Cawker City / Downs area

S

Setterdogs

New member
I am heading to KS for the first time in a couple of weeks. There will be three of us in our party and 2 dogs. We are planning to hunt around Downs and Cawker City. Has anybody been hunting there recently? Also, are the crops down in that area yet? Any help you can give a few newbies would be greatly appreciated.
 
You should do fine. You will see plenty of pheasants and quail, have a good time, and wish you could live there permanently.:D
 
Setterdogs,

If Toad talks you in to permanent relocation to Cawker City or Downs I would be interested in renting a room from you for the entire Bird season.
Been going there for years and it's my favorite hunting area on earth bar none. Only issue is the lack of good eats. Headquarters in Cawker is a decent. I assume the BBQ place in Glen Elder is still there and the only decent breakfast is by the tracks in downtown Downs. Tipton has a good bar/restaurant also.

Have a great time and give us a trip report when or if you come back.

Regards,
Brad
 
Thanks Brad and Toad. That is an encouraging report. We were planning to do most of our own cooking anyway to keep costs down. I am pretty experienced with phez (been to north and south dakota) but this is my first time for wild quail. Any tips on where to look for them (ie what habitat, etc.)

I will be sure to post a report in after the trip in a couple of weeks.
 
I wouldn't be to awful set on seeing alot of quail, been hunting that area for 10 years and we always happen upon a covey every now and then but even those weren't holding big numbers. Should do pretty well on Pheasant though.

Not trying to discourage you by any means, but what I'm saying is don't focus too much of your time on quail, if you happen to kick up a covey while a chasing ditch parrots consider it a bonus!
 
Hunt any plum thickets, creek bottoms, timber and cedar trees groves for the quail. You hunt that type of cover you will find birds.

zeepo
 
finding the quail

Don't forget to hunt the hedge rows too. I got 6 covey's up last weekend in Abilene by hunting hedge rows with food near them.
 
Setterdogs I sure hope you find them Bobwhites !

As Spence said these past few years the quail numbers have been real spotty. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the projections of sunstantially increased quail number (up 30%) show up in the field this season.
So far the reports I'm seeing are incouraging.
 
gotta work for them

We had to really work to find that many covey's and covered alot of ground ( about 7 miles as near as we figured) but it's not hard walking. We ran 2 britts, 1 GPS and my Lab and rotated them every other field. So come on up and take a walk around Kansas see what you can find! Good Luck Boys!

Kick'em up
 
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