Ideas from a biologist for attaining Kansas’ Grand Slam and searching bobwhite, pheasants, and prairie chickens throughout the plains.
Kansas’ fame as a traditional upland searching state has lengthy been recognized. Bobwhite quail searching right here is known throughout increase years and stays strong throughout common years. Whereas pheasant searching in Kansas has decreased over the previous few years on account of habitat loss, the state remains to be persistently among the many high three to 4 states for roosters. Moreover, Kansas is the nation’s high higher prairie hen state, offering nice alternatives to reap the charismatic grassland dweller.
An opportunity to reap these three species on a single journey, possibly even on a single stroll, makes Kansas a particular place to hunt within the fall. Listed here are a number of ideas that can assist you plan your try on the Kansas Grand Slam.
Bobwhite Quail Searching in Kansas
Bobwhites are discovered statewide in Kansas. This gamebird’s habitat contains wherever native herbaceous vegetation and low-growing, shrubby cowl coexist.
Southeastern Kansas
The southeastern portion of Kansas was as soon as the go-to space for nice quail searching. I hunted there incessantly within the ’90s and routinely had 10-covey days. However occasions have modified since then. Fescue and tree encroachment led to substantial inhabitants declines within the jap portion of that area. However, good populations nonetheless happen within the Flint Hills.
Learn Extra: A Information to Bobwhite Quail Searching
Publicly accessible land is tough to come back by in southeast Kansas, so discovering accessible birds may be difficult. Take into account introducing your self to some personal landowners earlier than the season begins, and so they could offer you entry to hunt their lands for quail.
Southwestern Kansas
Southwest Kansas has lengthy been among the finest areas for bobwhites. It has massive expanses of native prairies and good interspersion of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grass fields in a largely agricultural panorama.
This area is much like western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle as a result of it’s topic to periodic droughts. Drought years suppress populations, although birds can nonetheless be discovered. However when the rains come after a drought, quail populations increase, and searching in southwestern Kansas may be world-class.
Many acres are enrolled within the state Stroll-in Searching Entry (WIHA) right here, giving the typical hunter entry to spectacular hen numbers when the circumstances are proper.
North-Central Kansas
Probably the most constant area for high-quality quail searching is the north-central tier of counties from about Salina to Hays. This area nonetheless experiences boom-bust cycles, however much less dramatic than in southwestern Kansas. Meaning populations have a tendency to carry regular however are nonetheless able to reaching glorious ranges. This area contains native prairie intermixed with shrubs, CRP grassland, and agricultural fields. Throw in massive quantities of publicly accessible land, and you’ve got a recipe for excellent quail searching.
Ring-necked Pheasant Searching in Kansas
Whereas pheasants may be hunted statewide in Kansas, one of the best populations happen within the western two-thirds of the state. Ringnecks favor thick cowl close to agricultural meals sources throughout searching season. Tall native grass plantings, cattail sloughs, weedy outdated homesteads, and dense hedgerows are prime locations to search for birds so long as they’re inside a half-mile of a harvested grain area or fallow fields. Native grassland pastures in north-central Kansas can even maintain birds, particularly these with gentle grazing stress.
Learn Extra: Techniques to Enhance Public Land Pheasant Searching Success
Whereas CRP grasslands have declined over the past a number of years, a lot stay to be discovered, particularly in southwest and northwest Kansas. These areas routinely maintain the biggest variety of birds within the state, and there’s loads of WIHA entry right here, too. North-central Kansas additionally has good pheasant populations with first rate quantities of CRP and WIHA. The Kansas Division of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) additionally manages a number of massive public wildlife administration areas on this area. These areas encompass massive reservoirs, and lots of provide locations that take laborious work to entry, offering probabilities for much less pressured birds.
Higher Prairie Rooster Searching in Kansas
Whereas not as extensively unfold throughout the state as bobwhites or pheasants, higher prairie chickens can nonetheless be discovered and hunted throughout a large swath of Kansas. The truth is, Kansas is house to the biggest higher prairie hen inhabitants within the nation. It’s a vacation spot for hunters searching for to chase these really particular birds. Personally, I maintain prairie chickens within the highest regard for his or her sense of wildness and the attractive locations searching these birds takes me.
Flint Hills
Jap Kansas’ Flint Hills area was heralded because the prairie hen epicenter as a result of huge native tallgrass prairies there. Whereas good numbers of birds can nonetheless be discovered, populations within the Flint Hills have declined long-term on account of vary administration practices lowering the quantity of excellent nesting cowl. Additionally, the Flint Hills has little or no state-managed public land or WIHA entry. That mentioned, I’ve had success knocking on doorways to achieve entry, and good searching can nonetheless be present in America’s largest expanse of tallgrass prairie.
Smoky Hills
The most effective ecoregion within the state to hunt higher prairie chickens is the Smoky Hills in north-central Kansas. A phenomenal panorama that could be a combine of huge tracts of native prairies and crop fields of wheat, soybeans, and corn, the Smoky Hills have seen a secure to rising inhabitants of prairie chickens over the previous twenty years. Personal land entry right here may be good, particularly in the course of the early prairie hen season, and a good quantity of WIHA exists.
Learn Extra: A Information to Higher Prairie-Rooster Searching in Kansas
A lot of the WIHA in north-central Kansas is thick CRP grassland higher suited to pheasants, however there are tracts of native prairie enrolled in WIHA that supply good searching. Prairie chickens favor shorter grass than pheasants, and native pastures provide the grass peak and density that chickens want.
Western Kansas
Northwest Kansas has lately seen a rise in prairie hen numbers, providing good however restricted alternatives to reap birds. Resulting from decrease quantities of rainfall, the CRP on this area doesn’t develop as thick as in different components of the state. Chickens have taken benefit of the brief, sparse CRP right here, which has expanded and elevated hen numbers.
Lesser prairie chickens, a federally protected species, have additionally taken benefit of western Kansas’s CRP and expanded their vary north. To scale back the potential for unintended harvest, the KDWP has closed a lot of northwest Kansas to prairie hen searching. You may view KDWP’s map right here. However the place western lands are open, hunters can discover birds in CRP grasslands and native pastures.
Planning Your Kansas Grand Slam
Kansas offers nice upland sport hen alternatives. It’s certainly one of solely two states that supply the bobwhite-pheasant-greater prairie hen combined bag within the nation. (Nebraska is the opposite). Though at the very least one hen species provides nice upland searching alternatives throughout the state, if I had been going after my grand slam, particularly to get it accomplished on one journey, I might select the north-central area of Kansas.
This space provides the best alternative to seek out all these birds in shut proximity and glorious public entry. Find good grassland habitat that features a mixture of low-growing shrubby cowl close to harvested grain meals sources. In habitat like this, you stand a good chance of discovering pheasants and quail on the identical stroll. If the quilt is brief sufficient, you would possibly even bounce prairie chickens.
To particularly goal chickens, hunt native grass pastures, stroll ridge traces on calm days, and lee sides of slopes when the wind blows. Additionally, look ahead to chickens flying from grasslands to feed in harvested crop fields within the mornings and evenings. Find the fields the birds are utilizing, hold a detailed eye on the precise place they enter the sphere, and search permission to cross shoot prairie chickens on subsequent days. Such a hen searching provides thrilling taking pictures and is commonly the easiest way to persistently harvest birds, particularly late within the season.
Combined-Bag Hunts Are One thing Particular
Hunters searching for to finish Kansas’ upland hen Grand Slam have ample entry and lots of areas to focus on every species individually. However what’s further cool is the power to earn the slam on a single hunt. There’s simply one thing about coming house with a combined bag. The thrill of not figuring out what’s going to flush subsequent provides one thing particular to an already nice expertise. Kansas provides glorious alternatives for nice mixed-bag hunts, which is only one purpose Kansas is such an iconic upland vacation spot.
For some further enjoyable, problem your self. Are you able to get the slam on the identical day? What about the identical stroll? Nevertheless you go about it, simply give it a attempt!
