Opening Weekend

[matto]

Numbers were decent on saturday, but we shot poorly and retrieved even worse. There were just 2 of us on Sunday and we stayed closer to home. We were essentially on the edge of pheasant habitat. The first WIHA held birds, but we couldn't get close enough. The second one was almost birdless. Called it a day after that.

Like others have said, it seemed like the birds were very spooky for opening day.

 

[KansasGsp]

SW Kansas (private ground) was pretty poor. Seen a few birds but it seemed like we were hunting January birds instead of Opening Weekend birds. All the birds harvested were older birds, prob seen 30-40 pheasants each day (poor compared to what it was last year). There were some quail around but we didn't spent a whole lot of time chasing them. Scenting conditions were tough to say the least. But, always a good time to get out. Will do it again Wednesday!

 

[Skeet Mc]

SW Kansas. 6 guys, 12 dogs, one and a half days. 4 roosters in the bag and 4 missed opportunities. Numbers were clearly down from last year in the same areas. Hot, dry and windy. Tough weekend! Still had a great time.

 

[esetter]

We did alot better Sunday than Saturday, most of the birds we shot came out of milo corners and tailwater pits.

Sir , just curious what you are referring to as a tailwater pit? Is this something to do with a center pivot?

 

[lbills]

Sir , just curious what you are referring to as a tailwater pit? Is this something to do with a center pivot?

Back before center pivot irrigation systems, most people irrigated row crops like corn, cotton, and milo by doing what was called “row watering”. Basically, irrigation water was released from mainline pipes via irrigation tubes on the uphill end of a field and allowed to gravity flow down the rows, downhill, thus watering/irrigating the field. The excess
was caught in tail water pits, which always grew up in weeds and grass and usually had standing water in them.

These pits were a wonderful source of water for wildlife (mainly pheasants), and also provided excellent nesting/loafing cover for birds.

In the Texas panhandle, the supposed heyday of pheasant hunting was when people row watered and CRP was really prevalent, basically in the 1980’s. In some fields, old tail water pits are still there, and are still usually grown up in weeds and grass.

 

[BrownDogsCan2]

Sir , just curious what you are referring to as a tailwater pit? Is this something to do with a center pivot?

Some Google images of some we hunted. The tailgate pic is in front of one on the road

 

[esetter]

Ahhh , makes sense. I guess I have seen those now , just didn't realize what I was looking at. Wish they'd go back to that method. Thanks for the lesson!

 

[nwkansnative]

I think this is the fewest posts I have ever seen on a Kansas opening weekend thread. Covid? Poor reports? I thought the number of hunters where I was seemed about average but maybe I was overestimating some.

 

[akp]

We just didn’t see anyone where We were. Having said that, the hotels were full... now I didn’t hunt there for several years but this was the best we’ve seen since we started going again in 2017. Saw enough to warrant a second trip up there.

 

[KsHusker]

I normally am hunting this weekend or at least Thanksgiving week - I'm probably not going until December and will hunt mostly after deer rifle is over and most of January if I can. I cant get into it with this crappy weather and 40 mph winds. Plus opening weekend got ruined for me several years ago when We got up at 430 or 5 and every WIHA we went to had trucks parked at it (only 15 mins from our motel mind you) I was done with the competition after that.

If my 6yo son ever gets into hunting I'll get back into opening weekend mode but will buy my land or lease or line up private. My best hunts have always been later in the year.

 

[s.davis]

Skipped KS opener for the first time since I started hunting. I was in South Dakota that weekend. Also skipped my annual western Kansas second weekend family ground group hunt because I work in a profession that makes it impossible not to get exposed to COVID constantly, and didn’t want to be a plague rat. The 75 degree weather and wind didn’t make it too hard for me to beg off. Glad I did, as I’m sick now and waiting to find out with what. I did get out one morning last week, close to KC in northeast Kansas, and put up 7 or 8 birds. Shot 3 by noon and called it a day, as I was in shirtsleeves and sweating. In this weird year, it only makes sense to have a weird start.

 

[Tukudu]

Steve hope you feel better. I am treading water and waiting for things to settle down a little. Have a Double TT pup that keeps looking at me wanting to know when we are headed east. Tom

 

[Kismet]

How'd the encounter with the badger go? One of the few creatures I hope my dogs never encounter.

 

[turtle]

Skipped KS opener for the first time since I started hunting. I was in South Dakota that weekend. Also skipped my annual western Kansas second weekend family ground group hunt because I work in a profession that makes it impossible not to get exposed to COVID constantly, and didn’t want to be a plague rat. The 75 degree weather and wind didn’t make it too hard for me to beg off. Glad I did, as I’m sick now and waiting to find out with what. I did get out one morning last week, close to KC in northeast Kansas, and put up 7 or 8 birds. Shot 3 by noon and called it a day, as I was in shirtsleeves and sweating. In this weird year, it only makes sense to have a weird start.

Hopefully it’s not COVID. I have it now and am tired of it. No rhyme or reason to what symptoms you will have from one day to the next.

 

[s.davis]

Thanks for the well wishes, Tom and turtle. I should know soon. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I’ll be able to avoid it, so if it’s not now, then it’ll come for me later. I do everything I can to be reasonably safe and especially to not unintentionally spread it, and I certainly didn’t want to derail a Kansas opener thread with more COVID talk. I feel lucky to have such a love of hunting, especially upland hunting, since it gives me something solitary to do outside through the worst of winter.

 

[cheesy]

How'd the encounter with the badger go? One of the few creatures I hope my dogs never encounter.

No issues. Bro in law hollered "point", followed quickly by "wait, your dog has another badger" This is the second one he has pointed, first one was 2 years ago. Both times my dog just kind of stood his ground, not really knowing if he wanted to tackle it or not. I got some pictures while the badger was growling, snapping, snarling, and laying flat. Grabbed the dogs collar and got out of there.

Those things flat out stink. Definitely could use a bath.

 

[Kismet]

Glad you and your pooch got out of it safely. That's one tough weasel; stories of it backing off black and grizzly bears have been told for years.

Sure could rip up a pup, and bird shot wouldn't slow it down much.

Be safe, be healthy.

 

[tbob131]

Bird shot kills them just fine, just gotta be close.

 

[duckn66]

Why would kill it? Hope you have a furbearer license.

 

[Chestle]

It's not uncommon for ranchers to ask hunters to kill badgers on sight. After the rancher has lost a calf or cow to a leg broken in a badger hole apparently some ill feeling results.