Chicken Tactics

W

whitewater

New member
I spent 2 seperate weeks in Kansas this past season and had a ball. We were hoping to get a phez/quail/chicken slam. The 1st week, I only jumped 1 chicken out of a corn stubble field that happened to jump up while quite a few phez hen were getting up all around me. I didn't even realize what it was until after the fact. By then it was too late for a shot.
The 2nd week found us WSE of Hill City. As we pulled up to a WIHA, we noticed a lone bird sitting in a tree about 150 yards away. To us Louisiana boys, it looked like a phez. We thought it to be rather odd but tried to put a stalk on it anyway. Soon, others joined the lone bird in the tree until there were about 50. After they flushed when we were still some 80 yards out, we called em chickens. That was at 3:00 pm. The next day, we were at the same spot by 2:30 pm. We put camo on and sat under the same tree to wait. At 2:45pm, about 25 flew just out of range and landed over the next hill. 15 minutes went by. I got ansy, and peeked over the hill, only to flush all 50 at 100 yards away.
2 days later we tried it again. This time, at 3:30pm, half the flock came in but did a 90 degree turn 150 out. 15 minutes later, the 2nd half of the flock did the same thing in the same air space.
How should we have palyed this? What did we do wrong? How did the 2 seperate flocks know to do the same thing to avoid that tree?:confused:
 
Was there a lone bird flying in before the flock? Some people think I'm making this up, but they actually send a "scout" in before the flock comes when we're hunting bean fields. Like you, I've hunted by a tree that they often land in. One morning, I waited by that tree at the corner of a bean field. I'd missed every opportunity I'd had to kill a chicken up to that point and I was only 9 years old. My family always told me not to shoot the first one that came in, but he was only 15-20 yards away from me. I scared him up and shot him about 10ft. off the ground. I was very proud at the moment, but the flock we were expecting never came in. In fact, my uncles simply got up from their spots and walked back to the truck. Dad stayed w/ me to explain to me how I'd just ruined everyone's hunt.

SO, if the scout saw you guys coming in, the flock knew better. It's best to find their feed field (milo or beans) and wait for them to come flying down the fenceline. Good luck!
 
We dont set up where they land we set up in the flight path. They will use the same path day in and day out until something disturbs them. We have been hunting the same spot for five now years and they fly over at first light and right before sunset. This year they must of had a good hatch because we saw flocks of 100 or more. I never hunted them that time of day before.
Hunt them for the mount and not for table food, I do not like the taste but maybe I have not cooked it right. The meat is very red. What part of LA are you from, my wife is from Lafayette

Zeepo
 
I live in Slidell, We are on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain about 35 miles from downtown New Orleans. Lafayette is a 2 1/2 hr. drive. I do spend a few weekends a year hunting woodcock about 30 minutes out of Lafayette.
I have hunted Kansas 3 times now. That was the only trip we even got to see chickens so I don't have multiple spots to set up on them. And the chances of finding a flight path in a weeks time that happens to be on public land is slim.
 
Saints go down

:Dwhitewater, I am glad to read your chicken post but u must understand your Saints will be beat tomorrow by the Colts, very sorry and no hard feelings fellow hunter!
 
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