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Pheasant Hunting

next2naus

By next2naus
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Al_4_ISU

Al_4_ISU 12442

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Taking the FIL out on some CRP ground next week.  Bird populations seem pretty good this year.

When I was a kid, north Iowa was pheasant Mecca.  My grandpa had buddies who would come from Alaska just to hunt them in road ditches, and on set aside acres.

$7 corn and $12 beans hit right as a lot of CRP contracts came up, and there was a big drop in habitat.  As the ag economy returned to a more normal status, more acres have gone back to CRP and habitat has improved.  We put ~80 acres back in two years ago, and it’s reestablished into pretty solid tall grass prairie.  Hopefully we find some birds this year.

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next2naus

next2naus 436

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On 11/14/2018 at 11:33 PM, DaggerHorns said:

Easy pal. It wasn’t a burn.

Its not like I hatched you, released you, then shot you. I’m letting you run wild...

And I'd rather spend my time on 120 Acres that I know have birds versus hoping there are birds there. We still had to flush'em and shot em in 6 foot tall grass and scrub trees. One man's coffee is another man's tea

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DaggerHorns

DaggerHorns 3074

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2 hours ago, El Diablo said:

Sister and BIL live just outside of Newton, KS on 40 acres. I'd love to find out if they have any birds there but I don't think anyone in the family has actually walked the property in a few years. Would be sweet if they did.

That would be South Central.

North-central and Northwest Kansas had the best nesting and brood-rearing conditions and should have good hunting, as should parts of southwest Kansas. Other parts of south-central and western Kansas are projected to have “fair” pheasant numbers, with some localized good areas. Because of the amount of heavy cover, and inconsistent populations in some areas, this could be great year to try some late season pheasant hunting in Kansas. The first snows and cold will force birds from marginal habitat, and into thicker cover near food sources. Ideal places may have three to four times more pheasants later in the season than opening weekend. Public land hunters may want to spend some time looking at satellite images, locating walk-in areas near good food sources, like un-turned corn or milo fields.

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El Diablo

El Diablo 4232

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7 minutes ago, DaggerHorns said:

That would be South Central.

North-central and Northwest Kansas had the best nesting and brood-rearing conditions and should have good hunting, as should parts of southwest Kansas. Other parts of south-central and western Kansas are projected to have “fair” pheasant numbers, with some localized good areas. Because of the amount of heavy cover, and inconsistent populations in some areas, this could be great year to try some late season pheasant hunting in Kansas. The first snows and cold will force birds from marginal habitat, and into thicker cover near food sources. Ideal places may have three to four times more pheasants later in the season than opening weekend. Public land hunters may want to spend some time looking at satellite images, locating walk-in areas near good food sources, like un-turned corn or milo fields.

Thanks. One of the nephews lives over in Hutchinson but I don't know if he has any land available there to shoot on. He works at a hospital there so I'd imagine he knows some Doctors with places to go.

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DaggerHorns

DaggerHorns 3074

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16 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

Thanks. One of the nephews lives over in Hutchinson but I don't know if he has any land available there to shoot on. He works at a hospital there so I'd imagine he knows some Doctors with places to go.

You’re in luck with the great State of Kansas. Prepare to have your mind blown.

WIHA (pronounced wee-haw) is Walk In Hunting Area.

https://ksdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=43e5b96582704fc6a8abe3b29c159a6f

Plenty of places close to your desired location.

maybe not that close to Hutchison but doable...

Edited by DaggerHorns
Distance to Hutchison.
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Lat22

Lat22 4010

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3 hours ago, DaggerHorns said:

You’re in luck with the great State of Kansas. Prepare to have your mind blown.

WIHA (pronounced wee-haw) is Walk In Hunting Area.

https://ksdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=43e5b96582704fc6a8abe3b29c159a6f

Plenty of places close to your desired location.

maybe not that close to Hutchison but doable...

I’ve shot pheasants in Smith Center. 

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kevwun

kevwun 15746

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I've gone to Kansas 3 or 4 times and been on public and private areas.  It is fun, but it a whole lot of walking and not much shooting, unless you are blocking.  Walking in waste high grass when there's snow on the ground will wear your ass out fast.

Edited by kevwun
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BabaYaga

BabaYaga 15282

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Damn things flush straight up and you damn near have to be right on top of them.  Dumb luck or stubborn persistence without a trained dog (this is the real "cheat", not the location.  Using a trained dog, which is an expensive and time consuming endeavor to do it right).  

So I guided over the summers back in the day.  One place I worked, had a giant aviary.  We'd go out prior with giant nets and grab what we needed and throw them into burlap sacks.  Then we'd shake the shit out of those bags and release these stunned birds.  So naturally they go to ground and hunker down.  Few hours later, here we come through with the dogs.  We'd flush shaken and those that were naturally out there.  It was fun as hell and everyone had a good time.  These aren't doves coming into a sunflower field or giants swarms of whitewing.  No real easy way to take pheasant, and even if you hit one, no guarantee it goes down and stays down.  Running little bastards.  

You want to do it the "right way".  Spend years training your own dog.  Block off the time, find available land (public or private), and start walking... 

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4638

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1 hour ago, EE2B said:


Is this you?
a9e048ff8ab68ccd3d2c01800553e899.jpg

Pretty close.  I flew to Singapore the following week and it was brutal; my inner thighs were sore af and had about a 2.5-3” bruise around each pellet.  I was hit in both thighs, somehow, behind my scrote.  Amazing not one pellet hit my eyes (a few in my forehead), teeth (many in neck/chin) and nuts (4 in my thighs above scrote hang level).  I’d have to count how many are left in me but it’s right around 10.  Only one that concerned the doc was one that was about 2mm from my carotid (sp?).  Lucky all around that day I guess.  

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ImissWallyPryor

ImissWallyPryor 9046

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I was born in The Pheasant Capital Of The World, Redfield, SD. The highest pheasant populations in the state (and USA) are now in the counties along the Missouri River, although the numbers are generally great over most of the state. When the spring isn’t too wet, and the CRP acreage is decent, the hunting is unfuckingbelievable. 

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Shoxthemonkey

Shoxthemonkey 1976

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On 11/16/2018 at 12:26 PM, El Diablo said:

Sister and BIL live just outside of Newton, KS on 40 acres. I'd love to find out if they have any birds there but I don't think anyone in the family has actually walked the property in a few years. Would be sweet if they did.

I'm about 30 minutes east of there. Newton is right on the edge of the area that has good populations of Bobwhites and pheasant. Go west and the quail diminish. Go east and the pheasant are more scattered. A couple of times I have shot a limit of quail, pheasant and prairie chickens in the same day. Numbers of all the upland birds have gone down in central Kansas after they reintroduced the turkey. Those fuckers have flourished. Walk in hunting around the reservoirs is sketchy. Lots of hunters and marginal habitat. Good luck with that. Let me know if you ever make it up here. I can probably get you on some better ground but I'm hesitant to be around an armed Surl.

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El Diablo

El Diablo 4232

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9 minutes ago, Shoxthemonkey said:

I'm about 30 minutes east of there. Newton is right on the edge of the area that has good populations of Bobwhites and pheasant. Go west and the quail diminish. Go east and the pheasant are more scattered. A couple of times I have shot a limit of quail, pheasant and prairie chickens in the same day. Numbers of all the upland birds have gone down in central Kansas after they reintroduced the turkey. Those fuckers have flourished. Walk in hunting around the reservoirs is sketchy. Lots of hunters and marginal habitat. Good luck with that. Let me know if you ever make it up here. I can probably get you on some better ground but I'm hesitant to be around an armed Surl.

They're east of town, think it's on 2nd St maybe, 10 minute drive or so.

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HouTex

HouTex 1863

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I did a pheasant shoot with pen raised birds several years ago. It was very windy and the birds would flush and immediately fly with the wind and they were hard to hit and bring down. They can haul ass with the wind. I wouldnt call it hunting (you knew the birds were there) but it was tough shooting. And they tasted great chicken fried.

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Hugh G. Rection

Hugh G. Rection 156

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9 minutes ago, HouTex said:

I did a pheasant shoot with pen raised birds several years ago. It was very windy and the birds would flush and immediately fly with the wind and they were hard to hit and bring down. They can haul ass with the wind. I wouldnt call it hunting (you knew the birds were there) but it was tough shooting. And they tasted great chicken fried.

I've done the same with quail and those things can't fly worth a damn.  They flutter up about 6 feet and away at about 2 mph.  I had some newbs with me and they found it somewhat more challenging, one of them shot and killed one of the dogs, another time a quail flew between us and one of them wheeled around and shot the vehicle and dog cages.  It was an adrenaline-fueled hunt, trying to stay out of their way.  We flushed up a wild covey and they couldn't even level their guns before the covey got away. 

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HouTex

HouTex 1863

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3 minutes ago, Hugh G. Rection said:

I've done the same with quail and those things can't fly worth a damn.  They flutter up about 6 feet and away at about 2 mph.  I had some newbs with me and they found it somewhat more challenging, one of them shot and killed one of the dogs, another time a quail flew between us and one of them wheeled around and shot the vehicle and dog cages.  It was an adrenaline-fueled hunt, trying to stay out of their way.  We flushed up a wild covey and they couldn't even level their guns before the covey got away. 

Yep, I've had ok and terrible "hunts" with pen raised quail, but never what I would call a great shooting experience.  Like you said, most of them barely flush and when they do they don't get up very high.  The pheasants we shot at were all damn good.  They would flush as you would expect and turn with the wind and they'd be by you in no time.  

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Reagan1k

Reagan1k 3021

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22 minutes ago, Hugh G. Rection said:

I've done the same with quail and those things can't fly worth a damn.  They flutter up about 6 feet and away at about 2 mph.  I had some newbs with me and they found it somewhat more challenging, one of them shot and killed one of the dogs, another time a quail flew between us and one of them wheeled around and shot the vehicle and dog cages.  It was an adrenaline-fueled hunt, trying to stay out of their way.  We flushed up a wild covey and they couldn't even level their guns before the covey got away. 

You continued to hunt with them after the 1st episode?  What about after the 2nd?  Did y'all call it quits then?

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kevwun

kevwun 15746

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Pheasants are very tough birds.  You have to hammer them pretty good for them to hit the ground and not take off running.  It does not help that you are usually shooting them in the ass because they are almost always flying straight away from you.

Edited by kevwun
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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4638

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8 hours ago, Hugh G. Rection said:

I've done the same with quail and those things can't fly worth a damn.  They flutter up about 6 feet and away at about 2 mph.  I had some newbs with me and they found it somewhat more challenging, one of them shot and killed one of the dogs, another time a quail flew between us and one of them wheeled around and shot the vehicle and dog cages.  It was an adrenaline-fueled hunt, trying to stay out of their way.  We flushed up a wild covey and they couldn't even level their guns before the covey got away. 

Wow. I can’t imagine y’all’s guide not shutting it down after killing his dog. Wtf. 

Eta - the guy who shot me had never been hunting before. Never again.  Anyone can make a mistake, but I’m pretty particular with who I am around firearms with, now. 

Edited by fattyflattie
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Dbeasy

Dbeasy 15031

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Just got back from pheasant hunting. The wild birds were predictably wild and hard to get close to before they took off flying. The pen raised birds were ridiculous. Half of them we could walk up to and tickle their anus. Getting them to fly was tough. We think it was the snow.

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Lat22

Lat22 4010

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17 hours ago, Hugh G. Rection said:

I've done the same with quail and those things can't fly worth a damn.  They flutter up about 6 feet and away at about 2 mph.  I had some newbs with me and they found it somewhat more challenging, one of them shot and killed one of the dogs, another time a quail flew between us and one of them wheeled around and shot the vehicle and dog cages.  It was an adrenaline-fueled hunt, trying to stay out of their way.  We flushed up a wild covey and they couldn't even level their guns before the covey got away. 

Holy shit. The hunt continued after a dog was shot? That wouldn’t happen in South Texas. 

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BabaYaga

BabaYaga 15282

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18 hours ago, Hugh G. Rection said:

one of them shot and killed one of the dogs, another time a quail flew between us and one of them wheeled around and shot the vehicle and dog cages

Dafuk?  Killed one of the dogs?  That mother fu***r would have a reckoning on his hands.  As well as those that took this guy out and turned him loose without an understanding of how bad he really is.  Hunt would have been called.  And hell to pay.  

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