I am in my first semester as an agronomy student at Kansas State University. I have always wondered if there are any pheasants around here, as I have heard that there are. I have seen several coveys of quail around, but yesterday as I was driving back from Tuttle Creek Lake to roost some turkeys (They're gobblin their heads off now!), I saw a big ol' rooster pheasant standing in the ditch next to some CRP. I tried to stop and get a picture, but he was so close he turned around and ran into the grass as fast as those little legs could go. This was in Pottawatomie County just east of Olsburg. Nice to see one, as now I know that there are indeed some birds around. Now I just need to spot a Prairie Chicken in this area; I know there's quite a few around here in the Flint Hills.
Pheasant spotted near Manhattan, Kansas
- Thread starter Kansan
- Start date
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
Prairie Chicken are going to be easier to find there than pheasants. Congratulations on school choice, BTW. Spent some time there myself, back in the dark ages.
PheasantWhisperer
Member
The problem with tuttle creek is it floods alot. Even in years where it seems like there isn't that much rain it floods out.
small munsterlander owner
Banned
Good to hear there gobbling its to far east for me but good news to hear...
U go north into Nebraska from there its nothing to see a pheasant I hope KS improves its been pretty poor last 6+ years I turkey hunted it lil to no pheasants sited
U go north into Nebraska from there its nothing to see a pheasant I hope KS improves its been pretty poor last 6+ years I turkey hunted it lil to no pheasants sited
Toad
Active member
There's a little bit of everything around Manhattan, including pheasants. :thumbsup: I wouldn't want to base my whole hunting season around chasing local roosters, but they are definitely around. My strategy for happy hunting in the flint hills is to be flexible and chase as wide a variety of game as possible. We may not have the very best of any specific type of hunting, but we probably do have about the best variety of game here.
Good luck to you on the turkeys. :cheers:
Good luck to you on the turkeys. :cheers:
It really is a sportsman's paradise out here. Driving around these country roads, I'm amazed at the amount of wildlife I see. The deer population out here is astounding, tons of turkeys, and plenty of upland birds and waterfowl to boot! The fishing isn't too shabby at Tuttle and Milford either. We've got it pretty good here in the Flint Hills.
Yep, get out there and enjoy it. Make some hunting buddies, get to know the land owners. OH!! get you a dog!!When you get to be my age, these will be the good old days
I've actually asked for permission on some really nice ground just east of Olsburg.. I may know the area you're talking about. Great CRP all around and I've seen birds there. Two different farmers own the ground and they both said it is their pheasant sanctuary and they don't let anyone hunt because those birds are about all that's left around there.
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
I hunted ducks once on Tuttle by Olsburg with my son and his buddy. Coming back out in the daylight, I saw that we were hunting by a huge patch of cannabis.
Grows wild up there quite a bit. Apparently leftover from back in the old days. I think they used to grow it for making rope if I'm not mistaken.
Chestle
Well-known member
It's been a decade or more since I hunted it but I used to hunt the public areas on Fort Riley. A lot of turkeys, quite a few quail and, for the time, a decent amount of pheasant.
My son was lucky enough to draw and fill a bull elk tag there.
So, it might be worth a try. Plenty of ground to hunt and there were some planted food plots every year. Thing is, it is an OCEAN of cover. It might be the closest thing to the original prairie I ever got to hunt. Still, you get to know where the coveys hang out and the likely spots that might hold a rooster if you put in the time.
Since 2001, the rules for bringing guns on post require your to register any firearm you bring in. It's doable though. Just google up the Ft. Riley public hunting rules.
Good luck!
My son was lucky enough to draw and fill a bull elk tag there.
So, it might be worth a try. Plenty of ground to hunt and there were some planted food plots every year. Thing is, it is an OCEAN of cover. It might be the closest thing to the original prairie I ever got to hunt. Still, you get to know where the coveys hang out and the likely spots that might hold a rooster if you put in the time.
Since 2001, the rules for bringing guns on post require your to register any firearm you bring in. It's doable though. Just google up the Ft. Riley public hunting rules.
Good luck!
M. R. Byrd
Well-known member
I really don't have a bucket list, but one of the few things I would like to do in my lifetime is take a Kansas bull elk, especially at the Ponderosa. There haven't been any elk at the Ponderosa for a few years now and while there they never presented me a shot. I keep hoping though.
And be careful of the razor wire laying around there. There is quite a bit of it.
Chestle
Well-known member
I didn't run into much of that back then but there was definitely some wire around. Wouldn't surprise if there's a lot of it now. It's been quite a while.
Out in the weeds I did come across a full ammo box of linked .50cal mg blanks and another one of linked .308 blanks.