Grant Co has 14” since April. Northeast portions of the county are over 20” according to some maps. Yearly average is under 18”. I’m all for producers in need being able to utilize the program when it’s ugly, but this year isn’t out there. Really sad part is that won’t be needed/wanted in that area so it’ll wind up getting trucked to NCK or the Flint Hills. Some middle man hay guy makes a few bucks putting it up and moving it. Doesn’t really do much in the grand scheme of drought relief. Seen it before. And it’s always loaded with kochia seed!
From: Kansan
23-Aug-23
Just had 2 hen turkeys come by, not 50 yards from the house (Montgomery County, KS), with their combined broods. Nearly 20 poults between the two of them. That’s the largest bunch of turkey poults I’ve seen in many years. Sure was glad to see them!
I will note that these birds were smaller than a pheasant, while I’ve already seen some poults that were nearly as big as their mothers.
From: Ksgobbler
23-Aug-23
I saw the first poults saturday morning. 1 hen with 3 poults.
A farmer friend here in eastern ks said emergency haying of his crp was going to allow him to make it through the winter as hay production has been 50-60% of normal.
From: Kansan
23-Aug-23
From: Dragon
24-Aug-23
I have seen several combined breeds of over25-30 poults. Have one group on video, half grown with the James starting to color. Another group almost as big as the momma hens. This group was dusting in a bean field.
From: Dragon
24-Aug-23
I have seen several combined breeds of over25-30 poults. Have one group on video, half grown with the James starting to color. Another group almost as big as the momma hens. This group was dusting in a bean field.
From: Two dogs mobile
24-Aug-23
I'm glad you guys are seeing a lot of poults. I am out a lot and have seen a total of one poult.
From: Ksgobbler
25-Aug-23
Saw 2 hens with 7 poults that were pretty large this morning on my bike ride. Only turkeys seen on the 15 mile route.
From: Ksgobbler
04-Oct-23
Upland bird forecast is out and even with the KDWP spin it doesnt sound good https://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Upland-Birds/Upland-Bird-Forecast
From: Matte
04-Oct-23
If Kansas does not get on board with the 30+ other states and start releasing birds. The Upland hunter heritage will slowly die in this state. I have a 20 year son who would rather waterfowl or dove hunt than walk all day for a few flushes. Rewind to 2010 and we we flush 2-300 birds a day. He has never seen the good years.
From: Dale06
04-Oct-23
Good points Matte. I, my brothers and nephews pre fall of 2012 usually shot four bird limits before noon opening day. And we would do that several times through the season. Since 2012, the same people and two good labs will kill far less than one bird per hunter opening day, and we don’t even hunt the rest of the season. We’ve gone to buying and releasing a few roosters, just to make the opener more than a walk carrying a shotgun. Other than a few released birds opening day, we have focused on dove hunting. At least there’s some shot opportunities.
From: Matte
04-Oct-23
People will argue released birds do not live, do not fly great. Rearing Pheasants has come a long way but that is not the point. It as about keeping traditions alive. Kody and I had some great dove hunts this year as well.
From: Catscratch
04-Oct-23
Same. Most local kids I know (that still hunt) go after waterfowl and dove. Not a lot of kids hunting deer and/or quail anymore. Seeing bird dogs around farm houses seem to be a thing of the past also.
From: Ksgobbler
09-Oct-23
Busted a covey tonight on my place that was 15 birds a hair smaller than a house sparrow. Couldnt fly far at all. Also saw the biggest family group of turkeys I have seen in years. I had to stop to let them cross.
From: Justhunt
09-Oct-23
I’ve been running into some big coveys of quail lately. I’ve bumped two 15-20 bird coveys in the last week. Been seeing quite a few along the road too. I’m definitely not out trying to find them either.
From: Justhunt
09-Oct-23
I’ve been running into some big coveys of quail lately. I’ve bumped two 15-20 bird coveys in the last week. Been seeing quite a few along the road too. I’m definitely not out trying to find them either.
From: Kansan
09-Oct-23
The quail did well in my part of the state. It seems the turkeys did too, which is fantastic, because the turkey population is in a bad way in these parts.
From: Justhunt
09-Oct-23
I have been seeing a few groups of 3/4 grown poults as well. I’m happy to see them. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen any young turkeys.
From: KsRancher
26-Nov-23
Who's going to go out today. This is the day to go out and knock down a limit.
From: sitO
26-Nov-23
Me ;?)
From: be still
26-Nov-23
Cool pic…it’s probably best I stay off here until the snow melts.
