10/21/2008

by Todd Flory
Salina Journal

With pheasant season starting on November 1 and quail season beginning on Nov. 8, area hunters will soon be gearing up to hunt. And, if Randy Rodgers' predictions are correct, hunters could be in for a special season. "There is a good chance this will be our best pheasant season in 20 years," said Rodgers, wildlife biologist for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. "North central and northwest Kansas are looking pretty darn good," Rodgers said. "Northwest in particular is looking very good."

Of course, Rodgers said, the amount of birds will vary a great deal from one area to the next. The weather plays a large role in the amount of birds in a given year. Rodgers said the northeast part of the state would not have many birds because of too much rain at the wrong times of the year. In the southwest part of Kansas, Rodgers expects bird populations to be down by about 40 percent, due to some extremely dry conditions in the spring. "If you drew a line...from say, Scott City to Dodge City, and extended that line a ways, anything south and west of that line would be in an area where bird numbers are down," Rodgers said.

Rodgers said that much of the pheasant nesting success is linked to the quality of harvest of the wheat crop. "Both of the last two years, wheat crops have been harvested later than usual," he said. "We're going to have lots of unharvested grain crops on opening weekend this year." That allows the pheasants longer to nest in a protective environment and more time for the chicks to grow in a hidden area.

For quail, the best areas for hunting will be in central and south central Kansas. "Not spectacular," Rodgers said of the expected prospects for quail season, "but at least average or better than average, relative to the last 10 years or so." Because of heavy rainfall, the southeast, however,  is not looking good for quail. "With too much rain," he said, "the hens will abandon the nest."

Even with pheasant season opening Nov. 1, Rodgers believes many people will not start hunting until the following weekend. "I think a lot of hunters will wait until that second weekend," he said. The overall hunting numbers, however, are expected to remain the same as last year. "I don't see any huge decline from last year," said Mike Miller, public service executive with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. He said that 166,000 hunting licenses were issued last year, and close to 100,000 hunters were in Kansas fields for the first two weeks of hunting season.

One way to help keep hunting numbers from declining and to add new hunters each year is the Pass It On program. The program offers special sub-programs, such as hunting access, outdoor mentors, shooting opportunities, special hunts and education and awareness. "Primarily, it's a recruitment program," Miller said. "Most of it is aimed at getting youngsters the opportunity to hunt. It's all about getting kids the opportunity to see what hunting is about."

Miller said as the baby boomer generation grows older and more urbanization occurs, the Pass It On program is a good way to introduce new people to hunting, the benefit of which goes beyond just increasing hunting numbers. "There's so many other things competing for other people's time," Miller said. "There's no better way to spend quality time with youngsters than being out in the field with them, teaching them how to hunt or fish." It is also important, Miller said, to have enough of a license base to pay for the state's wildlife programs, especially since the price of fuel and other costs have risen. "It's a funding concern for all our programs," Miller said. "We want to increase the base...so it's not such a burden on a small number of people."

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