Trying to get some information from you guys who go every year regarding how many of you actually hunt public versus paying a day fee for private. In addition if any of you have ever hunted in the Panhandle and done just as well as Kansas to save the diesel....we went last year north of Dodge City late season and the birds were wild and we only shot a couple....leaning toward the Liberal area this year unless we can find something decent in the panhandle....What do you guys prefer? Find a spot and start reading the WMA maps or line up something with a local prior to heading up?

I always had great success in walk in areas in southern Scott, Lane and NE Finney counties. Also had great success in Hamilton, Kearney, Grant, and Wichita counties. I cant pick my favorite, but if I had to choose 2 they would be Lane and Hamilton.

I have never been to Kansas, but have been on some great hunts north of Amarillo.

well we went to Jetmore last year with 3 guys and 1 dog.....we didn't see too much......I know a lot of guys talk about hunting in larger groups with blockers but that doesn't seem too sporting to me. I have been reading posts lately that basically indicate the WIHA's get pounded beginning of the season and most of the good hunting turns to private land. I've seen a lot of guided hunts but I don't really need a guide, we've got 7 dogs and plenty of shock collars, just need a decent place. Trying to figure out if it's worth driving to Kansas or just forking over some cash and staying in the panhandle. It seems like Hays, Liberal, and Dodge City are pretty popular spots for out of state hunters

I have hunted both KS and the Panhandle numerous times. There is no comparing the two. KS hands down. Drive 50 miles west of Dodge and make Garden your base. There are alot of birds and fewer hunters in the Lakin, Syracuse, and Ulysess areas.

thanks for the advice.......even if you are an Aggie!

It's funny, last year we were hunting WIHA's and some random farmer cruised up, made conversation, and next thing we knew we were on his private acreage.....people up there are very friendly, it's just hard to drive that far and shoot 2 roosters...when you hunt to you hunt over dogs or have large groups with blockers?

I was born and raised here in east texas, after college I spent 10 years living in SW KS. I have often said they are the best people I have ever met. I have family that owns land next to mine and they wont let me on it. I asked 35 farmers up there to hunt their ground and all but one gave me permission.

I have hunted all ways from party of 15 to me and my dog. My favorite was to hunt with my buddy and our sons. That would be four of us and one dog. We would place drop two of us off with the dog and let the others drive to the end of the draw and take off walking. This time of year there are still alot of hunters so we hunted cover and left the milo fields alone.

I grew up more or less between KS and the TX panhandle.. hunted all three... each and every year is different for each area...somes years TX is better some years Oklahoma, some years kansas... lot fo depends on the region of each state


Kansas does have a more liberal season and bag limits

We are headed up to Lane County next week. Both my parents grew up there so we have alot of private to hunt on. I spoke to a few people up there and they are seeing more birds than they have in years.

that's good to know - close to Jetmore.....are they seeing more birds in general or just on private?

last week I talked the the man that bought our land northwest of Dodge City, he told me its been the best year for pheasants in many years, I am planning on driving up after I hunt Dumas.

Using Blockers with good dogs is the way to hunt pheasants. Pheasants will run out of the field way a head of you if do not have Blockers. I started out hunting pheasants in Nebraska back in 1963 during the hey day of the old Federal Land Bank days, I might end up going up over Christmas, the public land hunting in Kansas can be really good later in the season. In about 1997 while I was living in Liberal,KS I made a trip from Liberal to Salina, just hunting the public land that looked good that day. It was just me and my dogs I was meeting my son-in-law and a friend to hunt around Salina the day before Thanksgiving. Anyway The dogs pointed 8 covies of quail and 43 pheasants. To this day the best day of hunting I have ever had. So pick your spots anywhere in West of I 135 and you should be good to go this year.

more birds in general

guy is looking at booking us a motel in Sublette but I'm not seeing much WIHA in that area. Seems like there is a ton around Syracuse but it's almost 2 hrs from Sublette to Syracuse. What about Garden City - anyone have any recommendations for Garden City?

We have usually done well in the Panhandle. We had a couple of lean years back during drought times when they let them cut the CRP grass.