My First KS Upland Hunt Begins New Year's Day!

Birdhuntr1

Birdhuntr1

Member
I haven't been on this forum in a few years. I had plans many years ago for a pheasant hunt in ND that fell through and a couple of wishful thinking trips to KS that never materialized. Now with the 2 week weather forecast visible my plans are set.

I've read & gathered useful information from this forum from subjects ranging from weather to roads to ammo & many more. An acquaintance that I helped mentor to get his woodcock banding permit here in Michigan has graciously shared several locations from central to southwest KS where he's had success, all public, and I'm grateful.

My Llewellins have never smelled a quail, other than a couple coturnix as puppies, nor have they any idea what a pheasant is, lol! They're damn good ruffed grouse & woodcock dogs, have been successful on blues in Colorado as well. I expect they'll be a little confused when they hit the ground and see no forests or mountains but I'm realistically hopeful they'll learn rapidly.

I'll have five days to hunt starting with a couple of places during the drive down once I get to central KS.

Hopefully as this trip unfolds I'll be able to show some successful hunt pictures.
Included is a picture of my Llewellins, Rip & Trace.
 

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Goal 1, Be Safe and Have Fun.
Goal 2, Find Birds.
Goal 3, Hit one of the buggers, I finally hit my first quail this year. I've seen them incidentally while chasing pheasants each of the last 4 years; but never bagged one, even with good dog work.
 
Hit a couple of WIHA spots about dead center of the state with no luck. I was at least the second vehicle that parked at each area today according to the tracks. Didn't find any birds just a few empty hills from earlier this year.

The dogs did put up a rooster back in a walk in area in Nebraska when I let them stretch.

Picture of tonight's dinner😋
 

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No bird contacts today. Got started at first light along Cimerron River. Heard a group shooting a mile or two away. Did some sight seeing between hitting a few walk ins & a couple in the Grassland.
Didn't have any sand burrs, only 1 thorn from prickly pear.
Lots of folks out chasing birds.
May decide to head home to Michigan early. Had fun experiencing new country.20260102_110105.jpg
 
Late season in Kansas is tough. Hope the scenery was worth the trip. Early season or private can be productive still in Kansas but late in the year like this any of the quality WIHA has been hunted countless times .
 
GetTothePoint said:
Late season in Kansas is tough. Hope the scenery was worth the trip. Early season or private can be productive still in Kansas but late in the year like this any of the quality WIHA has been hunted countless times .
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I actually find late season hunting better than opening week and the whole month of November. Less people hunting and the WIHA actually gets a break. The wildlife manager at one of our reservoirs counted 5 different groups walking a WIHA area on opening morning. January is the best month to hunt and I kill a majority of my birds from Christmas til the end of January. I never even wasted my time hunting this year from opening weekend through end of rifle season. All take January over any other time. The last thing I want to see when hunting is other people. Plus it is a lot easier to get permission January vs November.
 
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