KS vs SD

Post Reply
lockedncupped
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed May 22, 2013 2:25 am
Location: Lugoff, SC

KS vs SD

Post by lockedncupped » Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:18 am

Every fall I journey to SD to hunt pheasants. I have hunted the opening week in SD the past 6 years, and have made a 2nd trip each fall the last 4 years. Here is my main concern. For the past 3 years usually around the 2nd or 3rd week of November I have picked my buddy up from Ft. Riley Kansas and we have made the trip to SD to chase roosters. He likes it because he gets away from home for a few days. However we spend a bunch of money on lodging. gas, motels etc...... Are we messing up? He never bird hunts at home as he has no dog, he only deer hunts, and he says he flushes some quail from time to time. He assures me it's nothing like SD......(nothing really is). So we continue to journey north.

My question is, would it be worth it to buy a Kansas license and skip a week in SD?

Thanks in advance,
JJ

Timewise65
Rank: 2X Champion
Posts: 492
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 11:30 am
Location: Missouri

Re: KS vs SD

Post by Timewise65 » Thu Aug 23, 2018 11:45 am

I live in KC, MO area. I hunt upland in Kansas and North Dakota (thought about SD, but when I saw school buses unloading hunters in fields and then priced the associated costs, we drove the extra distance)….I know SD has good population of birds, but so does ND, but ND is not hunted as hard and has better public access!

Compared to North Dakota, Kansas is rarely that good, assuming you are hunting on public ground. North Dakota has rules that keep most all farm land open to all hunters during bird season. It is pretty much drive around, spot some birds or good spot and go hunt it! Although If I can tell where the farm house is, I still ask! They sometimes tell you where to find birds...very friendly. Kansas on the other hand has many well maintained fields for the public to use, most of these have birds, but during the season, especially early in the season and on weekends you will have other people hunting on the same area you are on. Sometimes on week days, especially later in the season, you can find open ground that has no one else on it. Some Kansas military bases also have managed properties many avoid them as it is a hassle, scheduling, signing in and out, etc. But, I hear they have good populations of Pheasants and Quail and have less pressure than most public areas. Also, driving around in KS looking for 'sign' still works, then asking the property owner to hunt. If you have instate licenses on your car and don't look scary to a farm family, they may let you hunt, for me I offer to share any birds I get.....as part of asking to hunt.

If you are welling to pay to hunt in Kansas you can find lots of lodges and private areas to hunt. On Pheasant Most have some wild birds mixed with farmed birds, or in some cases they manage the population by planting pen raised hens in the Spring.

porochi
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 8:55 pm
Location: Kansas

Re: KS vs SD

Post by porochi » Fri Aug 24, 2018 12:34 am

In KS you can hunt all day and don't have to wait till what, is it noon or 1 pm in SD to start hunting? The one time I went there that drove me nuts, missing out on early morning hunting. I live in and only hunt birds in KS. Don't own any land in KS and know few who do. The walk-in-hunting- (WIHA) program is great, lots of private land available to hunt, and free. We frequently find birds on WIHA tracts. But, be willing to drive to the western third of the state and the NW section, for best action and the largest selection of WIHA tracts. And wait until after the 1st 2 weeks of season if you want to have WIHA tracts to yourself, and if you can hunt weekdays, all the better.

averageguy
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 970
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 8:07 am

Re: KS vs SD

Post by averageguy » Fri Aug 24, 2018 5:02 am

I have hunted in Kansas for 50 years. SD since 08. The WHIA lands in Kansas get pounded in all areas within 50 miles of a larger town or interstate highway and do not provide anywhere near the quality of hunting I experience on private lands in the same area.

The bobwhite quail hunting on private lands in Kansas can be outstanding. The pheasants are still rebounding and currently nothing remotely approaching the numbers I find in SD. Most of the season the shooting hours in SD for pheasants is 10 and grouse is sunrise.

User avatar
DonF
GDF Junkie
Posts: 4020
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:09 pm
Location: Antelope, Ore

Re: KS vs SD

Post by DonF » Fri Aug 24, 2018 9:54 am

porochi wrote:In KS you can hunt all day and don't have to wait till what, is it noon or 1 pm in SD to start hunting? The one time I went there that drove me nuts, missing out on early morning hunting. I live in and only hunt birds in KS. Don't own any land in KS and know few who do. The walk-in-hunting- (WIHA) program is great, lots of private land available to hunt, and free. We frequently find birds on WIHA tracts. But, be willing to drive to the western third of the state and the NW section, for best action and the largest selection of WIHA tracts. And wait until after the 1st 2 weeks of season if you want to have WIHA tracts to yourself, and if you can hunt weekdays, all the better.
If it took all day to get a limit of birds I'd weather practice my shooting or find another place to hunt. We don't have the quality of hunting here in Oregon whe did 40yrs ago so all day could be the rule but, 40 years ago we'd start about 8:30 or so and limit out normally by about noon. That was 10 chukar and three pheasant's, those days are gone. Were I to go out of state for pheasants, I seldom hunt them anymore, from what I ead above it would be N. Dakota hands down for me. I don't care for crowds!
I pity the man that has never been loved by a dog!

porochi
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 8:55 pm
Location: Kansas

Re: KS vs SD

Post by porochi » Fri Aug 24, 2018 6:33 pm

Yes. Definitely have to work for them when hunting KS WIHA but I almost always get into some, sometimes quite a few, other times not. Regardless, the dogs love it, there's lot of land for them to cover, lots of different tracts to hit and you can easily spend a weekend hunting WIHA tract after tract, esp. in the NW part of KS, and never have to hit the same one twice. Watching the dogs work is what it's about for me, the birds are a bonus, and WIHA offers plenty of opportunities to hunt free private land with the dogs.

But granted, if you want to bag birds, and lots of them, KS isn't like it used to be, SD and ND sound better, but the quail are making a rebound in KS, that I've noted, unless I just happened to hit some localized hot spots, esp. in the central parts of the state. Last year I got into more nice size coveys than I expected to, I bet some I kicked up had 30 birds in a single covey, some on WIHA tracts, and the year before as well , this after many years of barely any, so really hope this year is like the last two for quail.

If I was a better shot I'd have bagged a lot of quail last season, but I've noticed those little squirts are particularly hard to hit, esp. when they fly right at your face and you duck instead of shoot.

User avatar
Dakotazeb
Rank: 4X Champion
Posts: 671
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2014 1:10 pm
Location: South Dakota / Arizona

Re: KS vs SD

Post by Dakotazeb » Sat Aug 25, 2018 7:07 am

porochi wrote:In KS you can hunt all day and don't have to wait till what, is it noon or 1 pm in SD to start hunting? The one time I went there that drove me nuts, missing out on early morning hunting.
FYI, hunting pheasants in South Dakota starts at noon the first 7 days of the season and then 10:00 AM the rest of the season. Like it or not, it's the way it is, and it's not going to change. I know many non-resident hunters who really like the 10:00 AM start as it allows for a more leisurely morning rather than feeling the need to be in the field a sunrise.
Janee's August Breeze - Bree
http://gundogcentral.com/view_pedigree. ... erations=5

NSTRA Champion Godfather's Dakota Elle 2008-2016
https://gundogcentral.com/view_pedigree ... erations=5

User avatar
fishpond
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:19 am
Location: NW Missouri

Re: KS vs SD

Post by fishpond » Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:13 am

porochi wrote:Yes. Definitely have to work for them when hunting KS WIHA but I almost always get into some, sometimes quite a few, other times not. Regardless, the dogs love it, there's lot of land for them to cover, lots of different tracts to hit and you can easily spend a weekend hunting WIHA tract after tract, esp. in the NW part of KS, and never have to hit the same one twice. Watching the dogs work is what it's about for me, the birds are a bonus, and WIHA offers plenty of opportunities to hunt free private land with the dogs.

But granted, if you want to bag birds, and lots of them, KS isn't like it used to be, SD and ND sound better, but the quail are making a rebound in KS, that I've noted, unless I just happened to hit some localized hot spots, esp. in the central parts of the state. Last year I got into more nice size coveys than I expected to, I bet some I kicked up had 30 birds in a single covey, some on WIHA tracts, and the year before as well , this after many years of barely any, so really hope this year is like the last two for quail.

If I was a better shot I'd have bagged a lot of quail last season, but I've noticed those little squirts are particularly hard to hit, esp. when they fly right at your face and you duck instead of shoot.
Agree 100% with you.
I live in NW Missouri and drive 3-4 hours to hunt KS WIHA all season.
I have no access to private land.
Pheasant and quail success is erratic, but it's just great to be out, and the dogs love it.

lockedncupped
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed May 22, 2013 2:25 am
Location: Lugoff, SC

Re: KS vs SD

Post by lockedncupped » Mon Aug 27, 2018 6:11 pm

Thanks for the responses guys. Going west in KS would probably require hotel stays, and the purchase of a KS license. I'll probably just go to SD and use that 2nd 5 day license.

Pedro
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:11 pm
Location: Kansas

Re: KS vs SD

Post by Pedro » Tue Aug 28, 2018 12:17 pm

lockedncupped wrote:Thanks for the responses guys. Going west in KS would probably require hotel stays, and the purchase of a KS license. I'll probably just go to SD and use that 2nd 5 day license.
Good call...and I hunt KS every weekend I'm not hunting somewhere else. Coming from SC it's a no brainer.

Post Reply