Why does this board seem so dead?

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TrumanBrittany

New member
Are there just not a lot of bird hunters in Missouri? I'm a new hunter always looking for tips. I've seen some birds in a few places but had to log some miles to find them and haven't run into a lot of other hunters. How's everyone's season going? Had a crazy thing happen to me the other day. Up at pony express was leaving for the day. Drove by a field that looked like it may have some birds. Pulled over and got the dog out. Dog hauls ass (first year Brittany) and before I could even get my gun loaded, about 20 feet in front of the truck a covey of quail flushed. I was looking for birds all damn day then got caught with an empty gun watching them fly away, lol. Lesson learned on that one haha. Saw a couple hens though, so surely there's some roosters up there.
 
Welcome aboard!

I think we are closed lip on advice and tips on the Missouri forum. We have been down in the dumps on bird numbers, not like we were in the 50's-70's. In most areas where there are birds....the consevation areas are more agressive in habitat then the private land, it mght be a toss-up with the private areas, they are less hunted, might be more successful. These you will have to pioneer, this is a consisent and year round process. Missouri in the quail areas is defficient in acres avaiable. Yes a long walk to see some birds! I can relate to the open the door and see the birds flush with the gun empty....all good quail hunters have done it more than once! From approximately 250,000 quail hunters and a state bag of 4 million birds harvested in 1964 , we were down to under twenty thousand hunters and a harvest of 27,000 +/- when last I looked! I believe that Pony Express has many feld trials where they plant birds, since it's close to KC, lots of pressure. Good Luck and keep us informed.
 
Mo

Have you been to Bilby Ranch on opening weekend. Everybody and their brother are there.

It has been many years since I have seen another hunter out when I have been out hunting.

Most reports have been good for quail this year.

Good luck
 
well....I live in Pike County IL.....I drove into northeast MO on Saturday and bought a 1 day license because it was firearm deer season here and I couldn't bird hunt anywhere.....checked out couple conservation areas.....1 of my wirehairs had a nice point on a good size covey of quail....then pointed a single...I killed 2 birds....I was happy with that.....I still have hope for Missouri...:thumbsup: don't give up hope...there are birds out there....find good cover and you should find birds....
 
I got into some Saturday with my pup, saw about 10-12 total. Walked away with one, mostly my fault.
 
I'm going to head out this weekend (Sun & Mon) for a 2-day hunt in the northwest part of the state. I hope to post some pictures. I went to the northeast last weekend and birds were flushing wild. I should of had one, but plain missed. I'll let ya'll know how it goes.
 
We are definitely a dying breed. I hunt with one other buddy and my dad. That's it! No one else ever wants to go on trips. People dont like walking for it. My buddy and I are both 36. Most of the other bird hunters we see or meet out of town are my dads age. Pushing 60 or older. Dont see many young hunters at all. Deer and ducks have made people spoiled. Hunting out of big condos with a heater in it in the middle of the field and bunker blinds with chairs and cots...And heaters. People have to work to hard for upland birds. At least in Missouri that's what's going on.
 
Locally it's been poor so I've been traveling. Just got back last night from KS and had great hunting. Duck hunted in the morning to avoid the deer crowd and upland hunted from 10 or so on. I saw 4-7 covies a day and Monday walked into 30-35 birds that had never been hunted. Partner and I took 9 in about a half hour. We did not concentrate on pheasants because there frankly weren't many, yet we still moved 6-15 a day. More than most places in MO. I have to travel so it makes sense to drive another 3 hours and double or triple my success. I did not have to get up at 2:00 and get in a poor line draw to maybe duck hunt and had 2 memorable shoots with the pup. It's an easy decision for me, Mo hunting is OK but IOWA had by far the best pheasant hunting and KS has more quail. Can't hardly get anybody to go with me either. We are a dying breed and the future of the birds rests with those who don't care a whit about them.
 
PheasantWhisperer said:
People have to work to hard for upland birds.
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This is part of the attraction of it to me. I like getting out and exploring. Nothing against deer hunting, but I'd much rather be out walking around than sitting in a tree waiting for a deer to wander by. That's just me though. Once I get better at defeating these bulletproof birds I've been seeing it will be that much more fun. :D
 
Agreed. Yeah I like deer hunting. Especially this year after the 160 class buck I killed this year. But it does interfere with bird season in our state. Youth season being on opening weekend. And regular gun season running almost all the way through november. A lot of the spots I hunt I cant get into till after deer season. And watching my dogs work is my most favorite thing by far. December and january is pretty much my bird season. November is usually a bust. Deer hunters and you get 75 degree weather every weekend! But we have been seeing alot of birds all the way across I-70. Even found birds in the eastern bottoms. Duck hunters werent the only ones shooting that morning! Its funny because a lot of the old upland hunters around where I grew up frown on the duck hunters because they flooded the bottoms where they once had great quail populations. My generation, which there arent many bird hunters, frown on the deer hunters because they interfere with the first month of bird season. I hunt all three and try to get along with everyone! But still, nothing is better than a dog or two locked up solid with their lips quivering.
 
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Sorry to hear it!

Cobblestone said:
Had a mild stroke in Sept. wife won't let me out this season. Hope to get my strength back for next year.
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I had one 4 years ago, clots from my heart issue. They said I would recover.....I did, it seemed like forever, For the record you still can write better then I could at stage of time. Was vacant here for awhile, really did not want to discuss it here, and I am not as sharp a knife as I used to be! Maybe it's the 61.5 years that make the difference anyway! I think us uplanders are dyed for life, joined a duck club and it was amussing. I sold it and went back to the uplands till I can't. Decided that rather than fall off a ladder cleaning the gutters at 70 years, I'd like to collapse in a remote field, heck they can leave me there if someone would collect my gun and give the dogs a ride home! By the way, my wife and girls won't let me out now without a fight. I guess all our old ways are dwindling rapidly, I get the American Field, virtually no actual hunting artcles, and the field triial reports are scant, used to be a magazine every issue, now a measly newsletter. Well keep in touch. Maybe our wives will let us go together! Good Luck
 
I am from Illinois.....have been trying spots in MO last couple seasons....with varied success...have seen more birds there this year so far....I make several trips to Kansas each year....1 in September for prairie chickens and the rest are for quail. I would be in Kansas EVERY week if I could afford to do so. yes...we are a dying breed....I can't ever get anyone to go with me either....99% of the time it's because they can't hang with the walking I do. it's ok with me.....nice to have someone else who really enjoys it as much as I do though along from time to time....like to see other's dogs work as well.....
 
rascal said:
I am from Illinois.....have been trying spots in MO last couple seasons....with varied success...have seen more birds there this year so far....I make several trips to Kansas each year....1 in September for prairie chickens and the rest are for quail. I would be in Kansas EVERY week if I could afford to do so. yes...we are a dying breed....I can't ever get anyone to go with me either....99% of the time it's because they can't hang with the walking I do. it's ok with me.....nice to have someone else who really enjoys it as much as I do though along from time to time....like to see other's dogs work as well.....
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Im heading to Kansas the first, third, and fifth weekend in January. You're welcome to join. Hunt private and public. Quail and pheasant. Never seen a prairie chicken out there but we are supposedly close to them. We hunt just west and in the Flinthills. Yeah, people shy away from the walking, especially through the tall ragweed! Our GPS says we do about 12-13 miles a day. The dogs do anywhere from 30-40. I think the record for one of our dogs is 42.5! Would not stay in the box that day. We actually hunt in Illinois twice a year. Brother in-laws place near Mount Sterling. We find birds there. Big farm though.
 
All - haven't been terribly active in the MO board since joining simply because my primary upland hunting is in SD and KS. In recent years we have been getting into more quail, better numbers in northern MO generally speaking. However thought I would post an update here as we got into two 12-15 bird coveys in a couple hours on my buddies row crop farm in Polk County and bagged 6 then letting the rest go. Nothing like the glory days Ive heard about growing up but decent for my generation. It was great to hunt and get into good numbers around home for a change.

Best of luck to everyone with remainder of season. Merry Christmas
 
PheasantWhisperer said:
Im heading to Kansas the first, third, and fifth weekend in January. You're welcome to join. Hunt private and public. Quail and pheasant. Never seen a prairie chicken out there but we are supposedly close to them. We hunt just west and in the Flinthills. Yeah, people shy away from the walking, especially through the tall ragweed! Our GPS says we do about 12-13 miles a day. The dogs do anywhere from 30-40. I think the record for one of our dogs is 42.5! Would not stay in the box that day. We actually hunt in Illinois twice a year. Brother in-laws place near Mount Sterling. We find birds there. Big farm though.
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Whisperer - cousin and I hadn't been to KS in a few years and thought we would make a trip last weekend to see if bird numbers were better. Stayed at Russell and hunted north and east. In a day and a half hunting all public I was pleasantly surprised getting up decent pheasant numbers (30-40 probably) and three coveys of quail with good numbers in each. I'm used to SD so pheasant numbers weren't nearly like it up there but ultimately pretty good compared to last trip. Dogs covered nearly 30 miles on the full day and we almost did half of that but worth it to see the birds. Best of luck!
 
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