Kansas releases hunting forecast for pheasant and other upland game birds

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has released its upland game bird hunting forecast for 2023.

The forecast is available online and will soon be in printed form, according to a news release.

The forecast is compiled from data collected during spring calling surveys for pheasants, quail, and prairie chickens, as well as late-summer roadside surveys for pheasants and quail.

You can find the forecast at ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Upland-Birds and at most KDWP offices.

Here’s an overview:

Quail

Kansas continues to support above-average quail populations with spring densities similar to last year, including significant increases in portions of the western regions of the state this spring.

Rains through much of the nesting season greatly improved habitat conditions across the state, the release said.

Harvest will again be among the highest in the country, according to the release. The best opportunities will be in the central regions of the state into the Flint Hills.

Pheasants

Intense drought conditions throughout 2022 reduced pheasant populations and the available nesting cover for 2023.

The western third of the state saw some areas of improvement but remain low after sharp declines in 2022. The north-central Smoky Hills region remained good last year in spite of the drought but dropped to levels similar to the remaining pheasant regions.

While hunting opportunities still exist where habitat was maintained, hunters will find challenging conditions and should be prepared to work for birds.

Prairie chickens

Greater prairie chickens are found primarily in the tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies that occur in the eastern third and northern half of the state. Greater prairie chickens have recently expanded in numbers and range in the northwestern portion of the state while declining in the eastern regions.

Hunting opportunities will be best in the Smoky Hills regions this fall where populations have been stable and public access is more abundant.

The Southwest Prairie Chicken Unit, where lesser prairie chickens are found, will remain closed to hunting this year.

Pheasant, quail and greater prairie chicken seasons run through Jan. 31, 2024, in Kansas.

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