The annual Kansas pheasant season is open and things are looking to be just okay at best.

The news out of Kansas is that the drought throughout the summer really took its toll on the birds. This means that hunters will have a difficult time finding good birds out in the field. The hunting will be extra difficult and the season could be even worse than last year.

Last year was a difficult season for pheasants in much of the Midwest where a difficult winter the year before just beat down on the game. It was a harsh season that led to increased mortality and few birds and other wildlife making it through.

This year the spring season got things off to a decent start and the winter last year wasn’t nearly as bad as the year before.

But things took a turn for the worse especially in the Midwest and the plains. As the summer rolled through the rain stopped and the heat poured down on the wildlife. The harsh conditions killed off much of the natural landscape and fires ripped through it as well. It was a not a good summer for pheasants.

The good news is that experts are seeing a few areas where the birds are doing well. North Central Kansas is one of the good areas where there was some rain this summer.

If you lived in an area where the habitat was pretty well preserved and rain did fall at a decent rate you could find quite a few birds. The pheasant is a tough bird and they’re resourceful. They’ll find pockets of cover and if you can get on the birds you could find more than last year.

Overall, though, expect this season to be difficult out there. Hunting will be a challenge and will likely not be anywhere near a good year for pheasant hunting.