2012 Kansas Pheasant Hunting Season

The Kansas Basics

Kansas has variety in protective cover and upland birds. It is common to pheasant and quail hunt the say trip or the same day. Kansas Prairie Chickens are more rare.

Kansas pheasant hunting starts the second Saturday in November. It runs through the last day of January. That is 117 day pheasant season.

Association hunters may pick from any of the season of when to hunt. With the Association controlling pressure and hunter distribution the attitude that the best hunting is the first two weeks is null. Most hunters of their own dogs will find they can hunt their choice throughout the season that best fits their schedule. Many will make two trips, one early and one late. The late season with its cooler temperatures often means more hunting time due to avoiding heat fatigue.

Pheasant and quail seasons overlap. Everywhere in Kansas where pheasants are found quail will be found. This mixed bag type hunt is often cause for many pheasant hunters evolving into predominately quail hunters.

Of where to hunt in Kansas we have a choice. With the Association covering several good regions there is always one or more of better hunting. Knowing where that better hunting is located is a benefit of Association membership. To see the entire inventory of Kansas hunting and have a look at this map: Kansas hunting land acreage map.

Through The Kansas Season Weather

No small point on this topic. It is common for many pheasant hunters to have a northern states hunting experience. One where winter son ground accumulation stops the hunting. Of all the pheasant states Kansas has the least snowfall.

Kansas does get some deep ground snow accumulation during some seasons in one locality or another. The more common during the season ground accumulation is seen in this picture.

Kansas' mild winter weather allows all to hunt through the end of the season. It is not until the second week in December that Kansas has the more reliable cooler weather. Weather that prevents heat stress on dog and hunter.

Planning The Pheasant Hunt

All will have a plan of where they will be hunting. They will know where they will lodge using our up to date local lodging list. That plan will be developed over the telephone. The basis of the plan is the Associations online map library.

The online maps will show where to park the truck and put out the dogs. The telephone conversation will tell which of the online maps are those best suited for a pheasant hunt. The value of the telephone conversation with one of the two Association partners is to insure there is more protective cover available to hunt each day than daylight hours will allow.

Most that pheasant hunt seek tall grass lands and we have that. We also have other cover when walking the seemingly endless grasslands become tiresome. Brushy draws and crop edges will provide a variety that should reinvigorate the hunter.

Dog Power Determines The Hunt

It is the common dog that can effectively hunt wild pheasants in tall or native grass.

It is the rare hunting dog that can point pheasants in cut crop field such as the wheat field above. Each hunter will find plenty of hunt to fit his dog power.

Retriever/flushing dog hunters may enjoy a combination Association wetlands duck hunt in combination with a pheasant hunt. It is common to watch the migratory reports and weather selecting that day to pheasant or duck hunt. While ducks are largely hunted from private wetlands those that seek goose will find plenty of crop field hunts. There is also the chance encounters always possible on farm ponds to be found in many areas. Have a look at our wetlands duck hunting.

Pointing dog hunters often plan a mixed bag pheasant and quail hunt. An advantage when growing tired of tall grass pheasant hunt. Being able to hunt the easy to walk crop edge with the more intense dog on quail action is a respite. Read some more about our quail hunting.

Versatile dogs hunters have the widest range that includes turkey hunting with their dogs as well. Advance to a quick overview of our versatile dog hunting.

For The Pheasant Only Hunter

For the dedicated pheasant hunter Kansas will offer the best hunts we have with the most number of birds.

Kansas hunters will enjoy the Association for freedom away from public lands hunter mentality. Being able to have more land available to hunt each day than daylight hours available. No mixing their dogs with any other hunter. Being able to hunt a different spot each time stepping from their truck, each day of each trip never having to cross their tracks. That alone makes for the tranquility of a good hunt. That tranquility makes the missed shots more bearable.

The capstone is that within Mid-America Hunting Association having pheasant lands in three states there is always one or more with up bird numbers. This is true regardless of any one region that may be down due to a bad hatch.

Kansas Wild Pheasant Protective Cover and Food Habitat

Our Kansas habitat is superior based on its heavily invested acreage into the tall prairie grass CRP.

Tall or native grass serves as the best day long loafing cover of all pheasant habitat that exists. Hunts are largely over many thousands of acres of this tall prairie grass where a good day's Kansas bag limit, 4, is achievable from one field of a 1/4 section or larger. That is for those with the dog power, willingness to walk and shooting ability.

Bad days are largely regulated to the one weather effect that will affect every hunt. That is of wind. Nothing to do about the wind, except endure it and continue on. Luckily wind is not forever. A good hunt may be just the afternoon away.

Add to our exceptional cover grass habitat is the row crop fields. Fields are largely composed of wheat and milo. Corn and soybean limited to less common irrigated fields. Combining these two habitats of cover and food is no secret to great hunting.

Not All Good

A precautionary note. Kansas is part of the great plains. Some forget the great plains mean large crop fields. Our pheasant hunts cover larger amounts of acreage than most from northern and eastern state hunters are accustomed to. This raises additional issues.

We hear from many pheasant hunters they may hunt one day a week in their home state. That alone will not prepare dogs for the nearly endless miles of ground they may attempt to cover in Kansas. Each pheasant hunter will have more acreage to hunt each day than daylight to hunt it. Having that for a week will make for both tired hunters and dogs. Dog boots should be part of every packing list.

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