Favorite pheasant hunting states

Pheasants4ever

Pheasants4ever

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What states have you hunted pheasants in and where is your favorite?

I have hunted MN, SD, ND, NE, and IA. My favorite is SD, although all of them have been good. Still want to go to MT, KS, and HI-heard that Hawaii was an unbelievable upland experience!
 
Hawaii

Heck, Hawaii is a hunting trip I could even talk my wife into :)

I've hunted in NE, KS, CO and WY. SD is on the list, but for right now KS is by far the best I've been to.
 
Kansas....the scenery in many areas is breathtaking and I enjoy the isolation that Kansas provides when hunting.

I have seen pheasants both flushing and just out walking around in Hawaii, and think it would be an incredible adventure to harvest a ringneck on one of the Hawaiian islands. Kauai seems to have the best pheasant habitat.
 
Hawaii

I am with you guys. I think Hawaii would be pretty neat. I think I remember seeing a photo of it in a magazine... Pheasants Forever maybe?

Sounds like I need to make it to Kansas next year. I hear Kansas has good hunting. I have only been to Lawrence golfing.
 
I too have hunted many states. I enjoy pheasant hunting the most so it would have to be the Dakotas. I have spent more time in South Dakota.
 
As far as numbers of birds you can't beat ND and SD. Allthough the most birds I've seen in one flock was in Iowa mid 70's. After a heavy snow feeding with cattle. Montana will never have the birds like you will find in the Dakotas, but I will always say, there should be a lot more to a hunting trip than killing game. Montana without a doupt is where I will put in most of my hunting time.:cheers:

mnmt
 
Being from Kansas I have to vote KS number 1, then SD followed closely by Iowa. All have good hunting but I'm a Ks farmboy so I have to vote for my state. It kinda helps that I have private land to hunt in Ks, where in SD I only hunt public. My buddy has some pretty good private land in Iowa, but I prefer Ks.
 
I really enjoy Iowa, but that probably has to do with the fact that I've got great friends that I hunt with there.
 
well first off I hunt almost everyday of the season mostly in kansas but I start as early as possible in North Dakota and work my way south. I hunt the both Dakota states Iowa, nebraska, missouri and make it home to kansas then oklahoma and texas.
Its hard to say that South Dakota isn't the best because of the shear number of birds but I am always hunting with 15 other people and 5 different dogs bringing the birds I shot back to other hunters that are in my group. although its a blast but i like hunting in smaller groups with a couple of good dogs and pointing each pheasant and then taking harvesting it.
Again I have hunted a lot of states but you can't beat the mix bag that kansas offers. I love the feeling of surprise quail/pheasant? Kansas has some real good pheasant hunting and some of the best bobwhite hunting in the country. In South Dakota you can only get one limit in kansas you can get 2 limits meaning 1 limit of pheasants and 1 limits of quail on a good day. I have rarely come close to a quail limit in SD.
So my pick is kansas maybe because I hunt there the most but you can enjoy good hunting with small groups and really get the full enjoyment out of it. But I love hunting anywhere I get the chance.
 
PORKNBEANS has it right. It is not about were you hunt but with who. SD has many fond memories for me because of the hunting situations. As I get more friends and places to hunt in IA the memorise there are great also. I would like to head south to hunt quail sometime.
 
I have been to both Dakota's several times, Iowa several times grew up there and still have family there. And MN, I will through out a suprise in MN all are good but I like the diversity of cover and varity of game here. And if you like a chalange and suprise try these ruffeled grouse. most times you only here them. they are very fast like quail and you have only a fraction of time to get one in the bush. For the siclusion and scenery I will vote dakota's Missouri river Bute region. Huns are a secret table fair that seems to fall out of mind here too they are a great challange as well people don't realize just how many there is out here. You probably drive by them every day hunting, they look like a dirt clump in a plowed field.
 
My favorite state is whatever state I'm hunting in that day. I've hunted in IA, SD and ND. I do enjoy the varying landscapes but the birds still fly and run the same. I truly can't say I prefer one state over another but each one holds it's own particular mystique. I look forward to new adventures in KS, MT, ID, OR and Canada or any other place where you can hunt wild birds.
 
Tpharkman said:
Kansas....the scenery in many areas is breathtaking and I enjoy the isolation that Kansas provides when hunting.

I have seen pheasants both flushing and just out walking around in Hawaii, and think it would be an incredible adventure to harvest a ringneck on one of the Hawaiian islands. Kauai seems to have the best pheasant habitat.
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Tpharkman,

What parts of KS do you enjoy and have the most success?

billyb
 
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I can't remember where I heard this before, but "There's no place like home" sums it up for me.
 
I've hunted ND, SD, and KS. Pheasant hunting the Dakotas is great, but doesn't hold a candle to the combination opportunities in KS. I like quail just as much (if not more) than pheasants. I like seeing both of them in the same field more than I like hunting either one of them alone. Nothing quite like looking for your next covey of quail, only to be scared sh!#less by a rooster flushing. KS is home so there is some bias in my pick. I thought SD was very commercialized (out of fairness....I've only been there once). I'm sure parts of SD aren't as bad as Huron/Mitchell areas.....I'll find out someday! SW ND has loads of pheasant, BUT it made for a difficult day with the dogs. KS is great in that there are enough birds to keep it interesting, but not so many you can't get close to them for good pointing action

One state I really want to try is Texas. I've heard the bobwhite hunting is great there.
 
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I too have hunted many states; KS, MO, IA, MN, and NE for birds. SD, i'm sure wins by default, but I agree that Kansas has the all around appeal. Don't leave out the prairie chicks.
 
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