Three Species Weekend on the High Plains

BritChaser

Well-known member
Nature abounded as I hunted alone on the high plains of NW KS Saturday and Sunday morning. Spent Saturday morning wandering through a section of walk-in that must be one of the best pheasant habitats in the US, a place where I saw 200 birds one season. It didn't disappoint. I walked out of the field in time for a late lunch with three cocks in the bag. Took a long lunch, a little siesta at the motel, and then headed out about four to stalk a turkey. Found a bunch who saw me about the time I saw them. I simply froze standing. Turkeys are curious creatures, aren't they? A big hen led the way into range. Still had a little daylight so I pulled out the other gun and hunted a nearby draw, some stubble, and a habitat belt between the stubble and a field of corn stalks. I flock of prairie chickens flushed out of the stalks and flew right by me on their way to their roost. One prairie chicken in the bag. But my luck did not hold as I missed on a quail flush off a point on the way back to the car. Next morning a dark coyote and I hunted a big draw where I bagged two more cocks. Gus the Brittany made a ghost retrieve on a bird I wasn't sure I even hit. Nature abounded.
 
brit i want so bad to kill a phez quail and pc in one day have them mounted and a pic of all three, ive come so close i tell you what that is a hard task indeed you are truely lucky if you can do it!
 
I applaud your good hunt, I love it when you midwest hunters get into the birds......Bob
 
A buddy and I had a hunt in NC Kansas earlier this year and I killed a rooster and a prairie chicken from the same field. We also got into a covey of quail and my buddy shot one off the rise. All in the same walk-in field. I have the prairie chickien in the freezer ready to mount. One of those hunts that will stick with me the rest of my life. I love Kansas!
 
Question... how is the best method of identifying prarie chickens? Distinguishing them from hens?
I've jumped bunches several times that, "after the fact", the thought came that they were chickens rather than hen pheasant.
 
I was very close to getting the 3 this past weekend in jewell county! got my phez and quail easily and saw a ton of chickens but just couldnt get close enough to one! very cool to see that many tho
 
Question... how is the best method of identifying prarie chickens? Distinguishing them from hens?
I've jumped bunches several times that, "after the fact", the thought came that they were chickens rather than hen pheasant.

Typically chickens are in a flock, flush together, and stay flocked together in flight (quite unlike pheasants who go in all directions). They also have bobbed tails. When they pass you can see vertical stripes on their bodies.
 
A buddy and I had a hunt in NC Kansas earlier this year and I killed a rooster and a prairie chicken from the same field. We also got into a covey of quail and my buddy shot one off the rise. All in the same walk-in field. I have the prairie chickien in the freezer ready to mount. One of those hunts that will stick with me the rest of my life. I love Kansas!

I should have saved my chicken for a mount because I did not care for the taste -- livery. But Gus the Brittany liked it.
 
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I should have saved my chicken for a mount because I did not care for the taste -- livery.

That's what I did w/ my last one. I'll probably get a couple more done if I get the chance. A tom chicken makes for a darn good mount. A lot of folks walk into my house and wonder what it is. Mine is a "greater" in boom.
 
brit i want so bad to kill a phez quail and pc in one day have them mounted and a pic of all three, ive come so close i tell you what that is a hard task indeed you are truely lucky if you can do it!

That would be beautiful mount.
 
Typically chickens are in a flock, flush together, and stay flocked together in flight (quite unlike pheasants who go in all directions). They also have bobbed tails. When they pass you can see vertical stripes on their bodies.

Thanks!.. that was one of the tell tail signs that made me think chickens. The staying bunched, more like quail.
 
That's what I did w/ my last one. I'll probably get a couple more done if I get the chance. A tom chicken makes for a darn good mount. A lot of folks walk into my house and wonder what it is. Mine is a "greater" in boom.

Post a pic of it, please.
 
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