Bobwhite Quail Hunting - Private Land, Self Guided, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri
Bobwhite Quail hunting for the do it yourself hunter.
Quail Hunting Since 1965
"... the Association the last 27 years has made my quail hunting career..."
Read a variety of upland bird hunter testimonials with pictures.
All wild birds.
For those seeking recurring dog work over many quail hunting trips and seasons to come.
Quail Hunting in Kansas, Missouri and Iowa on natural habitat on private land.
Self guided quail hunting meaning each hunter picks which farm to hunt. He selects how many days to hunt hard or to sleep in. Quail hunting is according to the hunter's style and dog power. All may be quail hunting as many days as they have time any time during the season. Greater detail on our self guided upland bird hunts.
Key points include having more places to go quail hunting each day than daylight to walk. Not mixing your dogs with others. Not stepping over boot prints. And, the Association partners will assist all first year Association hunters. And, those that seek to travel to new regions with recommendations where to put their dogs on the ground. Those recommendations will be based on our own behind our own dog quail hunting experience as well as having traveled the land throughout the year. First year plan.
Kansas quail hunting, during late January. The picture capturing part of the covey on a slow rise. Additional details about our wild bird hunts.
Our service is private land access. Our product is the right habitat in the right region of each state that has a history of reproduction and covey counts.
Those hunters we allocate membership to are seeking quality dog work, enjoyment of the day and hunt quality rather than bag limits. Those expecting a covey each time stepping from the truck or a limit every day should go elsewhere. We offer only wild birds and that requires the willingness to walk, shooting ability and dog power. Those that possess these three elements will be able find a good hunt. None will ever cross their tracks unless they want to.
We will discuss by telephone with all new members where to park the truck and put out the dogs. We also provide a local lodging listing for every county where we lease land. By this means we take the uncertainty out of the trip. This is one difference that marks us as a business and not a club. As a business we have a customer service attitude that ensures all are treated the same, have equal access and get a good jump start, This is to insure their return membership the next season.
Upland Bird Units - Map Sheet
A unit of land represents one day's reservation. No one is left to flounder at where to park their truck, step out and hunt. We will use these map sheets as the basis of the telephone conversation of where to put the dogs on the ground. All Association hunters gain access to these maps through an online library. Lodging is by local motel.
When we recommend a hunter where to hunt it is to a "unit" of land.
The background on units is that we break down all of our leases into management segments first by state, county, then units and later by individual numbered properties. All lease land is posted to a 8x11 map sheet to a web site. All members have access to all the same map sheets covering all land in all three states. We then have a live person telephone reservation system to our secretary 9 to 530, Monday - Friday. She will give immediate confirmation of the reservation.
What these units means is that we do not let any one hunter or group to continuously hunt any one unit of coveys over pressuring the land. This is one of those intangible aspects of our organization that individually makes a little difference and collectively makes for all to have as good of an experience as possible.
These units also spread hunters as most counties have several unit. They are available on a first come first served basis. Each has a gun limit, meaning total number of hunters within that unit, per day based on habitat quality and the region of the state.
The average good day is a four covey day with much singles action. Zero covey days and up to 10+ may occur for some. However most should not expect too many of either. The four covey average is as much driven by our 8 Bobwhite daily bag limit. Read some more about our hunt quality that seems more relative to the hunter's background than anything else.
How Our Quail Hunting Works
As a do it yourself hunter organization most train and hunt their own dogs. That is also our focus. The dog work. Most of these hunter run a brace and shoot two per covey either on covey or singles points. This gives each dog a chance and move on. The value is the opportunity to return to that same covey later in the season or the next year. The coveys are residential or headquartered to the same spot for life.
Let us keep perspective. This is a youth hunter and his bag for the day. The choice is to achieve this or go to a plantation and have a pile of dead birds in front of the lodge sign.
We are out in the field 12 months every year and tracking populations. We will recommend to the new Association hunter/upland bird hunter where to hunt for his habitat and upland bird of choice.
Good habitat in the right region makes for good hunts. The land, habitat, wild birds and the organizational strength of MAHA are here.
We keep our system simple with one cost for all for all lease land access for all seasons in all three states. This allows all hunters to select which state or states they would like to hunt.
If we agree that MAHA and the self guided hunters we seek to enjoy more the quality of dog work than having to have a limit every day then we should also agree to the following issues.
Not to hunt the last hour of daylight to allow the birds to covey up before dark.
Not shoot into coveys less than 10 birds. Assume two pairs may survive for the next breeding season.
Shoot pointed not jumped birds.
No covey shooting.
Dogs on the ground limitation of two per any one hunter. Not more than three per party regardless of size. More may be in the truck and rotated.
No gang/drive hunts.
During the Missouri rifle deer season during the middle two weeks in November we close other hunts due to safety. Upland bird hunts continues in Iowa and Kansas during those state firearms deer seasons. Missouri is distinguished due to their deer tag being cheap and over the counter allowing for many hunters. In Kansas and Iowa the deer tags are restrictive to the point of not adversely impacting upland bird hunters.
Missouri quail hunting is the classic edge habitat. Well suited for the long running dogs. The walking is easy and much eyes on the dog possible. Much the same as our Iowa land. Missouri quail hunting with pictures form several hunters
Kansas upland birds offers the most pheasants. Kansas' Bobwhites frequently are equal in some regions to Missouri. Those desiring a mixed bag hunt find Kansas best suits that requirement.
Kansas quail hunting is similar to Missouri's crop edge except the fields are larger. Kansas has the brush filled draw offering miles of huntable habitat as well. This one variation alone makes for that added bit of adventure that avoids the routine of the same habitat through all trips. Kansas quail hunting showing tall grass, brush draws and crop edge
Do not allow Iowa's pheasant reputation cloud anyone's mind. Our south-central Iowa land is on the same watershed as north central Missouri.
This is the Grand River Watershed a very large area of multiple sized streams that are tree lined and cutting through the Iowa grain farm country. The right combination of protective cover and food in small areas. This is repeated over the entire region. The fact that the Iowa - Missouri state line separates this locality does not inhibit the coveys.
Iowa quail hunting does distinguish itself from Missouri with its higher pheasant density. Iowa quail hunting over grain farms
"Took Kelly for a walk in the park quick hunt and ended up with a limit in an hour and a half. She pointed and retrieved all of them. She even pointed two on a 3 ft. lead on the way back to the truck."
That is the type of hunting account and picture that some find a bit impressive or intimidating about the quail hunting we have.
To remove any hesitation someone may feel we talked with this Association hunter to put the rest of his story and picture into context.
The first is this hunter has much gray hair with quail hunting training starting when he was 10. He has/hunts one dog at a time. He has had a handful of exceptional dogs in his lifetime as well as dogs no one would want to hunt with. This dog just happens to be in his personal top 10% of all his dogs.
Next is his camera/picture hobby. His cameras and lenses individually cost more than his guns. He works for such picture setups. He has accounted for several of what many would consider the best pictures on this web site. He takes special effort combined with the right picture taking tools or stated another way his picture hobby is more his recreation than is his quail hunting.
For the rest of us our pocket point and shoot cameras are the standard. Your Association partners appreciate every picture sent in by hunters. Regardless of any quality evaluation. It is the pictures that keep our balance against the routine and drudgery of the daily effort working with landowners.Covering all the links on this page will offer as much as there is to know about our organization and hunts. All should feel free to call day/evening for a discussion specific to their hunt plans.