Kansas goes to 1 spring bird

[nativeks]

I wonder if the State has had the discussion of the number of illegally taken birds in Kansas (mainly trespassing.) I have no evidence to support this, but when I was hunting there last year I couldn't help but think that the number of birds taken by trespassers must be far greater in Kansas than other states, mainly because of the open terrain, low people population, wide distribution of public walk in areas, and high number of nonresident "hunters."

Some people begin the hunt with no concept of respecting property boundaries, and many other's moral convictions are quickly forgotten when they see a strutter in a field with no house within 10 miles. Like I said, I don't know if there any evidence to back this up, and I don't know if that number is material to the overall population, but I do think it's very plausible that this could be a contributing factor to a decreased huntable population. I don't know how the State could effectively reduce the times this happens.

It really leaves me with animosity when someone tells me they "hopped a fence or two" to shoot or retrieve a bird they shot across the property line, and I could see this happening a lot in Kansas or other areas with similar terrain. Any input from y'all on this?

Well I have caught them every year, and they drive by my house which sits on a dead end road. 2 from MS last year. Truckload of guys from AR the year before, and they confessed to a whole bunch of stuff. I ran them off road hunting and they attempted to tresspass in the am. They shot a turkey from the road with me in my driveway in the pm.
3 years ago it was 3 guys from AR. That doesnt include the guys from GA that I was too slow to catch either. This is just all while I am at home. Who knows what happens when I am at work.

2 times I hate living on my property. Spring turkey and rifle deer season.

[Turkeyman]

nativeks...take it for what it's worth but when I hunted north central KS two years ago I became "conversationally friendly" with the local game warden. He said he had far more problems with AR hunters than those from any other state LOL.

[nativeks]

nativeks...take it for what it's worth but when I hunted north central KS two years ago I became "conversationally friendly" with the local game warden. He said he had far more problems with AR hunters than those from any other state LOL.

The one in this county as well as the guy in the county north of me said the same thing.

[El Pavo Grande]

I'm from Arkansas, and to be honest, I'm not surprised at all. 

[redjones]

Farmers kill lots of them,hens and toms.
They ride around in there trucks and shoot them with HP rifle's,been that way for years.
The guys I hunt on tell you to kill them all,and I mean all of them.


        Greg

[stinkpickle]

Farmers kill lots of them,hens and toms.
They ride around in there trucks and shoot them with HP rifle's,been that way for years.
The guys I hunt on tell you to kill them all,and I mean all of them.


        Greg

True.  Some farmers believe they do a lot of crop damage.

[stinkpickle]

I wonder if the State has had the discussion of the number of illegally taken birds in Kansas (mainly trespassing.) I have no evidence to support this, but when I was hunting there last year I couldn't help but think that the number of birds taken by trespassers must be far greater in Kansas than other states, mainly because of the open terrain, low people population, wide distribution of public walk in areas, and high number of nonresident "hunters."

Some people begin the hunt with no concept of respecting property boundaries, and many other's moral convictions are quickly forgotten when they see a strutter in a field with no house within 10 miles. Like I said, I don't know if there any evidence to back this up, and I don't know if that number is material to the overall population, but I do think it's very plausible that this could be a contributing factor to a decreased huntable population. I don't know how the State could effectively reduce the times this happens.

It really leaves me with animosity when someone tells me they "hopped a fence or two" to shoot or retrieve a bird they shot across the property line, and I could see this happening a lot in Kansas or other areas with similar terrain. Any input from y'all on this?

Well I have caught them every year, and they drive by my house which sits on a dead end road. 2 from MS last year. Truckload of guys from AR the year before, and they confessed to a whole bunch of stuff. I ran them off road hunting and they attempted to tresspass in the am. They shot a turkey from the road with me in my driveway in the pm.
3 years ago it was 3 guys from AR. That doesnt include the guys from GA that I was too slow to catch either. This is just all while I am at home. Who knows what happens when I am at work.

2 times I hate living on my property. Spring turkey and rifle deer season.

I don't doubt that one bit.  Much of the terrain along the Nebraska border looks like a poacher's paradise.

[mtns2hunt]

I only hunted Kansas once but it was one of the best hunts and came home with two nice birds: had both mounted Sorry to hear of the population decline. Can't stand a poacher. I truly believe there is a special hell for them and if there isn't there should be.

[saltysenior]

populations have gone down in areas and states where there is little or no poaching...

[nativeks]

I have a theory that alot of them die over the explosion of deer feeders. Congregates them and makes them easy pickings.

[Kansan]

I haven't noticed any population decline here in southeast Kansas, but it doesn't bother me. I'm satisfied with one bird anyhow.

[Tom Threetoes]

In 2016 my wife and I were drawn for a Kansas wma hunt. We had a choice of 4 different hunts of 2 days each. We called up a total of 12 male turkeys, 8 gobblers and 4 jakes, in the two days we hunted. In 2019 there was one hunt, I wrote the property manager to ask about the drastic cut back in the number of hunts and he said the numbers had  taken a nose dive, way over half in 3 years.