Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game Pheasant Hunting info needed.

Pick any of the following: Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, or eastern Montana. All have abundant public land and generally decent hunting on it. Check with the state game department for lists of public hunting areas (including Federal, state, and private land leased through programs such as "Walk in Hunting) and maps of bird counts to help make your pick. My favorite are Kansas and Nebraska as their seasons run later into the year, the weather is generally not as harsh in the late season, and and they have quail and often prairie grouse available to fill out the day.

I prefer any of the states other than South Dakota due to hunting pressure. SD publicizes its pheasant hunting heavily and draws many Hunter's. There are plenty of areas to thin out the Hunter's but there are only so many places to stay. Leasing private land is a big business and can get very spendy. $150/gun/day for just access is a common price in the popular areas. Not to say accessing private land in the other states is easy or free but I have had better luck knocking on doors in other states.

I would also stay south of I-94 in North Dakota until I reached the Missouri River and then would hunt inside that to the Montana border. Still, the best hunting would be south of I-94 as a rule.

In any event, reserve a room early, especially in the first two to three weeks of the season. Rooms tend to fill up quickly and it can be a pain finding someplace to stay at the last minute or even a couple months in advance. You might be competing with deer Hunter's for rooms and land too so watch for when those seasons open.

Late season is the best to obtain rooms and minimal competition with other Hunter's but weather can range from pretty mild to downright brutal and hazardous to life. Being caught out in a blizzard can be life threatening in many ways and it could keep you out of the field for several days while roads get plowed out. I've had more below zero days hunting late season than snow which has its own problems to address for both Hunter and dog particularly if there is any sort of wind. On the other hand, one could find warm 20-50 degree temperatures which make for a fun day outside.

I hunt at least one of these states per year over the last 30+ years and is what I have done. Other than South Dakota where I hunt with a group who has connections to private land nearly all is done on public land. With a little work and effort one can plan out a successful DIY hunt in any of the above states.