Pheasant Gallery 6

Ringneck Pheasant

To many, Ringneck Pheasant hunting is simply walking up birds to shoot, as is common for opening weekend or annual trip hunts. Mid-America Hunting Association offers more. As drive hunts are prohibited the Ringneck Pheasant hunter primarily uses bird dogs to hunt a game that will give more than what is taken and typically hunt the entire season. Ringnecks hold for point, run causing the dogs to relocate, flush near and far, found as singles and seeing 150 before lunch possible, nothing new in this sentence. What may be news is that of the three most popular ringneck pheasant hunting states, i.e., South Dakota, Iowa and Kansas, it appears Kansas' third placing ranking a bit lacking in objectivity.

Kansas rooster hunting has the value of a long season running from November through the end of January, limited snow ground cover, and the chance to hunt a lot of private ground. Just as in Iowa and South Dakota roosters inhabit particular regions of each state. Within Kansas the habitat is varied from crop farms, prairie, and brushy draws. The real value is the ability to chase roosters without competition.

Managed Hunting, The Value

ringneck pheasant hunting Large populations of mature birds only occur on managed hunting lands that do not over pressure the wildlife. This 5/8th's inch spur is a clear indicator of an 18 month old bird. Vise the many 6 month juveniles typically harvested in many areas.

For those that chase tail below is a 24 5/8 inch long tail.

Winter Hunting

December and January snows are rarely a reason to stop hunting. The opportunity to discover the record of game movement is greatly enhanced by snow as is the experience of the hunt.
This picture is one of many pheasant landings in very close proximity and varying ages. These tracks represent what has been seen before at how far pheasants will fly from a feed to a cover area. This particular landing area was about 50 yards into the grass field and directly across an open space from where the neighboring cut milo field came the closest to the grass field.

Hunting such a spot that is a roost will yield good hunting at the time of roost occupancy and the next morning. Pheasants once having selected a roost may be pressured a bit harder than in day time loafing areas.

How to find a roost? Be lucky! Tracks in the snow and dung piles may also point to the right areas.

North Central Kansas

This region has Bluestem Grass CRP fields different only from the north west by being smaller in size and interlaced more frequently with creek draws and wood edge areas.

This provides the pheasant hunter with more opportunities to quail hunt.

Put a grass field separated from a crop field by a tree line and the best mixture of pheasant and quail habitat is achieved.

Typical difference between NW and NC Kansas pheasant hunting grass is the abundance of trees. NC Kansas (left) fields are more frequently lined with trees.