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

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 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

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.