Is anyone hunting Kansas public land this year? I have hunted it for 8 years in a row, but pretty much skipped it last year. It use to be birds in every field. We had a rule that if we didn't see a bird within 100 yards of where we parked the truck, we went to another field. We had several 100 bird fields 8 years ago. The amount of birds and public land hooked me years ago, but it has declined ever since. The last two years we hunted it (2012 and 2013) were awful. In 2013 our group found 3 roosters total.

I really want to go back and I want it to be good again.

We had a great time the year we went with y'all (2011 - 2012) even though we didn't kill any Pheasants (I think a total of 5 were killed that year? cant remember) we killed like 7 Quail if I remember correctly so it wasn't a total bust. The birds will make a comeback, no doubt. But you can't hunt them while at home, so get after em.

To answer your question, no, we don't have any plans to go to Kansas this year, we have been getting reports from our lease in OK, saying lots of young birds everywhere so we are going to be busy I would imagine (plus it's only 3 hrs from my house). Then in February we will run to West Texas again to guide a fun group of guy's at their Ranch. Reports from that ranch are the same, birds everywhere. Really looking forward to that hunt and I don't even shoot on that one (but might shoot a few this year, we'll see).

I'll be going back to Atwood area on opening weekend and I'll do a couple more southwest Kansas trips. It hasn't been great but at least I get to work my dog.

I'm hunting NW Kansas too, but I don't have high hopes. Last two years have been some of the worst I can remember, but I have been getting some reports that there was a little better hatch this spring. Still not going to be good, but baby steps in the right direction.

Worst part is I have a new pup and this will be his first season. If we don't get into many birds I may have to pay for a couple canned hunts to get him some work.

If anyone needs a person or two to split gas, food, hotel, etc; let me know, I'm damn sure not going to be labeled as hanging off someone's shirt tails or getting a free ride just want to learn from some of you seasoned folks! Oh, and I have some cool dogs that hunt! Thanks....

Nope. I doubt I will be able to get out of state this season. If I do I'm not passing up NW OK quail for Kansas this time. If I do go farther, I'll pass Kansas by driving through to Utah. But only if the Sage Grouse listing gets delayed long enough to have a season there. Western Kansas looked bad last year.

western Ks. has been getting some rain, it will take more than one yr to get no's back

Yelp but all the emergency grazing of the CRP will actually jump start some of the habitat to the best we may of seen for a decade. Grazing really opened every thing up for forbes etc that had started to get chocked out.

The emergency grazing destroyed the habitat in the areas I hunted. Without habitat, the birds will not survive. The habitat may be great this year, but we need birds.

The public land atlas for this season is out.


http://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Hunting-Fishing-Atlas/Fall-Hunting-Atlas

Thanks for the info!!!!!

I saw their crowing survey yesterday too.