We also hunted 'somewhere in western Kansas' back in December. I think the pheasants were up slightly from last year in this area. The quail seemed to be about the same as last year. In three days we saw 4 or 5 flushes of 15+ pheasants, and one of those close to 100. We caught them just right after a morning feed I believe and watched constant flushes of 10 to 15 boil out of a milo field into heavy cover. The big flushes are great to watch, but the single or 2 to 3 bird flushes where the dog is trailing or pointing is where we were actually able to put birds in the bag. We got into about 5 or 6 coveys of quail each day all with good numbers typically 15+.
I think good numbers are very localized. I know a friend who hunted the same general area 2 weeks before us and cut his trip short after a couple days of only seeing a couple coveys and a handful of pheasants.
Probably not what hunters are used to in places like South Dakota even in a bad year, but encouraging to see what birds can do in a few years with good weather and the right mixture of habitat. My first trip to Kansas was back in Jan. 2012 and first exposure to Great Plains hunting. Needless to say it was tough and not what I thought it might be. Regardless, it is a trip my hunting buddy and I look back on and appreciate. We learned a lot. If you aren't seeing many birds in what you think is good habitat, get in the truck and drive an hour. Keep asking folks for permission to hunt as you see the opportunity. Hard work usually pays off. When you find that field/property that holds birds, I think it makes the days where you barely saw birds worth it and something to be proud of. Anymore, I think it is more exciting to try a new spot rather than hit your favorites. Walking into a field with no real expectation and seeing your dog lock up or take off trailing just adds to the thrill of the flush.
Always try to think of my favorite point, flush or shot each year. Definitely have a few memorable ones, but the best is getting to share a passion with a couple new guys. One of which is desperately trying to convince his wife that a GSP or Setter would be a great dog for their next family dog.
Really enjoy reading the hunting stories on this forum. Thanks, guys.
