Does anyone else scout???

Spence

Spence

New member
The reason I bring this up is there has been alot of people on here bashing the Walk-in program, and the bird numbers based on soley walk-in. I mean of course the walk-in has some good looking cover, and some pretty bare sections enrolled.
I understand the guys that are coming from out of state and may not have the time to get out before, after or during the season to get permission on private land, so no fault there. But the guys that live here and get on here talking about how crappy the hunt was or lack of birds, or how hard the Walk-in is getting hunted etc... I hate to tell you that I for one am not going to feel sorry for you guys.
Get out and scout, go knock on doors, get county ownership maps, make phone calls etc. It has more than payed off this year and numerous in the years in the past. Don't get me wrong I hunt my fair share of walk-in and kill a good share of birds in those fields.
I will now step down from my soap box haha I have just been thinking about this over the past couple weeks and felt the need to vent! :D
 
Yes, I do. I take at least 1 week of vacation prior to season to scout. I put quite a few miles on the truck driving the back roads. I never get to see as many counties as I would like, but I get out there and put some serious effort and $ into it. One fault of mine that I have no problem admitting is that I tend to spend too much time in one area of the state. I've shyed away from finding new areas to hunt solely WIHA. I don't go hunting to "enjoy" the company of other groups of hunters and I have a hard time getting out of the truck to hunt something I saw another group just walk out of.

I spent too much of my season hunting a small area that has always produced in the past and simply didn't this season. I report when I have success finding birds and I report when I don't.

The best hunts I had this season came off of WIHA. WIHA that I scouted before last season on my 10 county scouting trip. You're right, a little effort before season can go a long way. Giving in and finding a new spot when your old ones don't pan out is the priceless lesson of the season for me.

Despite the lack of harvest for me this season, it has been the most enjoyable season of my life. My son made every trip w/ me this season and he loves the sport. My new pup honors every time one of my seasoned dogs stop and he's picked up several nice points and a few retrieves. I've made posts pertaining to less than successful trips in terms of bird #'s, but that's b/c I don't understand why there are so many birds in KS this season, but so few in the area I hunt.
 
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What gets me is the guys that get on here and complain about how hard the walk-in is getting hit, and all the birds they see are getting up 300 yrds ahead etc... So go find some private access that doesn't get hit as hard. I don't know, I just felt the need to rant I guess. I just feel like guys might have a little more luck if they put in the extra work. I do understand that some guys are lucky to get out of the house and be able to hunt a few days a year, and they will be damned if it is spent "scouting" dook knocking or whatever. So maybe this rant goes nowhere, but if one guy on here never really thought about getting county ownerships maps and now they do and find a couple spots to hunt because of my rant than i guess it served some sort of purpose
 
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I fully agreee with you Spence! I do try to get out and scout but since my dad lives in the middle of all the land that I hunt I usually just call him and he tells me what is planted and where. I realize that not everyone has that luxury but even then I still try and make a trip back a few weeks before season and mark up my map. It helps getting a game plan in order for the hunt. Scouting helps pick fields to hit first based on the weather conditions/temps etc:..This past year I didn't get any scouting done and it hurt my success rate for the first hunt due to doing more driving the first day rather than hunting.
 
I do scout & know how to do it well - with a lot of pre-scouting by internet & telephone first (state game dept's, hunting sites, hunter & harvest stats county-by-county, ect.) - & in fact, if I am going to be hunting a brand new area or state & only have two days to hunt it, you can bet I'm gonna spend at least half (and maybe even all) of the first day scouting before I actually start really "hunting". This method has paid off for me really well over many decades on all types of game (especially birds)! I've even had certain people tell me I should have been a guide & that they have not experienced any better hunting in highly-paid operations than sometimes with me, but that is not my primary purpose or calling in life...

All of that being said, boots-on-the-ground reconnaissance has worked out much better for me whenever I was privileged to live at least somewhat local or nearby the area to be hunted. TIME is always the issue!!! I currently live in Denver - almost 3 hrs away from even the closest edge of good pheasant range, & also have a ministry to run & a good marriage to keep! I cannot (or will not) spend my entire life scouting & hunting!!! Like I said, I know how to do it just as good as anybody & am well aware of the immense amount of time it involves/requires to do it well & be consistent at it - but I also know the trade-off/price that is sometimes to be paid & I'm not always willing to pay it!!! :D

Been around the outdoor/sportsman scene all of my life (50 yrs now) - and seen more marriages dashed, children & jobs neglected upon the rocks of obsessive hunting & fishing than I care to think about! I used to be a bonafide member of the club!!! Can't tell you how hard it was to hear my wife once say way-back-when with tears rolling down her cheeks, "I wish you loved me like you love your hunting & fishing"! Made it especially hard to swallow, when at the time deep down I couldn't completely deny it & knew that it was at least in part true! :(

Each to his own - but MODERATION is the key for me!!! If that costs me a few birds, oh well... :)
 
Spence - Thanks for the information. I will definetly pick up the county ownership maps and make some calls next year that is a great idea. I wasn't even aware they were available. Thanks for the rant, much appreciated. :)
 
Can anyone let me know where to access land ownership maps on-line or is this something you need to go to a county office for?
 
I've always went to the county office, but I've heard you can buy them straight from the publisher. It would probably be cheaper through the publisher.
 
@Spence--Didn't mean to aim anything specifically at you or go on so much of a totally separate rant of my own...The people who are too lazy to do any scouting at all & wind up on a total crapshoot by wing-and-prayer method -deserve exactly what they get!

But for those of us who know what to do & how to do it - and simply don't live close enough or have the time - it feels a little like rubbing salt in a wound to hear how good the guys have it who are in a position to do what some of us want to, but simply can't to the extent that we would like!

I have been in birds all year because of much previous scouting (and there are still plenty of them out there) - but not even the "Bird Whisperer" could coax them all to hunker down & hold tight right now this late in the season with the current spell of warm, dry weather we are having! :D
 
no worries, I don't take to much personally. And for the record I wasn't trying to put myself above anyone else as far as being a "good" pheasant hunter by any means. I do like to think I'm pretty damn good at what I do and have a pretty good idea how to do it, but that is all because I put alot of time and effort into it. Not looking for praise at all.
It's just like my golf game, if I actually put time into it I might be worth a damn, BUT I don't so I play about 10 strokes under crappy! ha and I'm pretty ok with that, as long as there are cold beers waiting for me when I'm done I'm satisfied! And I'm sure there are guys out there that feel the same way about bird hunting, and good on them! Those guys i have no issue with. It's the guys that expect results without putting forth the effort and time to get them. That would be like me asking why my golf game sucks and hoping it will get better without the work needed to do it.

Stupid analogy, but I'm just trying to get my point across without ruffling everyones feathers.
 
Spence said:
The reason I bring this up is there has been alot of people on here bashing the Walk-in program, and the bird numbers based on soley walk-in. I mean of course the walk-in has some good looking cover, and some pretty bare sections enrolled.
I understand the guys that are coming from out of state and may not have the time to get out before, after or during the season to get permission on private land, so no fault there. But the guys that live here and get on here talking about how crappy the hunt was or lack of birds, or how hard the Walk-in is getting hunted etc... I hate to tell you that I for one am not going to feel sorry for you guys.
Get out and scout, go knock on doors, get county ownership maps, make phone calls etc. It has more than payed off this year and numerous in the years in the past. Don't get me wrong I hunt my fair share of walk-in and kill a good share of birds in those fields.
I will now step down from my soap box haha I have just been thinking about this over the past couple weeks and felt the need to vent! :D
Click to expand...

It is amazing how many places will let you hunt if you just take the time to ask and let people know who you are. I always leave my card...let them know who I am...and if it works fine. If it doesnt...maybe next year. The problem I run into is landowners tired of deer hunter problems. I hear that a lot. It hurts the birdhunters immensely. It never hurts to drop an email or a card in the mail because there is always next year. Most people are nice. But there are a few hunters out there that make it tough for us all. Plus..it is always good to meet good people...whether they will let you hunt or not. One guy..when he found out we were from Kentucky...and before he said we could hunt..he asked about Derby Tickets...I told him I could get them...but told him the price...he still let us hunt...he he
 
The maps are $30 a piece that come from the publisher. In some counties you used to be able to purchase their homemade maps for less than $20 but I think that those opportunities no longer exist.
 
This past season was the first season I scouted preseason. I only have public land to hunt in MN and had my best year ever. I took 30 roosters this year with a dog that was only 1 1/2. I owe alot of the success to the scouting (especially the early season success).
If your not scouting try it out this season. Next year I plan on taking up Spence on his recommendation and add knocking on doors to my scouting practice.
 
I live in Texas and have hunted the Walk-In Areas in Kansas the last two seasons. It is highly unlikely that I will have an opportunity to do any pre-season scouting. That's just the way it is. In my opinion people who bash the Walk-In program don't understand or appreciate the difference between hunting and shooting. After spending thousands of dollars on quail leases here in Texas, the Kansas Walk-In hunting has given me and my dogs a new lease on life. I take pride in my dogs ability to find birds. I appreciate the opportunity provided by the people of Kansas. My trips there the last two years have given my wife and I some wonderful memories of friendly people and good dog work and miracle of miracles pretty good shooting on my part. To stay with the golf analogy.... bird hunting is not about "how many" but about "how", whereas in golf the "how" is not near as important as "how many". Another hunter may shoot 4 birds to my 2 but I would rather take 2 birds out of an area where no else thought a bird would be or take 2 birds as the result of spectacular dog work and solid points rather than just "git my limit". Some people seem unable to exist unless they are complaining but the price charged to the hunter for the Walk In Hunting is less than a day lease here in Texas. It is, what it is .... an opportunity to hunt and in my experienc opportunities are what you make of them.
 
hen said:
I do scout & know how to do it well - with a lot of pre-scouting by internet & telephone first (state game dept's, hunting sites, hunter & harvest stats county-by-county, ect.) - & in fact, if I am going to be hunting a brand new area or state & only have two days to hunt it, you can bet I'm gonna spend at least half (and maybe even all) of the first day scouting before I actually start really "hunting". This method has paid off for me really well over many decades on all types of game (especially birds)! I've even had certain people tell me I should have been a guide & that they have not experienced any better hunting in highly-paid operations than sometimes with me, but that is not my primary purpose or calling in life...

All of that being said, boots-on-the-ground reconnaissance has worked out much better for me whenever I was privileged to live at least somewhat local or nearby the area to be hunted. TIME is always the issue!!! I currently live in Denver - almost 3 hrs away from even the closest edge of good pheasant range, & also have a ministry to run & a good marriage to keep! I cannot (or will not) spend my entire life scouting & hunting!!! Like I said, I know how to do it just as good as anybody & am well aware of the immense amount of time it involves/requires to do it well & be consistent at it - but I also know the trade-off/price that is sometimes to be paid & I'm not always willing to pay it!!! :D

Been around the outdoor/sportsman scene all of my life (50 yrs now) - and seen more marriages dashed, children & jobs neglected upon the rocks of obsessive hunting & fishing than I care to think about! I used to be a bonafide member of the club!!! Can't tell you how hard it was to hear my wife once say way-back-when with tears rolling down her cheeks, "I wish you loved me like you love your hunting & fishing"! Made it especially hard to swallow, when at the time deep down I couldn't completely deny it & knew that it was at least in part true! :(

Each to his own - but MODERATION is the key for me!!! If that costs me a few birds, oh well... :)
Click to expand...

I appreciate your thought about "moderation", it just makes good sense to me.
 
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