The best public hunting areas for pheasants in Kansas

According to AI these are the best public hunting areas for pheasants in Kansas:

1. Northwest Kansas (generally highest pheasant numbers):

• Norton Wildlife Area (Norton County)
• Glen Elder Wildlife Area (Mitchell County)
• Jamestown Wildlife Area (Cloud/Republic Counties)
• Webster Wildlife Area (Rooks County)

2. Southwest Kansas:

• Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (Barton County)
• Clark State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (Clark County)
• Isabel Wildlife Area (Barber County)
• Texas Lake Wildlife Area (Meade County)

3. North Central Kansas:

• Ottawa State Fishing Lake (Ottawa County)
• Wilson Wildlife Area (Russell County)
• Lovewell Wildlife Area (Jewell County)

Key tips for Kansas hunting:

• Focus on Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) program lands - Kansas has one of the largest private land access programs in the country
• Check the annual upland bird forecast from KDWP
• Best hunting typically follows wheat harvest and after first frost
• Look for areas with a mix of CRP grasslands, plum thickets, and crop fields
• Northwest Kansas consistently produces the highest bird numbers
• Early season can be tough due to standing crops
• Public hunting areas near major cities (Wichita, Kansas City) get heavy pressure

Top Public Pheasant Hunting Areas In Iowa

Here are the best public areas for pheasant hunting in Iowa:

1. Northwest Iowa (typically highest pheasant numbers):

• Badger Lake Wildlife Area (Monona County)
• Elk Grove Wildlife Area (Guthrie County)
• Spring Run Complex (Dickinson County)
• Union Hills WMA (Cerro Gordo County)

2. North Central Iowa:

• Union Hills (Worth County)
• Rice Lake Wildlife Area (Worth/Winnebago Counties)
• Big Marsh Wildlife Area (Butler County) These areas combine grassland habitat with wetland edges.

3. Southwest Iowa:

• Mount Ayr Wildlife Area (Ringgold County)
• Sand Creek Wildlife Area (Decatur County)
• Forney Lake (Fremont County)

Key tips for Iowa hunting:

• Focus on IHAP (Iowa Habitat Access Program) lands - these are private lands opened to public hunting
• Look for areas combining CRP fields with food plots
• Most productive areas tend to be near the Minnesota and Missouri borders
• Check the DNR's August roadside survey for current pheasant populations by region
• Best hunting often comes after crop harvest
• Public land is more limited than Dakotas, so early season can be crowded
• Winter weather conditions greatly affect bird numbers year to year

by Tim Esse

According to AI These Are The Top Public Hunting Areas For Pheasants In Minnesota

Here are some of the best public land areas for pheasant hunting in Minnesota:

1. Southwest Region (prime pheasant territory):

• Lac qui Parle Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Madison
• Big Stone WMA near Ortonville
• Ruthton WMA in Pipestone County

2. West-Central Region:

• Ordway Prairie near Sedan
• Chippewa Prairie near Montevideo
• Habitat Corridor WMAs in Pope County

3. South-Central Minnesota:

• Swan Lake WMA in Nicollet County
• Talcot Lake WMA in Cottonwood County
• Vermillion Highlands near Rosemount

Key tips for MN pheasant hunting:

• Focus on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) with at least 100 acres
• Look for land enrolled in the Walk-In Access (WIA) program, especially in southwestern counties
• Use the DNR Recreation Compass online tool to find public hunting land
• The "Minnesota Pheasant Range" roughly follows I-94 south and west
• Best success is typically in the prairie portion of the state where there's a mix of grassland and agriculture

Many of the best areas are found in what's known as the "pheasant belt" - roughly from Worthington to Morris.

 

Top Public Hunting Areas For Pheasants In South Dakota According To AI

This is the advice one AI tool gave me.....

Some of the best public access areas include:

1. Walk-In Areas (WIAs) in central South Dakota, particularly in:

• Hughes County
• Lyman County
• Hand County These areas consistently have high pheasant populations and good habitat.

2. Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) in the northeastern region:

• Marshall County
• Day County These offer excellent cover and are well-maintained for wildlife.

3. Game Production Areas (GPAs):

• The Fort Pierre National Grassland (Hughes/Stanley counties)
• The Grand River National Grassland (Perkins County) Both offer vast tracts of public land with strong pheasant numbers.

Key tips:

• Focus on areas with a mix of grassland, cattails, and agricultural fields
• The James River Valley region generally has excellent pheasant habitat
• Check the annual pheasant brood survey reports from SD Game, Fish & Parks for current population trends
• Get a Public Hunting Atlas from SD GFP for detailed maps

Top Public Pheasant Hunting Areas In Colorado

According to AI these are the Top Public Pheasant Hunting Areas In Colorado:

1. Northeast Colorado:

• Tamarack State Wildlife Area (Yuma County)
• Bonny State Wildlife Area (Yuma County)
• Jumping Mouse State Wildlife Area (Logan County) This region has a good mix of CRP lands, crop fields, and wetlands that attract pheasants.

2. Southeast Colorado:

• John Martin Reservoir State Wildlife Area (Bent County)
• Two Buttes State Wildlife Area (Baca County)
• Vilas State Wildlife Area (Baca County) The Arkansas River Valley in this area provides excellent pheasant habitat.

3. North-Central Colorado:

• Prewitt Reservoir State Wildlife Area (Washington County)
• North Sterling State Wildlife Area (Logan County) These areas along the South Platte River corridor are known for good pheasant populations.

Key tips for Colorado:

• Focus on areas with a mix of grassy cover, crop fields, and riparian habitat along rivers/reservoirs
• Check Colorado Parks and Wildlife's annual small game reports for the latest pheasant population data
• More limited public land access compared to other Great Plains states
• Consider getting an on-demand small game access permit for some private lands
• Best hunting is typically mid-late season after crops are harvested
  

Best public access areas for pheasant hunting in Nebraska, according to AI

Here are the best public access areas for pheasant hunting in Nebraska:

1. Southwest Nebraska

• The McCook area, particularly:
  • Red Willow Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
  • Medicine Creek WMA
  • Swanson Reservoir WMA These areas have good CRP land and crop field edges.

2. South Central Region

• Rainwater Basin region, especially:
  • Sacramento-Wilcox WMA in Phelps County
  • Harvard WMA in Clay County
  • McMurtrey Marsh in Clay County These areas combine wetlands with upland habitat.

3. Northeast Nebraska:

• Knox County area:
  • Oak Valley WMA
  • Bohemia Prairie WMA
• The Lewis & Clark Lake area

Key tips for Nebraska hunting:

• Focus on edges between CRP grasslands and crop fields
• Look for Open Fields and Waters (OFW) Program lands, which are private lands opened to public hunting
• Public access is more limited than South Dakota, so consider the Nebraska Public Access Atlas essential
• Best hunting is often near water sources and thick cover
• Later season can be better as crops are harvested

Remember that pheasant populations in Nebraska are generally lower than South Dakota, but these areas consistently produce birds.

Albert Lea MN Pheasant Hunt Nov 2 2024

Made a run to the Albert Lea area for an afternoon hunt.  We had hunted here on opening weekend and got one bird.  We started the day with 8 hen points and then Val bumped a rooster at 120 yds.... she was working a tailwind so I wasn't too upset.

Val was working some scent a ways off as I was trying to get Tasha to move in her direction... it ended up being a hen.  We started to work our way back to the truck and Val went on point.  This time the rooster held until I could get there to flush it and was able to take it in one shot.

As we got closer to the road the dogs were both working areas of scent and a nice big rooster got up and another single shot dropped him.

It was a good hunt.  A bit warm @ 55 degs but sun and a nice breeze.

 

Pheasant Hunting: South Dakota’s Best Public Lands | onX Hunt | Video

 

The excitement of pheasant season is back! Whether you're gearing up for your first hunt of the season or just looking for some pre-hunt inspiration, this 2023 adventure will get you in the zone. Join Lake Pickle, Ben Brettingen, and special guest Sam Soholt as they team up with their dogs to hunt a variety of properties and bring down roosters. 

In this video, we also introduce the PATH program (Public Access To Habitat), our collaboration with Pheasants Forever and the state of South Dakota. This initiative is opening up more public land, boosting local economies, and creating quality habitat for birds. 

Watch the trio in action as they navigate thick brush, encounter surprises like a buck, swap dogs (for some well deserved rest), and check out new hunting spots using onX Hunt maps. This 2023 pheasant adventure is full of great moments that will have you ready for your own hunt! Don’t miss out—hit play and follow along with us this season! #PheasantOpener #PheasantHunt #SouthDakotaHunting #onXHunt #PATHProgram #PheasantsForever #PublicLand #HuntingDogs 

Pheasant Hunt October 30th 2024 Hutchinson MN

After a few days back home from our previous hunting expedition, we decided it was time to switch our focus to pheasants. Our destination was a familiar hunting ground near Hutchinson, Minnesota - a spot that typically offers prime pheasant habitat, though last year's drought had significantly impacted its productivity. The property usually features several ponds, but the previous season's dry conditions had left them completely dried up.

Given my injured foot, I needed to modify our usual hunting strategy. Rather than running the dogs separately as I typically prefer, I opted to work both simultaneously to keep our hunt within a 90-minute window. We began our systematic sweep along the northern edge of the field, where the action started almost immediately. The dogs picked up multiple scents, resulting in four or five solid points on hens, and we witnessed one rooster burst into flight well out of range.

As we executed our planned route, we curved westward, traversing a notably quiet stretch where birds were scarce. However, the southern portion of the property proved more productive, with the dogs expertly pointing two more hens. The real excitement came as we worked our way along the eastern boundary, where both dogs caught wind of a rooster. The scene unfolded in the denser cover, with the birds working the scent thoroughly as the pheasant maneuvered along the field's edge. When the rooster finally flushed, I managed to get off a shot, connecting but not cleanly. Tasha, displaying her tracking instincts, pursued the bird diligently, and though she appeared close to recovery several times, the bird ultimately eluded us.

Moving into the interior section of the property, we encountered several more points, mostly revealing hens. Our persistence paid off when another point produced a rooster, and this time our aim was true, successfully adding one to the game bag. After completing our circuit, we returned to the truck for a brief rest. I made the tactical decision to kennel Tasha and continue with Val alone for the final stretch. The last half-hour proved quiet in terms of rooster activity, and we concluded our hunt just shy of the 90-minute mark.

Throughout the outing, both dogs maintained the high level of performance they'd shown all season, working efficiently and effectively despite the adjusted hunting strategy. While the drought's lingering effects were still evident in the landscape, the day provided a satisfying blend of action and success in the field.