Holy CRP, Look At All Those Birds

Imagine drinking a cold one surrounded by old friends. The stripper hanging off the pole knows every word of the obscure LA Guns song she's dancing to, someone just ordered a plate of stuffed jalapeno poppers and the Chiefs are up by 36 over Denver on the big-screen TV in the corner. As you turn around to survey the scene, you notice the bar is also filled with 10,000 pheasants casually meandering around. While this dream of dreams may seem surreal, the 2005 Pheasant Forecast says it may very well happen.

That's right, kids. According to none other than the folks over at Pheasants Forever, this year's season "should prove to be a year to remember". Thanks to a mixture of quality CRP lands, mild winters, great springs and an increase in hunters who don't poach anything but a friend's beer over lunch, bird numbers are expected to be incredible. So much so that South Dakota experts report their pheasant population to be at a 40-year high, Chris. Looks like you picked the year to head north (without your BuDS, mind you, but we'll let it slide for now).

So what do the Pheasants Forever guys say 'bout Kansas?

"Bird numbers were up last year with hunters harvesting 685,000 birds in 2004 compared to 646,000 in 2003. That trend should continue this year as April rains greened up the wheat to conceal nesting hens. Nesting success and chick survival should also have been high with weather drying out in May and June. Expect the biggest improvements in western Kansas (anyone ready to reserve a few rooms at the Q-Inn over in Quinter yet?)"

And that seems to square with the statewide reports coming out of Hays from the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks.

"Pheasant numbers appear to be up considerably in the western half of the state. East of Highway 281, substantial rains the first two weeks of June may have hurt chick survival statewide, but summer brood counts show the number of broods seen being similar to last year.

Quail seem to be up significantly in the west, as well as most of the southcentral part of the state. Early June wet weather may not have substantially impacted the quail hatch, since the peak is usually the last two weeks of that month. While some areas have been impacted, the hunting opportunities should be similar in the eastern half of the state as the past couple of years."

Region One (Rush Center, LaCross and Grainfield)
Nesting and brood-rearing habitat conditions were good this year throughout Region One. Extremely hot, dry conditions during July and heavy rains probably impacted habitat to a certain extent, but an early hatch may have offset those losses. Pheasant numbers should be improved over last year, with the highest densities occurring in the eastern half of the region. Quail numbers are on an upward trend, with moderately higher numbers than last year exptected. Noticeable habitat improvements will be seen in the northern counties, which should make it that much easier for Todd's dog to bump a skunk and get a face-full of ass spray in return. That heavy cover should also make it easier for Loch to pepper any baseball caps he sees from 30 yards, too.

One specific first-hand account reports seven of the biggest pheasants sunning themselves in a Grainfield garden last month. Appears "Mom" went to water a few plants and bumped a whole herd of 'em into the stuble field west of the house. We saw the email she wrote to #1 Son, so it's as good as gospel to us.

Region Four (The Farm, Uncle Pat's, Pretty Prairie, Clearwater)

Cover conditions for the region are excellent because of abundant summer rainfall. How excellent? The stuff is so damn thick KDWP doesn't think it is getting an accurate count of late broods. Late June rains made it a little difficult to pull in the summer harvest, but that delay probably benefited the bird population. Pheasant carryover in the region from last year was excellent. Combine that with an average hatch thisyear, and there will be a much higher percentage of adult birds in the field when the season opens. Quail numbers are still depressed in Region Four when compared to the 10-year average (anyone can tell you that), but numbers range from fair to good in the southern and western portions of the region.

One final note—get your hunting license early. Unless you're one of the fortunate few who was actually given a lifetime hunting license as a birthday present from friends, you need to either a) buy your license online or well before Opoening Weekend. The Wichita Eagle recently ran a story explaining why. That 15-minute line you waited in last year to get your license? Set aside 45 minutes if you don't get it early.