choked up for kansas

[Hattrick]

Leaving for Kansas friday. What chokes should i have in my gun? I'll be carring my s-s 12 inpcl-mod or should i have mod-full? Shooting #4s kent fast lead .Its my first time out west and first time on pheasents since we had tons here on the home farm many moons ago. So i'm kinda out of practice

[topher40]

Save your money and chokes this year. Birds suck, stay home!

[Hattrick]

can't do it if i would listen to everyone that said that about hunting forcasts I wouldn't of ever get any hiunting in. You just gotta hunt harder and trust ur dogs. Just low numders not exstincked

[cutty72]

You should be fine with that choke/shot combo.

[bigsugar]

Chris is right.

The bird numbers are low. The cover is non existent. It was really dry in Western KS this summer. If you are insistant on coming I'd stay north of I-70. We have a friend in SW KS by Dodge City and he shot his first birds this past weekend. He hasn't seen much. He did say that what few birds that are there were grouped up do to the recent snow cover.

[SetterNut]

Leaving for Kansas friday. What chokes should i have in my gun? I'll be carring my s-s 12 inpcl-mod or should i have mod-full? Shooting #4s kent fast lead .Its my first time out west and first time on pheasents since we had tons here on the home farm many moons ago. So i'm kinda out of practice

If you are hunitng over a pointing dog and only shooting pointed birds, you might want slightly more open chokes. I use a 20 with Imp-cl, and Mod with#6 shot, #5 shot if it is windy. It is plenty to get the job done. I don't think you will want anything much tighter than Mod.

Depending on where you are going you will likely bump into a few quail. The #4 shot will be much bigger than you want for them. Take some 7 1/2 shot in case you get into some quail singles.

Its not the greatest season, but you will see some birds. Have fun and shoot straight

[topher40]

I shoot a 20 gauge full choke with 7-8's and always end up with more birds than anyone else in my hunting parties.

[SetterNut]

I shoot a 20 gauge full choke with 7-8's and always end up with more birds than anyone else in my hunting parties.

That is interesting, not something that I have tried. You don't end up filling the pheasants up with small shot ?

[Outlaw]

IMO... imp cyl/Mod...are the chokes of choice in milo/CRP country...both in 12 gauge and 20 gauge, however, in KS we hunt private dirt and still throw lead in the air rather than steel or steel derivatives...so for us it's #6's normally and #5's if it gets windy....patern your individual gun and you'll get a pretty good idea of where the spread is and at what yardage...KS birds are very scarce this year...but there are pockets that have produced good birds for us...both Pheasant and Quail...the worst day hunting is still better than the best day working !!! Have fun !

[tfbirddog2]

Hi, last I looked I lived in N.W.kansas and Im a guide and I read rural meters for the power company and cover 9 counties out here. FYI you get about 60 miles south of I70 out here and birds start getting bad drought was about that line, we have had snows and cold weather to bunch them up but had springish weather for about 2 weeks now making them spread out again, but I have had luck you just have to go away from the roads! FYI last I knew over 40 degrees, and sun on a roosters back he's a track star!!! Choke tubes, well I run a Improved mod and you should be fine shoot 6's and you will cover both pheasants and quail 12 or 20 gauge. I have done that for the last 10 years and no problems! PM if you want Hattrick!

[winchestermodel50]

I don't think you need shotgun shells to pheasant hunt Kansas. The bird situation there is a lot more serious than people realize. The drought probably has the bird population in the southern half of the state down to one tenth or less of what it is in a normal year. The northern part of the state is suffering as well. Weather conditions were responsible for the loss of a lot of adult birds in southern Kansas and heat allowed very limited chick hatch or survival even in the northern half of the state from what I am hearing. Most of what survived are last years birds. If you get frustrated, there are some excellent game bird ranches with good released birds. Ringneck Ranch in Tipton, Kansas is outstanding. Good luck!

[tfbirddog2]

I guide for Smoky River Rendenzous Inc. We have a great bird population do to leaving habitat for them in Winona, Ks 785-846-7785