Another Die Off in Kansas?

[sqiggy]

No die off, the outfitters are selling hunts like crazy (don't blame them) its been going on for along time and the deer are getting killed at record rates . That's why your seeing less mature deer, its all about the bottom dollar to KPWD. We have several farms in the pratt area, five years ago there was 0 hunting pressure around us, now all you see is hunters and its going on all throughout Kansas. They need to limit the tags

Then how come nobody are seeing does? There is one place I could go and see up to 20 does at one time. This year, I was lucky to see one.
And the guy I hunt with doesn't allow taking of does.
Another thing I noticed was double amount of coyotes I heard howling and barking right at dark. I tried to do my part. There is one less yote in Ks. today!!!

[rebelmdb69]

They got the rain just like we did down here, but, when it stopped, it stopped. My guy couldn't do any duck hunts this year due to the places he has were dried up as a bone.

Who did you hunt with? I run guided duck and goose hunts around Hutch and Stafford and have been hammering them! More water this year than the last few years and fields have been on fire.

[BrandonA]

I haven't hunted in Kansas in the last 5 yrs. Even then the locals talked about the lack of big deer. I hunted on a friends place. When I first started hunting Kansas I had access to 3500 acres of deer country free. Now all that free country has been leased. I lost my connection through divorce but it's not like it was 10 yrs ago. I would love to hunt Kansas again but it won't be like it was before.

[friscopaint]

We had this discussion a couple yrs ago while in Kansas, we spoke to a trooper (bowhunter) about it and he agreed with us that the years of drought decimated the deer herd. He lived and hunted hard there and he didn't see any indication of blue tounge. We did hunt a great area in Iowa quited a few years back and it had been hit hard with blue tounge and everybody knew about it, locals that is, DOW was quiet on the subject. Same with our place in NW Oklahoma, nowhere near the deer of a few years back due to years of drought. Gonna take some rebuilding time I think.

[jakeb03]

No die off, the outfitters are selling hunts like crazy (don't blame them) its been going on for along time and the deer are getting killed at record rates . That's why your seeing less mature deer, its all about the bottom dollar to KPWD. We have several farms in the pratt area, five years ago there was 0 hunting pressure around us, now all you see is hunters and its going on all throughout Kansas. They need to limit the tags

Yep, My uncle hunted in Pratt for 9 or 10 years. The last couple years outfitters are on every fence line shooting anything with horns.

[sqiggy]

Who did you hunt with?

Jim Call.
He told me he was gonna drill a well to keep water on the places he has so it never happens again. He said it quit raining during the summer and went thru a 3 month drought.
All I know, something happened from last year to this year. And since he doesn't allow taking of does, I know it isn't from over hunting.
I also remember, on my 2nd morning hunt, set up along a cedar thicket, I heard a deer coughing. About 2 minutes later, I see the deer walking thru. Couldn't tell what it was, only could see the legs. Again, I don't know if that is a symptom of blue tongue or just something else.
But the deer numbers from Stafford to Hutch were way down.

[wacm]

I'm not saying the herd is up or the herd is down, but how can you make such an assumption based on such a small sample. The deer herd is down because they weren't at one of your stands for the two weeks you hunted up there? I think the guy just told you that hoping you won't come back next year. Lol
Nothing against you,they don't like Texans to begin with. Anything Kansas guys tell you take it with a grain of salt. We hunt central/western an seen as many deer as usually do.

[2050z]

Kansas farmers don't want good hunting, they want DEAD deer. All you can shoot.

That's what the farmer told me when he gave me access to his place two weeks ago. Stack them up like cord wood. We did not see a lot of doe this year. I've seen only two doe after 14 days of hunting. I shot a big mature one.

We saw lots of young bucks and three big shooters this year.

[sqiggy]

I'm not saying the herd is up or the herd is down, but how can you make such an assumption based on such a small sample. The deer herd is down because they weren't at one of your stands for the two weeks you hunted up there?

Been huntin up there for 11 yrs now. Five years ago, they had a breakout. I could definitely see a difference then and see a difference now.
Stands I hunt, I usually can see to a 1/4 to a 1/2 mile and I hunt all day. When you go from year to year, and see up to a dozen or more a day, then the next year you do good to see 3 or 4, or any at all in one day, it's not an "assumption" that something has happened or changed.
My question was, if anybody who hunts around this area, have they seen a decrease in the numbers this year and if they have heard anything of another outbreak.
Could have been the weather that kept the deer holed up, but out of 8 days and 9 other hunters in camp reporting the same thing, kinda makes you wonder!!