Missouri Pheasant Hunting
Missouri pheasant hunting is not first choice
Kansas is the place to be for pheasant hunting.
Missouri simply does not have the right type of low to the ground, large open acreage pheasants require for high reproduction and survival. Missouri is crop ground creating miles of narrow edge cover well suited to Bobwhite Quail hunting.
Missouri pheasant hunting is best described as limited and that limit is driven by Missouri's lack of pheasant habitat and on the fringe of pheasant population distribution range. Both the lack of tall grass habitat and low population density makes Missouri pheasant hunting the last choice amongst the Association's three state region with Kansas pheasant hunting being far superior of the three.
Missouri has been a long told story of attempting to enhance a species on the fringe of its environmental limited inhabitation range and failure.
The Missouri pheasant hunting development effort on part of the Missouri Department of Conservation has been admirable and probably a losing battle in spite of their having increased the area of the state open to pheasant hunting starting back in the fall of the 2005 upland bird season. This seemingly implies an increase in pheasant hunting quality rather than acquiesces that in terms of the lack of natural pheasant reproduction rendered the original limitation not to matter.
Dividing Missouri into horizontal thirds the northern most part of the state or the upper 1/3 does have localized populations of huntable numbers of pheasants while the remainder of Missouri has some birds in very small localities.
The upper reaches of the Ozark Mountain Range that pushes up through the central part of Missouri from the southern Arkansas boarder north to the Missouri River in the center of the state for the most part eliminates the correct composition of open ground grass lands and farm crop fields. What is prevalent in this region of the state are hills and trees, a lot of both. This terrain prohibits field loving pheasants from having adequate reproduction habitat.
The remainder of Missouri north of the Missouri River that runs east to west from Kansas City to St. Louis flattens out and does have pheasants enough that the two bird per day limit is regularly achievable for those that have previous knowledge of the better spots. Otherwise, any Missouri pheasant hunting is typically incidental to a quail hunt. Quail is Missouri's claim to upland bird hunting fame amongst local bird hunters and why most hunt this state.
Missouri daily pheasant limit of two birds for two self guided hunters.
Notice the sweat stains on the shirt from this early November Missouri pheasant hunting season.
Many think November is a cold month for us, it some times is. However, it is mostly warn making the upland bird hunter carry water for his dogs. The Missouri pheasant hunting season opens the first of November. It is not until the early part of 
December do we have consistent cold weather more suited to upland bird hunts and all day long pheasant dog work.
We do the work you don't want to do. That is, we find the good habitat, locate the landowner, negotiate exclusive access and then we enforce our contracts. All the hunter has to do is hunt.
As we are not limited to the driving distance to a lodge our self guided hunter approach makes the entire state available to us. As such we have a comparative state wide basis to provide recommendations of the better areas for the hunt of choice. For pheasant hunting we have established that Missouri is not the state of choice leaving Iowa and Kansas within the three state region of where we operate. That alone does not complete the comparative analysis.
In Iowa and Kansas there are various regions within each state with accompany levels of pheasant hunting quality. This level of inter and intra state comparative base gives us the wherewithal to make the better recommendations of where the better wild pheasant hunting will be.
Our motivation to make the better recommendations comes from that we are a business and not a hunting club. As a business with a return customer orientation we seek the better hunting localities as the means for the better hunts and insurance the hunter will renew his membership.
What Missouri pheasant hunting does have to offer for those traveling from the east is a chance to break up the drive. What Missouri upland bird hunting has more of is quail hunting by stopping off for a day walking the many small farm fields with plenty of soft edge habitat that allows for some excellent quail hunts and the occasional pheasant mixed in.
Those with the bird dog power to run edge and cast the many miles of stream and fence lines will have plenty of quail points to enjoy the day with their dogs. The occasional Missouri pheasant may be found, however for the most part a 20 gauge with 3/4 ounce 8's makes for an easy day of shooting.
For those seeking the best pheasant hunting pass on through Missouri to either Kansas or Iowa with the difference between these two states being more of habitat preference and accompanying pheasant numbers.
While Missouri does offer the upland bird hunter a grand quail population those that seek the better pheasant hunting will find the brushy draws and tall grass the place to be in Iowa and Kansas rather than crop field edge of Missouri.
We have the private land lease for our exclusive use, recommendations of where to pheasant hunt and a local lodging listing. The minimum required elements for a good bird hunt.
All the do it yourself pheasant hunter has to do is travel out here, buy a license and conduct his own self guided hunt. It is that simple, that is for those that can walk, shoot and have the dog power and want to hunt on their own we have the wild pheasants to do so.
Missouri Bobwhite Quail Hunting
Missouri quail hunting is what the upland bird hunter seeks in Missouri. Some Missouri quail hunting scenes.
It all comes down to habitat. This is a good example of the soft edge habitat that runs for miles along crop fields.
A cut crop filed along a wooded dry drainage that commonly cuts through Missouri farm country that provides the best quail hunting.
The results. Not a limit, but for a youth hunter a great day, especially for a hunt with a .410!
Dad had some shooting as well.
