Gun Dog Forum

We'll we found out we have a baby due about the time opening week of Kansas season opens, and I had planned on going back out there at that time. Torn on maybe going to hunt grouse earlier in the year or back out west later in the year in January but figured it was hit or mis with the weather that time of year....Never been grouse hunting so not sure about the woods hunting. Maybe even South Dakota in the earlier season I think it opens around the 2nd week in Oct right?

Just looking for some idea's thanks!

South Dakota pheasant season will open on Oct 15 it is just about always the third weekend. Crops are getting in late, so not a lot of crops will be harvested by opening weekend.

First of all, congratulations on the baby. I think I'd still give Kansas a try. Where in Kansas do you usually hunt?

Yeah my first trip to South Dakota that was a problem went end of Oct and there was still to many crops and was really hard to get on them with pointing dogs.

In Kansas I usually stay a little east of Hayes, normally get on Quail and Phesant. would like to hear from people who have hunted it in the late season.

There is normally plenty of birds in January, not always the easiest to find or hunt, but they are there.

I think Grouse season opens in September in South Dakota ,might want to check it out; some of my friends hunted the grass lands and did well.

I went to Kansas last season twice in January. Still found plenty of birds but I'd have to believe they were a little wiser by then. Still found great hunting.

How was getting around on the roads, as long as you have 4wd were you good?

we found out we have a baby due about the time opening week of Kansas season opens

Well you aint no hunter Dad hadda change his cloths to go in and see my sis the day she was born, yep opening day I give her a phes for her birthday gift.

Dad went out every sat and sunday his entire life till the last year. We made him go out and block the end pushed a bird to him he shot it was the last one for him. He was hard core on hunting.

Said he saw the first two and after that it would just be a re run

Trying to plan a late season hunt in KS this far in advance and coming all the way from Georgia sounds like a recipe for a headache. Not that the hunting can't be good in the late season. Birds are a little harder to come by and they're spookier when you do get on them. But the hunting can still be pretty good and I usually do more late season hunting than early season. It's Kansas though and you just never know what the weather is going to be like. Try driving across the state in a blizzard, taking you four times as long to get there because someone went and closed the gates on the major highways. Step into the first field 40 miles from the closest paved road with 10" of snow on the ground and drifts taller then your truck, -4 degrees and the wind rolling right along at about 45MPH. Then have it warm up to the mid 70's before you make it back to the truck and spend the rest of the day slipping, sliding and slinging mud, just hoping you can make back to a road that has a little rock on it and don't have to sleep in the truck until the county guys come by next week with a grader let alone make it to the next field. Sometimes that's just the way late season bird hunting in KS is like and it doesn't have to be that severe for the roads to get ugly fast.

Yep, coming all that way. I'd take the early season sharptails & huns up north. Either way plan for the worst and hope for the best is about all you can do. I'm sure early season up north has it's own challenges. (heat, rattlesnakes etc..)

It is with deep regret that I break this news... All the birds in Kansas have perished. No need for anyone to travel to Kansas to hunt.

That is all.

Yup....those roads can get downright nasty when the snow melts. I was hunting around Hayes last year and put my wife's new SUV in the ditch on such a day.....with her in it!!! Almost didn't live to tell the tale! Was able to drive it out, but it took about $25 worth of quarters at the nearest car wash to get it where it would go over 35mph without vibrating like mad.

I would agree with the assessment that planning a late season hunt more than a couple of days in advance is pretty tricky. It can be iffy sometimes just getting there from CO.

prairiefirepointers wrote:It is with deep regret that I break this news... All the birds in Kansas have perished. No need for anyone to travel to Kansas to hunt.

That is all.

LOL, if I don't make it back this year will be there the next....yeah might just keep it down in GA this year and try and stay on some quail....just nothing like it used to be down here, everything is about deer hunting now hardly any good places left.

We like N D in Sept!