A South Dakota Pilgram's Thoughts on Kansas

U

Uncle Buck

New member
Back from a 3.5 day hunt in Kansas. The trip back thru 9 hours of snow was the only negative.
Kansas is currently blessed with an abundance of cover well suited for the pointing dog enthusiast. Not bad for you retriever types either. The WHIA are great as far as I am concerned, exceeding SD in some respects. I was in the west half of the state and it reminded me of the area west of the Missouri River in SD. More draws and creek bottoms with timber and brush, but similar.

The bird numbers are far from equal to SD, BUT ONE MORE GOOD HATCH COULD GET KANSAS CLOSE IN MY ESTIMATION. SD has the sloughs and WPAs in many areas that western Kansas does not have, but we need them for the winters. SD has sharptails and Prairie Chickens in good numbers, but no quail. We did see one bunch of chickens in Kansas.

Bottom line---I had a great time in Kansas and it could be #2 this year if it can "knock off" ND in results this year. The ground is just great as far as I am concerned and that means following my dogs around for points. Would I go again? In a heart beat, but I am not leaving SD.
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Ford Xl Falcon Picture
 
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I will find out next year as I have access to 10,000 acres in SW Kansas to bird hunt, I have never been but the owner said he has plenty of birds! I could not go this year but I am going fall 2010 for sure!
 
hunting for place in kansas

hey let me know if you would be interested on let anybodie go with you i sure be inbterested on paying a fare wage im going to kansas next to some were around el-darado
thanks danaq fay 512-635-7518
 
Is that all it takes? 10,000 acres and suddenly you are the most popular guy on the forum.
 
SD Pilgrim has the Kansas Experience

Uncle Buck said:
Back from a 3.5 day hunt in Kansas. The trip back thru 9 hours of snow was the only negative.
Kansas is currently blessed with an abundance of cover well suited for the pointing dog enthusiast. Not bad for you retriever types either. The WHIA are great as far as I am concerned, exceeding SD in some respects. I was in the west half of the state and it reminded me of the area west of the Missouri River in SD. More draws and creek bottoms with timber and brush, but similar.

The bird numbers are far from equal to SD, BUT ONE MORE GOOD HATCH COULD GET KANSAS CLOSE IN MY ESTIMATION. SD has the sloughs and WPAs in many areas that western Kansas does not have, but we need them for the winters. SD has sharptails and Prairie Chickens in good numbers, but no quail. We did see one bunch of chickens in Kansas.

Bottom line---I had a great time in Kansas and it could be #2 this year if it can "knock off" ND in results this year. The ground is just great as far as I am concerned and that means following my dogs around for points. Would I go again? In a heart beat, but I am not leaving SD.
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Pilgrim, thanks for venturing down to the great and hospitable state of Kansas (my home place) where you can hunt 1.1 million acres of private land open to public hunting (WIHA walk in) for no extra charge from the second Sat. in Nov. to Jan. 31. Beat that deal.
 
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BritChaser said:
Pilgrim, thanks for venturing down to the great and hospitable state of Kansas (my home place) where you can hunt 1.1 million acres of private land open to public hunting (walk in) for no extra charge from Nov. 14 to Jan. 31. Beat that deal.
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VERY WELL PUT BritChaser :cheers:
 
suuuure seems like theres a lot more positive reports coming out of KS than there are SD this year. I wonder if this will be a trend..Not just weather, corn harvest etc..just a trend of overall hunting opportunities and success..
 
I think Kansans are just more willing to share what we know...

Check the KS forum and it seems folks are more willing to share specific information than they are in the SD forum. NO OFFENSE SHOULD BE TAKEN BY THE SOUTH DAKOTANS OF THIS BOARD.
 
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Think this board is bad u should look at the ND board...... http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=21 You can't say anything on that board or the moderator will delete it. Don't understand that way of thinking..................:mad:

kansasbrittany said:
I think Kansans are just more willing to share what we know...

Check the KS forum and it seems folks are more willing to share specific information than they are in the SD forum. NO OFFENSE SHOULD BE TAKEN BY THE SOUTH DAKOTANS OF THIS BOARD.
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Yes Sir. I've made the same observation as I occasionally visit that site. The impression I get from the folks at nodakoutdoors is that they'd prefer not to ever see another NR hunter. They're constantly bickering about NR's. That's okay, we'll take em'.
 
The 'Industry' of Pheasant Hunting

kansasbrittany said:
I think Kansans are just more willing to share what we know...

Check the KS forum and it seems folks are more willing to share specific information than they are in the SD forum. NO OFFENSE SHOULD BE TAKEN BY THE SOUTH DAKOTANS OF THIS BOARD.
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Pheasant hunting is not the "industry" in Kansas that it seems to be in SD; that is to say that it appears that fewer people are making money in pheasant hunting in KS as they are in SD. SD has more birds than anywhere else so it stands to reason that hunting has become more commecialized. Nothin' wrong with that, just the way it is with folks needing to make a living in the challenging rural economy.
 
Lots of truth in the comments re SD/KS, but be careful not to paint with too broad a brush.
There is a lot of public hunting ground in both states from my observation. Certainly the private ground is more commercialized in SD. The reason? Stronger tradition of more birds!
The season in SD this year has had it's difficulties due to wet ground late harvest particularly in the east. I took two Boise ID hunters out for PM yesterday NW of Sioux Falls. Went into the creek bottom in my back yard where we have only shot four roosters all year in four hunts. It was surrounded by corn until the day after Thanksgiving and three were shot the next day. There are still 2 unharvested cornfields to the south.
We were 1/2 way down the main area when 60 + birds bailed back into the se cornfield about 200 yards away. These birds have hardly been bothered all season, but one wily rooster can take the whole bunch out. I was quite suprised to see that many birds, expecting to see 20-30 at most. We only flushed one hen in range.
Kind of a digression, but it points out the unusual season and the fact that not all in SD are hoarding their birds or spots. Last Friday I took out a group of three from IA on both public and private land and we had an excellent hunt. They bought me a six pak and a Cabela's card for which I am very thankful. These guy's were aquaintences of another party I had hunted with two years ago. If he had not been someone I liked, I would not have done much for them. They could and did do just as well without me the next couple of days. They had good dogs. They pondered SD or Kansas for a week SD being a little closer.

So here is the secret to hunting public land in either state---get the best damn dogs you can find and get your ass out there and follow them around on public hunting ground in areas where there are good bird reports. It takes a little work to find a honey hole or two as it does good private property unless you want to pay.
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VAPIR AIR ONE
 
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PS Be careful Kansas. You may get what you wish for and lose some of that ground to commercial interests. Note the prior comment re 19 out of staters tresspassing on private land owned by absent owners.
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Charles warren nash history
 
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Uncle Buck said:
PS Be careful Kansas. You may get what you wish for and lose some of that ground to commercial interests. Note the prior comment re 19 out of staters tresspassing on private land owned by absent owners.
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This does concern me. However, I'll never be the type to support shutting the doors or trying to persuade people to go somewhere else. I want people to enjoy the back country of Kansas, just as I enjoy the back country of ND or SD when I have the opportunity to visit. We're all Americans though some of us forget or aren't affected by that fact.
 
kansasbrittany said:
This does concern me. However, I'll never be the type to support shutting the doors or trying to persuade people to go somewhere else. I want people to enjoy the back country of Kansas, just as I enjoy the back country of ND or SD when I have the opportunity to visit. We're all Americans though some of us forget or aren't affected by that fact.
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Gimme a call when you're up here!
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New Mexico Medical Marijuana Dispensary
 
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Yes Sir. Nothing like experiencing a new place with someone that actually knows their way around. Thanks for the offer. I'll be there next year. I just haven't decided what the best time to go is yet.
 
texas upland hunter said:
hey let me know if you would be interested on let anybodie go with you i sure be inbterested on paying a fare wage im going to kansas next to some were around el-darado
thanks danaq fay 512-635-7518
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i hope your not planning on hunting pheasants in or anywhere near El Dorado
Ive lived hear my whole life and ive seen only 2 pheasants out this way .
 
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