April 2007 Updates page 4
16 Apr
Goldie, a during the season replacement dog on her first upland bird hunt and first point. The owner (a 30+ year quail hunter) used the last month of the season as a final get to know the dog and train her for hunts to come carrying camera and leaving the gun in the truck. This was a quail covey point.
Upland Bird Forecast
New to all that we have talked to is this spring's unusual weather and any potential impact on the nesting season (April - May nesting, brood season May - June). We went from a cold February, to warm March to a cold April. The unusually cold April being the concern.
Within memory of neighbor farmers, several member/bird hunters and the lack of discussion from state or private conservation organizations, it appears the amount of precipitation and length of the April cold crop killing temperatures and snowfall to be a rarity outside of past experiences. In terms of nesting survival this lack of experience makes it in unknown if the cold April will have a significant impact on ground nesting bird reproduction. Or, a point of no concern. Past years have seen sunburn warm spring turkey season openers as well as flurries, however rare and outside of memory has been the April snowfall ground accumulation and the repeated freezing temperatures we have recently experienced.
April is the concern as early nests are having eggs laid. It is that period between the first and last egg laid before nest sitting starts that may or may not have been affected by freezing temperatures and wet conditions. The wet conditions include not just rain and snow precipitation, but also the surface soil (the top six inches) has been well saturated this spring. This level of ground moisture has a longevity that any farmer will express to a deeper concern than the suburbanite who seeks just to cut his lawn. The point being the start of this spring's nesting period will find lingering ground moisture and all will agree within our area the dryer the spring the better for pheasant and quail production. This dryness includes that of ground moisture in addition to daily precipitation. There simply is a lot of moisture at ground level that we would not prefer for our ground nesting birds.
Past experience with pen raised pheasants and quail (for our personal and extended family dog training) shown by April first of every year we averaged three eggs per two pheasant hens (ideal winter over health, feed and protection). Quail followed shortly thereafter. The pheasant hens would lay as few as eight and more than a dozen before sitting to incubate. During that first egg and pre nest sitting the eggs were exposed to all weather effects. Within the confines of a pen, the protective habitat (overhead cover, drained ground, dry clean food) was better than any wild conditions. In the wild, the weather will have full effect.
The bad news is this early egg laying/nesting period adverse weather does not have any previous observable correlation to nesting success. We simply lack previous experience with these conditions. Another example of this lack of local cold April experience has been this spring's alfalfa crop that was about 1/3 grown has been killed by the freezing temperatures. Our normal June 1, first cutting will be delayed to mid and more likely end of June. This is the first time we ever lost alfalfa to spring freeze. This cold April is a new and seasonal variable to watch for within the Kansas, Iowa and Missouri upland forecasts that should start appearing from July through September.
The good news is as has been in previous years, the central mid-west region wide area did not suffer uniform coverage of the bad April weather. To date this spring the worst weather periods were confined to a few and not all of the better upland bird regions that MAHA lease land covers. The good news continues as the remainder of the April long term weather forecast is favorable, warm and mostly dry. Still further good news is that past April weather correlations to ground rearing bird nest survival has shown the entire month of April to have insignificant impact as compared to May and June brood months' weather. If April weather is insignificant to reproduction survival why this article? It is significant as we have not in memory experienced such adverse April weather and it will be one element to consider when examining this year's upland bird forecasts to actual behind dog fall hunts.
The worst to expect is the same as occurs most years, that is, regions of Kansas, Iowa and Missouri will have varying bird densities. To this end including the April weather by locality to our evaluations of the better bird hunting being the point to watch. The best to watch for is that April continues to demonstrate, regardless of this April's most adverse weather in memory, insignificant benefit or consequence to ground nesting bird nest and brood survival. This would validate current and past spring environmental indicator models of reproduction success and fall hunt quality. The worst case is that weather extremes in close proximity of base line environmental effects and key months require inclusion into fall forecasts.
In any case, this type of seasonal variable may have the same affect we observed during the 2006-2007 upland bird season. Last season some of the better pheasant regions, while having a good hatch and brood months, experienced poor hunt quality adversely impacted by the summer drought preventing the large acreage tall grass that makes pheasant hunting easy. It turned out the birds having good reproduction was not the prime indicator of hunt quality. In this case last year's environmental variable of the greatest impact was summer drought and lack of cover. Identifying these types of seasonal variable indicators additive to base line environmental correlative observations to production/survival observations should produce a higher probability of fall bird density by region.
For those that may find these correlative observations unnecessary due to the August and September state agency generated road count surveys satisfying the need to know where to hunt, it must be remembered that road surveys have their benefits and consequences as well. Iowa DNR has been leading the effort at accurate road counts and has identified variables that impact survey results independent of actual bird densities. The Iowa 2006 upland forecast a very good example of their effort to provide greater certainty to the correlative value of their data inclusive of weather and habitat to that of conditions during the actual count periods comparative to previous year road surveys and hunter fall feedback. This is Iowa recognizing the inexact science of measuring nature and the linkage of more of the variables involved at predicting fall hunt quality outside of roadside survey observation.
The point being that upland bird forecasts are a soft science without 1 to 1 ratios of cause and effect. Combining proven correlative environmental observations to past hunt quality to that of road surveys will generate a higher degree of confidence of where and where not to bird hunt. Using that information tied to our own (Jon Nee and John Wenzel) cross country observations should result in identification of where to find the better bird hunting based on bird and habitat of preference. This April's adverse weather is one more variable worthy of observation and comparative analysis to base line environmental indicators and fall hunt quality.
13 Apr
Deer Scouting
Hey John,
Thought I would share a couple of photos from this spring.
The first is the six sheds that myself and girlfriend have found this year.
The second and third pictures are of a rub. This rub happens to be about 30 yards from a tree stand that was up this fall. The odd part is tree was not rubbed this year until at least after January as it would have been seen. I found it 
late March. It is quite the rub. The other odd thing I have noticed this spring is two scrapes in a winter buck bedding area that have been used. Not sure where that type of activity is coming from.
regards, ae
Early 80's MAHA Missouri Duck Hunting
Looking back, it's amazing how fast time goes by.
This coming August will mark the 23rd anniversary for the construction of Blairstown Lake, in Henry County Missouri. During its early years, this lake saw interaction from hundreds of waterfowl hunters in the club year after year. Many long term friendships and business relations were brought together in the blinds each season.
Below is a before photo of the dozer work that was done to build the levies in August, 1984.
A view from the summer of 2006 looking north at blind #1. We planted and established a good stand of milo and removed blind #2, so we now have one blind on the north end and one blind on the south end.
The drought of 2006 kept Big Creek within its banks which is very uncommon, but never the less, the lake did not fill until after the season. The photo was taken in March 2007. Our plan this year is to keep the water and plant in 08.
Turkey
...Enclosed a picture of my [location deleted] opening day bowkill. Pulled this guy in with two additional strutters, 32 hens and 5 jakes. Got to watch the show for another 45 minutes after I shot this bird. None of the birds spooked and continued to strut & feed. It was a memorable hunt.
Could have arrowed another longbeard at 4 yards a few hours later, but chose not to end my [location deleted] season so soon. After getting our tails whacked this youth weekend, yet again…I may be regretting that decision.
Thanks again John for all of your help. It's already been a truly rewarding spring!!!!
Steve
P.S. My last two MAHA turkeys have an average score of 80.5. That's mind-boggling. This bird was not big by mid-West standards, yet had great spurs (1 ½) and a great beard ( 11 ¾). A turkeys a turkey, but I'm beginning to see a trend in [location deleted - of course]
Congratulations on the bow harvest - a special achievement. Thanks Steve for your continuing line of success pictures and good hunt accounts. You are a good evaluative source for the leases, keep the feedback coming both the good and the bad.
