The decline in upland birds-
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2023 4:25 am
As a young man, I took pheasant hunting for granted. My grandfather owned over 2,000 acres of farm ground in NE Kansas, I could pretty much go out and shoot pheasants, quail, and Prairie Chickens any time I wanted too. They were always easy to find.
As I got older, my cousin Mike inhierented the farm. He is an upland fanatic, and actively managed the farm for bird production. At this time, farming practices in Kansas were changing. All fence rows were cleared out, plum thickets went away, and most importantly, the CRP program ended when I was in my early 40's.
That killed our little deal, and in meant traveling to the western part of the state. This is a bird I shot a couple years ago in western Kansas. We have had a long drought and some really poor hatches since then. Things here will never be what they once were, and its a shame.
As I got older, my cousin Mike inhierented the farm. He is an upland fanatic, and actively managed the farm for bird production. At this time, farming practices in Kansas were changing. All fence rows were cleared out, plum thickets went away, and most importantly, the CRP program ended when I was in my early 40's.
That killed our little deal, and in meant traveling to the western part of the state. This is a bird I shot a couple years ago in western Kansas. We have had a long drought and some really poor hatches since then. Things here will never be what they once were, and its a shame.