Lock and Load for the Opener

I had other matters come up, so I won’t be able to chase the upland birds until later this week. You couldn’t ask for a more gorgeous opening weekend though. ~10 degrees right now out in pheasant country. Low 20’s here in far southeast Kansas. Sitting out here drinking my coffee and watching my chickens peck. Beautiful, frosty morning!
 
Got to a WIHA 4 miles from my house about 6:00 this morning so I wouldn't have to fight for a spot. About 6:45 as I am getting out out of the truck, here comes 3 pick ups making the slow opening morning roll down the dirt road. They drove by me and stopped about 50 yds from my pick up. The set there for 5 minutes and I was waiting for them to leave. Finally I got out and started getting ready to head in. Well here comes one of them walking up wanting to hunt with me. I told him to please keep his voice down. He replied, I didn't thinking I was talking loud. Then the pheasants starting cackling and I said " thanks there they go". He kept trying to talk with me and I repeated "see you later". Finally he left. So in I went on the 160 acres. I could see a few fluttering up in front of me so I made my way towards them. Then a jeep and toyota tacoma pulled up on the west side and watched me walking. Eventually, they started to leave and turned around headed south then stopped at the corner I was walking to. I got to about 100 yds from them and they just sat there. I could hear them loading their guns. I had my dog sit and we waited for them to leave. They eventually pulled up about 100 yds or so and got out again. I asked them if they wanted to hunt the ground that bad and that I would just leave. Well they started to leave and drove about 50 yds then got out and preceded to walk on in. I just turned around and headed to the truck. I drove around the section to them and sure enough Johnson County. Moral of the story, it doesn't pay to get to your spot early on opening morning. I think from here on out I will just skip the opener. And leave it to the pricks.
 
No you are in the right. Most likely, since you were only 4 miles from your property, that you had scouted this crp and knew it held birds. ( which I think you said were really bad numbers) . most folks don't know how to be quite, how if you pull up and slam truck doors, hollering, and whatever, ol Mr rooster slips out the back side.

Good luck this season, and leave a few for the rest of us
 
westksbowhunter said:
I drove around the section to them and sure enough Johnson County.
Click to expand...
While I understand your frustration, there's jerks in every county. Every county. Probably more in the counties where large cities predominate, I'll agree.

The farther removed the hunters are from the actual agricultural fields, the more the boorish behavior encountered or so it seems.

But there were years when my truck wore JO on the tag and I never did anything like that to anyone, anywhere. Now it wears and MI tag and that county gets the same reception as JO. Guilt by association I guess; don't want to be sharing county lines. :)

Hope you have better experiences as the season progresses.
 
westksbowhunter said:
Got to a WIHA 4 miles from my house about 6:00 this morning so I wouldn't have to fight for a spot. About 6:45 as I am getting out out of the truck, here comes 3 pick ups making the slow opening morning roll down the dirt road. They drove by me and stopped about 50 yds from my pick up. The set there for 5 minutes and I was waiting for them to leave. Finally I got out and started getting ready to head in. Well here comes one of them walking up wanting to hunt with me. I told him to please keep his voice down. He replied, I didn't thinking I was talking loud. Then the pheasants starting cackling and I said " thanks there they go". He kept trying to talk with me and I repeated "see you later". Finally he left. So in I went on the 160 acres. I could see a few fluttering up in front of me so I made my way towards them. Then a jeep and toyota tacoma pulled up on the west side and watched me walking. Eventually, they started to leave and turned around headed south then stopped at the corner I was walking to. I got to about 100 yds from them and they just sat there. I could hear them loading their guns. I had my dog sit and we waited for them to leave. They eventually pulled up about 100 yds or so and got out again. I asked them if they wanted to hunt the ground that bad and that I would just leave. Well they started to leave and drove about 50 yds then got out and preceded to walk on in. I just turned around and headed to the truck. I drove around the section to them and sure enough Johnson County. Moral of the story, it doesn't pay to get to your spot early on opening morning. I think from here on out I will just skip the opener. And leave it to the pricks.
Click to expand...
I've been in the same spot only maybe a bit worse.
We were walking a 1/4 of WIHA down in Edwards county. It had a great tree row on the west edge and another tree row which kind of bisected the middle, jutting out from the one bordering the road. Four of us had decided to walk it, and had just shot two roosters and busted a covey as a convoy of trucks from Arkansas drove past. They continued down the road, stopped probably a 1/4 mile away, jumped out, spread out and CAME towards us. They were being "guided" by a guy from KS, whom I may or may not have dressed down about a lack of safety and ethics. We quit heading to Edwards Co after that incident.
 
gsh lover said:
No you are in the right. Most likely, since you were only 4 miles from your property, that you had scouted this crp and knew it held birds. ( which I think you said were really bad numbers) . most folks don't know how to be quite, how if you pull up and slam truck doors, hollering, and whatever, ol Mr rooster slips out the back side.

Good luck this season, and leave a few for the rest of us
Click to expand...
Yes I deer hunt in there too. I always try to shoot a deer in there before pheasant season, then just go ahead and hunt it opening morning for pheasants. I mentioned the Johnson county plates because I had a similar situation there last year, and guess what, Johnson county plates again. I assume it was the same bunch but I don't remember their vehicles from last year. Didn't really pay attention to it. It is a property that opens Nov. 1 but the landowner lets me deer hunt there early. Hate to do it, but I am going to ask him about leasing it next year.
 
westksbowhunter said:
Got to a WIHA 4 miles from my house about 6:00 this morning so I wouldn't have to fight for a spot. About 6:45 as I am getting out out of the truck, here comes 3 pick ups making the slow opening morning roll down the dirt road. They drove by me and stopped about 50 yds from my pick up. The set there for 5 minutes and I was waiting for them to leave. Finally I got out and started getting ready to head in. Well here comes one of them walking up wanting to hunt with me. I told him to please keep his voice down. He replied, I didn't thinking I was talking loud. Then the pheasants starting cackling and I said " thanks there they go". He kept trying to talk with me and I repeated "see you later". Finally he left. So in I went on the 160 acres. I could see a few fluttering up in front of me so I made my way towards them. Then a jeep and toyota tacoma pulled up on the west side and watched me walking. Eventually, they started to leave and turned around headed south then stopped at the corner I was walking to. I got to about 100 yds from them and they just sat there. I could hear them loading their guns. I had my dog sit and we waited for them to leave. They eventually pulled up about 100 yds or so and got out again. I asked them if they wanted to hunt the ground that bad and that I would just leave. Well they started to leave and drove about 50 yds then got out and preceded to walk on in. I just turned around and headed to the truck. I drove around the section to them and sure enough Johnson County. Moral of the story, it doesn't pay to get to your spot early on opening morning. I think from here on out I will just skip the opener. And leave it to the pricks.
Click to expand...
Shitty. I've never has that happen to me. I don't think I would be very nice.
 
COWAN said:
I thought that was the unwritten rule in Kansas?
Click to expand...
It should be the unwritten rule everywhere. I had a similar situation last weekend in Iowa and have had it happen multiple time in ks. This is the main reason why I don't hunt out west for the opener. Just not worth it to deal with the crowds.
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
I’ll be out some. The guys I’ve been hunting with most of the older guys have stopped coming and with no birds around this year I’m sure it’s just going to turn into a party. I think I’ll sit it out.
My wife’s going out west I think I’m going to tag along with her. She said she’d walk a couple fields with me. Trying to convince her she needs to carry a gun
Click to expand...
I spent this afternoon hunting . Saw a few to a hand full of birds in most of the fields I walked , my wife did get out and walk one with me no gun. Numbers were slightly better than expected . About 20 birds flushed equal number of hens and roosters which surprised me , didn’t think many hens would have made it. All last years birds but a little on the skinny side.
Had the opportunity to finish a limit a couple of times but didn’t get it done. I told my wife this morning that I thought I could kill 3 this weekend so if anything tomorrow it’s a bonus. Good time and glad I went.244E56DA-3CE1-41C9-8412-B3FD3A60456A.jpeg
 
COWAN said:
I thought that was the unwritten rule in Kansas?
Click to expand...
Kind of depends. There used to be a half section of good CRP that we tried to hunt opening morning. There was always one truck with 2 guys and 2 dogs there very early. I think they slept there. :) They camped out on the east side and would walk a mile through to the south and then a mile back, right over the same ground. Our group would often take a pass down the west side. There was plenty of space in between and no harsh words. No words at all really. The problem was when other groups would try to fill in the space or walk a different direction.

Just yesterday we (3 of us) rolled up on a WIHA as a guy and his son were getting ready to hunt it. They were from Missouri. I stopped to chat, but really didn't have any intention of hunting it. They were already there. Anyway, he invited us to hunt the other end, saying there was no way he and his son would hunt the whole field. I thanked him. We took a closer look at the south end of the field, decided the cover was too thin and moved on.

(editted to clean up a confusing part)
 
Last edited:
westksbowhunter said:
I mentioned the Johnson county plates because I had a similar situation there last year, and guess what, Johnson county plates again.
Click to expand...

1/5 Kansans live there, so there's bound to be a lot JoCo plates in Kansas. I've always thought putting county markings on license plates is for hicks. Never seen it used for anything but for cops to harass people who "aren't from around here".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top