Forecast
Upland Bird Specific
Pheasant Hunting
Quail Hunting
| Time On The GroundBird dog hunting when a pair of boots can be worn out before the end of the season is the type of bird hunting we all want and is possible in Mid-America Hunting Association. Your MAHA staff does just that over the course of the entire 12 months on the year staying in touch with the land, the landowners and the wildlife. From talking to other bird hunters from around the nation wearing out a pair of boots within one season is the realm of the plains hunter. It seems the big woods grouse hunter for example just does not cover as much ground as do plains hunters working dogs on pheasant and quail. What does it take to wear out boots in one season? It is the ability to hunt from first to last light over many days and not resting unless moving from one spot to the next the entire season.
Upland Bird Forecast MethodologyWe receive questions every year about our upland forecast and how we reach it. Several elements that contribute to our forecast include previous season densities, trusted hunter feedback, 12 month year on the ground observation and spring rains. Population densities during the previous season indicating the potential carry over population for spring mating. We take this evaluation from our own on the ground during the season and late winter assessments. This is combined with the next input, that of our trusted hunters.
Next, is our own or MAHA staff assessment during the hunting season behind dogs we trained and hunt, one of which is pictured above. Nothing beats first hand experience. Your Association staff does practice what they preach and rarely hunt the same units twice in a season. Both Jon Nee and John Wenzel travel about each of the regions during the season and through out the rest of the year observing birds. Their objective is to give every hunter the best experience possible and the first step in that process is the right habitat in the right region of the state with a history of production. The resulting recommendation is intended to motivate that member to renew his membership due to having a good hunt.
Finally, the most significant indicator of spring hatch survival and subsequent fall's good hunting is the combined rainfall during the critical hatch and brood months of May and June. No other environmental influencing factor that can be measure has such a direct connection to upland or ground nesting bird populations than the spring rains. The issue is not to have too much rain. As a mark to gauge we have found through the years that less than 10 inches combined May and June rainfall indicates an above average chick survival rate increasingly so as that rainfall decreases in amount. Other environmental factors we have tracked and attempt to draw correlations have included winter cold temperatures and snowfall. Both of which had no statistical correlation. In the central mid-west our winters are mild to the point they have none of the degrading affect that northern states suffer and the consequences of less spring carry over and general strength of the hens. It is rare to shovel snow from a driveway in Kansas compared to the near daily ritual in Michigan. The next environmental influence we have discounted has been summer heat and rainfall. While cover habitat is degraded by drought or enhanced by rains with a secondary effect being predation protection to maturing juvenile birds that secondary affect has been minimal to non-consequential in terms of bird number. That same indicator of summer rains and the lack there of during some years does impact hunt quality in spite of bird numbers. That impact is that good tall grass is thick and five feet average height or better holds pheasants tight and in numbers that make for the memorable rolling flushes. These are the conditions where one field, one walk, one dog, one hunter can have four rooster points, four shells and four in the bag kind of day. However, it the grass is thin and low due to drought the pheasants do not concentrate and are far more given to run. When we combine all four factors used in our upland bird forecast we assess as to where to recommend hunters to hunt quail and or pheasant with the idea of maximizing their hunt quality and not as a promise of bagging limits every day. This hunt quality aspect includes habitat type as we have experienced hunters that may excel on the brushy draw may achieve only frustration in the tall prairie grass. The final element to a good upland bird hunt be it for quail or pheasant is the time and weather conditions during the season. Our early season from the last of October through November is typically warm making for plenty of 'T' shirt hunting days and heat fatigued dogs. From December onwards the colder weather becomes more reliable and hunt quality improves for scenting conditions, dog and hunter comfort. While some of the earlier portions of this upland bird forecast may seem weighted toward pheasants and not quail, quail are also well watched. In terms of forecasting quail the dryer the spring the better and summer drought not much of an adverse impact. At this point have a read of our current upland bird forecast that covers in specific detail by regions where Mid-America Hunting Association covers with hunting land.
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We have trusted hunters that are not given to exaggeration or deception on their personal bird hunting observations. These hunters give assessments of where the upland population trends are increasing or decreasing by the regions they hunt. Just as the Association staff may not be able to cover all Association lease land regions during the season neither can any one hunter. However, combining the reports from a good selection of hunters from that hunt all regions with our year round observations does provide a more complete and collaborated assessment.
