Trip into Kansas...where to?

B

brownb01

New member
Guys,
I’m looking to make a trip from OKC into Kansas next week for some Pheasant. I was considering hitting some walk in areas around Hill City.

I also have a message in with this place…

http://uplandraid.com/


Not too sure what would be the best way to go. I’m traveling alone…just me and the dog. I was considering leaving OKC on Wednesday morning…or even Tuesday evening. Hunting Wed afternoon, Thurs and Friday morning.

Any suggestions anyone has would be appreciated. I am completely open to areas to try and hit…I just heard that NW of the state is the better area. Also open if anyone wants to tag along. My lone dog won’t make this much hunting…as I am not sure I will either. :)
 
I can't really give you any specifics. It has been a tough year for pheasant numbers.

There has been a fair amount of pressure on all the public ground, and the birds will be well educated. You will find some birds, but it will take a fair number of miles to get them. Access to private ground would be a big plus.

Good luck.
 
Last weekend we hunted the NW part of the state. We started out on private ground and saw three pheasant and one covey that flew across the road to other ground. We then hunted walk in the rest of the day and never saw another bird, this was all just NW of Norton. We had two guys, pointer, gsp and a lab. And when i say never saw another bird that counts on the road or anywhere.
We then relocated on Sunday to Waconda lake and saw a few birds but they were quite wild and only had one shot on a rooster. But at least we were seeing birds and the dogs actually got a little work in.
 
North and west is best this year. Except for Decatur County which had hail. Might try Rawlins County.
 
I hunted around Hill City early in the year and there were a few birds and lots of hunters. I can only imagine what it's like now. You should find some birds, but be prepared to put in quite a few miles on your truck and boots. Good luck! Let us know how you do!
 
by now everything has been pounded to death.......your chances of shooting any birds is a long shot, IMHO.

save your money and time and go to SD next season or if the birds recover, back to Kansas, you will be wasting your gas and time during these last 2 weeks, unless the weather gets really shitty!
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I'm leaning towards a ranch of some
Sort and just paying for birds. At least I could get my dog into some birds. I might do a place up near hill city and hit a few walk in places on the way. Then again, that's a lot of driving for paid birds...I can get those close.

Anyhow...thanks for the feedback.
 
i just came back from east of Hill City this last weekend. I was on private ground and it was still pretty tough. I can't imagine what public is like. Save your gas. It was 65 on sunday.
 
If you are skilled in chatting up farmers to get permission to hunt, you might do okay on private land. Personally, I wouldn't drive that far to hit Kansas WIHA right now, or just to go to a preserve. If you decide to hit a preserve, I would hit the closest one you can find and take all that extra gas and hotel money to buy your dog all the birds he can stand!

If you already have a KS hunting license, I'm sure there are some preserves down along the KS/OK border, and I know there are at least one or two around Wichita.

Not trying to dampen your spirits at all. Just being realistic.

But, like I said before, if you are skilled at chatting up farmers to get permission, then it might be worth your time.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do.:thumbsup:
 
There are still birds to be had in Kansas if you get in the right spot. 4 of us shot 23 in two days in Ness County on private ground and Wiha. Our best hunt was on a patch of Wiha were we shot 7 birds in one hunt getting 4 of them pointed. I ran into another group at the motel that also had done pretty good, northeast of Ness. (They didn't say how far northeast) One of the guys that went with us hadn't been out there this year, and couldn't believe all the birds that we saw from the horror stories he had heard. I am taking my uncle out for a two day hunt tomorrow, and I am going back for the last 4 days of season. My guess is we saw 200 birds a day the two days we hunted, probably 30 to 40 roosters and the rest hens.
 
i would agree with you pheskilr you have to keep at it dont be afraid to change about the time you give up you got them although i didnt see that many birds as you i saw enough to keep me interested and cant wait to get there this weekend ,and that was my first time in that norton area and i really liked it
 
It seeems to me that with the lack of cover, when you get into good cover all the birds from that area are there. We scared no less than 75 to 100 birds out of one patch of tumbleweeds of around 2 acres. There wasn't any other good cover for several sections. I have been hunting the same area forever, so I know where these good patches of cover are. We only shot 3 young birds the rest were old ones.
 
brownb01 said:
Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I'm leaning towards a ranch of some
Sort and just paying for birds. At least I could get my dog into some birds. I might do a place up near hill city and hit a few walk in places on the way. Then again, that's a lot of driving for paid birds...I can get those close.

Anyhow...thanks for the feedback.
Click to expand...

Try Goddard Ranch in Graham County or Kansas Creek Gamebirds in Republic County
 
fsentkilr said:
It seeems to me that with the lack of cover, when you get into good cover all the birds from that area are there. We scared no less than 75 to 100 birds out of one patch of tumbleweeds of around 2 acres. There wasn't any other good cover for several sections. I have been hunting the same area forever, so I know where these good patches of cover are. We only shot 3 young birds the rest were old ones.
Click to expand...

I think that has been my problem. I hunt north of you on private land and there is too much cover for it being this late in the year. Normally by this time a few snows have killed the marginal stuff, and we are down to the thicker cover. When it is warm i think they can be about anywhere.
 
Stayed at the Derrick Friday night, Funeral Saturday. On the way home Saturday I talked to a group of guys in Larnard who shot 17 Friday and 13 on Saturday, somewhere around Lewis( Edwards county). I think there were 6 or 8 of them, but they still did pretty well in a county that everyone else had written off at the beginning year.
fsentkilr I was going to look you up, see if I could buy you a beer. I ended spending too much time at the COZY.:D
 
fsentkilr said:
I stayed at Derrick also. I spent my time at the Shack. We were upstairs in 210 and the adjoining room.
Click to expand...
Talked to the guys downstairs a little bit, nice guys. I was wondering when that lab was going to take a swim.
Enjoy your time out there, I'll do the same.
BDC2
 
Now that's funny! He hopped on the table and helped himself to a donut. Spilled cousins coffee. LOL Sat there for 15 minutes hoping for seconds.
 
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