NW KS report 12/27-29

M

Makintrax73

Member
Just finishing up our annual hunt. This year we could not get access to the private land we had access to the last two years (health issues with the owner) so hunted WIHA with one private tract we could get on.

Conditions were difficult. None of the dogs performed well. I assume the very dry dusty conditions hurt scenting, and bird numbers are somewhat down also I suppose. Three days of hunting. We had 7 roosters +/- in shooting range, and saw a few more. Lost count of hens. Moved 5 coveys of quail, and only 1 was a small covey the rest were 15 ish birds. Flushed a few chickens, and I was fortune to kill the one prairie chicken that came up in gun range - my first ever. Saw several large 20+ flocks of chickens flying between fields this year which was nice to see.

I'm embarrassed to say how few birds we killed due to poor shooting by myself and my hunting partner, but enough for a nice dinner tonight for our last day here.

On the upside we hunted 3 tracts per day. Only 1 of those 9 tracts did we fail to get any shots off at in range birds. The birds are there for the shooting in limited numbers even on WIHA. We are not experts by any means. Our only tactic is to drive around until we find grass over knee high next to cut corn, sorghum or wheat stubble. Pick the best looking of what we see and start walking trying to use the wind. I will say that rarely did we see anything by the road. 1/4 mile from the road, and in reality more like 1/2 mile from the road is where they are hiding 75% of the time.

I'm sure that isn't news to the regulars, but hopefully that advice will help a newby or two find a bird. The hunting is hard. The birds are in out of the way spots. But if you temper your expectations and are willing to work for birds you can kill late season birds on public in NW KS. Nobody ever said public land late season birds was for wussies so what more can a guy ask for?
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
That’s a good point about not finding birds close to the road or even right next to feed. Great report
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Makintrax73 said:
Just finishing up our annual hunt. This year we could not get access to the private land we had access to the last two years (health issues with the owner) so hunted WIHA with one private tract we could get on.

Conditions were difficult. None of the dogs performed well. I assume the very dry dusty conditions hurt scenting, and bird numbers are somewhat down also I suppose. Three days of hunting. We had 7 roosters +/- in shooting range, and saw a few more. Lost count of hens. Moved 5 coveys of quail, and only 1 was a small covey the rest were 15 ish birds. Flushed a few chickens, and I was fortune to kill the one prairie chicken that came up in gun range - my first ever. Saw several large 20+ flocks of chickens flying between fields this year which was nice to see.

I'm embarrassed to say how few birds we killed due to poor shooting by myself and my hunting partner, but enough for a nice dinner tonight for our last day here.

On the upside we hunted 3 tracts per day. Only 1 of those 9 tracts did we fail to get any shots off at in range birds. The birds are there for the shooting in limited numbers even on WIHA. We are not experts by any means. Our only tactic is to drive around until we find grass over knee high next to cut corn, sorghum or wheat stubble. Pick the best looking of what we see and start walking trying to use the wind. I will say that rarely did we see anything by the road. 1/4 mile from the road, and in reality more like 1/2 mile from the road is where they are hiding 75% of the time.

I'm sure that isn't news to the regulars, but hopefully that advice will help a newby or two find a bird. The hunting is hard. The birds are in out of the way spots. But if you temper your expectations and are willing to work for birds you can kill late season birds on public in NW KS. Nobody ever said public land late season birds was for wussies so what more can a guy ask for?
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Thanks for info. , we will be in North central ks. from the 8th / 15th. We've got dogs, guns, shells and time so we'll make the best of it ! Regardless of birds found its a great way to spend a week !
 
Makintrax ,
How accurate would you say the Kansas wildlife and parks bird report is based on your hunt ?

I just got back from the Southern part of the Smokey hills and In the area I hunted compared to last year , I would say numbers down in the 25 to 45 percent range .
 
Seemed like numbers were down at least 25%, but maybe more. Hard to tell exactly because we hunted a couple really good private tracts last year with a lot of birds. This year almost all WIHA. The birds seemed way more spooky this year, so it could also be simply not seeing them but they were there. IIRC the report said down 31% statewide? If so that number seems very reasonable based on what we saw.
 
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However, quail were a different story....definitely saw more quail on the public land this year, and bigger coveys. Not sure if that is more birds, or simply hunting smarter. Either way we saw way more quail this year vs last WIHA vs WIHA. The biggest issue is they were invariably at the back of the tract and immediately flushed onto private land.....almost like they know right where home base is at. 😅
 
I just got back from Central Kansas and the walk in areas in Lane and Ness counties were really sad. 90% of them were un-huntable cause were too short of cover. It is a big embarrassment in my opinion to enroll lands that are useless for only maybe deer? Sounds like NW was better up that way good for you.
 
Bird Buster did you notice some of the CRP fields that were burned to a crisp? South and east of Ness City about a 4 mile stretch of bare dirt. Then they wonder why we had a dust a bowl. The state of Kansas or federal gov't needs to compensate landowners in a bigger way to put something back.
 
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westksbowhunter said:
Bird Buster did you notice some of the CRP fields that were burned to a crisp? South and east of Ness City about a 4 mile stretch of bare dirt. Then they wonder why we had a dust a bowl. The state of Kansas or federal gov't needs to compensate landowners to put something back.
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That was in that wind. There was another one up by McCracken
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
You’ll have to go glass that one for sheds
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I saw a big shed the other day and just left it for the mice. I don't even pick them up anymore. I hunted Bazine area on Wednesday and didn't see any fire damage south of there. Just the one south and east of Ness. I looked at the map and it was more like 10 south and 4 east of Ness City. I think this was farmer burned but I may be wrong.
 
KSBrittman said:
Bird buster , your thoughts on how The Upland forecast compared to what you actually saw in the felid ?
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Well, I think they want to sell licenses so they will skew the report to sound mostly sunny when it is mostly cloudy truthfully. I was really disappointed by the amount of walk-in that is totally worthless. The locals told me it is a tough year for hunting pheasants, I would have to agree. I don't regret going though, I made some great memories with my dog on the few I did find.
 
westksbowhunter said:
Bird Buster did you notice some of the CRP fields that were burned to a crisp? South and east of Ness City about a 4 mile stretch of bare dirt. Then they wonder why we had a dust a bowl. The state of Kansas or federal gov't needs to compensate landowners in a bigger way to put something back.
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I didn't see that field amazingly. I saw too many others though that really pissed me off.
 
Bird Buster said:
Well, I think they want to sell licenses so they will skew the report to sound mostly sunny when it is mostly cloudy truthfully. I was really disappointed by the amount of walk-in that is totally worthless. The locals told me it is a tough year for hunting pheasants, I would have to agree. I don't regret going though, I made some great memories with my dog on the few I did find.
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It will always be tough unless we have another huge CRP enrollment. They can't survive and produce in mowed pastures and stubble fields. Unless habitat increases pheasant populations will continue to decline regardless of what anyone does. KDWP could close the season for the next 5 years and it won't change a thing.
 
westksbowhunter said:
It will always be tough unless we have another huge CRP enrollment. They can't survive and produce in mowed pastures and stubble fields. Unless habitat increases pheasant populations will continue to decline regardless of what anyone does. KDWP could close the season for the next 5 years and it won't change a thing.
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Yes Totally agree with you , I have seen a 10 year downward trend in the area I hunt . I visited with a group hunting from Iowa , they had private’s land to hunt in NW Ks and said they were mainly hunting for Quail and the pheasant numbers in there area of Iowa was far better than Nw Kansas where they were hunting .

I asked what they thought the pheasant turnaround in There area of Iowa was , they mentioned the continuous CRP for pollinators has made a big impact apparently there is a big monarch butterfly Initiative and a good amount of buffer strips .

I wonder if Kansas had an pheasant focus area where wheat was harvested with stripper head or stubble height around 16 inches and not sprayed until August ? Maybe a Feild border or strip in the center of a feild a boom width wide? Wheat Brood strip program funded by Upland habitat stamp ?

Just brainstorming.
 
KSBrittman said:
Yes Totally agree with you , I have seen a 10 year downward trend in the area I hunt . I visited with a group hunting from Iowa , they had private’s land to hunt in NW Ks and said they were mainly hunting for Quail and the pheasant numbers in there area of Iowa was far better than Nw Kansas where they were hunting .

I asked what they thought the pheasant turnaround in There area of Iowa was , they mentioned the continuous CRP for pollinators has made a big impact apparently there is a big monarch butterfly Initiative and a good amount of buffer strips .

I wonder if Kansas had an pheasant focus area where wheat was harvested with stripper head or stubble height around 16 inches and not sprayed until August ? Maybe a Feild border or strip in the center of a feild a boom width wide? Wheat Brood strip program funded by Upland habitat stamp ?

Just brainstorming.
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Those are great ideas all involving landowners. That is what it takes.
 
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