Pheasant Hunting North Central Kansas

By Gibbon Simmons, Conservation Delivery Specialist, KS

Hunting a good hunting story took me to unlikely places. I met new friendly faces. I heard things that made me miss the days I have never seen. People say, pheasant hunting in north central Kansas was big; that people would come from all over to have a shot at a rooster. But why was pheasant hunting so big?

The first pheasants came to Kansas by way of railcar in 1906. The birds were released throughout 84 counties. Wild pheasant populations grew following the initial release as the birds were well suited for Kansas weather and grassland habitat. Kansas held the first official pheasant season in December 1917. Pheasant seasons temporarily closed from 1921 to 1931. The closure gave wild populations a break, a chance to nest and repopulate. Pheasant hunting resumed in 1932 with regulations put in place to limit the length of the season and the number of birds hunters could take. Regulations loosened over the next fifty years. Then in 1982 pheasant season regulations were given a form that bore resemblance to today’s.

I spoke with Gary Fraser, a resident of Concordia, about his pheasant hunts in north central Kansas. “Back then there were quite a few pheasants around. All the motels were booked solid,” said Mr. Fraser. Susie Haver, Director of Tourism in Cloud County, agreed that pheasant hunting used to be such a big thing. "If there would be a traffic jam in Concordia, that would be the time," chuckled Ms. Haver about pheasant season. Mr. Fraser spoke of his cousin from Lafayette, Louisiana that would pull a trailer camper over and stay just south of Aurora, Kansas. He would bring three or four other hunters with him. “We would cook over a campfire every night, no matter how cold it was. And some nights there was snow!” Joan Fraser, wife of Gary Fraser, shared about many other friends that would visit from Kentucky.

I asked Mr. Fraser when was “back then”? “Oh, back then was late ‘60s early ‘70s,” he replied. “My cousin started camping near the creek in his trailer. After a while he built a shed where we would cook and eat. He would bring his family, and the other guys would bring their families too. In the evening all the families would get together to cook and eat Louisiana food. And it was good!”

Mrs. Fraser shared one story about a man named Roland. Roland was from Cuba, Kansas. Roland often enjoyed pheasant hunting and on one of Roland’s hunts, he found a lost dog. The dog was wearing a collar bearing the name and phone number of its owner. Roland called the dog’s owner after returning home from his hunt to report he had found the dog. The gentleman lived in Kentucky and had already made it home from pheasant hunting. Roland promised to care for the dog until next pheasant season when the gentleman planned to return. The two hunters became friends.

Upon asking Mr. Fraser if he hunted with a dog, he said with a grin, “Oh yes, I hunted with a dog. I had a German Shorthair. I wouldn’t hunt without a dog. It’s just so fun! I didn’t care if I even shot a bird, just to watch the dog work was a pleasure.” Then he told a hunting story. “One hunt the dog pointed on a thistle. I looked down at the thistle to see what the dog was pointing on, but I didn’t see a bird. I happened to look down at my shoes and I was standing on the tail feathers of a pheasant. When he flew, he plucked his feathers off!”

Have you ever heard folks talking about the hunter’s widow? The wife of a hunter can certainly seem like a widow during hunting season. But here in north central Kansas, they lived the golden days of pheasant hunting. Like homecoming every year! “Pheasant hunting was so big that we often planned something for the wives of the hunters. . . Not Hunting!" laughed Ms. Haver. She and the Cloud County Tourism board made arrangements with local businesses all over the county and even surrounding counties to give the hunters’ wives a pleasant visit. One year the County put together a scavenger hunt for the wives. They had a list of items to find within the county. At the end of the day, the wives returned to the meeting place to find cheesecake for all and prizes for the winners! Mrs. Fraser won a drawing held for the hunters’ wives in the ‘80s. “I won the drawing! I won a gift card to Brown’s Shoe Store and bought some new shoes,” Mrs. Fraser said smiling.

Mr. Gary Fraser and his hunting buddies.

This photo was taken in north central Kansas around 2000 or 2001.

Ms. Haver told me that one year the county recorded the dollars spent by the hunters and their wives while visiting. What a boost pheasant season brought to the county! "There were pheasants all over the place and many folks would come to Concordia for lodging, eating, and shopping”. Now, that has diminished,” said Ms. Haver. “Pheasant hunting isn’t like it used to be.” Not near as many people are coming to pheasant hunt, lodge, shop, or eat. It became noticeable around the early 2000s that these golden days of pheasant hunting were dwindling. Fewer birds were seen, fewer people were coming to hunt. I asked Mr. and Mrs. Fraser, “What is different today?” “People want to do different things” answered Mrs. Fraser. “There’s just no place for pheasants to nest now” Mr. Fraser perceived.

My visit with Susie Haver was at the Cloud County Museum Annex in Concordia. A sculpted brick mural was constructed on the east wall. The mural, titled "Cloud Anthologies", features several sculpted stories and scenes about Cloud County, including a pair of pheasants. The artists, Catharine Magel of St. Louis, Missouri, and Mara Smith of Seattle, Washington, witnessed pheasants while visiting the county and decided to include the birds in their sculpted brick mural because of the bird’s impact on the community. Catharine Magel wrote of the mural, “…the story of a people with a spirited past, vibrant present and hopeful future…this is a story that will intrigue and inspire others to follow along.”

Photo of the sculpted brick mural in Concordia featuring a scene of two pheasants and a nest left of the windmill.

Plentiful pheasants gathered people together. Some stayed for a while to make memories and life-long friendships that formed cheerful communities. The closeness of the community produced genuine love that lasted a lifetime.

Do you have stories about the golden days of pheasant hunting in north central Kansas that you would like to share? Please contact me at dsimmons@pheasantsforever.org or call me (785) 515-8398.