Kansas lowering limit

Looks like it’s gonna go to a 1 gobbler limit this spring.

Dang that's pretty drastic. Wasn't it 3?

No they’ve had 2 and 1 bird zones forever.

Any reason it's so low? Do they have research to back whatever effort they are making? Population decline or something happen up there or just not many birds for some reason

I was there a couple years ago and the population was much lower than I had seen in the past. Used to be an awesome hunt, really struggled last trip.

Guy my dad hunts with up there said a few bad hail storms last few springs killed poults and nests pretty bad in their area. Along with some pretty rough floods.

The guys I hunt with in SE Kansas blame the farmers hauling in chicken litter from Arkansas for fertilizer. They say the further you get from the southeast corner of the state, the more stable the flocks are. They say this correlates to the distance it justifies hauling the liter in from Arkansas.

I bet they see a significant drop in OOS license income too. Too many other good states around them with more liberal limits

I’ve been going to Kansas since 2014. Two tags over the counter every year. I don’t think I’ll go all that way and spend the money for one bird.

Everyone I've talked to from North Texas all the way to Nebraska has seen drastic population declines the last couple years. I spent two days on our Nebraska ranch this year and instead of seeing hundreds of turkeys I don't think we saw a dozen.

I just checked. Looks like you can still get two tags if you are hunting Zones 1 and 2. Unfortunately, I hunt in Zone 3.

thats gonna change^. It's all different for spring of 2020

Spring 2020 information is already on the website. That’s what I quoted. Guess they could reduce limits for zones 1 and 2 between now and then.

Going to one bird limit in units 3,5 &6 in 2021.

"The commission first approved 7-0 a recommendation from Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism biologist Kent Fricke to reduce the spring 2021 turkey tag limit from two birds to one in Units 3, 5 and 6 based on the adaptive harvest strategy state biologists have in place to determine what harvest recommendations to make."

https://www.hutchnews.com/sports/20...-limits-fall-season-to-41-days-statewide

This is what the website says this morning:

Spring Turkey - Regular (firearm/archery)
Date: 04/15/2020 - 05/31/2020
Location: Unit Specified on Permit
Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Legal Equipment: Shotguns using shot sizes 2-9; long, recurve or compound bows and crossbows.
Permit Limit: Any individual who has purchased a spring turkey permit is eligible for one second turkey game tag. Spring game tags are valid for Units 1 and 2.
Bag Limit: One turkey with a visible beard per permit or game tag.
Dogs may not be used in spring season.

All population declines are due to over harvest of gobblers, right?

Kansas was flooded all spring.

The eggs/poults didn’t do well due to the water levels.

The outfitter that I book lots of hunts for is probably not taking any turkey hunters in the spring

I bet same thing in Iowa. I was going to college world series in June and everything was under water or not planted at all.

What are the population declines due to?

Yep. Saw the same. Flooding was epic — almost biblical— along the Missouri and Platte Rivers. Couldn’t have helped matters.

The deer hunting clubs inside the levee over on the MS were devastated this spring. I feel for them it’ll take years for the deer to return. Much less turkeys

Yep. It also messed up the Louisiana bayou. I had to cancel most of my alligators hunters due to my lodge getting flooded and us losing two boats.

It also messed up crabbing and shrimping for lots of folks. Too much fresh water.

We lost 40-50% of our deer herd on our MS river island. The turkeys have been under water for the last 2 years as well which has severely impacted their population levels. Hoping for a very dry spring.