Cimarron grasslands

Jet

Active member
I'm heading to the grasslands with my son this week mainly to see somewhere new and hopefully get a chance at some scaled quail. I've never been and was doing some research online. I'd like to find a map with guzzler locations but Google hasn't been able to help. If anyone has seen one before a link would be appreciated. Any other suggestions are of course welcome.
One other question or concern I have is rattlesnakes, Temps are supposed to be in the high 40's, any chance those nasty buggers come out of there holes? I read somewhere else that they come out on warm days to sun themselves. I'd think they'd be burrowed deep and wouldn't come out unless there was a real warming trend but I'm not snake expert.
 
Right now (noon hour) its sunny and 35 degrees in Elkhart, you will not see any rattlesnakes. If it is 60 or 65 degrees and sunny I would be concerned.
 
I'm heading to the grasslands with my son this week mainly to see somewhere new and hopefully get a chance at some scaled quail. I've never been and was doing some research online. I'd like to find a map with guzzler locations but Google hasn't been able to help. If anyone has seen one before a link would be appreciated. Any other suggestions are of course welcome.
One other question or concern I have is rattlesnakes, Temps are supposed to be in the high 40's, any chance those nasty buggers come out of there holes? I read somewhere else that they come out on warm days to sun themselves. I'd think they'd be burrowed deep and wouldn't come out unless there was a real warming trend but I'm not snake expert.


Not being sarcastic if u google or bing cimmaron ntl grasslands map or the grasslands itself u should be able to find a map of grasslands maybe they mite show them if u lucky... Maybe they wind mills???

Happy hunting let us know how u do
 
Maybe u missed the part of my post that said I hadn't had any luck with Google. If I could find it there i wouldn't be asking here. I'm not sure about the windmills, I've never associated them with guzzlers but I've never been in that part of the country.
I will give a report when I get back. Leaving at 0 dark thirty in the morning. Plan on driving to dodge and then hunting the rest of the way to hugoton or Elkhart.
 
Maybe u missed the part of my post that said I hadn't had any luck with Google. If I could find it there i wouldn't be asking here. I'm not sure about the windmills, I've never associated them with guzzlers but I've never been in that part of the country.
I will give a report when I get back. Leaving at 0 dark thirty in the morning. Plan on driving to dodge and then hunting the rest of the way to hugoton or Elkhart.

Understood well I was not clear if ur google search was word or aireal pic map search just looking at aireals can be confusing...

You seem to have a grasp of ur Intel you need ...

Maybe this to vague for ur purpose or I missed something in ur post but I see a map of all the cimmaron ntl grasslands in my KS WIHA hunting atlas I figured you already looked there If ur going this WK!!!???

Any ntl grasslands I've ever seen had a spot to order maps on home page doubt they will get to u in a WK planning ahead helps...

No guzzler location specific map Ive seen... QF guy in area or ntl grasslands biologist mite could help ya???

Quick look for me showed a bunch of windmills always have big cattle tanks full of water in my experience in OK NE KS & SD ...
 
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I shot a rattler on opening day there but it was around 60. Luckily by buddies lab barked and stayed his distance.

Have not seen many guzzlers while hunting there and know of no map to them, sorry.

Best of luck!
 
Browndog,Nope but I'll give it a peek.
Thank you for the lead.

SMO, I have seen several maps and looked at Google Earth just nothing with the guzzlers marked. I do plan on stopping by the office and picking up one of the nfs maps when I get there.

2weims, thanks.
 
I am going out there to see the grasslands and try to shoot some scaled quail some time in January also. I have also been hearing good things on pheasant from the sw part of the state.
 
I'm heading to the grasslands with my son this week mainly to see somewhere new and hopefully get a chance at some scaled quail. I've never been and was doing some research online. I'd like to find a map with guzzler locations but Google hasn't been able to help. If anyone has seen one before a link would be appreciated. Any other suggestions are of course welcome.
One other question or concern I have is rattlesnakes, Temps are supposed to be in the high 40's, any chance those nasty buggers come out of there holes? I read somewhere else that they come out on warm days to sun themselves. I'd think they'd be burrowed deep and wouldn't come out unless there was a real warming trend but I'm not snake expert.


You need to buy the map from the USFWS -- I dont believe they post it online. I bought one in 2010 and it has all the windmill locations/guzzlers, roads etc. They may have one in the Forest Service office in Elkhart as well to buy.

https://www.nationalforestmapstore.com/category-s/1833.htm
 
I have a map with the guzzlers on it. Now if I could just find it. There are about 95 guzzlers as I recall. I will look for the map.
 
Found the Forest Service Map, but that is not the one with the guzzler locations. I'll keep looking.
 
We hunted the grasslands yesterday and stopped in the office. They told us their is no map of the guzzler locations, though we did get a map with windmill locations. There seemed to be more quail around the guzzlers than the windmills. We used google earth aerial photos to find guzzlers.
 
Trip report.
Left Tuesday morning early and hunted our way west. Stopped in dodge for lunch and took the kids to see boot hill. He apparently has never watched tombstone and had no idea of who Wyatt Earp was, which reflects poorly on me as a father. Anyways after our history lesson we continued on West. Bird count for the day was 1 pheasant and a couple quail. I could have limited on pheasants if I could shoot straight.
Next morning we headed to the grasslands to watch the sunrise. Saw a covey of the scaled quail right at daybreak along with another truck. After talking to the other hunters we decided to work the covey together. Each group got one bird and we parted ways.
We ended up moving 4 coveys of bobs and another covey of scalies. Didn't get a shot on the second covey of scalies as they flushed out of range.
Ended the day with 4 total birds and some tired and sore dogs. I can't imagine hunting a dog out there without some sort of foot protection. After just the first hunt which only lasted 15 minutes we picked a couple dozen needles out of the dogs feet and legs. At that point we spent the next hour cutting innertubes and taping them on the dogs. Having never done this before it took some trial and error and the dogs looked really silly when they first started walking with them but it turned out really well.
Third day was back to pheasant hunting and working our way back east. Shot two more quail another pheasant and missed at least two more.
All in all it was a great trip. We saw some new things and places that we had never been, saw enough birds to keep it interesting and most importantly to me i got to spend some quality time with my 14yo son who seems to be less and less interested in spending time dad and more interested in girls and friends.

Fesntkilr, I'll send you a pm with some details since I see your heading that way soon.
 
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Still wore out.
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They are a very pretty bird.
 
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Thanks for the post. Glad you had a good trip. Thanks for visiting Boot Hill while in Dodge.
 
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