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Walked right up to me and sniffed my leg and let me rub behind her ear. I said, "Come on with me away from the road" and started walking to the back lot that is wooded about 200 yards back. She walked beside me all the way like a damned dog. Craziest thing I've ever seen. |
How's everybody's upland bird numbers looking?
Season starts tomorrow here in Kansas. Better quail numbers, not sure about the pheasants. Probably a feast or famine type of season. |
Gonna be a shitty opening weekend for the orange army...cold as hell and windy as shit. Hope they all stay home
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Otherwise, it’s been a covey of quail here and there. |
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The only ones I’ve seen where in stripped wheat stubble and they’ll be hard to get out. Probably OK if you have a good dog, but not a ton. |
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I quit going 6-8 years ago. It’s mostly just walking fields these days. I’m sure there’s a reason but the hell if I know what it is. |
Usually habitat quality and drought are the greatest factors, but in my area of South-Central Kansas, we didn't have significant issues with either.
Predation is likely worse due to rock-bottom furbearer prices and a decrease in trapping interest. My guess is that if it does get good, it will be after the weather gets consistently cold, and all the standing milo is cut. Even the waterfowl openers were meh, likely due to such a mild fall throughout the flyway. |
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6-8 years ago was the worst drought since the Dust Bowl. Here anyway. I imagine there too. That area is probably far enough east they probably switched to some beans. Those are cut off on the ground as opposed to leaving standing stalks. Another component is there are fewer shitty farmers. When I was a kid there were always some ****ers that would have a weed mess. And that is cover and a good food source for pheasants. Economics and attrition has drive those guys out to a high degree. I’m guessing Gorham hasn’t escaped that economic trend. Here there is less irrigation by a substantial amount. I don’t know if there was ever irrigation there, so that may not be a factor. Predation is a major issue. Now there are far more coyotes than there used to be. And the first Fox moved in probably 5 years ago. Those quick little ****ers are hard to kill. I’m sure there are other components I’m missing, because in theory the bitds should have bounced back better after the drought. And there will be some where there is cover and water, but the numbers just won’t take off it seems. |
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I saw a covey of quail in Holt County Missouri while deer hunting last week. First quail I've seen or heard in the 9 years I've lived at Big Lake. Brought back some fond memories of my old English Setter Sam I enjoyed for 13 years back in the 70's and 80's.
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Just an idea for you pheasant hunters out there that are struggling to find pheasants.
Up here in Nebraska the pheasant population is dam near zero. But we do have a Pheasants Forever club about 35miles west of Omaha. Have I ever hunted the P-forever land or belong to the club? No. But I know every farmer and land owner with in 2 miles of P-forever's land and have permission to hunt it. And those lands around Pheasants Forever are full of escapees. So if you have a pheasant preservation club around. You want to hunt as close to that property as possible. And dogs you need good dogs to hunt Pheasants. |
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Holy shit.
So my sister won a dove hunt in Argentina for 6 people and my brother in law invited me and my best friend (who's my OTHER brother in-law but who's wife is my wife's sister and also my sister's best friend; long story). Evidently Argentina dove hunting is one of the 'bucket list' items for hunters. From what I can tell Doves are a massive nuisances in Argentina and so these hunts are so insane that EACH hunter in the group can be expected to fire 1,000 rounds in a given day. 1,000 ****ing rounds?!?! 5 days in Argentina with guides taking us up into the mountains to roust these things and 'bird boys' who chase down and count our birds. Then around mid-day you go cut down some trees, start a big damn fire, have some drinks and then go out shooting again. Not gonna lie - this sounds cool as shit. |
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The only thing that really compares from an action perspective is a midwest snow goose hunt when you're on the absolute X during a weather event. Enjoy the shit out of that. I'm jealous. |
Wow. You better get some rounds through the gun just to get your shoulder ready.
I’m not sure what 1,000 rounds would feel like at the end of a day. Enjoy that man. That sounds awesome. |
Sounds like a blast DJ! Enjoy!
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I've done more bow hunting in my 40s (like, 9 months) than I did shotgun hunting in my 30s. It just fell apart. But yeah, we've been working on quail stands up at the ranch the last couple years (pain in the ass to mow around) so I may have to get my gun on this spring if Jim decides he has enough of them for us to throw some lead at them. |
So I just got the link:
https://mgwoutfitters.com/?gclid=Cjw...hoCeqcQAvD_BwE We're gonna be at La Volanta. Criminy that looks incredible. Pretty damn stoked. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OjeyLqhfCjo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> |
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Buddy came out and had to walk a bunch of stripped wheat stubble because I didn’t have any weeds and planted a bunch of cornstalks back. Blue rock man. Just do it. Dad put like a 5 foot handle on your basic hand held thrower which can get some speed on it if you need to work on that part. But I’d just go get a basic thrower and get some lead out. 1000 rounds is A LOT |
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If in right place food and drinks top drawer Take plenty of credit/cash cause the shells are high dollar Cash for tips....tip drivers, the kids who retrieve the birds, the cooks, just plan to tip. |
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Better hit a euro pheasant hunt to get that shoulder ready!
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Go jump shoot a flock of snow geese.
Then spend an hour running around shooting cripples. That'll have your shoulder and stamina ready to go |
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I’ve been following a thread on Kansas specific quail and pheasant hunting, and it has been rather enlightening. I’m sure not that everything contained with in the discussion can be completely trusted but (I’m sure Buehler and a few others might have differing thoughts on some the farming criticisms) but, it is quite obvious that there is more than one issue lending to the decrease in the bird population here. For anyone that might be interested or is just plain off-season bored - https://forum.ultimatepheasanthuntin...-change.24921/ |
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not a hunter-but respect it.
https://bringmethenews.com/.image/c_...9136512_n.webp A nature enthusiast caught a rare glimpse of what appears to be an albino deer near Lake Mille Lacs. Lora Elfmann snapped the photo of the ghostly deer among a pack of white-tails in a field between the towns Isle and Wahkon, which are located on the southeast side of Mille Lacs in east-central Minnesota. "I drive around or hike almost daily looking for pic opportunities," Elfmann wrote in a message to Bring Me The News. "I've only seen the albino twice. Same one in the same field. But I know there's at least one other one." Barbara Keller, the big game program leader of the fish and wildlife division with the DNR, says biologists estimate albino deer occur only once in every 20,000 or 30,000 deer. As magnificent the sight of an albino deer is, the genetic disorder that causes a lack of pigment makes them an easy target for predators. Albino deer are also known to suffer from other genetic defects. "They generally experience greater mortality than typical deer due to their diminished ability to evade predators when the snow melts, and can also be associated with other genetic defects including vision and spinal problems," said Keller. The white deer running alongside a white-tail near Mille Lacs Lake earlier this month. The white deer running alongside a white-tail near Mille Lacs Lake earlier this month. Credit: Lora Elfmann White deer that are not 100% white are known as a leucistic (also called piebald) deer. Leucism causes varying levels of white on a deer's body, which is why some are half brown, half white or sometimes only have white splotches on their bodies. Elfmann's photos show a couple of tan splotches on the deer's hind legs, but Keller and a second could be urine stains rather than an indicator of leucism. "That spot on it’s back leg is where the tarsal gland is located, and that is an area deer typically urinate and stain. So I think that area might just be stained, not an actual area of dark fur," said Keller, whose opinion was confirmed by the DNR's ungulate research scientist. There are no laws protecting albino deer from hunters in Minnesota. |
As trophy hunting in Africa diminishes, so does protection from poachers and game conservation. It sounds counter-intuitive, but regulated trophy hunting is, at present, the best way to preserve game habitat and support animals.
https://www.biographic.com/africas-c...ion-conundrum/ Article is long but worth while. Starts as follows: RUVU MASAI, Tanzania – In October 2018, around 20 of Africa’s most respected wildlife research, management, and conservation experts quietly convened at a meeting in Johannesburg to discuss an urgent problem: trophy hunting. They were concerned not about the much-maligned industry’s continuation, but about its decline—specifically, about how the disappearance of trophy hunting might harm Africa’s wildlife. This probably sounds illogical. Trophy hunting in Africa has been vilified on social media and in news outlets. It is the punching bag of numerous (mostly Western) celebrities, animal rights activists, and politicians. Many people feel disgusted when they see a photo of a privileged white hunter hulking over the corpse of a beautiful animal—and understandably so. “There’s a majestic, dead lion, there’s blood coming out of it, and there’s some leering idiot right behind it,” says Adam Hart, a biologist at the University of Gloucestershire. “You’ve got this unique, almost perfect storm of your victim and your villain. The framing of it doesn’t need any explanation.” The problem, however, is that simplistic memes and incendiary headlines that condemn the practice obscure a more nuanced truth: Conservation is not free, and trophy hunting revenue preserves more wild land in Africa—and thus, more animals—than do areas with stricter protections, like national parks. “Work in conservation areas requires money,” says Victor Muposhi, a conservation biologist at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Trophy hunting has been a critical source of funding for that, and if it’s taken off the table, then the whole of Africa is going to suffer.” |
For all of us that have built tree stands and spent hours scouting and waiting...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwXt5nJqVFo |
Chopped a silage field near the house and have 50-150 geese coming in every morning and night.
Them removing the early goose season is painful. I can't even grill the evening steak or have a beer on the deck without being taunted by the bastards. :sulk: |
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Seriously though, why would they do that? Geese over the years have changed their patterns. So much so, back in the 50'-70's shooting a Canadian goose was like finding the golden egg. Now they live here year round and are a nuisance. |
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Originally, we killed the hell out of the golf course geese off farm ponds during the early season and then moved to the early silage fields during the end of the early season. Now, we can't really start until the silage fields are all fed out and the golf courses are paying people just to scare them off. |
Rack em and stack em when you can man
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Curious if anyone’s ever collected acorns offsite to use as bait for deer? My dads got 60 wooded acres that border 500 plus of public. I’ve got a 1 acre foodplot and an acre and a half plot. I’m putting in a small maybe 30’x30’ kill plot in a nice evening stand on a creek that I can hit after work until the time change. I was wondering about collecting acorns from the two oaks at my house and 5 at my in laws to save on corn.
I should note that I’m in Oklahoma, it’s very rocky and my food plots don’t do super great but I do it to keep up the herd health. |
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What’s everyone using for cellular cameras? I’m fed the **** up with spy point, their website and garbage customer service. 4 cameras set up for monthly billing. Two will auto renew, two will say the transaction failed every time. It’s the same card! So today I thought maybe the amount isn’t enough. It was 5$ a camera to upgrade for unlimited during the season. I added 50 hd photos or something to get the total over 20$ thinking maybe it was flagged or something. The hd photo charge goes through the camera transaction fails.. customer service is always hours on hold. Then they call you back at the worst times. I always miss the calls.
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Some European countries are looking at banning various trophies from Africa, such as tusks from lawfully hunted elephants. Germany, for example, was the most recent country to propose such a course of action. Botswana then stated that they would send Germany 20,000 elephants. I think Germans might change their mind about the hunting of elephants if 20,000 were suddenly loosed in Germany.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-68715164 |
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I’m hoping for that just for the chaos. |
As we are getting closer to that time of the year I am wondering about others hunting setups.
I have a ground blind that I used last year along with a new elevated stand which I just ordered a new blind for. What is your favorite hunting setup, blind, ladder stand, climbing stand, or saddle? |
My new stand. Sorry for the lesser quality pictures. It will open up more as the leaves fall.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8e6b69ec34.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e61ef14499.jpg |
Ladder for me. Always with a flip down rail. Not a huge fan of heights.
Haven’t had jack shit on camera. Kind of disheartening but it’s still early. |
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I have plenty of does an only one small 6. One of my spots is near a river though. The bucks are probably laid up in the low land while I’m on the hills. My other spot was badly poached by a meth head. Several mature bucks taken off a small 20 acre spot. It may be hurting for bucks until they start chasing.
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You know what sucks….i haven’t had time to climb in a tree for at least. 3 years.
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Dove opener with my same bunch since 81 in western Ks this weekend
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Got invited to dove opener. Never been dove hunting. Farmer charging 100$ to hunt. Seems steep.
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Normally do a late season cow elk hunt in Montana but didnt get drawn this year. Still may show up at my buddy place and bag a couple of does and do some waterfowl hunting.
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But, I guarantee you'll have a blast! That can take some fun wing shooting. |
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If anyone is in a straight wall cartridge state, just shot my 400 Legend AR I built last week suppressed and I'm very surprised. Slightly more kick then my 350 Legend which was surprising but I built it to lower it's recoil.
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Maybe I missed the boat. I used to raise millet and those things were fish in barrel. There would be a pile of carcasses at the edge of the field. |
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Then the swift Fox moved in. Theyre pretty hard on them too. But there are some around. |
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That's some pretty deep scat! |
I need to find some pheasant hunting in Kansas or Missouri.
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The only thing I saw was in south central KS, directly south of Wichita and almost to the OK line, a small covey of quail with a bunch of chicks crossing the road. We didn’t go out west last season, or the season before. And the season before that when the old man and I went we didn’t see shit for pheasant, though we did run into a few quail. I’m sure there are pockets out there where you can find birds, but personally I’d just as soon not further decimate their numbers. |
I do have a cousin who has 80 acres and isn’t the hunting type. Somewhere near Salina. Maybe I’ll check with him.
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I got 2 snipes today. :)
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I did some upland brood surveys in south central KS. Pheasant numbers were better than last year (low bar) with broods between 3 and 9 chicks. Saw no turkeys, adult or otherwise. Saw one healthy covey of quail.
The last 5 years of drought, hailstorms, and low furbearer price have taken its toll. |
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Between all the above and hunters along with getting run over by a tractor they have a lot going against them. |
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It this thing called evolution. You might want to check into it. |
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And a wedge jalapeño had a friend that put a little cream cheese in as well but that wasn't my favorite. Some people liked the cream cheese though. |
Dove jalapeño poppers are one food that I will make myself sick from overeating.
Breaded and fried are damn good, too. |
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