Kansas Turkey Adventures

[kansasdad]

Was looking at that link this past weekend thinking of some pheasant ideas with a chance to scout for a '19 deer hunt...

Applications for NR is April 27th. Points are $26.50, and when you apply next year, if you are hunting in Mule Deer areas and wish to enter the non-resident lottery, the Stamp fee is $152.50 (refunded if you strike out, and fall back to whitetail only)

To get your appetite whetted for hunting deer in pheasant country, here is a really good thread:


https://onyourownadventures.com/hun...own-public-land-Mule-deer&highlight=mule+deer

PS: NR applications are weapon specific, which is quite different than residents (not weapon/season specific). If a NR applies archery, you hunt archery only. Muzzleloaders hunt muzzleloader season and rifle season, but with muzzleloader only. Rifle applications, rifle only.

 

[1_pointer]

Thanks for the info and the recounting of your turkey hunt!!

 

[kansasdad]

The pecan grove was a hotbed of strutting and gobbling tonight.

 

[kansasdad]

Springtime in Kansas rarely means near-windless conditions, but last night was one of those rare days. Ranchers in the vicinity were setting their pastures on fire, much like the indigenous peoples used to do, except they were using propane lighters, and had a big tank of water ready to go in the pickup bed if it started to go sideways with the fire.

I was happily the only one in the parking lot, and on the walk in, I saw the tire tracks in the walk in only area, which probably meant that the tenant farmer had been working (soybeans have already been planted), or something else was up.

Crossing the creek and walking up the hill to reach the "diagonal" field, I smelled smoke, and then saw smoke, and came out of the woods to see that the CRP strip had been torched.



This certainly put a kink in my plans, as this activity was acutely fresh, and I thought that any self respecting turkey would have high tailed it out of the general area due to all the human activity. Pushing on, I made it through the woodlot and creek bed, to find feeding turkeys on the next field over. Laying in wait along the field's edge, I finally got my first full fan displays of the year, and first gobbles from non suburban, hunt-able birds. The rustling noises in the woods behind me were deer coming out to feed in the last moments of daybreak, and not any rabid coyotes that my brain imagined when I first heard the noises.

Walking out to the dancing field flames, and the bonfire of the wood pile, I snapped a few more pictures of the field renewal process.

 

[F250]

Once again we had a great time in Kansas, and killed a couple birds. I couldn't believe how dry it was !! Creeks and ponds were very low or dry. We saw the same conditions driving through Missouri. We also had fun in Nebraska, and each took two toms. We again met some very nice folks everywhere we traveled !!

 

[kansasdad]

My plan is to snap a pic every time I drive past to show the progression of burnt to vibrant green (come on, drought, go away already!!)




These birds did not read the script.....flew down off the roost and ignored the siren song of the slate begging them to come north onto the winter wheat field on which we had placed our decoys. The strutter on the right was feeling especially good that morning after doing his part to make some turkey poults.

 

[kansasdad]

Came out a little heavier than I came in at O'dark thirty this morning.
Trying it out Oak style







This one took several attempts.....had to hide the dad-bod with the turkey on the sling

 

[vanish]

Pics and no story? Gah!

 

[1_pointer]

Very nicely done!! You found 3 things I couldn't in 2.5 days. A morel, a turkey egg, and a cooperative tom.

 

[kenton]

had to hide the dad-bod with the turkey on the sling

that bird looks big enough to hide alot

 

[kansasdad]

A huge line of storms rolled through central/east Kansas last night, and more irregularly popped up this afternoon. Drought be gone!!

The birds were acting quite frisky tonight in the suburban groves and meadows.



This tom seems to be double bearded .



Available habitat for these suburban turkeys is shrinking with a big apartment complex under construction.



These clouds were dumping hail on my public land birds at the time of this picture. Hold out for the weekend guys, I'm coming for you.

 

[kansasdad]

Turkey hunters in south central Kansas wishing to "match the hatch" might want to look for soybean fields with waste on them, or perhaps just planted fields.





A poison ivy and tick free weekend!

 

[kansasdad]

Saturday the 4 am alarm didn't get a chance to go off, as I was awake at 3:55. Less than an hour later I was crossing into the newly planted corn field, as I was headed to the roost area where the birds were heard last weekend. With almost all Kansas lakes being quite low (this lake of over 6 feet lower than normal) these birds were more flexible in their travel plans than in a normal year.

In drought years past, kansasson and I have found birds traveling areas that would normally be a mud flat of 3-4 feet depth, and they were using these areas for dusting and resting, as well as nice open strutting areas. As I reached my destination area, the first birds of the morning were waking up. A hen and jake decoy were deployed with care, making sure that if anyone was going to shoot at my jake, I would not be in danger of being in the background. As the turkeys started gobbling up and down the treeline, I spotted multiple birds on roost directly in front of me, only 120 yards across the dry lake flat.





As these birds flew down, there was the the usual morning squabbling, and then I saw birds coming through the willows, heading across the flat, but angling away from me and my decoys. Hens, jakes and several rope draggers all swaggered into the flat, and took to showing off for each other how pretty they thought they were.



Fading further away, they disappeared into the woods. Sporadic gobbling from several areas let me know that they hadn't fully left the area, and every so often small groups would head back to the roost area, tantalizing close.

As the morning rolled on, turkeys headed down the flat, towards the lake. They made sure to hug the opposite edge, over 80 yards away. Some turkey sense was telling them to stay away from the non moving hen and jake on my side of the open area.

Later still in the morning, two jakes were heard doing their best to sound like big boy gobblers, and horribly missing the mark. Heading my way, they looked a little bit like bike racers, each taking turns drafting off the other bird, and generally headed my way. As they approached my location, they slowed down, and kept nervously looking over at my decoys. Angling closer, it seemed like they would end up coming all the way in. I had told myself that I wasn't going to shoot a jake this day, but i did practice muzzle control, and cheek weld on my 12 gauge. There were several moments when had it been legal for me to do, I am convinced that I could have had a two-fer.



I pulled the jake decoy, and moved the hen decoy into the shade. Birds continued to trade back and forth from the treeline bordering the ag fields to the east, and the woodlot directly across the flat from me. On the few occasions that I called, the sounds would stop the traveling birds and they would crane their necks to look in my direction, but fully failed to move in my direction. I had thoughts of moving locations, but doing so would probably end up spooking the birds, and perhaps pushing them away from the lake flat.

Watching all of this movement, I hatched a plan to be put into effect on Sunday.

Once again the alarm didn't get a chance to go off, as I rolled out of bed early. I find that this earns significant kitchen pass points, as it doesn't wake Mrs. kansasdad. Heading into the backwater area where the turkeys had been hanging out, I decided to not walk in on the lake flat, but do an end run and set up where the birds had been traveling into the ag fields adjacent to the lake flat. Gobbling started a few minutes before sunrise. It seemed that there were more birds up river than yesterday.

I patted myself on the back on my ninja skills when a doe came down the riverbank, and found some tasty morsels to munch on for breakfast about 10 yards from me.



She pushed off, and as I fought dozing off, I was snapped back into hunting mode when two hens strode into view in the middle of the lake flat. Heading towards the lake, they had a tom in tow, and had a purpose in their steps. I breathed on the mouth call, causing the trio of turkeys to pause momentarily, and then off they continued.

Time continued to roll, and a feeling came over me that I needed to switch locations. I wanted to move as close as I could to the lake flat edge, and picked up my gear ready to head out. Over a half mile away I could see a strutter working his magic, and he started gobbling and double gobbling. In my binoculars I could see that he had a full fan, and he was heading in my direction. Moving, I decided that using a large cottonwood trunk as my backdrop, and a couple of horizontally growing willows as a screen to hide behind from his advance, I put my gun on the monopod and waited for the gobbling lovesick tom to walk into the lethal zone. I could keep track of his approach, as he was gobbling every 20-30 seconds. As he uttered his last gobble, he strode into view and turned his head and appeared to look at me directly. Knowing that he was in range, I made sure to sight down the rib , centered the bead, and ended my spring turkey season.







All that was left was the tagging, photos and a walk back to the car. I message the family group text of the good news of a birthday turkey, and I texted Mrs. kansasdad asking her to bring a brush to church so that I could spruce up the camo hat head. And then I realized that I must have left the turkey sling I have used for the last several years back at home. This was a big bird, and I decided that I was not going to walk out with him flopping on my shoulder, allowing his bloody head to stain my pants. Using the batwing and the compression straps of the pack, I secured the bird and started walking out. Making good time as I was determined to not be late for church, I headed down the lake flat, through the woods, across the ag fields and back to the car. Keeping my head down and concentrating on not stumbling on crop stubble, I noticed my shadow on the field.




Dropping the heavy pack, I felt the expected sensation of walking-on-air-steps for the next few steps, caused by dropping the pack, harkening back to the high adventure packtrips of scouting years. (Can I even say BOY Scout years now???)

Thanks Kansas

 

[1_pointer]

Very nice!! Great pics! I should be better at taking them during a hunt.

 

[noharleyyet]

Thoughtful hunt account as usual Mark.

 

[Crumb]

Congrats!

 

[DRS]

Congratulations!

 

[Mudranger1]

My dad slept in...I ended my first Kansas Turkey adventure with 2 hours of being in the woods. 1 shot 2 birds not necessarily what I was trying to do but I'm happy...3 Jake's came in 1 left. Great way to break in the new Browning

 

[kansasdad]

Double the adventure! Congratulations

Perhaps that third jake has your dad's name on him.

 

[Mudranger1]

I hope he holds out for 1 of the bigger birds...but that's not like him lol