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trevijazz
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Post subject: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 5:15 pm |
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Diamond Grade |
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Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:58 pm Posts: 1015
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I will be in the Wichita area mid to late Sept. and thought about doing some Prarie Chicken Hunting while I was there. Would be willing to drive up to couple hours south and East. Any locations y’all could suggest. Am willing to hunt private, walk in permit or pay to hunt ground. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
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Byron Whitlock
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 5:37 pm |
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Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:45 pm Posts: 64 Location: Oswego, ks
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I can tell you not to go any further east than the Flint Hills which are less than an hour east of Wichita. Most good prairie chicken hunting in Kansas is in the Flint Hills which run north from near the Oklahoma line to up in the Ft Riley area.
_________________ LC Smith fan
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Zbigniew
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:21 pm |
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Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:39 pm Posts: 5133
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Byron Whitlock wrote: I can tell you not to go any further east than the Flint Hills which are less than an hour east of Wichita. Most good prairie chicken hunting in Kansas is in the Flint Hills which run north from near the Oklahoma line to up in the Ft Riley area. Good advice.
_________________ The root(s) of all evil: -Political Correctness -Insurance -Securitization Take your pick.
Always make an even number of mistakes. One may cancel out another.
"People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything." --Thomas Sowell
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Vette Jockey2
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:30 pm |
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Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:17 am Posts: 759
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Multiflora
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:47 pm |
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Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:50 pm Posts: 2570 Location: SE Ohio...where ruffed grouse were
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In some situations, one can believe they are seeing pheasant hens flushing by...listen for that wonderful chuckle of the Lessers as a difference...the tail can be problematic. Ime, PCs like higher, shorter cover, more empty sections....varies tho. https://ksoutdoors.com/content/download ... -25-01.pdf
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trevijazz
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:09 pm |
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Diamond Grade |
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Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:58 pm Posts: 1015
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Thank you Byron. That’s exactly the area I was looking at.
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trevijazz
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:16 pm |
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Diamond Grade |
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Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:58 pm Posts: 1015
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Thanks guys. I’m always curious about walk in areas ? Do they have a tendency to hold birds ? We have some walk in areas where I am from, some do indeed have birds. Some I have never heard or seen of a bird being taken there.
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Multiflora
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:32 pm |
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Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:50 pm Posts: 2570 Location: SE Ohio...where ruffed grouse were
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WIHAs vary...often based upon drought when the haying and grazing rights can kick in. Drive 45 minutes and find cow pies....happens. Trust the atlas or call...locals have been known to remove wiha signs next to the road and toss a purple tire on a fence post. I had that happen once and called the state to check, "it's in" was the answer.....received a nice glare from a fella in an old pickup. The section of the state also matters relative to cover type....plus, the wihas are not only for bird hunting. Makes no difference as the program is a good one...whatever the state or whatever the state of the parcel.
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trevijazz
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 8:12 pm |
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Diamond Grade |
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Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:58 pm Posts: 1015
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I agree Walk in programs are great. I don’t mind paying for private “trespass fees” either. If they are potentially fruitful. They seem harder and harder to come by though. And I’m not necessarily looking for a guide.
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Vette Jockey2
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 8:57 pm |
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Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:17 am Posts: 759
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Multiflora wrote: WIHAs vary...often based upon drought when the haying and grazing rights can kick in. Drive 45 minutes and find cow pies....happens. Trust the atlas or call...locals have been known to remove wiha signs next to the road and toss a purple tire on a fence post. I had that happen once and called the state to check, "it's in" was the answer.....received a nice glare from a fella in an old pickup. The section of the state also matters relative to cover type....plus, the wihas are not only for bird hunting. Makes no difference as the program is a good one...whatever the state or whatever the state of the parcel. A friend of mine, who lives in the general area the OP is interested in, hunts public or walk-in land exclusively and kills more game birds than anyone I know. Of course, he also puts in more hours and shoe leather than anyone I know, too.
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trevijazz
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:14 pm |
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Diamond Grade |
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Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:58 pm Posts: 1015
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Great to hear ! Hopefully I beat him there. I don’t mind walking all day .
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trevijazz
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:37 pm |
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Diamond Grade |
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Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:58 pm Posts: 1015
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Spent a week in the Flinthills of Kansas. Beautifully empty place. Hunted 6-8 hours everyday. Tallied 62 miles total distance by foot,according to my Apple device. Saw quite a few different creatures, Cows (the most plentiful of the bunch but not on the hunt list) Dove, mink (I think), a badger (he was a mean summabich), mule deer, lizards, frogs, crows, a few quail, and lots of raptors( the birds not the dinosaur) The very least of these was Prarie Chickens I saw (4) in seven days. Was able to bag (2). Ate plenty of dove for lunch. Saw some beautiful sunrises, sunsets, and a little sunburn. Also saw the most gorgeous native lady I’ve ever laid eyes on ( didn’t mention that species to the wife ) eyes were all I laid on her so I’m safe. All in all a nice getaway without worrying about WiFi. I would likely go again. Oh, saw a “Cowboy Lives Matter” sign on a fence in the absolute middle of nowhere also. Found it humorous, for the sake of humor itself. No judgement here one direction or the other. Thanks for the pointers guys
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df
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2020 9:00 am |
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Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 6:08 pm Posts: 1839 Location: Minnesota
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Sounds like a good time. Congrats on the two chickens.
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casonet
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Post subject: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2020 10:24 am |
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*Proud to be a* |
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Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:54 pm Posts: 11863 Location: Kansas
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Prairie Chickens are not plentiful and haven’t been fir quite a long time. You have gotten good advise here. Heresay that I’ve overheard is that the best hunting is in the far Noethwest area of the state. If you hunt on public lands be sure you check if it is a non Toxic shot area
_________________ "We pulled the trigger, the safety went forward, both barrels fired almost together, the gun opened, ejectors kicked the fired cases over our shoulder ...the most completely automatic gun we ever fired" Elmer Keith- Shotguns by Keith
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Zbigniew
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 11:55 pm |
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Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:39 pm Posts: 5133
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casonet, as recently as the '80s (which isn't all that recent anymore) I used to see them around the old Naval Air Station between Olathe and Gardner. Down around Bucyrus, too.
But haven't seen any for years. Sprawl and ditch-to-ditch farming have taken care of that.
_________________ The root(s) of all evil: -Political Correctness -Insurance -Securitization Take your pick.
Always make an even number of mistakes. One may cancel out another.
"People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything." --Thomas Sowell
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Multiflora
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:21 am |
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Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:50 pm Posts: 2570 Location: SE Ohio...where ruffed grouse were
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Times must be changing....can't recall ever seeing or moving PC singles. Always in groups....but it has been three years.
Getting shots at 1/2 of those you see does remind me a bit of those who still hunt ruffed grouse in Ohio.
Bet the country was beautiful.
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trevijazz
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 7:06 pm |
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Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:58 pm Posts: 1015
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I’ve hunted all over NW Kansas and have never seen a chicken. Plenty of pheasants But nary a grouse. Central Nebraska seems to be the opposite, chickens were able to be found with hard walking but pheasants were no where to be found. I am not an expert on the matter, but would be inclined to suggest that pheasants and chickens do not co-exist well. At least in my limited experiences.
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casonet
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:09 pm |
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*Proud to be a* |
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Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:54 pm Posts: 11863 Location: Kansas
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Never seen many chickens but at least the quail are on the rebound.
_________________ "We pulled the trigger, the safety went forward, both barrels fired almost together, the gun opened, ejectors kicked the fired cases over our shoulder ...the most completely automatic gun we ever fired" Elmer Keith- Shotguns by Keith
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UplandHunter44
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2020 11:03 am |
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Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2020 10:58 am Posts: 6
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Some of the best pheasant hunting in the U.S is north Central Kansas. Lots of birds and great habitat
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loneranger
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Post subject: Re: Kansas Prarie Chickens? Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2020 8:29 pm |
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Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 9:21 pm Posts: 75
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Just a thought. You might contact a few hunting operations in the area to see if they have any prairie chickens on their land. It might be worth it to pay for some guiding. I doubt many if any stock chickens but they probably have the habitat for them. One place not terribly far from Wichita is Spearpoint Ranch near Lincoln Kansas. Steve and Laura are first rate.
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