I have an 18 month old Springer that I have been training. I am putting together plans to take her to Kansas for some pheasant hunting after Christmas. I have never hunted out there (I’m from Pennsylvania). I just want to encounted some wild pheasants and maybe quail. I’m a ruffed grouse hunter but our late season was closed down due to population decline.

Anyway, I am planning to hunt in the north central part of the State. I’ll be driving and stay at a motel. My plan is to hunt 3 or 4 days and try different WIHAs. I know it’s a crapshoot but it beats watching t.v.

I am open to any suggestions on how to hunt them or where to look. If anyone else is going to be out there and wants to meet for a hunt, let me know.

North Central is one of the areas more affected by the wet spring/summer. We hunted West Central this weekend for the opener and 6 of us with 3 experienced dogs and a pup saw 4 roosters. That's daylight to near dark with no going to town for lunch.

Western KS used to be better, but the farmers all started removing the brush rows and now there is no cover to support pheasants - heck we use a local club to hunt anymore.

Thanks for the info. I just hoping to flush some birds. Is there a better region to hunt?

Well they are WILD! I just got back from a 10 day deer trip with mid day pheasants and we saw maybe 50 total birds. Absolutely pitiful, ten years ago it was 50/hour. quail were OK though if you hit the right cover. No pheasants in barnyards/shelter belts none crowing coming/going to roost while on deer stand they just are not there. Cover was fantastic with the rain. Many 2 hour walks for a single hen or none at all.

Use to be Dickinson/Clay counties were in the eastern part of what was then called the 'northcentral' section, now they are designated the northwestern section of the 'flinthills' area. It is rare to see a rooster or hen pheasant any more. The quail populations seemed nonexistent five years ago but have inched slowly up some in pockets. Where I hunt, 20-30 years ago, these were local areas of very good hunting.

Wow, when I lived in Manhattan from 89-94 the hunting was fantastic. I can hardly believe it still isn't.

Hit the Dakotas. Cold here, and snowy. Boots (definitely) and snowshoes (maybe) cold. I'm seeing anywhere from 2- 100 birds per day, depending on where I go and how long I'm out. Cover is spotty, but when there is food/cover there are birds. I've been driving roads, when I see the birds out in the fields, I take note of where they bail into for cover. If it is accessible without being a ball-buster, I follow. Brought home one rooster yesterday, two today. My Springer had several flushes yesterday, four today. I was out for about 2-3 hours each day.

Kaiser Norton.

I have been to Kansas in January twice... both times the experience was just super.... That being said, I only killed one bird per trip... but, the quality of the hunt was fantastic. It was January and Kansas weather beets Wisconsin weather any day of the week... I did see quail each day I hunted... found some really wild country amongst the farm land... saw LOTS of deer each day... some just monster bucks... ran into all kinds of other wild life like badgers and wood chucks and the like... lots of bunnies... The western prairie is just a magical place.

A few things to consider...

It will be warm weather compared to where you are coming from... lots of water for the dog.

Sand burrs are no joke and will stop the dog in his tracks when he encounters them... they suck. Dog boots if you can get them to work.

Be very careful with fire, it will be dry, very dry.

After 3 days of hunting, odds are... your dog will not want to get out of the truck. So plan for a 4 days or less of actual hunting.

Bring your binoculars

You will see birds... all will be wild birds and will flush long before you can get close... but one or two will be sleeping in and will give you a chance to kill them. Don't be discouraged...

We are in NW Kansas now. Be here for 4 days and yesterday we hunted a bunch of WIHA and saw over 100 birds. 5 guys 2 dogs and shot 14 birds. It is a really good experience and wish we would have taken our buddy up on the offer to come hunt years ago. Crazy country. Saw several mule deer and a lone prairie chicken. Wonderful experience.