if you are planning a pheaant hunt in kansas, better get your motel rooms reserved "now". I grew up northwest of Dodge City,have not been for a couple of years, called yesterday (further west) three out four motels only had one room available for opening weekend.

we get to stay at a friends farm house when we go up, but some of the group stay in motels. They reserve their room for next year when the check out. Pretty crazy. Have you heard how the birds are this year?

Colt,

How far NW of DC?

I have family land on the Ford/Gray/Hodgeman counties intersection area.

Wild Card, you have mail

there will be parts of Kansas that the blizzard and ice storms last winter will have fewer birds this year.

We guide on wild birds in KS and initial bird numbers are way up from last year. There was a very good hatch and timely rains this year for the chicks to have a high survival rate. We'll know better how many there really are when the milo comes out of the fields.

Colt45 is dead on the money about the western counties. Survival out west was tough on pheasants last season during the ice storm. They had to roost in trees to keep from getting eaten by coyotes at night.

Where survival was good, numbers are up. Where mortality was high there just aren't enough birds to reproduce and it will take a few years.

Quail numbers in MO are way up. We've been turning 20-30 coveys a day when out working dogs all day. We haven't been shooting them yet but we are going to start next weekend. That's not typical of the state though. We have 10,000 acres managed for quail so we have a lot more then most places. Didn't want to lead anybody on about Missouri's quail hunting. It's decent hunting in Missouri but nothing like Texas unless you have access to ground like the farmers we lease from. If not, you can turn more coveys in Texas generally. The only reason we turn more on this ground is because it's managed properly. Just hard to beat Texas! Pheasant numbers are up in the northern counties of Missouri as well.

Shawn, how is the quail hunting in southeast Ks.? that was my stomping groud more years ago than I want to remember. was awesome quail territory.

It was pretty good a couple years ago. I don't know how the ice storm affected them last winter though. That's a long ways from me though so I don't make it down there much.

Just got back from scouting west Kansas. Birds are up. Most of the crops are out except milo but it seemed to be about half out. A dry week and it will be out before the opener. Gonna be a good year.

probably depends on how many motels? Elkart has one, it had rooms in sept. when I called, Dodge City had plenty, Ulysses had several. It sure doesn't hurt to book early, however one motel I talked to wouldn't book that far in advance.

I was just blown away that someone would book a year in advance.

Seth

don't know about motels but I was in south west kansas for friday and saturday and the phesants were running across the roads. in about 30 minutes of driving I saw around 40-50 birds. looked good.
kirk

If you are hunting near Rozel, the hotel there is booked for opening and closing of pheasant season at least a year in advance.

This is the best I have seen it in 54yrs (I grew up northwest of Dodge City) hope I have a few more year left in me. this year I hunted a little further west of D.C.