Newbie Headed to Kansas for the First Time

C

cddogfan1

New member
Posted this in the Intro Forum re-posting here to see if I get a few more responses. Please delete if thats not allowed.

I live in Central Georgia. Always been a avid deer, turkey, duck and small game hunter. Just getting into upland hunting and traveling to do so. This will be my first season traveling with a trip planned in late December , early January for Kansas. Taking my GWP pup and my 15 year old son. Had this same trip planed last year but lost my GWP to the mail carrier so I had to cancel and start all over with a new dog. Will be staying in the Dodge City area and hunting west of there. I have 3000 acre day leased for 3 days and plan to hit some walk in area also if needed. I am a newbie to the area and upland hunting in general came here to search for information and would greatly appreciate any advice someone was willing to give. From where to eat, anny side trips worth a detour, game signs to look for just whatever. If anybody is free on Dec 3 to Jan 1 and is interested in showing a newbie the ropes or if a newbie also and want to share in the learning curve with me shoot me a PM and we can discuss.

Thanks

Chris
 
Sorry to here about your first dog , good you have access to private ground . Birds will be feeding in the wheat and Milo,stubble early . If you have waterways / draws that run through crop fields that have good cover in them this can be a good place to start .

Also if you are hunting where there are center pivots the pivot corners where irrigation doesn’t hit I’d often in native grass these area can be real good since the bedroom is right next to the kitchen .

Hope this helps a bit
 
Make the most of your private, by January it could be substantially better than public. I’ve had some really good quail hunts west of there with bonus pheasant encounters.. have a plan for grass burs
 
On average, I would estimate that I'll walk 15-20,000 steps in a full day of hunting. I'm guessing the dog gets at least double that. These steps often involve dragging legs through heavy cover or pushing through heavy weeds. It takes a toll on your body if you aren't in shape. If you are going to be here for several days, use some moderation the first couple of days so you both (and the new pup) have some energy for days 3, 4 and beyond. Carry plenty of water and snacks for both man and dog.
Look for pheasant tracks on road ways if the roads are dusty or lucky enough to have some snow cover ground during your trip. Where there are pheasants, you should find quail. Birds like weeds either in the food source or near food sources (corn and milo fields). Abandoned farm sites with tree rows are always good.
Restaurants are plentiful near Dodge, especially mexican food. Look at Trip Advisor for restaurant recommendations.
I'd have 6 shot shells since a mixed bag may occupy the same field. I'm sure you know this being from Georgia, but larger pellets are tough on quail. Should be a good area for finding birds. You can always drive looking for a better spots, but unnecessary if you find birds the first 2-3 days near your land lease. Just keep marching, you'll find more birds, even if they weren't there the day before.
Good luck! Hopefully you can meet some locals. Having a kid in your party, will help break the ice when asking for permission. Treat them well, and it could turn into a lifelong relationship for return trips each year.
 
Last edited:
Carguy2Banker said:
On average, I would estimate that I'll walk 15-20,000 steps in a full day of hunting. I'm guessing the dog gets at least double that. These steps often involve dragging legs through heavy cover or pushing through heavy weeds. It takes a toll on your body of you aren't in shape. If you are going to be here for several days, use some moderation the first couple of days so you both (and the new pup) have some energy for days 3, 4 and beyond. Carry plenty of water and snacks for both man and dog.
Look for pheasant tracks on road ways if the roads are dusty or lucky enough to have some snow cover ground during your trip. Where there are pheasants, you should find quail. Birds like weeds either in the food source or near food sources (corn and milo fields). Abandoned farm sites with tree rows are always good.
Restaurants are plentiful near Dodge, especially mexican food. Look at Trip Advisor for restaurant recommendations.
I'd have 6 shot shells since a mixed bag may occupy the same field. I'm sure you know this being from Georgia, but larger pellets are tough on quail. Should be a good area for finding birds. You can always drive looking for a better spots, but unnecessary if you find birds the first 2-3 days near your land lease.
Good luck! Hopefully you can meet some locals. Having a kid in your party, will help break the ice when asking for permission. Treat them well, and it could turn into a lifelong relationship for return trips each year.
Click to expand...
Good point about carrying dog water, aside from swinging temps it could be low humidity and dusty.
 
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