Self Guided Kansas Wild Upland Bird Hunts

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Pheasant & Quail Hunts

When hunters think of Kansas upland bird hunting the pheasant comes to mind even though Kansas upland bird hunting has more than just pheasants, although there certainly are plenty of them, quail are also present.

Kansas upland bird hunting offers the most variety of upland bird hunts of our three state region.

Specific Kansas upland bird regions offer the best available quail dog work comparable to Missouri. The significant difference being the greater number of pheasants that will be found while in pursuit of the Bobwhite Quail. This creates the opportunity to enjoy watching dogs work both pheasant and quail in one day across every day of the hunt and that may be the greatest advantage of Kansas upland bird hunting.

The next Kansas upland bird hunting option that the astute hunter will recognize and many will ignore as a hen pheasant is the early to flush, fast and high flying Prairie Chicken. To see many in a season is common, to harvest even one rare.

For the hunter that has yet to harvest a Prairie Chicken be well aware they are not anywhere as good to eat as a pheasant or quail. Most local hunters will agree a good looking male Prairie Chicken is far better as a mount than on the dinner table. The first time a bird hunter skins one out he may begin to agree with this as the dark flesh with a musk that humans can readily smell will put the hunter aware.

The typical Kansas upland bird habitat cover of light woods, scrub and of course tall prairie grasses are intermixed with short grasses the Prairie Chicken prefers

In all cases of the bird of choice and habitat of choice our approach to self guided hunts means each hunter can hunt the bird and habitat that best suits his upland bird dog power and hunt style.

 

Kansas upland bird cover types.

A plum thicket and grass draw that runs for nearly two miles of good habitat and longer with thinner stretches splitting a variety of crop fields along its way. Prime Kansas pheasant hunting especially during adverse weather conditions or cold winters.

This picture is deceptive as the draw is wider than can be covered by a shotgun, has a number of branches and to hunt its entire length would be at least two hours or more with a dog that can cast up the various length branches. Fortunately, this draw at one point is cut by a road that allows for a break or stop off at the truck.

Contrast the first picture of the brush draw pheasant habitat with this one of a Kansas quail hunting spot on a overcast day and windy day. This habitat is thinly grassed with small patches of thin brush drainage through a crop field. One of the better examples of our habitat extremes.

The third most common Kansas upland bird hunting covers a range of habitat to include the tall prairie grass. This particular field was pictured after a wet wind driven snow melted off leaving areas of depressed grass. Walking this kind of field produces the large pheasant flushes and day long action that results in the quick limit days.

Kansas upland bird hunting habitat choices continues with crop edge. In this case some very prime quail habitat with the combination of small grain crop field bordered by protective woody cover. This kind of linear bird habitat runs for miles requiring a dog capable of down wind casting and willingness to infiltrate cover. Shooting is either extremely easy for those quail flying out into the field and more often very frustrating as quail typically flush out the far side or flush right back into the cover.

These examples are just some types of the available habitat that can be hunted during the same day.

Hunting Choices

Kansas upland bird hunting continues with more discussion of the variety of quail and pheasant population densities and habitat types by Kansas region.

Kansas pheasant hunting specific details inclusive of Kansas habitat that allows both the flushing and pointing dog hunter success. See our Kansas pheasant hunting section to see how Kansas' regional upland bird variety makes for more enjoyable dog work.

Kansas quail hunting over large field edge cover giving the quail hunter with long running dogs room to run. Our Kansas quail hunting habitat is far different than that of the southeast woods quail, southwest dry country and any pen raised quail hunt. Kansas gives plenty of eyes on dog action and mild winter temperatures for all day dog work.

Upland bird hunting overview gives a quick comparison amongst our Kansas, Iowa and Missouri upland bird hunts showing range and density for pheasant and quail. Throughout this website every reader will access far more information specific to Mid-America Hunting Association hunts than any other source available. For the bird hunter that has not read our opening upland bird hunting section he has missed some basic information that will assist his analysis about our organization.