Gun Dog Forum

Had a hard day at Black Kettle... only got couple hours worth of hunting. Moved no birds.
Anyone else had this experience?


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I haven't been out since the ice storm. I'll be going some this week. I've heard pretty bad news since the storm. A friend spent the weekend in the panhandle at some spots that I had done great on pre ice storm and really struggled. Biologist told him he had received several pics from hunters of entire coveys dead, still sitting in the ring. Hope for a good spring and summer because the last couple years have been a ton of fun.

Was there that much ice? Looked like it wasn't too bad, from what I heard and read. Course, I wasn't there.

The panhandle was really bad. Over 1 inch of ice coating everything. My buddy said the warden in Beaver County told him 2 inches in places there. Some people still don't have electricity because all the power poles broke.

Over hunting in the west and weather has led to very low carry over for next year. Oklahoma and Kansas will suffer from the influx of hunters and ice. The bird carry over is very low.

The ice wasn't around long enough in ks to hurt anything. Hunting pressure doesn't have as much effect on quail as you would think due to short life expectancy. I have read the birds taken by hunters wouldn't have made it anyway. But I do know our ice wasn't even around for over 1 day and we have had a very mild winter so far. Should be in good shape for next year as long as the spring and summer weather cooperates.

duckn66 wrote:The ice wasn't around long enough in ks to hurt anything. Hunting pressure doesn't have as much effect on quail as you would think due to short life expectancy. I have read the birds taken by hunters wouldn't have made it anyway. But I do know our ice wasn't even around for over 1 day and we have had a very mild winter so far. Should be in good shape for next year as long as the spring and summer weather cooperates.

You couldn't be more wrong, quail numbers are half going into this spring compared to last year in the southwest. Hunting does have an impact, it may be compensatory to an extent. Probably not on public land where hunters shoot coveys out. Kansas, Oklahoma quail season next year will take a great summer with the low population of carryover on public lands. How could anyone possibly know if a bird shot would of died or lived, that is the most absurd statement.