I am planning a hunting trip in late nov.I am taking my 12 year old boy on his first bird trip.Thinking about starting around pratt and heading towards rush center any info on wiha;s or any wildlife areas on quail and phez information would be a bonus to me.thx in advance for any input,you can pm me also.
Kansas Trip
- Thread starter BIRDDOG18
- Start date
cheesy
Well-known member
Thats usually the area we hunt, but start a bit further west of Pratt. No particular hot-spots, just get out in the general area and find a good looking WIHA and have at it. Whats good? CRP patches with a grain crop on one edge. Weedy fields, waterways, creek bottoms, homesteads. When strictly hunting unscouted WIHA's we'll have a guy reading the map, a guy driving, and usually spend as much time driving as we do hunting, trying not to waste our time on fields that have nothing but grass patches for miles around.
skeetjordan
New member
i have had some good hunts in the rush center area and found both quail and pheasant. i agree with cheesy, look for WIHA next to crops and you should do fine. Good luck to you and your boy. He will love all of the wildlife he will see in kansas
What I try to do is look at the satellite photos of the walk in areas to see any hidden draws that may not be visable from the road. I then look for areas that may not look the best like weedy wheat stubble that not too many hunters want to hunt. A lot of times the birds get pushed out of the good looking areas and move to the lesser cover, if its warm they do not need heavey cover. Last year in the warm winter we found the birds roosting in the thicker milo. So try something that not all the other hunters are doing. Try walking the field backwards, which may mean walking a .5 mile in the field then hunting back to the car. Anything to confuse the birds.
zeepo
zeepo
cheesy
Well-known member
Walking the field backwards:
Reminds me of a hunt dad and I did southwest of Greensburg on Thanksgiving day last year. We'd hunted the same CRP field the previous January, started walking a weedy draw though the middle of the grass, all the birds were jumping wild at the end, 200 yards in front of us. On the Thanksgiving hunt I had him drop me and one dog off on the west end of the field, he drove to the east end with the other dog, we started pushing the same weedy draw, meet in the middle. Wouldn't do it with people I didn't trust or wasn't familiar with, but have no worries with my dad. We got about 150 yards apart, one jumped behind me, I shot and dropped him, then all hell broke loose and about 50 birds jumped between us, out of both our ranges. I don't think they'd been hunted that way before, if it hadn't been for the early jumper we would have had a lot more shooting.
Reminds me of a hunt dad and I did southwest of Greensburg on Thanksgiving day last year. We'd hunted the same CRP field the previous January, started walking a weedy draw though the middle of the grass, all the birds were jumping wild at the end, 200 yards in front of us. On the Thanksgiving hunt I had him drop me and one dog off on the west end of the field, he drove to the east end with the other dog, we started pushing the same weedy draw, meet in the middle. Wouldn't do it with people I didn't trust or wasn't familiar with, but have no worries with my dad. We got about 150 yards apart, one jumped behind me, I shot and dropped him, then all hell broke loose and about 50 birds jumped between us, out of both our ranges. I don't think they'd been hunted that way before, if it hadn't been for the early jumper we would have had a lot more shooting.
I learned that trick a long time ago, we used to hunt the Abbey land outside of Atchinson KS. We always hunted the tree line along the Mo. river and then the levee back to the car. We would always see good numbers but as the season went on we killed less and less. One season some crops flooded out on the inside field of the levee, so we decided late in the season to walk it up to the trees and then the trees back to the car. We hunted this property a week earlier and only killed a few pheasants. That day the two of us could have killed 20 roosters a piece. The birds did not know what to do. Ever since then we would hunt it one way twice and then the other way once. We would have great success every hunt after that. I have been on some public ground that when you get out of the car and see all the footprints going one way I usually just turn around and find someplace else to hunt or another way to hunt the property. I have walked a mile through open ground sometimes in the dark to hunt property backwards and normally have great luck. On public ground and private you have to do things different sometimes to have success. Just like the guys who hunt across the milo cross rows instead of with the rows. Another great trick, sometimes hard on the shins but worth it.
zeepo
zeepo
rwigg
New member
Info
Moved from Mich. to Colorado for the winter and planning a trip to Kansas around the 15th of Nov. I've got info coming, maps, etc. but not familar with the area. Planning on hunting around the Hayes area for the first couple days, then going to Salina for 3-4 days. Any info would help. Looking for inexpensive hotels to stay, and good chow a must! lol Thanks for the help!
Moved from Mich. to Colorado for the winter and planning a trip to Kansas around the 15th of Nov. I've got info coming, maps, etc. but not familar with the area. Planning on hunting around the Hayes area for the first couple days, then going to Salina for 3-4 days. Any info would help. Looking for inexpensive hotels to stay, and good chow a must! lol Thanks for the help!
kansasbrittany
Banned
Most of the small town resturants in KS are good IMO. I can't help you on hotels. There is a GREAT Italian eatery on the main drag in Salina. Can't remember the name, but I think it starts with an "M". Good luck.
INFO. on PRATT AREA
Thx 4 all the replys and info.Iam concerned w pratt area that had 30 inches of late snow.Talked to a c/o and thought the bird #s down from last year,has any 1 heard ,from the locals about that pratt area on bird #s being down.thx in adavance for all the replys
Thx 4 all the replys and info.Iam concerned w pratt area that had 30 inches of late snow.Talked to a c/o and thought the bird #s down from last year,has any 1 heard ,from the locals about that pratt area on bird #s being down.thx in adavance for all the replys
KansasUplandHunter
New member
I've been hunting Pheasants in Kansas for the last 10 years or so and I've found that the farther North and West I go the better the hunt, (ie.. more birds) Just right across the border of CO you should find good hunting. Theres a good place to eat in Plainsville I cant remember the name though (Great Steaks)