Kansas Hunt

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billyb

New member
Looking to plan first trip to Kansas this year for pheasant hunt. How far west of Lawrence KS to get into good hunting? Appreciate any help.

billyb
 
What do you consider "good hunting" Sir? If I were making a long trek to KS, I wouldn't plan to hunt anything E of Milford lake, unless you're going to the KS/NE border. The higher pheasant densities can be found W of Salina. If you're hunting with a dog and want to get into quail, go W of Salina about an hour and go N or S. There were good numbers of pheasants and a few quail in that area this past season. There is a good chance of seeing prarie chickens N of I-70 along that approximate line of latititude. Hope this helps!
 
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I'm with KSbrit, try to get to Russell or points west. Look for the agency bird forecast in the fall to fine tune your target area. The sweet spot changes a bit every year. Last year it was SW, this year it was NW. I hope we get a good production year state wide. That would spread out the hunters and improve the success of everyone. We're set up well with good carryover in most of the western half of the state. There are some weakness areas in the far SW.
 
For pheasants and quail take a look at the Norton/Hill City area.
There are lots of WIHA areas and I have had some luck getting on private land just by asking.

Upland Hunter
 
Norton

Norton is on the fringe of the quail range in Kansas. Most years they are just a bonus bird in the area so don't go expecting large numbers all of the time. The weather there can be about as severe as it can get in Kansas and the quail population tends to boom and bust, leaning to the bust more often.
 
Ha? I like that one PD, You mean those F5's can suck up a few of those little buggers? I thought they were so fast. :laugh:
I did run into a couple guy's right nere the Oaklahoma line on I35 at the cafe and they reported great pheasant hunting there but I have never been so I have nooo clue. They were doing well where they were though. Also A tall guy with that Kansas accent told me he was doing well at the Nebraska border too just off US 75 area. But all I could do is close my eyes and wish. :cool:
 
Missed er by dis much FC. I meant the snow storms that the next morning you can go out and step over the power lines. Quail won't take that! Had a 36 inch blizzard like that in 1987 when I was managing Norton Wildlife Area. Took them 3 days to get 1 lane open 6 miles to the west. I found mule deer dead from it, we still had snow on the north side of the hills in June, and it drove my wood fence posts into the ground until they were 18 inche tall. My dog house was pointing south and it literally filled with snow. I heard something at the door and my setter had walked out over his fence and was moving in with us. It covered my 9 foot garage doors and a couple of older folks drove by my house in the storm only to spend 11 days in their car before the grader may found them under a drift still alive. That leads to a long bust.
 
Yea that sucks we lost our birds too in the early 90's to over 120" of snow and the wind packing the cattails solid, You could not see the tops of the cattails and you could walk on top the cats and not fall through if you jumped they were burried alive in minutes that year and it took till 2001 or so and allot of people and clubs releasing them again to make them to what they are right now. I hope that doesn't happen again anytime soon. I think they suffered a little this year but have been seeing plenty to be ok this spring, it has melted enough now to let em be OK and find food easy.
 
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