Change of plans
- Thread starter birddude
- Start date
BrownDogsCan2
Well-known member
There’s not a whole lot to hunt in sc kansas. I could give you some ideas sc but it involves a lot of daily driving You’d probably be better off getting your driving done on the front end and going a lot farther west.
Quailnerd
Well-known member
Your right, sc is a black hole for public acres!!
birddude
Well-known member
Does it include walking 100 miles of God forsaken desert?
birddude
Well-known member
Well, I know KDWP plays up populations, but it does look like the rainfall amounts were pretty good in the spring and summer. Got a line on some pay to play ground. Never done that before but it looks like the best option considering I am not going to drive around all week looking at walk in's
Quailnerd
Well-known member
Do it, life is short..
GetTothePoint
Well-known member
Pay to play. Public will be tough this time of year especially by yourself. From what I saw and have heard the amount of hunters is up on shrinking quality public acres. Quail numbers are good from what I've seen and heard from others and I'm sure in certain areas a guy could still see a pheasant around on public. Private ground that hasn't been over hunted should offer some opportunities. If you have to settle for public just be happy to be out and anything you see consider it a bonus.
Pressure is definitely higher this year, but there's also more birds.
A buddy and I started yesterday on some private and found better numbers that last year, and better than we expected. There was also a covey of quail where there hadn't been one for 4-5 years. We moved on to WIHA after that. The first one was a low-probability spot that involved some dead-heading. No luck there, but we saw a couple on the adjoining non-WIHA that had better cover, and the dogs told us there were bords in the area. The next WIHA was much better than expected. We stopped there hoping for a covey of quail. We found 3 coveys, all large and healthy. There were also a few unexpected pheasants.
Per the state's "small game regions", we were in the "south central prairies". And yes, there is not a lot of public in this area.
A buddy and I started yesterday on some private and found better numbers that last year, and better than we expected. There was also a covey of quail where there hadn't been one for 4-5 years. We moved on to WIHA after that. The first one was a low-probability spot that involved some dead-heading. No luck there, but we saw a couple on the adjoining non-WIHA that had better cover, and the dogs told us there were bords in the area. The next WIHA was much better than expected. We stopped there hoping for a covey of quail. We found 3 coveys, all large and healthy. There were also a few unexpected pheasants.
Per the state's "small game regions", we were in the "south central prairies". And yes, there is not a lot of public in this area.
Go knock on doors. Not to hard to get a spot to hunt on. Yeah you will have some hard no’s but you will get some go aheads also.
I prefer to hunt alone with one dog and be as quiet as i possibly can. Park away from where you want to hunt, don’t slam doors etc etc. and sneak in quietly. No beepers on dogs or none of that crap.
birddude
Well-known member
I've been knocking on doors for 41 years. I'm about done with it. Last year spent 4 hrs running a guy down that had a sign that said no hunting without permission. When we found him, he said no. I'll still do it if I'm with someone who doesn't want to shell out the bread, I understand that. but If I'm going solo or with someone like minded, I'm shelling out some money and hunting not driving. That's pay to hunt wild not planted birds. Leaving Friday morning central K.S. 150.00 a day including lodging. If weather permits, Last week of season in Iowa, Private that we've been hunting for a long long time.
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
I have been knocking doors for over 50 years. Now I just use Onx, get the address, and then send a letter. I probably have a 10-20% success rate. Most of the time the owners are out of state or way out of the county so it makes sense. Better than trying to run down a landowner, dogs jumping on a new truck, getting bit by a dog ( which has happened), or just being a pain in someone's ass. I keep a journal in my truck and write down every bit of ground that I see that looks good. It also eliminates the farmer leasing the ground that thinks he has total control of it. They lease the farming rights and act like they own it and have full control of it. I have had several farmers that lease the ground that are pissed when I get permission from the landowner. Landowners generallly respond with a text or email and that gives you the written permission you need in case of getting checked by the Game Warden.
Wind River
Well-known member
If the crops are up the farmer controls access, once the crops are harvested the landowner controls access. No hassles to contend with.
westksbowhunter
Well-known member
Well deer hunting I am not hunting crops and pheasant hunting I am not hunting them either. My hunting is done on CRP ground, weedy draws, and old farmsteads. What happens here is a farmer leases a portion of farm ground from a landowner and then feels they can control every bit of ground owned by that landowner. Can you imagine the amount of leased ground by NR's in Kansas for deer hunting where the farming rights are leased also? It's everywhere.
remy3424
Well-known member
I am not sure that is how most rental contacts work, but the do differ. Some actually address the hunting rights, they might not go with the ground being rented. Most, I think you would be safe with either the renter or the owner, but not always. I have had renters give permission and the owner shows-up and they are not impressed and am asked to leave. Another time I asked the renter (it was his father-in-laws land), he knew his father in law well enough, he wasn't giving me permission, but being friends with the father-in-law, they gave me permission. It is possibly the one place where I might be the only one who gets permission.