The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism commission will be asked to close the fall turkey seasons over most of the state for 2017 and 2018.
Biologists say it's warranted because success rates amid active Kansas hunters have been below 60 percent the past two springs. The fall season could be to blame, since hens are legal during the October through January hunt. But it's a bad move.
It would set a bad precedent for how hunting impacts wildlife populations. It could also mean fall seasons would never be opened again in south-central and southeast Kansas.
I don't understand the change.
For at least 40 years, Kansas biologists have told us hunting has no long-term impact on gamebird populations, saying things such as habitat and weather conditions are determining factors. They said it when quail populations reached historic lows from 2005 to 2015, when several commissioners asked that the season be curtailed.
Biologists said the same when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was investigating putting the birds on the endangered species list, and requests were made to close the season statewide or at least in areas with few birds.
Those biologists look right. The rains of the past few years have improved habitat and nesting conditions. We've gone from the lowest quail populations in modern times to some of the best in at least 30 years in some areas. Prairie chicken numbers aren't that high, but they've mostly improved.
The theory with basing turkey seasons and limits off spring bird success rates is that low rates means there must be a shortage of turkeys. But the weather, especially a lot of rains in mid to late April, can hamper hunter success.
The regulation that the season couldn't be opened again until back-to-back springs with 60 percent success is pretty unrealistic. Many years, only one or two states in the nation have a 60 percent spring turkey success rate. I'm sure there will years when no state can top 60 percent.
And Kansas is supposed to have two, back-to-back, before a fall season is justified? I'm not sure that will ever happen again.
It's also worth noting that biologists repeatedly told the public that wild game harvests for quail and prairie chickens were greatly reduced when populations were lower because people didn't invest the time, energy and money to go hunting when success was so limited. They had graphs and charts to prove the point. It's also been noted that many landowners stop the hunting for a specific species on their property when populations are low.
It's hard to believe that two years ago the limit was four birds during the nearly four months of fall seasons in most areas. Yes, numbers are down in many places, but several landowners still want more turkeys killed off their lands.
A season closure would also be frustrating because fall turkey hunting is a sport with a lot of room to grow. Hunter numbers are low, and some of the best hunting is on public ground. The season going through January gives some hunters access to private lands they can't hunt during deer seasons.
Fall turkey hunting can be fun and exciting. Dogs are now legal in the fall season and more hunters are learning ways to use retrievers and pointing dogs for turkeys.
The past few falls, I've become consumed with hunting mature toms in the fall and winter. Mature toms coming to gobbler calls and submissive jake decoys have provided some great shows. I've shot strutting toms, sometimes from big gobbler flocks, attacking the decoy in November, December and January.
I'd hate to have to decide if I like January or April more when it comes to hunting turkeys.
Hopefully, I'll always be able to do both.
