Kenneth from Arizona 2

Last Season

via email: Not bad for two Labs and two fighter pilots! We alternated the dogs during the day to make them last longer! Our totals for our short hunt: 28 pheasants, 15 quail, and 3 ducks. Pheasants are just about the same as last year, quail are up and there are waterfowl everywhere. The land the association has leased was very productive as you can see. Most of the milo is still in the field but should be harvested by the end of the month if it stays dry. Talking with the farmers, some milo will be left in the field because it was so dry. We will have to wait and see. I will be back to hunt. Maybe we will run into each other! Have a great hunt! Kenneth quail hunting with his quail dogs.

Kenneth quail hunting with his quail dogs.

Later during the last week of the season. Hunting by himself he found several limit days on roosters and fair quail hunting with five in one day the high point.

Kenneth wrote via email:

Dear MAHA:

My January hunt this year was the best ever (for January)! I hunted for 5 1/4 days with a total of 16 pheasants and 8 quail. I missed one pheasant and lost one pheasant. The daily breakdown on birds: 1p, 4p, 4p/2q, 2p, 1p, and 4p/6q. An outstanding January hunt with fantastic weather and plenty of birds (at least for January). I managed my two labs to have quality hunts everyday, and I only hunted hard on one day. The day I hunted almost non-stop was the day I only bagged on pheasant. It was also the day I missed one and lost one. We really were on the hens that day. On the second day I established a pattern that helped me find more pheasants, most where hens but still some roosters. The birds were not in typical pheasant "habitat" during the entire hunt. This was most likely due to the relatively mild conditions. I also saw a few more roosters at range and while driving in the morning and evening. I was able to finish my pheasant season with a double, not bad luck for January! I would rather be lucky than good!

Again, I appreciate your work and persistence to find great habitat for our association. Most of our land was still producing birds to the end. I did get two pheasants on walk-in land and one pheasant on private land. Thanks again to the folks in the office that put up with the Air Force guy from Arizona! Also, a huge thanks to Doug and Mary Melton for their wonderful hospitality!

Sincerely, Kenneth R Rosson

Season Before

Dear Mid-America Hunting Association:

I just thought I would drop you a photo of a Kansas pheasant hunt with Triton and Westie. This photo was taken at approximately 9:30 AM, Friday, November 16. Four cocks, same field, two birds per dog.

This ended a weeklong hunt with a final tally of 27 cocks. I had a limit by NLT 10:30 AM on all but three days. There was only one day that I didn't bag my limit, but I did shoot my limit, we lost one. In addition to the pheasant, I bagged about 15 or so quail. I had to work to get the birds, but I had luck with establishing a pattern to locate the birds.

The temperature reached 65 everyday and it was dry until the last two days. In fact, when conditions are extremely dry and thundershowers roll into the area, the thunder makes the cocks cackle! When this happens you really know how many are out there and it just reminds you that you miss most of them! The sound of the cackling was like the sound of toads after a springtime rain. Unbelievable!

I really appreciate the work y'all do getting leasing great habitat. Additionally, I would like to thank Doug and Mary Melton for their hospitality. Thanks a ton!

Good hunting... Kenneth Rosson

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