I am considering going to Kansas to hunt pheasant and quail. Does anyone have any experience going there to hunt on their public lands like we have in Texas. I do not want to drive all the way there and find very little birds. If you could possibly steer me in the right direction, I would be very grateful.

Thank you!

You kind of set yourself up on that one. In the areas we have hunted we have met other parties having the time of their lives claiming more birds than ever and other parties saying it was a bust for them and will never go back. So don't know what to tell you on that. But we do ok in Kansas and have never been disapointed. Areas of the State we hunt were determined by the population range maps, yearly bird counts/reports to avoid drought areas, and picking areas with several WIHA units in an area to choose from.

On the Kansas website you can look at last years WIHA maps to get an idea of how it is set up. Kansas is different than Texas in that it has a walk in hunting program that leased land from private landowners. We also have been known to hit some State WMA and National Refuge land on our driving/hunting routes. They will also mapped in the WIHA book.

Take a good Kansas Road atlas book and a GPS to help navigate. Kansas Roads are not marked well and often not named on the WIHA maps.

My cookie dog came from up there, and I've been to several NSTRA trials up there, so I get invited by the locals, but I've never gone. I had a couple of the Kansas guys down to a couple of my Texas leases, and it was the best quail hunting they've ever had, but those guys were quail hunters.

I'm on the PDJ forum, and many of those people get together up there. They report about the same as what Sniper John reported. It beats not havaing a lease or a friend with one in Texas.

Give it a shot. It's not as far for you as it is for me.

Thank you both so much for the info. I will check out their maps and bird counts. I have never had the opportunity to hunt outside of Texas or hunt wild pheasant. It would be fun to experience both at least one time.

Thanks again!

We went to MT. last year and tried scouting ourselves plus we had a guy who lives up there who had done some scouting. They had the coldest Oct. in 20 years so all the bird patterns changed. Then we started asking the locals and got into plenty of birds. One rancher who wasn't in the public land use program even told us to go hunt his place. Cleaned up on pheasants. What I'm trying to get across is ask the locals, it can't hurt.

Great point!! I am really pumped about going up there.
Thank you so much!

Elhew, PM sent.

ElhewSargent,
I travel to kansas every year as my wife entire family is from there,about 40 miles north of Wichita,unfortunatley its not to hunt with my brother in-law as he doesnt hunt..anymore anyways. However it seems most locals do. You cant miss all the orange jackets out in the fields as you drive up the I 35 Tool road. Yep its toll once you hit the Kansas line. Anyways good luck figuring out the Kansas book and regs..most states are not as simple to understand as our own. But then you can ask of these gents whom have been making the trips already. I purposely pump the local for info and the all dont understand why we pay so much down here to hunt. Many hun the public access and do well in there own neighborhood. Birds and Deer. Keep trying to tell my self its a trip I need to be making. Have af riend who finally made the bow season there. Good luck!

Thank you for the info. We have a small group from our hunting club and some members from this forum that are planning to go up there. Luckily now, we have some folks going that have already been hunting there. This will help for sure.

I live in Kansas and guide here as well we are located in the larned and great bend area. I have talked to many hunters that come to our area and hunt and they have a had time getting on ground around our area that has not been stopped out in the first 4 hours most guys that hunt hard average 1-2 birds a piece on WIHA's. I talked to the guy the other day and he said he lives in sw kansas and said they had a great hatch this year and last and have tons of wiha's down that way that never get touched. Syracuse area Good luck to you.