Well the Kansas youth pheasant and quail season was this weekend, and most waterfowl seasons are on. Everything will be in full swing by next weekend. I myself spent the weekend in South Dakota chasing roosters. They were tough, but I managed to get one in the bag. So fellas, show us your birds!
First spot was frozen. Birds were flying over the house so I set up, shot one and the flight was over. I took the young dog first spot and the wife said Molly cried and cried. So when I hunted my pond since its easy for her I took her. I didnt see the bird come in, she told me. Her last season and she is semi retired.
Took a young friend hunting, hoping she could get her first waterfowl yesterday morning. Joined another friend up on a pond he hunts. She got these two with her 20 gauge.
Hosted a buddy from Alaska the last two weeks for his first Kansas trip. He killed a good buck midweek so I told him we’d run west for opening weekend. Had to work a little, but put together a limit Saturday.
My sons came up from Louisiana and Texas and hunted during the snow we had. We had a blast killed a lot of ducks and just had a great hunt in general. I made photo albums for them at Walgreens to remember this hunt for a lifetime. Walgreens did a wonderful job and had them ready the next day.
Date on the camera is wrong. These were from last weekend. New 20 gauge Benelli has fired 3 shells this year. My photographer is terrible, if she would have gotten the pheasants in the pic my head would have been cutoff.
I used to see a few down by Howard but they disappeared. I grew up hunting big flocks in Greenwood County but the overgrazing and frequent burning has reduced them to nothing
Used to have them in Cherokee and Crawford county but there isn't a single one left. Last one I seen in Cherokee county was around 90 or 91. Just a shame.
I won't hunt a flock with only a dozen. A few years ago in Butler County there were 13 on my favorite quailspot and I never took a shot at them. When my old lab ran them to the end of the pasture and flushed them by me, I got it all on video and never raised my gun
It is really sad when you think of how many we used to have. Driving about sunset just east of Wichita back in the early 80's, the sky would be covered with flock after flock, just hanging in the sky.
East of Salina is where we hunted in the 80s and we hunted them in the mornings flying in like jets it was a blast. They have declined in ok also it's sad
"Horrible tasting" is a matter of opinion I suppose. I always enjoyed eating mine. In Colorado, blue grouse are considered a delicacy and they are nearly the same bird. Same goes for the "chickens" they have in Manitoba. Almost the same exact bird we have and they are considered delicious
I've eaten the "mountain ckns" a few times on Elk hunts...makes me wonder if whomever started calling them that ever had a ckn? Beats a Mountain House meal and that's as far as I'll go.
She did pretty good on this one. Beautiful day to hunt. Didn't see very many at all. Matter of fact shot everyone I saw except for the one miss. Had a couple of hens flush.
I've got a couple of everything but a 28. I've shot them and noticed they pattern great and many shoot them better than a 20. I enjoy the 16 gauge as well. Very little recoil but It's hard to find steel shot for it.
Great shootin Jeff, and the dogs look like they had a blast!
I've got a 42 410, it's what I started with too...havent shot it for years but loved that gun.
I've also got a Franchi AL 48 featherweight 28ga, and a 20ga Franchi. I used to take every Thursday off and hunt quail with my uncle near Raymond in those sanhills. He had a great GSP, and I had a mediocre English Pointer...miss those days.
I really think you'll like the 28 Jeff, and with 6's it's good for quail or a close range rooster.
I bought an Ithaca 37 in 28 a few years ago. Fun little gun. Here in a few years I’d like to get my son something he can hang on to. Maybe a Benelli like the one you have? Shot light stuff through it? Will it cycle the light cheap stuff?
All I have shot through it is Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #5's. Cycles like a dream. When dove season rolls around I will probably just buy a case of Golden Pheasant in 7.5's. This is the one I have been eyeing. Been wanting an Ithaca for years now. A little over $2000 for one. That Benelli is a great buy. I picked mine up for $950 at Smokey Valley.
That’s the one I have... you’ll like it. The Ohio made guns are fantastic. Those Ithacas are about the same price as your Benelli with standard grade walnut... maybe a couple hundred more. You’ll deal directly with Ithaca and ship to your FFL. I think they only approach that amount if you get fancy wood on them. The standard grade wood is nice anyway.
Fwiw there are going to be some Benelli M2 20 ga available for around $700 here pretty shortly. Since I picked up my O/U last year its my go to upland gun.
As to Ithaca’s,once Ks stops rifle hunting and goes shotgun only for firearms,(tongue in cheek)they will be in real demand as their construction enhances accuracy.Some custom gunmakers use them for high buck client builds.
That will never happen guys. Maybe certain units with hobby farms and houses everywhere but not most of the state. Several states that previously only allowed shotguns and muzzleloaders now allow straightwall cartridges like 45-70 and .500 S&W
2 quail and 1 pheasant this morning for me. Been sick and unmotivated so no pics. The 20 gauge went 2 for 3 on quail and 1 for 2 pheasants. Kind of an off day shooting. Wasn't really ready on the first rooster flush and when I pulled up I thought it was a hen, no tail feathers. By the time I realized it was a rooster he was about 35 or 40 yds. Did see a couple of groups of hunters and a one legged doe. Had her leg blown off at the knee. Had some skin dangling. Very sad and sickening.
Well I just bought a new custom made recurve from Tim Finely at Kota Bows so my wife will go nuts if I buy another gun now. But I am going to check out gunbroker. At my age it probably doesn't matter how mad she gets anyway.
Great pics guys! Love all the bird KS has too offer.
I haven't shot a pheasant or chicken in years. My dad's place use to have a lot of chickens. They came in like clockwork every morning at the same time and was a blast to hunt. One year the flock dropped numbers and we quit hunting them. The next year they were almost non-existent. Never rebounded and are very rare to see out there anymore. I still have a few on my place but not enough to hunt.
Haha yea I understand that...friend and I are gonna check out those elk co WIHAs over the break. Make a day of it. Maybe we will move a few coveys. We can be up there in an hour and a half or so. They’re not too far from where I hunt in Osage Co, Ok so maybe there’ll be some birds there.
The state quail biologist came down my road while I was working in the ditch saturday morning doing their xmas bird count. Hadn't been seeing many. Ive yet to move a covey on the WIHA or private around my house. Even my place that had 2 coveys last year has none this year. The milo I planted for them is getting eaten by alot of other critters though.
Seeing lots of quail around home. Lots of coveys with 20+ birds. People have been doing pretty well on them. I’m heading out west tomorrow to get after the pheasants.
At me when I miss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If a bird holds yes. My female actually caught one today. Could have been a cripple I suppose. Found 5 coveys today. 10-15 birds per covey and I don't think any of them had been shot into. Hunted all new spots.
Mine is inconsistent on points. If the bird’s rock hard he will sometimes. But, he’s so easy to read I can sit him on a whistle. When he gets close he locates a lot of birds with his hearing. Glad you’re finding birds.
I never trained any of mine to point. If they did fine, if not fine. Just find the bird and put it up in front of me. Then go find it after I kill it. Mine are good at trailing. They may trail a bird for 150 yds or further before it flushes. When they start running so do I. I don't whistle sit mine anymore. No noise at all works best for me. I think hunting by myself makes me more successful. My son had shoulder surgery so he can't hunt this year but when we hunt together we never talk in the field. Can't figure out why guys yell "rooster". It sends the rest of the birds into an Olympic Sprint.
West- every dog I've ever had trained itself to find birds. Lots of exposure and time in the field I guess. My golden used the be gunshy and now she finds quail that other pointers miss. She has a very methodical way of hunting and will often find cripples my lab misses.
Decided to take a short walk about yesterday for some quail. After about 15 minutes, I got into a huge covey of ~30 birds. Wanted to leave plenty for next time, I know where they are
I spent the 24th hunting WIHA in an area that I have had past luck. 9 miles walked, 11 pheasants, and 1 quail flushed. Two pheasants and one quail put in the bag. I felt fortunate to take them. I saw total of 4 roosters and 7 hens in 7 different WIHAs. The Pheasant population is definitely down in the areas of the state that I hunt. This includes private and WIHAs.
Sito... those might be late morning birds. I use to deer hunt the morning, make it back to the goose field in time to set up for the 10:30am flight, then jump a couple of ponds for ducks before ever coming back home for lunch. I found those late morning flocks to he very reliable.
We didn't pull a trigger either...frustrating. Some guys set up on the pond 1/2mi N where they'd been "loafing". They had a good hunt by the sounds of it...can't blame'm I'd have hunted it too if I had permission.
No skin left on the birds for the Pastrami, it's just the seasoning and lighting that makes it look that way I guess. The "roast nets" are stuffed with chunks about 3-5" in size. Here's the recipe I got from Charlie(ks chas) after he brought some to the KBA Convention and I absolutely couldn't believe it was goose!
You know it was! We got out early enough that they still started pouring in at dark to roost. Hopefully they keep a nice hole open, supposed to get down to around 15 degrees tonight. Going to try it again tomorrow afternoon, then I’m heading back out west for upland.
Strange, I saw more birds(both ducks & geese) from Augusta to Hutch yesterday than I have all season? We had several hundred Mallards go over us Friday morning and then Mark sent me a pic of dang near a thousand on the beans near our spot. Most we'd seen in the last three weeks was maybe 100?
However, my buddy in Emporia said he only saw 6 ducks scouting this afternoon, and around 100 geese...I guess it's spotty?
Your buddy in Emporia wasnt lying. Although I saw more geese than that today just outside Emporia. Heck my brother was scouting and sent me pics of geese standing in a NWSG field. Never seen that before. Ive got a pic on my phone of the closed side of FHNWR from yesterday. No ducks in that pic. No ducks on ponds. Its like the twilight zone.
Quail hunted up in Elk Co two days ago. Saw very few ducks around. Was a big group across road from us with trailers hunting a large pond. Didn’t hear them shooting any.
I drove by and through 3 wildlife areas this afternoon looking for ducks. Found a flooded beanfield with a river behind it that had a few hundred mallards. The dog and I only got 1 but we didn't have any decoys and we got there too late. I'll definitely be going back when the ice thaws on the field
Drove from Caney to WaKeeney today to go pheasant hunting. Winfield area was LOADED with ducks. Stopped near Burden to let the dog out and I could hear someone having a barrel burner hunt. Then I got into Canada’s thick all the way from Wichita up to the area I’m in now. Got into quite a few pheasants today! We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
I could not agree with Thorton more. January 31st 2013 my brother and I went pheasant hunting. I had a 7 year old German shorthair (Lady) in her prime and likely the best bird dog I had ever owned. At 4:00 P. M. Lady worked and pointed what turned out to be our 8th pheasant. I made the shot and she retrieved the winged bird for me.
About 10 days later Lady was not right. I took her the Vet and the news was not good. She had Autodysnomia(sp). A rare but fatal bacterial infection that attacks the automatic nervous system. In a few days she was gone. I decided there was room in my heart for another dog and I found some Brittany pups on Craigs List. Abby came home with me a few days later. I have said many times I hope her litter mates received as good as home and brought as much joy to their new family as she has. Abby has kept me bird hunting which a big part of my life.
Here she is at 4 plus months pointing a quail wing.
Well my female was in heat the last 3 weeks and skipped another opportunity to breed her. I just don't have the energy or desire to raise another litter. Easier to buy a pup from someone else. Had a bunch wanting puppies too. Maybe next December. Damn it's cold out!
Looking but I have not found any Brits yet. Emailed a breeder that had some listed on the AkC market place but have yet to get a reply. Waiting and watching I'm sure something will come around.
Dang the birds have a phd but still got 4. Maggie's first time hunting ice like this so this was a learning and confidence expedition. I figured I would be death to singles, pairs, and small bunches. That wasnt the case. I had one single swing 7 times.
When my old Shadow died, I looked at hundreds of classifieds. I couldn't find a really large lab like he was. Finally stumbled across a farmer north of Wilson Lake that had two males left and there mom was a 90 pounder that still hunted at age 11. We drove straight there and bought him.
It has always puzzled me when people lose a dog, never get a new one, and often times quit bird hunting. I got my current lab (have a 1 1/2 year old female now too) Moose in early 2016, and my 9 year old died unexpectedly less than 6 months later. While it’s certainly painful to lose a good dog, I feel that by getting a new one, you “start a new chapter”, so to speak. Both of my new labs have been doing excellent on both waterfowl and upland, and they’re the entire reason that I bird hunt. To me, there’s no better experience in hunting than watching my dogs work.
Here is a my GSH Jack out of a breeder in Harveyville,Ks. I am so pleased with Jack. He was a breeze to train. I raised him in the house through the winter where he got the skills of minding and fetching . He is six and still brings me my shoes and socks every morning. He is smart vary smart. I love dogs and as soon as I could got Jack after moving back to Kansas from Colorado. PM me to get the breeders # Matt. Thanks
We saw over a thousand geese yesterday and about as many ducks. We didn't put out any goose decoys and the ducks were using the river, which is too deep to hunt, and a slough South of us.
Set out over 10doz this morning but had a frozen slough and the geese never flew...that's huntin I reckon.
Slough finally opened up overnight, and my taxidermist/buddy and I had a good hunt. We had another drake down, but when I got up to him he jumped and flew 5' off the ground all the way to the river in the background there. I need a dang'ol dog!
Good shooting sito the geese haven’t been cooperating here in Wyoming. The ducks showed up yesterday but the season ended last week, go figure! Ready for spring thunder chickens
Thanks Norman, but If I had been shooting good we'd have been done by 8am...heck if had even shot decently we'd have been limited easily and much earlier. Had fun and they worked fairly well, that's about all I need.
Troy, from the KDWP page below...
DUCK LIMITS : Six ducks including no more than, 5 mallards, of which only 2 may be hens; 3 wood ducks; 3 scaup; 2 pintails; 2 redheads; and 2 canvasbacks. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.
Good shoot Kyle! Our best pond is loaded with mallards right now, so I hope to close out the season with a couple of good hunts this weekend. And you DO need a dang'ol dog! Watching my labs work is my favorite aspect of bird hunting.
Gonna hunt geese in the morning just W of Augusta. If anyone would like to go just send me a PM. I've got the decoys, layouts, and I've even got extra 3.5" BB's if you don't have any...got a few 3" as well.
Got the “you should have been here yesterday,” but knew conditions weren’t in our favor. Didn’t get skunked, and six candidates for chicken-fried duck breasts.
Saw lots of birds this morning, but most just flew on by to the field they've been using this week a mile W. That guy "won't let anyone hunt" supposedly.
Never tried the Ckn fry MP, but may have to, is that in your cookbook?
Finally got out to my best spot for roosters. Got 3 1/2. Hit the first rooster too far back, and it flew 150 yards before dying. In the 20 minutes it took to swing around and get it, two hawks had taken every shred of breast meat, and all the entrails. Had hawks and eagles clean up ducks, but first time on pheasant. My fault for not making a better shot.
Took almost all day (should’ve been done a lot earlier) but a buddy and I managed to scratch out a two man limit for the last day. No better way to end the season.
Im in SE Kansas, but hunt them near Hiawatha with family. No birds to speak of up there yet, been far too cold and snowy, and looks like it will be until around the second week of March.
Thanks guys, and man I'm envious Kyler...love all the color variations! I almost went "all-in" on a snow spread this year but kinda glad I didn't...they are a frustrating bunch to hunt ;?)
They sure are Kyle, more so this year than most. Snow Goose hunting can certainly be frustrating, but man is it addicting! Few things in the outdoors are as awe inspiring as watching thousands of snow geese locked up circling down on you.