Gun Dog Forum

Driving to Kansas to hunt WMA Thanksgiving. Anyone been out this year yet? To give me an idea of the hunting? I have read North and North West has the best projections from the state.... Will just be riding hitting public. Coming up from Texas and then going to hunt through the state....

I've hunted the first two days and have seen three pheasants, all roosters. I am moving again tomorrow, maybe I'll get lucky!

Its rough statewide. I have not heard a good report thus far for opening weekend. I would not venture to far from whomevers house your visiting for Turkey day tho because it's not likely to matter. Bird numbers are vrey very low statewide.

NW is typically the pheasant mecca of KS. But,this year and last are anything but typical.

Thanks Duckn... Man oh man doesn't sound great. I hope I am able to find a pocket or two.....

Dont expect much. I havent seen squat and have not heard any good reports. The rains and summer heat reprieve we got only came in late July into August - way past prime nesting. We also had some late snows and freezes into mid May. Stunted lots of wheat.


Now - next year, we should have good cover, that there will be no question. Its just a matter of the weather cooperating and no extremes when it matters during brood rearing season.

As someone said - stay close to home unless you love exercise and are the adventurous type.

Two years ago I hunted around Goodland, and found good numbers. Most of the time I had the place to myself. Download the google earth map of WIHA, and find the areas that are right next to irrigated corn fields and you should be find birds.

Great advice Deets! I am all in one way or another I am headed out. I can't help but think that with plenty of walking and good dog work I should be able to hopefully find some pockets of birds. I am going to be coming across the state line above the pan handle of Oklahoma. From there I will ride the back roads knock on doors for permission and hit the WMA's. Any thoughts on if I should head west from the line and then work the western line north? Or should I hunt my way north from the line and work west from there?

Thats a good question. Take a look at the KDWP upland forecast and see what you think and then make a decision based on that. I would also call some of the area managers for the wildlife areas you would like to hunt. They will be a wealth of information and are friendly, helpful and will point you in the right direction. I've called a bunch of them and have never talked to a bad one yet. If you go to the KDWP website and click on "where to hunt" you will find a listing of all the wildlife areas broken down into regions.

If your hunting alone you will find birds. I think during poor years and also late season a person hunting alone with his dog and being very quiet and letting the dog do his thing and just following it instead of trying to get him to follow you are the most sucessful hunts. But then again I prefer to hunt alone or with my wife. I rarely hunt with anyone else.

I would start around Liberal, and move north to Garden City. You should find plenty of ditch parrots in those areas.

Why don't we just out and ask for spot on gps coordinates of the honey holes! :roll:
Drive, scout, look at the maps and walk. That's how you find the hot spots.

Yeah here are the coordinates, 867.5309, boot leather and a map will get you into birds. Not driving around looking at "spots". Love your comment KWIK, love you to just dont tell Johny boy.

I can tell you where NOT to go!

Rut

Where not to go would be a long list! LOL

Not that long

duckn66 wrote:Where not to go would be a long list! LOL

1.Kansas

KwikIrish wrote:Not that long

duckn66 wrote:Where not to go would be a long list! LOL

1.Kansas

2. Missouri

topher40 wrote:Yeah here are the coordinates, 867.5309, boot leather and a map will get you into birds. Not driving around looking at "spots". Love your comment KWIK, love you to just dont tell Johny boy.

Yeah, last year Topher you may as well given out coordinates in a post. You gave up an area near a town that only has a few WIHA areas around it. Loved those WIHA's until I went there a few weeks later and one was absolutley full of garbage. Spent 30 minutes cleaning up parking areas.

Its all a crap shoot.

Here is a short clip from my trip to Kansas.


http://youtu.be/5Eu1I-DO8q8

For a guy who has not been to Kansas in 6 years and has two days to hunt. I'll walk and scout as much as I can but a general area is appreciated..... Deets, If you ever find yourself in the position to do a Colorado Elk hunt let me know I'll be glad to return that favor of a general area to go. As for the others that have an issue with "giving coordinates to a spot". Well, I don't have much to say about it at all. Sorry you feel the way you do. Good luck to all of you this year hunting. Again, Deets thank you for the help.

Glad to help, hope you have a successful hunt. I'm headed up Black Friday to try my luck again.

I'm headed that way also on Black Friday. I will be north and east of Garden City. If you see two guys and a couple of Wirehairs be sure and say hello!

FYI I had a good hunt the last day in the NORTON area

Sterndog wrote:FYI I had a good hunt the last day in the NORTON area

What did you mainly see pheasants or quail ?

Had one covey rise of a nice 20-30 quail. The rest were pheasants. Found most of my birds in the uncut crp little draws that were in the middle of winter wheat fields. All of it was private land that we had to ask permission on. Public did not produce well.

Good to hear you found some birds! And nice to know you were able to find some private ground to access!

duckn66 wrote:

topher40 wrote:Yeah here are the coordinates, 867.5309, boot leather and a map will get you into birds. Not driving around looking at "spots". Love your comment KWIK, love you to just dont tell Johny boy.

Yeah, last year Topher you may as well given out coordinates in a post. You gave up an area near a town that only has a few WIHA areas around it. Loved those WIHA's until I went there a few weeks later and one was absolutley full of garbage. Spent 30 minutes cleaning up parking areas.

was there birds on them jack this is bryan