New Hunter Here?

[mdspoula]

I went on my first pheasant trip last year and had a much better year last year. We went to Glasco, KS this year and ended up road hunting half the day due to the 4 birds we did see flushing way too early this past Saturday. Do you really need a larger group than three hunters? Our dog was also still a puppy and didn't know what to do yet. I live around Manhattan, KS and was wondering if there are any closer spots to try also?
Thanks,

 

[Oggie]

I would just head north alittle to axtell and try that, we seen some birds up there the opener but it was way to hot and all crops still standing. I think once it cools off and the crops get cut I think one can do pretty good. seen more quial up there then I tought I would. Good luck where ever you go..

 

[akahunter]

hunting in small groups can be tough until the weather gets cold. once the snow and cold hit, small groups is the best way to go. in the warm weather birds are spread out all over the place and they dont hold as tight. once the weather moves in they will bunch up into the heavier cover and hold tighter for ya. dont get discouraged just yet. good luck out there.

 

[Toad]

I live around Manhattan, KS and was wondering if there are any closer spots to try also?
Thanks,

I probably won't make it over to Ft Riley before December, but I did get some feedback from users on this site, as well as other residents of Manhattan. I am looking forward to going that way because it is fairly close and large enough that I would hope there are birds somewhere out there!

If you don't want to go through the trouble of hunting there, I would go North or Northwest. I have hit pretty much all the Walk-in and Public hunting areas that are East, Southeast, and South of Manhattan, and they are pretty marginal IMO. There are a few quail to be found, but not a lot, and I haven't flushed a single pheasant this season.

Two dogs and I hunted a half-section straight South of Manhattan this morning, and never moved a bird, even though the cover was beautiful. Of course, the cover on all sides of the property looked a little better than where we were hunting... I ended up trading out my lead shot for steel loads and jumped a pond to reward the dogs for their efforts.

My advice is "go North".

 

[Toad]

Northeast of Manhattan

On Friday I hunted the public area of Jeffrey Energy Center and Walk-in area #2, which are Northeast of Manhattan. The cover at JEC looks absolutely perfect, like it was managed for pheasants and quail. One problem... I flushed four mallards off a creek and about a thousand song birds. It was a great day to be out wandering around, but disappointing that we didn't at least see some roosters or quail. The wind was howling and I wonder if that didn't hurt our chances.

#2 looked "quaily", but our hunt there was pretty half-hearted, since we had pounded Jeffrey pretty hard. I doubt I'll go back there, the cover looked pretty average.

I would guess I'll probably go back to Jeffrey after some snow flies and see if that doesn't help pin some birds down in the thicker stuff.

If you decide to go, the road that runs up the East side of Jeffrey is minimum maintenance, and IMO impassible when wet. Same story for the road that divides WIHA #2, and turns North along the East side towards #1. I was wise enough to avoid trying both, but I saw somebody's tracks where they slid off the road and looked like they probably had some "fun" digging out their truck.

 

[mdspoula]

Wiha #2

I also tried number 2 with my dog Saturday night for about an hour before sundown and didn't see anything but lots of cows and songbirds. My lab "Rambo" pointed at the cows after smelling cow pies. Oh well at least it was exercise.

 

[ccavacini]

I also tried number 2 with my dog Saturday night for about an hour before sundown and didn't see anything but lots of cows and songbirds. My lab "Rambo" pointed at the cows after smelling cow pies. Oh well at least it was exercise.

Ok, now that was good. Don't worry, eventually Rambo will figure it out.

 

[Toad]

It could be worse. Rambo could be eating cow pies and chasing cows.

I wish there weren't cows on walk-in hunting areas. That one SE of Manhattan always has cows in the better draws and they are ornery as s###. There's one white-face cow that chases my dogs every time. That cow will run clear across the pasture to pester us.