New to NE Kansas

D

dgwelch51

New member
Hey y'all, I'm new to NE Kansas and would love to do some pheasant huntin, but would be interested in any upland birds. Anyone have any advice for where to go/ want a huntin partner?

Also, I'm only here till next August so if you tell me about secret spots, I won't be able to steal it forever!

Thanks,
David
 
Welcome David , there are a few spots in NE Kansas that hold some pheasants but pale in comparison to the heyday when CRP was brand new and we had a number of weedy draws . Quail numbers are decent in and around the Flinthills:)

I would recommend you look further to the west for decent numbers of pheasants .

What kind of dogs or dog do you have ?

Welcome aboard
 
Depending on where you are pheasants can range from non-existent to pretty decent. Not big numbers like out west but enough to see some birds and have a great time. Quail can range from decent to great in Northeast Kansas. We don't have much walk in but there is more public land with a high concentration of lakes. You can have good success on public land and generally it's not too crowded but it can be. After opening weekend I've hunted lots of public without seeing any other hunters. Be careful on public during deer season as every idiot in 3 states is out with a high power looking for that big KS Buck...including me! If you like Turkey hunting we've got all the turkey you can handle.
 
I hunted exclusively on public land at Milford Lake last year. I got my only pheasant of the season about 45 minutes before the season ended. Saw a few coveys of quail, but my young bird dog and I had a blast. I doubt it will be much better this season, but there's plenty of walking.
 
dgwelch51 said:
Hey y'all, I'm new to NE Kansas and would love to do some pheasant huntin, but would be interested in any upland birds. Anyone have any advice for where to go/ want a huntin partner?

Also, I'm only here till next August so if you tell me about secret spots, I won't be able to steal it forever!

Thanks,
David
Click to expand...

Where are you located in NE KS?
 
This area meet Pheasants forever top 20 list of most endangered habitats .

Washington, Marshall and Nemaha Counties, Kans. ? This trio of neighboring counties in northeast Kansas has historically been a popular destination for Kansas City metro area upland hunters, but conservation and small grains have taken a backseat to corn and soybean production. Combined, CRP acreage in these counties has declined by nearly 29,000 acres since 2007, a decrease of 34 percent. The habitat horizon is blurry as well, with nearly 20,000 CRP acres set to expire in the next two years. ?It?s almost a shame that you can get a hotel room in this area on the pheasant hunting opener, not too long ago it was booked up solid,? says Jordan Martincich, a lifelong Kansas resident and Pheasants Forever?s Development Officer. ?We need to work with landowners in these counties to recoup as many CRP acres as possible and keep the upland tradition alive.?

There is habitat work going on in these counties , scout and look hard and you will find some birds .
 
Hey guys, I'm a avid bird hunter new to the forum.
Love upland birds across the prairie and back home in Kentucky.

I'm somewhat familiar with NE KS.....as I hunted there from the early 90's thru 2005. Marshall, Nemaha and Washington Counties had excellent hunting opportunities and the habitat was very good. It was not uncommon to get 8-10 coveys pointed per hunt....sometimes 12-15 coveys. Plus good numbers of pheasant as well. I returned last year after a 10 year hiatus.....and all of the farms I once hunted were plowed under and planted right up to the road. Even the ditches had been mowed and all of the plumb thickets and tree / fence rows removed.

I was disappointed for sure.....but not suprised as we have lots much quality habitat to high grain (corn & beans) and ethanol production over the last 10 years....Not just Kansas but across the prairie and midwest.

I would love to see your part of Kansas, rebound and bird numbers return to pre-drought / habitat loss numbers.....

Good advice from the others on here....head west on hwy 36 or towards central KS for improved bird numbers.....where habitat is found.

Best of luck and please post photos of your hunts.

KYGent
 
dgwelch51 said:
I'm in Lawrence
Click to expand...

Well Welcome to KS!
Like it was stated before the areas around Lawrence and Topeka get hit hard by PT hunters from KC, Topeka and Lawrence. That said there are birds ( mainly Quail) north of you around Perry Wildlife area, but you will have to work for them.

20 years ago I used to limit on Roosters in Jefferson county, but not anymore.

I would spend an hour or two in the truck and go west to at least Abilene to get into some better hunting ground.

Good Luck!:thumbsup:
 
Welcome neighbor. I also live in Lawrence and have hunted this area since the late 80s/early 90s. As many have mentioned, the pheasant #s around here are slim to none, especially compared to what it was back then. But the good news is the quail numbers are getting better. Do you have dogs that you use?


I hunt mostly WIHA and generally the further west you go from here, the more birds you will see especially when it comes to Pheasant.

I'm getting ready to start training my youngest GSP and if your'e interested in getting out and dusting the boots off, I could always use a helping hand in the field.
 
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