Kansas...CSMC XE-SPL

[Kenny Graft]

Here are some pictures from our Kansas bird hunting trip 2016. hunted a small grown over pasture and woods bottom. The quail was on the edge of the woods, part of the 30 plus bird main covey that my hunting bud had flushed early on. My Gordon setter Ruby rooted the big old rooster out of some really thick cane and old farm junk. It was so thick the bird could only go strait up, made so much noise I thought it was a wild turkey! It came up and over my head....bad move! This was the 2nd trip out west for my little CSMC Fox, it fits and shoots hard! Them 29 inchers really get going on the super fast wild quail. Its not hard to look at either....(-: SXS Ohio

[charlie cleveland]

great looking gun and a fine shooter by the looks of the pictures....how are the 29 inch barrels choked......charlie

[Dean Romig]

Wow Kenny! I have that same flashlight! :shock:


Nice Pictures too... and a very nice CSMC Fox.






.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Very nice Kenny, as I recall, that is a 16 ga. You carried it on our preserve hunt last year. One of my best friends has just returned from his second trip to Kansas this year, and is going to go back out again around Jan 9th. I need to get out there.

[George M. Purtill]

Kenny "not hard to look at "????
Your killing me.

[Kenny Graft]

Harold....yes that is the same gun, and you do need to get out to Kansas. Good bird numbers this year, and No ticks that I have ever seen either! The chokes are as specified when I ordered this two barrel set.....29" .012/.031 the 28" set is for grouse in the P.A. mountains 28" .003/.010 I am very happy with the 29" barrels. I shoot Fiocchi HV-5# on all my birds in Kansas. Five shot works great for quail too. Seldom are they shot up or filled with pellets. Thanks for all the compliments on my CSMC Fox. SXS Ohio

[calvin humburg]

Great pictures Kenny what part of Kansas was you in?

[Kenny Graft]

We motel in Hill City and the hunting is good all around that area. Lots of walk in areas that hold birds. Land owners are pretty good about bird hunters and with a little asking about better private hunting will come. Its the best hunt of the year for me hands down! Its real hunting for wild birds...no gimmee's A four bird limit is no easy stunt but we always get birds, both roosters and Quail. Kansas is the only place I ever get to hunt wild Quail and its lots of fun! Its a great trip that does not cost 1000.00 a day, no 5 star motel but our dogs get in the room overnight and the shower is hot. Hill city has a good breakfast and several dinner spots with booze for that end of the day tumbler. We travel interstate 70 from Ohio, its a 9 day trip with 6 1/2 days of hunting. Total cost runs about 800.00 each and we eat real good too. I bought a new hunting rig this past spring...check out the pics....SXS Ohio

[Dean Romig]

That's quite the rig Kenny!

All I have are fond memories of fantastic days of wild pheasant hunting in the 50's and 60's. What times we had right out the back door.






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[Kenny Graft]

Me too Dean.....Kansas is a lot like I remember here in Ohio back in the late 70-s...(-: The back roads in Kansa are dirt, and when they get wet look out! They turn to snot with super glue infused! Most years are dry but a wet year can ruin a trip if you do not have a good off road rig. SXS Ohio

[Tim Thomas]

Glad you get the opportunity to hunt some Kansas birds, Kenny, and thanks for taking the time to post about it and bring back some memories for me.

I grew up hunting Kansas quail with my grandfather and his buddy in the 50's and 60's. They got to know all the farmers and seldom were we turned down when asking permission to hunt, but I also remember they took some gifts to smooth the way. They knew that one guy might appreciate a bottle of whiskey and another maybe a box of chocolates for his wife. Always a thermos of hot chocolate along for me after walking the fields for a while on a cold day. Back then the hunting rig was a station wagon with the dogs in the back. Nothing like hunting those wild birds.

[Drew Hause]

Eldridge Hardie "Last Covey"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/23468508/391751347.jpg

"Holding on the Fenceline"
One of my favorites. End of the day, hunter to tired to raise the gun, dogs still finding birds :)

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/23468508/391751346.jpg

"Last Half Hour"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/23468508/297927748.jpg

Hodgeman Wildlife Area, southeast of Jetmore, KS courtesy of Maynard Reece Byrd

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/20611291/335770680.jpg

and courtesy of Bro. Phil :)

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/20611291/377189566.jpg

[Drew Hause]

re: Kansas dirt/gumbo. It took one painful lesson to learn that a farm 2-track is easy to drive down, in the morning, when it's below freezing, before the sun comes up. 4 hours late that 2-track is 6" of mud :(

This is Dakota dirt; better than Kansas. Most of the Canada topsoil got deposited by the glaciers north of Kansas. Topsoil around Presho S. Dakota (and central Ill.) can be 3' thick

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/20597982/337741340.jpg

Kansas is good for this though :)

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/20611291/407594963.jpg

[George Davis]

I've hunted the Hill City area off and on for the last ten years. Lots of walk in hunting, one of the mistakes I made several years ago was being there for opening deer season!
Lots of bobwhites two years ago!!!

[Kenny Graft]

We always hunt the week of the deer opener. Its when we can get off work. Its never been a issue as the deer hunters are in the bottoms and wooded areas. A feller would not want to tress pass at this time...eyes are everywhere. We have had the game wardens check us out the past two years, they are nice guys if your not doing wrong!!! Its a fun time in Kansas, lots going on....(-: SXS Ohio

[Phil Yearout]

Hill City birds and Hill City girls - as good as it gets :)!

(You can guess where my wife's from!)

[Drew Hause]

Many years ago when there were check-in stations along I-70 during Ks. deer season, a fella pulled in to brag that quail weren't so hard to find and show off the 12 he had in the bed of his pickup...western meadowlarks...KS state bird...$100 each :shock:

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/20611291/336044396.jpg

[Harold Lee Pickens]

One of my best friends is in Kansas right now, around Norton, and keeps texting me pictures of the pheasant and quail at the end of the day. I should have gone with him-shoulda, woulda, coulda--damn, I need to retire. At least I get to enjoy his and your success during lunch.

[calvin humburg]

My grandfather's used combines like those. My grandmother was raised in Jetmore. X brother in law from Norton. My other brother in law worked at money Chevrolet in hill city. By golly. Great sunset picture Drew. ch

[Drew Hause]

More Kansas stuff here Calvin
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20611291

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1YeFat6AO8K_0g5fqQFQ1lLOabAQ9ZRP8RxdCmmQ3Ct 0

[tom tutwiler]

We hunted around Hayes Kansas about 5 years ago and it was great. Went back two years later and the birds were gone. Weather plays a huge factor out west. Bad hatch in the spring and it can be brutal. However, great weather and the birds are everywhere it seems.

[Drew Hause]

Which one are you Tom?

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/20611291/360546625.jpg

Oh...sorry...you said birds ;)

[Kenny Graft]

Wabbit hunters....ha,ha,ha no dogs? bunch of 1897-s...Ithica SXS and Marlin rifle ..(-: