What Type of weather to expect ?

Mr Hyde

Mr Hyde

New member
Ok being this my first hunt in Ks. and I can't trust the weather guys forcast, I was wondering what type of conditions do I expect in mid Jan. ??
 
Cold (0-30 degrees maybe) and usually some snow. If the temp is at the lower end of that range, any snow will be crusty and it's not likely that new snow will be falling. Nothing is better than fresh snow.

However, crusty snow is a real PITA :mad:
 
i hunted about that time last season in NW/NC part of the state and it was way too warm and way to nice (55-60 degrees, sunny and still)and had a tough time of it......10 days later my buddy headed out and hit some weather, cold, light snow (same location) and of course he shot the he%% out of the birds.........i was jealous, can't always go when you need to be there. -20 below, snow and wind........sunny and 60.....and anything in between.....be prepared.
 
You guys forgot to tell him what happens when it gets warm enough to thaw out the roads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL
 
BleuBijou said:
You guys forgot to tell him what happens when it gets warm enough to thaw out the roads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL
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I am new to Kansas, but have seen some pretty sloppy roads following a light rain shower. I imagine a little freeze/thaw will compound the problem. Do the grain/oil trucks run balls out all winter long too?
 
If roads are wet, be very selective. A 4 wheel drive will still slide off the crown and depending on what type of feild it is you could be in trouble fast. Also remember, it will be frozen in the morning, when you get back to the truck after the first hunt, it could be very difficult to get out. Even the dry roads that look good can turn to shiit over the hill going down over a creek, truck wants to slide off at the wrong time. Almost lost it twice last year over deep colverts.
 
Rusty Trigger said:
If roads are wet, be very selective. A 4 wheel drive will still slide off the crown and depending on what type of feild it is you could be in trouble fast. Also remember, it will be frozen in the morning, when you get back to the truck after the first hunt, it could be very difficult to get out. Even the dry roads that look good can turn to shiit over the hill going down over a creek, truck wants to slide off at the wrong time. Almost lost it twice last year over deep colverts.
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It's worst then ice.
 
these guys are right, at the worst you can bury a vehicle or slide off the gumbo and take forever to get out, at best, you will have to turn down so many roads that you won't be able to get to your hunting spots and waste the day driving around back tracking. when the roads are bad i head down to the sw part of the state where the base soil consists of loam or sand, those roads are almost always passable...may not be exactly where i want to go, but at least i can get around until things dry up or freeze solid elsewhere.
 
I slid off the road once last year into a ditch and there was not a dame thing I could do about it, it's worse then ice sometimes, I had to drive down a ditch sideways for a couple hundred yards till I got to a flater area and then gave it he** to get back up on the road, my truck was so covered with mud that you couldn't tell what color the truck was. The thing that I hate is that when that stuff dries on you truck it's really hard to get off. The roads in the N.W. part of the state are unbelievable when they are wet. If the roads are wet and you don't have a 4 wheel drive don't bother and sometimes that's not enough.
 
Oh great !!! well now maybe I can talk the wife into a winch for the truck. :thumbsup:

I am no stranger to muddy roads, sounds like trying to get to some to my duck hunting spots in southern IL.

Thanks for the info guys I feel that I will be better prepared when I come out next year.
 
The best winch is a big green thing they call a John Deere!!!!!:eek::eek:
 
As far as the weather is concerned it could be single digits with a 30mph wind and it could be 50-60 degrees you never know in Kansas. Last year it was cold and snowy November and December but January was warm. The best hunting is when there is fresh snow deep enough the birds can't run but once the snow has melted and refroze the birds can run on top of it again but it sucks to walk on because you sink through and the birds can hear you coming if the wind isn't blowing.
 
texasbirdhunter said:
As far as the weather is concerned it could be single digits with a 30mph wind and it could be 50-60 degrees you never know in Kansas. Last year it was cold and snowy November and December but January was warm. The best hunting is when there is fresh snow deep enough the birds can't run but once the snow has melted and refroze the birds can run on top of it again but it sucks to walk on because you sink through and the birds can hear you coming if the wind isn't blowing.
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A warm January just isn't right! That's the month we should be able to count on it being cold.
 
again, most of these guys are correct, a winch in many places is useless, nothing to hook on to.....carry a shovel and use 4 WD and be selective about where you go......many places are far from a farmhouse that might not even have a tractor to haul you out......stay on the gravel or blacktop (some minor secondary roads are paved) or just head to the sandy areas of pheasant country...getting stuck, especially late in the day makes for a crappy ending...have fun.
 
If my memory is correct I bailed out of SW the next to last week of January because of a blizzard coming in. I have been in more blizzard and nearly debilitating weather in January up there than any other month. Been stuck, burned up truck, ice on roads, the whole bit during January. While you can have severe changes any of the winter months I believe January is the one you have to really watch for in western Kansas, anyway. Those storms come blowing in from Colo. or New Mexico and can put everything at a standstill. You could need chains, 4 wheel, and a lot of good sense. A little wet, fresh snow is great fun but it comes in several forms and can really dampen the hunting. I've seen the ice so bad the birds couldn't fly and the dogs would catch them on the ground. That's no good. Or if it is hard on top the hunting is not good. And the ice balls can get caught in your dogs feet and cause some real havoc. You need to be able to carry water inside the cab because it will quickly freeze outside. The dogs don't like to drink the ice cold water so we add a little half and half to ours if it is too cold. Anything with hinges will be hard to open so you need a can of de icer for temporary thawing. Lots to consider if you are not used to this type weather.
 
once again, i agree, too much snow and ice (even if you can make it on the rural roads) and you might as well stay home, as it is just too tough to walk through fields (CRP especially) and get any dog work. just wading through hip deep snow in the ditch to walk into a field can be exhausting, then it's plowing through the drifted sections in the field near the road to get into grass cover that may hold birds.......yeah, i have worked up a sweat doing all this before, i really like hunting in 2-4 inches of snow, but anymore than that or if blown by 40 mph winds and you quickly find just walking into birdy spots is a chore and the fun goes right out of.........always call ahead if there is any doubt as to how much snow is on the ground or how much drifting the area has experienced......don't be afraid to change your destination, call and verify.
 
Jesus you guys are makin the weather sounds horrible!! lol.... You guys can all stay home in that weather if you want but you'll find me out there!! Get some of our best hunts on miserable days.
 
I agree with Spence. The crappy days are always the best ones for me and the dogs the birds hold better. I'll take a snowy windy cold day over sunshine and calm conditions anyday.
 
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