Where Would You Go Pheasant Hunting in January?

Pictures like this get me thinking about a late season trip to chase roosters in January.

The other night, I received a phone call from my dad in Michigan. He requested I contact one of his buddies to provide guidance on where to hunt pheasants in January. While bird hunters in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska aren't even ready to call it mid-season, my personal 2010 pheasant hunting opportunities are quickly disappearing under two feet of a white Christmas here in Minnesota . . . not to mention mounting Pheasant Fest 2011 obligations. Consequently, day dreaming of a January bird hunting excursion was a fun exercise for me. In shorthand, here's what I recommended to my dad's buddy.

1. Nebraska: Our visit to the "Cornhusker State" was my highlight of Rooster Road Trip 2010. Basing our hunting out of the McCook area gave us easy access to thousands of acres of public lands with new CREP plots enrolled in the state's CRP-MAP providing the best hunting of our week-long adventure.

Season Ends: January 31, 2011

2. Kansas: A very close second was the "Jayhawk State." In no other state can you bag 4 roosters and 8 quail legally in a day's hunt. In my opinion, Kansas rules the upland hunter's roost in terms of total birds harvested annually. On the Rooster Road Trip, we hunted out of Norton and I wouldn't think twice about heading in that very same direction this January.

Season Ends: January 31, 2011

3. South Dakota: While Minnesota was getting pounded by snow last weekend, I was chasing roosters from Hitchcock, South Dakota's Gun Shot Acres. Although the 40 mile-per-hour winds created white-out conditions on Saturday morning, only two or three inches of snow hit the ground. If you're headed to SoDak, you should still find it to be the "Pheasant Capital of the World." Focus on the cattails and the roosters will be there.

4. Colorado: I can't claim to have ever pheasant hunted in CO; however, I continue to hear that the eastern third of the state is the best kept secret in pheasant country. If I had a wild hair to explore new ground, I'd look hard at Phillips, Yuma, Kit and Carson Counties.

Season Ends: January 31, 2011

Remember to mark your calendars for Pheasants Forever's National Pheasant Fest 2011 in Omaha, Nebraska on January 28, 29 & 30 . . . YES, you can still hunt Nebraska while you're down there for Pheasant Fest . . . hmmmmm, interesting isn't it!

So, if you were going to plan an end of the season pheasant hunt, what would be your destination?