Hunted for a couple of hours this morning. We ended up with 6 quail with 2 of us and one dog. We did shoot one rooster but after a long search moved on without our long feathered prize. We hunted in central KS at some old favorites. We saw nice covies in each field we hunted including 2 where I've never seen quail before. The only negative was that one piece of walk in that is a couple of miles from my old house is not the honey hole it once was. Where there was once a very nice wide buffer strip is now only beans. Despite being walk in it used to be a secret for the locals. From the road it looks like a piece of walk in even the most understanding of us would cuss but if you take the time to walk it you found a gem. Now it's another place of found memory. My 3 year old Irish Setter had the best hunt of his young life despite his owner's complete inability to train. Overall a great hunt. Life takes me to Oklahoma tomorrow for a long marathon day so there is no hope of sneaking in one last hunt. I was going to post a couple of pics but after fighting it with the iPhone I'm throwing in the towel. I realize it's a day early but I'm interested in everyone's thoughts on the state of upland bird hunting in our great state. My take, I'm young but the quail are the best I've seen. Unfortunately pheasants have a ways to go from my limited travels anyway. My biggest concern, where are the hunters? Without guys in orange our sport will continue it's slow demise. I'm proud that my young boys enjoy nothing more than the flush of a covey or the rise of a big rooster. I'm hoping a couple of better seasons will bring guys off the sidelines but in NE KS where I live there aren't many of us left.
Last hunt of the season
- Thread starter onealmck
- Start date
KSBrittman
Active member
Thanks for posting about your last hunt of the season . It has been heartbreaking for me to see draws, ditches , And odd areas turned to soybeans and corn .
I have been helping a landowner add habitat in the form of buffer strips , hinge cutting trees ,burning and light discing CRP and planting shrubs for covey headquarters . We have increased our coveys quite a bit and our pheasants are holding their own .
I joined Pheasants Forever over 15 years ago to do what I can to help reverse the trend .
I have been helping a landowner add habitat in the form of buffer strips , hinge cutting trees ,burning and light discing CRP and planting shrubs for covey headquarters . We have increased our coveys quite a bit and our pheasants are holding their own .
I joined Pheasants Forever over 15 years ago to do what I can to help reverse the trend .
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M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
A great day, I'd say. Thanks for posting.
Glad to have a young hunter on the forum.
There is actually quite a bit of mentoring of new hunters going on by several groups and that is commendable. It is quite a different age than when I grew up, when you might hunt before school and after school and sometimes even skip school and hunt. I remember in the 7th and 8th grade taking my dad's Remington Model 10, 12 gauge to school to reblue it.
The high school here in Dodge is doing a good job teaching hunter's safety classes, fishing and archery, as are other schools around the state. Pass It On-Outdoor Mentors, NWTF, PF/QF, KDWPT, DU are all doing youth hunter recruitment and mentoring.
Again thanks for sharing your hunt and your love of hunting and a good dog.
Glad to have a young hunter on the forum.
There is actually quite a bit of mentoring of new hunters going on by several groups and that is commendable. It is quite a different age than when I grew up, when you might hunt before school and after school and sometimes even skip school and hunt. I remember in the 7th and 8th grade taking my dad's Remington Model 10, 12 gauge to school to reblue it.
The high school here in Dodge is doing a good job teaching hunter's safety classes, fishing and archery, as are other schools around the state. Pass It On-Outdoor Mentors, NWTF, PF/QF, KDWPT, DU are all doing youth hunter recruitment and mentoring.
Again thanks for sharing your hunt and your love of hunting and a good dog.
Was out yesterday for one last hurrah with a friend. Just two of us, but we had 3 pointing dogs on the ground and one lab who mostly stays at heel. We hunted 4 different fields in the central part of the state, all private. 2 disappointed, 2 produced as expected. We ended up with 2 roosters and 4 quail. With a little better shooting from me in particular, we easily could have had 7-8 quail. It was a nice day to be out and a great end to the season.
With respect to the "where are the hunters" comments above, I'd take the opposite view. I've hunted a bit on the us-54/400 corridor this year and I've been surprised at the number of bird hunters I've seen. Trucks with orange-clad occupants, trucks with dog boxes or trailers, vehicle/human/dog tracks on the roads near "my" WIHA fields, etc. My perception is more like "I'm not used to seeing this many hunters in mid-to-late January".
With respect to the "where are the hunters" comments above, I'd take the opposite view. I've hunted a bit on the us-54/400 corridor this year and I've been surprised at the number of bird hunters I've seen. Trucks with orange-clad occupants, trucks with dog boxes or trailers, vehicle/human/dog tracks on the roads near "my" WIHA fields, etc. My perception is more like "I'm not used to seeing this many hunters in mid-to-late January".
cheesy
Well-known member
I only got to go out on the opener and again in the middle of January.
As expected the opener was its usual circus, take a number before getting to hunt a field.
Middle of January, in the middle of the muddy road week, we saw quite a few hunters. There were dog boxes at the hotel, first field we walked we got 'helpers' that parked at our trucks as we were halfway through the field and they walked our planned return path. Throughout the day we saw several groups of hunters and some 1's and 2's.
Last year hunted the same week in January and saw next to nobody. Single digit temperatures and wind might have had something to do with that though.
As expected the opener was its usual circus, take a number before getting to hunt a field.
Middle of January, in the middle of the muddy road week, we saw quite a few hunters. There were dog boxes at the hotel, first field we walked we got 'helpers' that parked at our trucks as we were halfway through the field and they walked our planned return path. Throughout the day we saw several groups of hunters and some 1's and 2's.
Last year hunted the same week in January and saw next to nobody. Single digit temperatures and wind might have had something to do with that though.
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
The pheasants were sitting tight for my two hunters on the final day. I think they put seven coveys in the air before quitting after lunch.
I hope we can have good conditions this spring for good nesting success.
I hope we can have good conditions this spring for good nesting success.
BritChaser
Well-known member
My hunting partner in NW took guns, rifles, and ammo to school on the bus if he had plans to hunt with a friend after school. A very different time.
Steve, I appreciate the comment on my setter. I see your dogs and videos and I must admit I'm jealous. I also have an English that was ruined before I got him. He's afraid to be on a field, took me a while to figure out why but someone misused a shock collar on him and he's afraid to be out there. So he roams around the farm and sleeps in bed.
Speaking of hunting after school, I was in high school in the late 90's and remember hunting doves after football practice. It was common to have a rack with a rife and a shotgun in the truck until the school shootings started. That put an end to after school hunts pretty quick.
I'm glad to hear others saw more hunters out this year. I hunt almost exclusively on public land on a wildlife area and didn't compete to hunt where I wanted once this year. I remember hunting with my dad and there being trucks everywhere on the public area. That was also back when the birds were much better in NE KS.
I'm ready for November already. It seems that every year I have big plans of hunting in new places and more often but work and life gets in the way.
Speaking of hunting after school, I was in high school in the late 90's and remember hunting doves after football practice. It was common to have a rack with a rife and a shotgun in the truck until the school shootings started. That put an end to after school hunts pretty quick.
I'm glad to hear others saw more hunters out this year. I hunt almost exclusively on public land on a wildlife area and didn't compete to hunt where I wanted once this year. I remember hunting with my dad and there being trucks everywhere on the public area. That was also back when the birds were much better in NE KS.
I'm ready for November already. It seems that every year I have big plans of hunting in new places and more often but work and life gets in the way.
We're probably close to the same age - dont let the latter part get in the way. Life is too short. :cheers: (I work on that part often myself)
Was able to sneak out a few times this season with good results. Took my little dog out twice. He is still gun shy but getting better. He does like chasing roosters more so I think he will work out of his gun shyness. Both trips produced birds but it was just me and huckleberry. That's my dogs name. Ready for 2017 opener. Maybe huckleberry will make the opening weekend trip this year.