2026 Kansas Hunting Outlook (full article)
* Statewide Summary * Regional Summary (Smith County area)
STATEWIDE SUMMARIES
PHEASANT – Pheasant densities decreased across all regions this year as there was heavy rain during peak hatch across most of the primary range limiting production. After 2 good years of production, spring crowing densities were as high as they had been in a decade. Unfortunately, we did not receive weather to capitalize on this strong breeding potential. Heavy rain during hatch generally decreases chick survival, and we saw substantial decreases in brood size and successful hens this year. Additionally, renesting birds would have largely hatched during the hot dry conditions that settled in during late summer limiting later brood cover success. Acres enrolled in CRP were released to be used for emergency forage for cattle across most of the state again this year. Early indications are that with the extreme heat that we received in late summer that CRP will be relied on more than it has in recent years as traditional hay crops are stressed. This has the potential to limit huntable cover, however with fewer birds on the landscape it may also help concentrate birds in remaining CRP. Hunting will be tougher this year and harvest will likely be down. The best areas will be in the Smoky Hills and Southern High Plains.
QUAIL – Statewide quail populations improved again this summer after a dry spring was interrupted by a period of heavy rainfall in early summer promoting abundant weedy habitat. Unlike pheasants, this rainfall occurred before peak hatch date for quail, offering the benefit of the improved habitat without large impacts to chick survival. While late summer turned dry and hot, the habitat from these early summer rains had improved enough to carry these birds through. Nesting and brooding survival were both improved across all regions except the far southwest. The southwest was the only region to see declines in fall densities this year but still remained relatively strong coming off high densities last year. The highest densities remain in the southern half of the state similar to last year, with the highest regional density in the Southcentral Prairies and expanding out into all adjacent regions. Kansas maintains one of the strongest quail populations in the country and harvest will again be among the highest in the country. The best opportunities will be across the southern half of the state extending up through northcentral Kansas, with quality hunting opportunities scattered in the remaining regions.
REGIONAL SUMMARIES
Smoky Hills (Northcentral - includes Smith County)
This region has 106,720 acres acres acres of public land and 261,269 acres acres of WIHA open to hunters this fall.
Pheasant – Pheasants trended down in this region after improvements last year. Similar to NW Kansas, June precipitation was well above average limiting chick survival. However, production ratios indicate the region had the highest nest success this year, resulting in this region maintaining the highest regional density. The western portion of the region will have the best densities. Quality hunting opportunities still exist across much of the Smoky Hills with abundant access across diverse habitat types.
Quail – This region saw continued improvements across most routes after a initial rebound last year. Production measures were improved again this year and all routes within the region increased. The regional density is still lagging behind that of regions further south that recovered from the recent droughts sooner. Despite these densities being lower than the other major quail regions, densities are still good, and the Smoky Hills is a large region with ample access providing hunting opportunity throughout. Densities within the region appear to be best in the southern half of the region with lower densities in the Northeast portion of the region.