Championing the necessity of increased wildlife habitat, the advancement of conservation policies and programs, the expansion of public access, and the need of a larger, more informed upland community is at the heart of every Rooster Road Trip. As is the beauty and simplicity of packing your gear, loading up the dog, finding some spots on the map, and seeing what happens next.

The ethos of this year's trip is no different, but it did take a late season twist as we worked our way north through Kansas in search of publicly accessible coveys of quail – watch for yourself to see how it all played out!

The Rooster Road Trip is made possible by: Ruff Land Kennels, Browning firearms, Orvis apparel and dog products, Garmin training collars and watches, SoundGear hearing protection and enhancement, Federal Ammunition, Irish Setter boots, Purina Pro Plan dog food, and YETI coolers and storage.

Episode 1 — Podcast

Episode 1 — Photos from the Field

The first day of the 16th annual Rooster Road Trip found us getting back to our roots, our grassroots (if you will). That's because we linked up with Ryan Bass, Trish Miller, and Mark Miller from the local Ninnescah Pheasants Forever Chapter.

Unique among national conservation organizations, chapters of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever retain 100 percent decision-making control over their locally-raised funds. This allows chapter volunteers to develop wildlife habitat projects and conduct conservation events in their communities, while belonging to a national organization with a voice regarding state and federal conservation policy. And making a positive difference in their local community is exactly what the Ninnescah Chapter has been doing.

Recipients of the 2024 Polaris Habitat Stewardship Award, these chapter members have been instrumental in helping local landowners improve habitat while also spending time improving local Wildlife Management Areas. So, who better to show us around than a few folks with a ton or passion for, and knowledge of, the area?

Episode 2 — Podcast

Episode 2 — Photos from the Field

Accessible acres is the starting point for any public land adventure, but combine that with quality cover and abundant birds and you have the holy trinity of an out-of-state wild bird hunt. Luckily, Kansas' Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) program provides ample opportunity to put this puzzle together.

Beginning in 1995, WIHA quickly became one of the most successful access programs in the country, with more than 1 million acres being enrolled annually since 2004. Read "The Unsung Hero Behind State Access Programs" to learn more about how WIHA and other state access programs work via the federal Farm Bill's funding of the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP).

Episode 3 — Podcast

Episode 3 — Photos from the Field

After experiencing the ups and downs that come with focusing on walk-in hunting areas, the Rooster Road Trip crew began this week's episode at a permanently protected, and publicly accessible property that was made possible by our Build a Wildlife Area (BAWA) program.

Any publicly accessible hunting opportunity is great, but being able to walk a piece of ground that members, donors, partners, and supporters helped produce is extra special.

Speaking of special, not only did this 480-acre land acquisition protect important habitat for upland game in Kansas, it also opened up an additional 550-acre tract of public land that had been previously inaccessible.

This means the net result of this single project was an astounding 1,030 acre increase for outdoor recreation and public hunting.

Episode 4 — Podcast

Episode 4 — Photos from the Field

The Final Flush

This was it, our fifth and final day of hunting across Kansas found us looking forward to working our way through multiple Wildlife Management Areas in hopes of connecting with more coveys of quail and perhaps a pheasant or two.

Not only does this episode represent the end of this year's public lands adventure across Kansas, but it also concludes Rooster Road Trip as a whole. After 16 years of making friends, sharing stories, and pointing our bird dogs into the wind across pheasant and quail country, it's time to say goodbye.

Our goal has always been to show that with a little ambition and a lot of boot leather, public land birds can be had by you and anyone who's willing to purchase a license and explore the fantastic upland landscapes our country has to offer the public land bird hunter. And we hope that spirit lives on.

Although the Rooster Road Trip is riding off into the sunset, this isn't a goodbye to the content you've come to know and love from PF & QF. Rest assured, this is a strategic move for our organization to devote more time to all the upland landscapes where our beloved pheasants, quail, and grouse species live. This shift will also allow our content creation crew to generate films, stories, and podcasts that better serve the PF & QF audiences across the duration of hunting seasons from September through February. And most importantly, the public lands ethos of Rooster Road Trip is not getting parked. We're simply excited to expand the scope of our coverage.

And remember, even during the best of times our public lands, our natural resources, and our ability to enjoy them are always worth fighting for. We cannot afford to become complacent when it comes to conservation, so always keep your eyes on the horizon and hands on the wheel.

On behalf of Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, and all of our incredible sponsors, thank you for riding shotgun with us, it's been an incredible journey.