So my boy and I are headed there next month. Looking at Units 1, 2 and/or 3. Public do it yourself. Anybody have any tips on the lowest amount of pressured areas? We may
knock on a door or three as well. Just looking to get our first Rios if possible.

Went there several years ago buddy paid for a guided hunt I’m to cheap to spend $800 on a Turkey he got 2 birds. I hunted public a couple of places birds stayed just over on private ground. I was just along for the ride.

Have no idea where those units are, but I used to hunt North Central Kansas. Back in the day it was great! I mean I’d drive 20hrs straight and for 8 years straight we killed a bird the first afternoon. Best trip was my son and I. He killed a bird that first afternoon, I killed the next morning, he finished his limit midday, and I finished mine by 4pm that afternoon.
Unfortunately, we realized on our last trip that the numbers were WAY down and there were hunters everywhere. We always went the last week of their season and had NEVER run into anyone.
Luckily, those farmers/ranchers were some of the friendliest around. Spend a couple of hours taking to them and offer a bottle of whiskey, and that could get you access to some great land.
Like I said, not sure where those areas, but Kansas has Eastern’s as well. I knew of a guide out there that promoted killing 3 of the 4 grand slam species. They based it off tail fan colors. I have killed some serious White tipped Rio’s out there.

Yeh, thats where we're at. I'd like to get a guide to know where the birds are and just show up and hunt them doing my own calling. But my son who I put through college and now makes
very good money is just too frugal so we'll be going on the cheap.

You decide to go I can see if my buddy has that guided hunt info it came with a place to stay nothing fancy and he let my buddy call for himself. He needed a Rio if I remember that right. I just paid for the room that was reasonable.

Yeh I think the bird numbers are down in most states. I know Ohio went from 2 birds for many years to 1 last year because of the population and I'm hearing the same in a lot of states.
Oh the good ole days.

Some Western states have cut the seasons back or went to a later start date or both. To me I think they are looking at numbers on paper and not considering the mild springs we were having and not many boots on the ground looking for birds.

We lost or second Black Hills tag this year along with the later start date. Prairie tags start early April like before.