So for the first time since the 70's, and the first time since I started hunting pheasant in 84, my family isn't having our annual pheasant hunt in the panhandle. There just aren't any birds this year due to drought so we called it off.

I don't see it getting any better next year even with rain. Have to have some birds to breed.

So, I am thinking of an alternative bird hunt for next year. Anyone got any ideas of places to go. Nevada, South Dakota or Kansas?

Looking for a lodge/outfitter with a few dogs and maybe a place to stay.

TIA.

Where in the panhandle? My brother has gone hunting in Kansas the last couple years, I'll get the name. Do you care if it's pen raised birds or not?

http://johannsenfarms.com/index.html
Went here last year and had a great time. We had no problem getting our daily limit each of the days we hunted.

[This message has been edited by bkeith16 (edited 11/25/2012 7:55p).]

If your flying I would go to Oregon for Chukar or to Montana for Huns. Kansas is struggling with the drought like we are, and Nevada has good Chukar, but Eastern Oregon and western Idaho is the best there is.

OP, you made a good choice. There are no pheasants around, its pitiful.

Elhew - where in Eastern Oregon do you hunt?

We're headed to Hereford this weekend. We skipped last year so I know how you feel.

We had to cancel groups for the first time ever. Going to miss seeing all the Texag boys as well as other customers. Cover is terrible and the birds are non existent. Anyone coming this way needs to bring a lot of skeet to shoot.

Panhandle- We were in the Hells Canyon area, we stayed in Richland. We hunted the BMA's around that area.

How much hunting pressure was there? Any other advice you would have if I was gonna make the trip?

There are birds in Kansas but not so many wild birds that I would encourage anyone to come and expect limits. We shot about a half dozen rooster in 2 days (should have had 4-5 more), 6 quail and a handful of ducks.

Anyone that is projecting "limits" in Kansas is almost certainly hunting on a CSA and shooting pen-raised birds.

Labs, I would highly encourage an east-central Montana hunt. Good mixed bag opportunities.

I can't comment on guides/outfitters since I've never used any but am happy to talk to you off line if you want.

I get to spend tomorrow hunting pheasants and later this week, I'll spend a day chasing chukar up and down the mountains! Mrs. Ledbetter really likes chukar and pheasant and told me to fill the freezer with them. Leave it to the wife to keep finding some chore for me to do!

with all the bad reports on pheasant populations I wonder how long it will take the Texas pheasant population to recover?

any ideas.

I suspect that the best thing we can do to help them recover is to provide waterers in the fields pretty much year round for a while. And buy some chicks to help them get going better.

For what it's worth, I haven't seen even one pheasant in quite a while.