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Larry Brown
PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:18 am  Reply with quote
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Revdoc, I had a similar experience on a hunt this year after we got quite a bit of snow. 15 solid points, birds right under my feet, all hens. In fact, I had to kick around in the snow to get them to flush, because they were burrowing around under the grass. I did shoot one rooster that day. He flushed wild, maybe 15 yards away, while my dog was pointing a hen.
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fin2feather
PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:06 am  Reply with quote
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Sorry Rev; finally read this thread and saw that folks were throwing questions my way!

First off: it's bloody dry!! If we don't get some moisture soon, there'll be neither birds nor cover! If it turn out to be typical Kansas, when it finally comes there'll be way too much, which won't be good for the chicks. I think the jury's still out for this fall.

As to the Wichita area: there's good waterfowl and fair quail shooting nearby, but pheasants are few and far between (though I have gotten a few around here). I don't do preserve hunting, so it's all walk-in for me; best is out in Reno/Stafford/Kingman counties but most of the fields are BIG!

Wasn't aware that the earlier start day had become a reality, but I have some advice: stay home. It will likely be too warm with too much uncut feed, and you're not likely to find many friendly landowners. Most in my stomping grounds (out around Hill City) are very much against this earlier date; in fact, lots of them would like to see a LATER date, with maybe the season extending longer on the back end. There was a pretty substantial petition drive against it, but apparently it didn't do any good. I was pretty sure Hayden would force it through anyway; it's all about the dollars with him.

As for the old Sterlingworth (and my other 16's), I've always shot 6's, Winny or Remington 1oz field loads, or the occasional 1-1/8 oz, more a matter of availability than thinking I need the extra. But I'm starting to think there might be something to the idea that those cheap loads have really soft shot. I'm too lazy to handload, so I bought a couple boxes of Kent Ultimate Upland 1oz 6's to try, but the wind was so high on the last weekend that I think some of that shot is still heading south; I really can't give much of a report yet. Laughing

Fin

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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:32 am  Reply with quote
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Thanks Fin. Big front suppose to hit KC tomorrow-let's pray it hits Western KS first and maybe 16GG's rain dance is working already Laughing
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16gaugeguy
PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:47 am  Reply with quote
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revdocdrew wrote:
Somebody out there do a rain dance (16GG-PLEASE don't post a video Laughing )
It looks like OK and TX have had some much needed rain. What's happening in S. Dakota?


Don't worry, dancing ain't my department. Maybe you should give old Citori Feather a holler. He might be able to get that Navaho/Kiowa/Souix Medicine man who mixes Feather's smoking blend for him to come on down and tango up a frogstrangler for you. Laughing

PS: a bowl or two of that blend will have you speaking Stoogian like a native. Wink

I have to agree. A couple or 6 inches of snow can make a day of pheasant hunting very exciting. I've found that if the birds are running, you can see exactly where they are headed and cut them off. Hiedi perfected her trick of looping ahead from us finding the tracks and me signaling her out to the side and forward. After a couple of days of this and a short string of successful kills, it just clicked in her little brain. From then on, if she had a clear path of scent from the bird to her nose, she'd circle and cut them off as pretty as you please if they weren't too far ahead. Sometimes it would take her a couple or three trys to catch a quick rooster. Not every bird was pinned either. But it sure fooled enough of them. I just hope the next dog has her apttitude for birds.
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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 3:29 pm  Reply with quote
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Found another infro resource for pheasant (and everything else) hunting in KS: www.huntkansas.org This primarily links you via e-mail to a person to answer questions/help find what you need. Please let us know if this seems to be a helpful site.
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rayb
PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 3:48 pm  Reply with quote
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revdocdrew wrote:
Problems in (bird) paradise. Feb was the 5th driest on record in KS and the drought is expected to continue through the spring. Eastern KS did get some wet this last weekend. FIN: What going on around Wichita? Could impact nesting habitat and the newly hatched chicks might not have the insects they need to eat. Somebody out there do a rain dance (16GG-PLEASE don't post a video Laughing )
It looks like OK and TX have had some much needed rain. What's happening in S. Dakota?


The Texas rain was over in the Dallas and eastern areas. Still none to speak of west of interstate 35. I travel some, from the NE Panhandle to SW Panhandle then south to Laredo area. All dry. Fires yesterday, another today where i am this week (east of Hobbs NM). It may be a rough year for the birds. There are still some good quail coveys around here, hope they make it..

If it would warm up some, the rattlesnakes would come out and i could kill one, and put him belly up over the top wire of the bobwire fence. That will make it rain (ellos dicen que es la verdad...). Supposed to work every time.
I think right now the rattlers up here are in hiding, hoping it will rain and stir up things.


rayb

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KyBrad16ga
PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 6:58 am  Reply with quote
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revdocdrew wrote:
Problems in (bird) paradise. Feb was the 5th driest on record in KS and the drought is expected to continue through the spring. Eastern KS did get some wet this last weekend.


What about Nebraska? I know that KS definitely needed it, when we were out there in January for our late season hunt, it was really really dry. The dogs were really struggling to pick up scent. I hope you get plenty of periodic rain...

Heck you can have some of ours thats been falling in Kentucky since last week. I just got home yesterday after driving through the rain. It hasnt stopped yet.

Brad
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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 2:25 pm  Reply with quote
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Both interesting and potentially encouraging article in the March/April 06' Kansas Wildlife and Parks about a new wheat-fallow method called Delayed Minimum-Till or DMT. Fairly clear explanation of the decline in pheasants since the 80's (short cut herbicide-treated wheat stubble) and a way things can be turned around while also benefiting the farmers.
KDWP's Region 1 Office at 785-628-8614 will assist landowners and copies of the article can be downloaded from the KDWP website: www.kdwp.state.ks.us
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prettyfoto
PostPosted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 2:13 pm  Reply with quote
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Jumping in on this thread a little late, but if you're not opposed to hunting preserves, one I came across a few years back, was the best hunting experience I've had since I was a kid back in Nebraska. If it gets right down to the most bang for the buck, I can enthusicastically endorse a place called Table Top Hunting Preserve. At the time the price was $90. for six birds with lunch in the field included. In addition, Mel came along with his dogs with no extra charge. I don't know whether this was the norm, and as I said this was a few years ago. Hopefully he is still in business. I can't see how he wouldn't be considering the service he give for the price. I found a place closer to home, but it's more than twice as expensive. I hope to get back to Table Top some day, and I hope he's still in business. If you want to talk to him his number is/was 888-580-5828 or 308-432-5828 Name's Mel. Chardron NE.

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prettyfoto
PostPosted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 2:25 pm  Reply with quote
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I might add, unless my memory is failing me, hunting peasants on the preserves I've hunted is not that much different than "the real deal" other than the birds generally flush a bit closer (not always) and you generally get your "limit" if you stay out long enough.

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