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Kansas Waterfowl #7545098 06/30/19 03:23 AM
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Well, we didn't get drawn for Wy pronghorn despite having a decent number of points so we've turned our sites to Kansas. I have the usual suspects picked out to hunt. I'm trying to determine what we should take with us. This will be a late November Hunt. We have kayaks for on water transportation, neoprene waders, and all the usual gear. We'll be hunting public land. I'm wondering if it makes sense to get a few goose decoys and if we should likely plan on hunting mostly water or if we should also take our layout blinds. What about field decoys? Are there walk in areas that allow hunting fields? I see a lot of dry land Walk in areas but I suspect these are mostly for pheasant.

Any help would be appreciated.


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Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7545158 06/30/19 08:42 AM
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I wouldn't determine exactly where you want to hunt within Kansas until a week or so before you go.The state does an awesome job posting waterfowl reports for different areas about once a week during the season. Lots of water right now and the corps of engineers are stating it's not going to come down for several months, if the dry land walk in spots your looking at are near a lake, they might be under several feet of water currently and most likely will not be planted this year. As for the gear, if you're making a trip out of state I would bring everything you would need to hunt ducks and geese in the fields or over water. Better to have it with you and not need it than to find yourself a pile of birds and not be prepared to hunt them.

Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7545381 06/30/19 06:12 PM
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should be good this year with all the water, wheat cutting going on and milo has been plated in the western third of the state


hold on Newt, we got a runaway
Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7545422 06/30/19 07:56 PM
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Thanks for the info. I was also wondering if half a dozen geese decoys is worth the purchase. Even then I don't know if should get floaters or field decoys. I'm not looking to bring in a lot of geese, just a presence in case a loner or two pass by.


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Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7545445 06/30/19 08:58 PM
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If it were me, I’d stay flexible on dates. If your situation allows, I wouldn’t schedule your hunt until you see a front headed in. Also, monitor bird numbers on the refuge sites. I can tell you public can be very difficult if the refuges in the area get planted. It’s tough to compete on public when birds are concentrated on nearby refuges. I’d plan on doing alot of scouting. If they have draw hunts, have your group put in for all you can, and/or show up for the morning draw hunts if they do those. Lessons learned from other states. Be willing to put some miles on the truck and take a decent set of binoculars.
Nothing wrong with having some geese mixed in the spread, even if only confidence dekes. Hard to say if you’ll need floaters or shells, all depends on where you hunt. Cheap way to turn a a floating deke into field is with a 4’ piece of 3/16” rod, bent to allow slot for keel to slide in to.

Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7545476 06/30/19 10:20 PM
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Don't rule out the small water. Some of the WIHAs have water with most hunters focused only on pheasant on those areas. It takes some google earth pre scouting and a driving route on the first day to scout the ones that look huntable, but it can be worth the reward if the birds are in the area. A couple weekdays at Cheyenne Bottoms with those kayaks would be worth a try too if your in or pass through that area.

As for geese, I carry 50 to 70 mixed Canadas when I go up there. A lot of those are silhouettes, but If I could only have a half dozen and not knowing in advance what kind of habitat I will be hunting I would want 6 quality full bodies or 3/4 motion shells. That would cover me in field or on shore. I prefer 3/4 motion decoys to save space.

I think most of my away from home waterfowl will be in western Oklahoma this season, but I will likely make a spur of the moment run or two into Kansas. After a lot of mixed hunting reports in different areas last year, I am staying flexible on when and where right now.

Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7545544 07/01/19 01:07 AM
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Thanks for the help. Because of school we're tied into the week of Thanksgiving ( Sat-Wed) but I think we may make a run up earlier to scout around just so we know what's there ( and hunt of course) during a weekend. We are looking at Cheyenne Bottoms as one place but I want to try to id some smaller water as well and maybe some walk in fields if they exist.

I think I will start building my goose arsenal with a few this year and add on each year. About the time I'm dead I'll have a good set to will somebody.

Thanks again.


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Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7545575 07/01/19 02:09 AM
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A tip for you on the WIHAs. Check the online WIHA map version just before your hunt. There will be units added too late to be added to the printed WIHA booklet. These will have less hunting pressure. The WIHA descriptions do list potential game that can be found including waterfowl, but still scout them via google earth to see why each property was listed that way. You can sometimes find fields in the WIHA that are around the lakes and refuges that you might be able to pass shoot or decoy geese down. But you have to get out there to the roost water the morning before and follow the geese to see if they are flying over those fields.

I hunted CB one Thanksgiving morning via my Kayak. I did not see another hunter that day. Most of the time expect lots of company. Fortunately it is a huge place.
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Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7545803 07/01/19 02:36 PM
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lots of snows (geese that is)


hold on Newt, we got a runaway
Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: Sniper John] #7546037 07/01/19 08:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Sniper John
A tip for you on the WIHAs. Check the online WIHA map version just before your hunt. There will be units added too late to be added to the printed WIHA booklet. These will have less hunting pressure. The WIHA descriptions do list potential game that can be found including waterfowl, but still scout them via google earth to see why each property was listed that way. You can sometimes find fields in the WIHA that are around the lakes and refuges that you might be able to pass shoot or decoy geese down. But you have to get out there to the roost water the morning before and follow the geese to see if they are flying over those fields.

I hunted CB one Thanksgiving morning via my Kayak. I did not see another hunter that day. Most of the time expect lots of company. Fortunately it is a huge place.
[Linked Image]
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Thanks for the picture. Most of the ones I've seen have been spring/summer. I'd be excited to hunt an area where I wouldn't trip over willow branches all the time.


No matter how high a duck flies a hammer still breaks a window.
Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7546907 07/02/19 07:58 PM
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was just out at cheyene bottoms is really flooded right now not many roads open to even get in. When I can get some pictures of the camera I will post them, we were just out there a couple of weeks ago as my grandparents live a couple miles from there. Seen plenty of ducks out there right now too. I would plan on being under water hunting around that area.


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Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7546936 07/02/19 08:39 PM
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It's odd. I hear that and that is what is on the recording, but when I go to the USGS website it actually shows a little below normal. May be the way it drains and where the depth gauge is located.


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Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7549494 07/05/19 09:06 PM
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So I thought of this question and seem to remember the answer but wanted to get some input. Texas has a place to affix the federal waterfowl stamp and I assume if I had an out of state Kansas license I could just show a federal game warden my stamp affixed to the Texas license, but a state warden may not accept that since it isn't affixed to the Kansas license. Has anyone run into this?


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Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7549502 07/05/19 09:16 PM
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It's a FEDERAL stamp not a state stamp.


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Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7549523 07/05/19 09:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Herbie Hancock
It's a FEDERAL stamp not a state stamp.

I understand that. I just wondered if anyone had a state game warden argue the fed stamp wasn't affixed to the Kansas license. The regs only say you must posses one that is signed accross the face. I ask because years ago a Texas gw made us affix it to the license even though it was signed. Of course, he also tried to tell us our ringnecks were redheads back when redheads were 100 point ducks.


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Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7549534 07/05/19 10:09 PM
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The Federal stamp does not HAVE to be affixed to your license. It just has to be signed. Carry both licenses and you will be fine. You do have to do the HIP certification in every state you hunt. Kansas calls it a "HIP Stamp" and charges something like $2.50 for the add on when you buy your KS hunting license.

Re: Kansas Waterfowl [Re: jnd59] #7549547 07/05/19 10:24 PM
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Another tip for you. If you know when and what area of Kansas you are going to be near, look over the Kansas Special hunts draw on the KS outdoors website. It opens tomorrow. If there is an area near where you are going to be with a hunt date during the same time you are there, it might be worth applying for the hunt. Most I would not make a special trip for, but more often than not I have had some great hunts from those KS special hunts when I drew dates that lined up with a pre planned road trip.

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