kansas hunter fall 2015

7/24/2019 Kansas Hunter Fall 2015

1/35

Kansas HunterKansas Hunter

!"#$"$ &'#()*

+$ ,"+-). .+*)/(-0 (1

(21'$"#.$ 13 2'#()*$

"#. "4"+-"5-) "( 4"*+1'$

-1/"(+1#$ +#

$1'(26/)#(*"- !"#$"$7

!"#$"$ &'#()*+$ ,"+-). .+*)/(-0 (1

(21'$"#.$ 13 2'#()*$

"#. "4"+-"5-) "( 4"*+1'$

-1/"(+1#$ +#

$1'(26/)#(*"- !"#$"$7

83 01'9*) -11:+#; 31* "# )33)/(+4)


2/35

Dear readers,

Welcome to the rst edition of Kansas Huntermagazine. Thank you for checking us out. Inside, you will nd in-dstories, information and photos about hunting in Kansas. We hope you nd it both useful and interesting, and that it

ects and expands your interest in hunting and outdoor life.

There are a lot of hunting-related magazines out there, but none dedicated solely toward hunting in Kansas, wh

know is a mecca for a variety of species, and an important part of our states tradition and culture.

Kansas Hunteris based on Colorado Hunter, which a sister newspaper company helps produce for Western Color

Starting a magazine from scratch isnt easy. We could not produce such a high-quality publication without support f

the advertisers you see throughout the magazine, and other partners, who are listed in the credits on page 3.

Id like to specically thank Drew Palmer, owner of Mile North Outdoor Company, who provided expert guidancecontributed several fascinating stories and many beautiful photographs.

Soon after publication, the magazine will be available online. We also have a Facebook page, where you can kee

with the progress of our 2016 issue. We cant wait to see your latest hunting photos for the next Reader Photo sectio

we welcome feedback and suggestions. Just email [email protected], or call me at 620-442-4200. You can also co

ment on Facebook. Happy reading, and happy hunting!

David A. Seaton

President, Wineld Publishing Co.

!"#$"$ &'#()!"#$"$ &'#()*


3/35

2 Kansas Hunter Magazine Kansas Hu

DOVE(Mourning, white-winged, Eurasian collared, ringed

turtle)

Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 and Nov. 7-17

EXOTIC DOVE(Eurasian collared and ringed turtle only)

Nov. 20 to Feb. 28, 2016

RAIL (Sora and Virginia)Sept. 1 to Nov. 9

SNIPESept. 1 to Dec. 16

WOODCOCKOct. 17 to Nov. 30

SANDHILL CRANENov. 11 to Jan. 7, 2016

PHEASANT/QUAILNov. 14 to Jan. 31, 2016

Youth: Nov. 7-8

GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKENSept. 15 to Oct. 15 and Nov. 21 to Jan. 31, 2016

TURKEYFall 2015:

Oct. 1 to Dec.1 and Dec.14 to Jan.31, 2016

Spring 2016:

Spring Youth/Disabled: April 1-12, 2016Spring Archery: April 4-12, 2016

Spring Regular: April 13 to May 31, 2016

WATERFOWL/GEESECanada: Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, 2015 and Nov. 4, 2015

to Feb. 14, 2016

White-fronted: Oct. 31, 2015 to Jan. 3, 2016 and

Jan. 23 to Feb. 14, 2016

Light (Ross, Snow, Blue): Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, 2015

and Nov. 4, 2015 to Feb. 14, 2016

Light Goose Conservation Order: Feb. 15 to April

30, 2016

WATERFOWL/DUCKSHigh Plains: Oct. 10, 2015 to Jan. 4, 2016 and Jan.

23-31, 2016

Low Plains Early: Oct. 10 to Dec. 6, 2015 and Dec.19, 2015 to Jan. 3, 2016

Low Plains Late: Oct. 31, 2015 to Jan. 3, 2016 and

Jan. 23-31, 2016

Low Plains Southeast: Nov. 14, 2015 to Jan. 3,

2016 and Jan. 9-31, 2016

SQUIRRELJune 1 to Feb. 28, 2016

RABBITS (Cottontail & Jack rabbit)Open year-around

CROWNov. 10 to Mar. 10, 2016

DEERYouth and Disability: Sept. 5-13

Muzzleloader-Only: Sept. 14-27

Archery: Sept. 14 to Dec. 31

Pre-rut Firearm Whitetailn Antlerless: Oct. 10-11

Regular Firearm: Dec. 2-13 Extended Firearm

Whitetail

Antlerless-only (Units 6, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17): Jan.1-3,

2016

Extended Firearm Whitetail Antlerless-only (Units

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14): Jan.1-10, 2016

Special Extended Firearm Whitetail Antlerless-only

(Units 10A, 15, 19): Jan.1-17, 2016

Extended Archery Whitetail Antlerless-only (DMU

19 only): Jan. 18-31, 2016

Kansas Hunting Seasons

SAFE HUNTING RULES1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

2. Control the guns muzzle at all times.3. Guns not in use should be unloaded and

stored with the actions open.

4. Be sure the barrel and action are clear of

obstructions and that only the proper am-

munition is carried.

5. Never point a gun at anything you dont

want to shoot.

6. Be sure of your target before you pull the

trigger, and always know what is beyond

the target.

7. Never climb a fence or tree or cross an

obstacle with a loaded gun, and never pull a

gun toward you by the muzzle.

-

face.9. Store guns and ammunition separately,

out of reach of people unfamiliar with safe

gun handling.

drugs.

!"#$"$ &'#!"#$"$ &'#+,#()#($ !"## %&'(Features

| 3-Species Classic hunt

New event invites hunters to bag a deer,turkey and duck over three days.

| The power of the ngerFinding a new way to wait for that trophybuck.

| 4 days of fury

Duck hunters use their knowledge andfriendships for an unforgettable huntingexperience.

| Welcome back, Bobwhite

After years of scarcity, quail and otherupland birds are making a comeback inKansas.

| Get that Thanksgiving turkey

The perks and strategies of fall turkeyhunting.

| Scratch that trapping itch

An experienced Kansas trapper tells howhe got started and continues to develop.

| A slice of humble pie

Antelope hunting in western Kansaspresents challenges for an experiencedwhitetail archer.

35

Departmen6 NEWS and EVENTS

12 DEER HUNTING

20 WATERFOWL

28 UPLAND GAME

37 PREDATORS

39 NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHO

43 TRAPPING

46 EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS

52 EXTRA SHOTS

56 READER PHOTOS

8

14

20

28

35

43

46

WritersDrew Palmer

Steve Gilliland

Tom Claycomb III

Dave Seaton

Rob Watson

Scott Johnson

David Seaton

PhotographyDrew Palmer

Steve Gilliland

Scott Johnson

Brian Broom

Donita Clausen

(c) brm1949/fotosearch.com

(c) natureguy/fotosearch.com

Tom Claycomb III

Dan Torrence

Bryan Eastham

Todd Sauers

Breck Cherry

Zach RaulieShaun Reid

Pheasants FNebraska GLakeside TaOklahoma D

Wildlife C

Composing

Ken BurrellMarsha Wes

Kay Batdorf

AdvertisingDavid NewmMarsha WesDavid A. SeArty HicksTeresa MooRebecca CoShelly Tapia

For advertising information:call 620-221-1050 or 620-442-4200

To get a copy mailed to you:call David A. Seaton 620-442-4200

or email [email protected]

Credits

Cover photoBowhunter

a brief mom

thoughts aft

mature Kan


4/35


Youth Waterfowl Season: In each of the duck zones,two days will be set aside for youth waterfowl hunting(ducks and geese). Hunters 15 and younger may hunt

under the supervision of an adult 18 or older. Theadult may NOT hunt.

Youth/Disabled Deer Season: September 5-13, 2015is a season for youth 16 or younger or anyone whohas a disability hunting permit to hunt deer. Residentyouth 16 years old and all nonresident youth musthave a hunting license unless exempt by law, as well asa valid deer permit, and youth must be accompaniedby an adult 18 or older.

All resident and nonresident permits are validin this season, and all permit, unit, and equipmentrestrictions apply, including hunter orange clothing.

The adult may NOT hunt.Youth Pheasant and Quail Season: Nov. 7-8, 2015

is a weekend for youth to hunt pheasants and quail.

Youth 16 and younger may hunt under the supervi-sion of an adult 18 or older. The supervising adultmay NOT hunt.

Daily bag limits are half the regular season limits.Youth Spring Turkey Season: April 1-12, 2016.

Youth 16 and younger can hunt with any legal equip-ment under the supervision of an adult 18 or older.

(Information from Kansas Department of Wildlife,Parks and Tourism. Visit ksoutdoors.com, or consult the2015 Kansas Hunting Atlas or 2015 Kansas Huntingand Furharvesting regulations summary.)

Start em young

iSPORTSMAN ELECTRONIC DAILY HUNT

PERMITSAt designated wildlife areas, paper card daily hunt

permits have been replaced with electronic hunt permitsthrough iSportsman.Te electronic permits will be more

convenient for hunters and much less labor intensive forarea managers. Information gathered through the per-mits helps managers to provide the best possible huntingopportunities.

Hunters can register to create a user-account at anytime by logging on to https://kdwpt.isportsman.net. Before hunting, a huntersimply checks in, providing a log-in IDonline with a computer or smar t phoneor by phoning with a cell phone or land-line. Afer the hunt, hunters use the samemethod to checkout and provide harvest

information.To learn more, log on to https://kdwpt.isportsman.net

or call (620) 672-5911 and ask for Public Lands.

Several wildlife areas have been added to the list ofthose requiring hunters to obtain free Electronic DailyHunt Permits: Benedictine Bottoms, Berentz/Dick,Bolton, Buck Creek, Cheyenne Bottoms, Clinton, El-

wood, Hillsdale, Jamestown, Kansas River, La Cygne,

Lovewell, Lyon, Marais de s Cygnes, McPherson Wet-

lands, Melvern, Mil ford, Neosho, Noe, Perry, Texas

Lake, Isabel, and Slate Cre ek Wetlands.

Te electronic permits will replace the paper card sys-tem currently in place.

DOGS TO RETRIEVE BIG GAMEDogs may be used to retrieve big game animals.

Dogs may be used to retrieve dead or wounded biggame animals with the following restrictions: each dogshall be maintained on a hand-held leash at all timeswhile tracking the big game animal; an individualtracking big game animals outside of legal shooting

hours shall not carry equipment capable ofharvesting the big game animal; and eachindividual harvesting a big game animalshall be limited to the equipment type forthe permit and season that is authorized.

Each individual participating in thetracking of a big game animal shall have a

hunting license, unless the individual is exempt by law.

ANTLERLESS DEER PERMITS

While deer hunters who have purchased a permit thatallows the harvest of an antlered deer m ay still purchaseup to ve whitetail antlerless only (WAO) permits andone antlerless only (AO) permit, the units in which theyare valid and the extended WAO seasons are new for2015-2016.

Consult page 20 f the Kansas Hunting and Furharvest-ing Regulations Summary.

New hunting rules for 2015

Butler SFL

Phone: (620) 876-5730.Location: 3 miles W, 1 N of Latham.

Acres: 320Camping: Yes, in designated areas.

Equipment Restrictions: None.

Other: Alcohol prohibited.

Cowley SFL & WA

Phone: (620) 876-5730.Location: 16 mi. E of Arkansas City.

Acres: 197

Camping: Yes, in designated areas.

Equipment Restrictions: None.Other: Alcohol prohibited.

El Dorado WA

Phone: (620) 767-5900.Location: 2 mi. E, 1 N of El Dora-

do.Acres: 4,258

Camping: No.

Boating: Yes.Equipment Restrictions: None.Other: Swimming (jumping) pro-hibited in Walnut River at NE

Chelsea road bridge.

Kaw WA

Phone: (620) 876-5730.

Location: 1 mile SE of Arkansas City.Acres: 4,341

Camping: No.Boating: Yes


Slate Creek WA

Phone: (620) 876-5730.Location: 6 mi. S, 1 1/2 W of Oxfo

Acres: 827.Camping: No.

Boating: Yes, carry-in only.Equipment Restrictions: Non-tox

Other: Electronic daily hunt permregister at www.kdwpt.isportsma

Copan WA

Phone: (620) 331-6820.

Location: 1/2 mi. W of Caney.Acres: 2,360.

Camping: Yes, in deareas.

Boating: Yes, carry-Equipment Restrict

Dove Flats WA

Phone: (620) 331-68

Location: 2 1/2 mi. City.

Acres: 206.Camping: Yes, in de

areas.Boating: None.


Duck Creek WA

Phone: (620) 331-6820.Location: 1 1/2 mi. E, 3 1/3 N of E

Acres: 246.Camping: Yes, in designated area

Boating: None.Equipment Restrictions: None.

Public hunting areas in south-central K

1020 S Kansas, Suite 200

Topeka, KS 66612-1327

(785) 296-2281

512 SE 25th Ave.

Pratt, KS 67124-8174

(620) 672-5911

6232 E 29th St.

Wichita, KS 672

(316) 683-8069

For more information contact contact Kansas Department of

Parks and Tourism (ksoutdoors.com):


5/356 Kansas Hunter Magazine

News release

Upland bird hunters have more room to roam

at the Tuttle Creek Wildlife Area in Pottawatomie

County.

Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, the Kan-sas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

(KDWPT) and the National Wild Turkey Federation

have completed a wildlife habitat project

that adds 480 acres to the wildlife

area in north-central Kansas.

Not only does the land

acquisition permanently

protect important habitat

for pheasants, quail

and prairie chickens,

the new tract opens

public access to a

550-acre tract of

Tuttle Creek Wild-life Area that had

been previously

inaccessible to

the public as it

was surrounded by

private land.

The net result

is this acquisition

opens 1,030 acres to

public hunting and out-

door recreation.

The 484-acre acquisition

expands Tuttle Creek Wildlife

Area to more than 12,600 acres,permanently conserving tallgrass prairie

in the states northern Flint Hills.

This project is the result of a new permanent

land conservation partnership between Pheasants

Forever, KDWPT and other Kansas conservation

partners.

The Tuttle Creek project is Pheas

nership project in Kansas.

en model of fundraising, protecting wand securing a permanent place for

Just 3 percent of land in K

public ownership, wild

tourism Secretary

son said.

owners an

groups w

tively w

life ag

succe

pubport

he s

F

the T

Wildl

sition

by KDW

funding

man-Rob

Restoration

equipment), Phe

gram, the Flint Hills Pheas

chapter, Fort Riley Pheasants Foreve

National Wild Turkey Federation Sup

Robert Ramsdale Memorial, Robert

merce Trust Co., and a donation from

Benton Lyman Trust.

Quail Forever is taking its annual celebra-

tion of upland hunting, National Pheasant Fest& Quail Classic, to Kansas City on Feb. 19-21,

2016.The event will be hosted at the

Kansas City Convention Center

with Federal Premium Ammu-nition as the presenting sponsor.

As the premiere quail event inthe country, Quail Forever is urging

hunters and members to take partand have a voice for quail conser-

prominent role at our 2016convention, and we invite

quail hunters and chapter mem-bers to join us for a celebration

of wildlife habitat conserva- -

addition to the convention, Quail For-

ever is celebrating its 10th anniversary -this is a special milestone and one we

wish to celebrate with all quail hunting

National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic2016 will be the nations largest tradeshow

and convention for upland hunters, landown-ers, sport dog trainers, and wildlife habitatconservationists.

with a Quail Summit hosted on Feb. 20, aswell as more seminars, vendors, and hunting

gear designed with quail hunters in mind as exhibitor area.

Early bird registration deadline is Dec. 1. -

tion or call 877-773-2070.

the landowner habitat help room, everyaspect of the show will have a quail

director of corporate sales for Quail

attendance of hunters through-

out the nation as we elevate the

More about the show:Quail hunters are encour-

aged to suggest vendors.

premium prices with adver-

tising included in the QuailForever Journal.

For more information regarding

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forevers cor-porate sales representative, at (763) 350-7362or email.

Quail and pheasant lovers

ocking to Kansas City

Blue Valley Wildlife Areacreated through conservation partne

More than 1,000 acres opened to public hu

NEWS and EVENTS



6/358 Kansas Hunter Magazine Kansas Hu

Deer. Turkey. Duck.

Hunt them all, over three consecutive days in

southeast Kansas.

Thats what a group of hunters and promoters are

cooking up in the Fort Scott area, hoping to create a

new, unique event that showcases Kansas hunting and

boosts tourism.

Called the SEKansas 3-Species Classic, the special

event is modeled after the Governors turkey and ring-neck hunts. It kicks offin 2015 with a three-day hunt

and celebration with a small invited group Nov. 27-29.

In 2016, the event will open to the public, hoping

to draw hunters and outdoor enthusiasts from in and

out of state.

Hunters will be taken on deer, turkey and duck

hunts over a Friday-Sunday weekend, and

enjoy a Saturday night banquet open to

the public.

Its a 3-day, action-packed hunting

adventure, and you get to hunt three

different species, said organizer Joe

Bisogno, owner of Timber Hills Lake

Ranch.

Bisogno, founder of the Mr. Good-cents restaurant chain, developed

Timber Hills Lake Ranch into a hunting

and shing destination and wants to promote

Kansas as an outdoor mecca.

With help from the Fort Scott Area Chamber of

Commerce, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife,

Parks and Tourism, plans are coming together for a

unique experience.

The 3-species hunt will include hunting locations

throughout southeast Kansas. Other

out- tters are on board, Bisogno

said. Hunting will be

done on ranches and

farms. Each hunter

will be accompaniedby a host or guide

during the three

days.

Southeast Kansas

is well known as being

trophy buck territory.

Were really trying to

allow people all over the

world, and the United

States, to know that

if youre looking

for a great trip, an

outdoor adventure

hunting, shing

Kansas is the place

to look.The Governors One

Shot Turkey Hunt in Eldora- do,

and the Governors Ringneck Classic, held in Goodland

in 2015, will be models for the three-species event.

The Governor is very interested in these types of

activities, as it promotes opportunity and economic ac-

tivity in the more rural parts of the state, DWPT

director Robin Jennison toldKansas Hunter.

Guests who y in for the event can

hunt Friday afternoon, Saturday, and

Sunday morning before ying out.

Hunters can choose their weapon

bow, rie or black power for deer.

Bow, shotgun or rie for turkey. Shot-

gun for duck.They can also choose to hunt all

three species, or hunt one species over

the three days.

Bisogno has attended the governors hunts,

and he recently participated in a 3-species hunt in

Scotland called the McNab, he said.

Hunters there seek to catch a salmon, harvest a red

stag, and down a grouse. They stay in a castle during

the trip.

The rst 3-Species Classic in Kansas will be kept

small as a test run to develop a larger, public event in

the years to follow. Outdoor and adventure people are

being invited this year, along with some government

dignitaries.

The banquet in Fort Scott on Saturday, though, willbe open to the public from the get-go. Plans call for

an auction to help fund a trolley that would help with

tourism in Fort Scott.

Its really about building commerce, building tour-

ism and building a community that is proud of what

they do. Bisogno said.

!" $%&'$ %( )*%+,-

3-Species Classic huntEvery fall and winter hunters roam the aisles of outdoor stores browsing the racks and aski ng

question, does this really work? Here are my its worth it picks for the fall that will cost you som

wont leave you disappointed.

+./0123/44 5/26/7 '89:4/9 ;)?@A

No more clinching your teeth in a treestand trying to feel your toes. No

more walking like a duck in the mud with 3-lb pack boots that are t for the ar-

tic circle. Its time to invest in some technology that works and works incredibly

well. Thermacells Heated Insole is the answer. They are completely wireless and

rechargeable, making ease of use a breeze. Drop them in your favorite pair ofboots and make numb toes a thing of the past. They feature a 5-hour continu-

ous battery life and a wireless remote. With three levels of heat, you can control

your comfort and use the heat all the time or only when needed, extending the

battery life. A USB charger and automotive charger make recharging on the go

simple and easy. The material can be trimmed to t, giving you added versatility

to t in all your different shoes regardless of the situation. Dont think they are

strictly for hunting either, they perform just as well for those late season football

games or fall festivals. Available at most major outdoor stores or online.

)3/86 B0C9./0 ,D:8/ E/20 !2F ;)?GG

If you are the detail oriented scent control freak, this bag will b

best friend. The days of crunching cedar brows and leaving your c

in a plastic tote are over. The Scent Crusher Gear Bag applies ozon

technology to kill bacteria and virus that ca use odor. You may be ta fancy line of uff, but its backed by science. Ozone, or 0 3, is the t

of oxygen. 03is one of natures most powerful oxidizers and is ext

at destroying odors. The Gear Bag comes with a wall charger and

charger allowing you to step out of your vehicle ready to hunt sce

able at most major outdoor stores or online.


7/35


8/35

12 Kansas Hunter Magazine

!"#$% !"''(

)*+ ,-$"#'%./+01+" 2340''"5 60#4'"

Myths about wildlife are probably as oldas man, and deer hunting has morethan its share. While many have likely

come and gone, others can still be

heard at deer camps.

One misunderstood deer is the

spike and the misconceptions go

both ways. Some say they can grow

into trophies while others think along

the lines of once a spike, always a spike.

Bronson Strickland of the Mississippi

State University Deer Lab said both can

happen, but neither are likely.

You can have lots of spiked bucks that grow to a

120- to 130-class buck, Strickland said. The probabili-

ty of a 150- to 170-class is much lower than other deer.With that, Strickland said the probability of a spike

becoming a trophy all depends on what the hunter

considers a trophy.

On the other end of the spectrum, Strickland sai d

it is also rare for a yearling spike to remain a spike i n

adulthood.

Its probably not going to happen,

but it can happen, Strickland said.

Most always, probably 99 percent of

the time, a yearling buck with spiked

antlers will have forked antlers later in

life.

The gene pool

I hear it all the time Im glad we got that man-agement buck out of the gene pool, Strickland said.

Removing what are considered to be inferior bucks

from properties is a common practice and many be-

lieve it will improve the herds genetics, but Strickland

says culling management bucks wont do it.

Culling is an ineffective tool, Strickland said. The

mother really has just as much to do with this as the

dad.

You cant control the mothers ability to produce

above-average fawns.At the same time, Strickland said cull-

ing can improve the herd. Removing a

mature six-point, 200-pound eating

machine is a good idea because the

groceries hes consuming can go to

other deer with greater potential.

Full moon folly?Many events in the wild are at-

tributed to a full moon and some still

feel it affects the rut, but Lann Wilf, Mis-

sissippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and

Parks Deer Program leader said thats not the case.

No, absolutely not, Wilf said. There have been

multiple studies done, and they dont correlate.Wilf explained that instead of a lunar event, it s

solar.

Its photoperiod, Wilf said. Its length of day.

Although a full moon does not affect the rut, Wilf

said he believes it does factor into deer movement.

Im just going to go on record as saying deer

movement around a full moon is

squirrely, Wilf said. Personally, I dont

like hunting around a full moon. They

just dont do right.

Among most hunters, the expla-

nation is that deer move more during

the night with a full moon than other

nights, but Wilf isnt so sure about that.

They move a lot on a full moon, but Ive seenthem move a lot on other nights, Wilf said. Nocturnal

movement is going to be dictated more by other fac-

tors than the full moon.

Even though Wilf believes the full moon does alter

deer movement, he said food ava ilability, hunting

!""# %&'() *"+,-."*


P

hotosbyBrianBroom

around a full moon

DEER HUNTING

Continued on page 13

pressure and weather have much greater impa cts.

The old, barren doeAnother myth Wilf said he still hears is about the

doe that is too old to produce fawns.

There is no such thing as an old, barren doe, Wilf

said. Shes going to have fawns til she cant and

thats usually when shes dead.

If youre waiting on a doe with no fawns, youre

going to be waiting a while unless youre hunting a

really stressed deer herd.

Wilf said not being bred, disease a nd predation on

fawns are all factors that could lead to a doe without

fawns, but the main cause is nutritional stress.

Food grows big racksHunters routinely plant food plots and provide

high-protein supplemental feed in their

big antlers, and while it is important, Wi

trump genetics.

Nutrition allows them to express th

potential, Wilf said. Now, if hes suppo

inch 8-point, thats what hes going to b

Managing your food sources with

plots and summer food plots is not goi

every deer to 150. Even i n the Delta, th

ture buck is only going to score 135 to

And there are other factors that ho

growth. Wilf said drought, oods, late b

physical condition of the mother at birt

cles. Because of that, he said less than

bucks make it to the 150-class, and 170

about as rare as NFL players.

Everything is working against them

Every stress is working against them.

It takes a perfect storm to create th

Continued from page 12

Kansas Hun

!"#$ & '()*+,- $$. /(0)1,0 /2

3 4567 89:,0; 8(;5; *8076 +(7* ?8,:(7- >5=1,0 2*@=7*,(= A@(075=6

3 25:B >8(;5; *8076 B@= 7*@65

*8075=6 +,07(0) 7@

865 7*5(= @+0 ;@)6

3 C55= *8076

3 29=(0) 78=D5- *8076

3 E@;)(0) ,F,(:,


9/35

I can lead you to the exac t tree that changed my

outlook on bowhunting setups forever.

It was a skinny neck of trees that had no sign of

activity for 80 percent of the season.

In fact, without the knowledge I have now, I would

generally walk right past it while doing late summer orlate winter scouting.

It was a beautiful oak tree that sat in a 100-yard

section of scrubby timber in the middle of the pasture.

A seasoned pair of bowhunters a combined 40

years experience at the time selected that stand

location many years before I launched my rst success-

ful arrow from it.

Three, P&Y bucks out of the same tree withinve

days is pretty substantial evidence that there is some-

thing going on there.

Treestand theoriesThere are a million documented theories to tree-

stand setups. The real truth Ive learned over the years

is that every piece of property can demand different

tactics.

When selecting a stand location, its well knownthat inside corners, pinch points, creek crossings, and

eld edges all p roduce great results.

But you cant hunt those locations all year, every-

day. To me one of the easiest places to overlook is the

timber nger. Sometimes as bowhunters we tend to

think only about whats in front of us. Its easy to see

all the sign on the ground when we are doing our

pre-season scouting and loose sight of the big picture.

Things change quickly throughout the year and

The Power of the Finger


!" $%&' ()*+&%Bow hunter recommends Painting the picture

to optimize your bow hunting experience


can leave us high and dry in terms of buck sightings

and encounters.

Not every piece of property we hunt or have access

to is going to strategically setup up the same. But

when the possibility of hunting a timber nger comes

into play, I jump at the opportunity.

ScoutingWhen scouting a new piece of property for the rst

time, I spend hours mulling over aerial images.

OnX Hunt Maps is an incredible app that I depend

on, and can help you with

your scouting, preparationand navigation. It has fea-

tures that allow you to see

property lines of private

and public land tracts, to

mark your treestand sites

or game cameras, and

also to document animal

sightings with precise GPS

accuracy.

One of the rst things

I look at on aerial maps is

how the winds may inu-

ence my entering/exiting

of possible stand setups.

Some of the mostprominent winds in

south-central Kansas

during the later part of

October and early November are southeast and nor th-

west.

Northwest winds typically involve cold fronts that

create a drop and sharp rise i n barometric pressure.

During the pre-rut times the sharp increase can get

those nocturnal bucks on their feet and present hunt-

ers with an opportunity or sighting to give us valuable

information on buck movements.

Youre probably wondering how i n the world does

this relate to treestand strategies or setting a stand in a

timber nger?

Theres more of a connection than you might think.A more in-depth strategy for selecting stand locations

that I p reach is painting the p icture.

EquationAerial imagery and weather forecasting help the

experienced bow hunter anticipate how the weather

and the stages of the season will move

We can take the things we know ab

behavior and look at them as an equat

then take that equation and apply i t to

to give us targeted areas.

Focusing on movements in the pre

that bucks in mid-fall often stay hidden

secure areas that have cover, minimal d

mast crops for the deer to sparsely feed

habitat.

They are beginning to create scrap

size up their competition, and establish

Perhaps the most dangerous thing

is develop

that allow

check vast

land for do

winds.

This is

ber nger

Even th

ber nger

bucks mos

all of their

they spend

time when

nerable to Bucks u

in early mo

evening ho

their feet and still stay out of sight.

You could relate these locations to

may use a bar on their way home from

The thicker the cover or size of a tim

greater chance dominant bucks may b

away from smaller bucks.

As the days transition closer to the

that bucks tend to use these ngers an

to lie in wait of does coming into estru

from bedding or feeding areas.

This creates the perfect opportunit

bowhunter, to

ll our tag. Also, dont cosame locations for hunting the tail end

Bucks commonly go back to the sam

frequented in the pre rut, looking for d

have not been bred.

Writer Drew Palmer is the owner of M

door Company. He lives in rural Arkansas

Kansas Hun


Photo by Drew Palmer


10/35

When it comes to putting your time in andracking up the hours in the stand, comfortmay be the toughest adversary.

If I had a dollar for every hour Ive spent sitting

on a cramped, cold, and uncomfortable stand ...

Id have enough money to buy a truckload of good

ones.

morning and that was a good looking spot, but I

Part of me has sympathy for when its one of

my cheap stands, and I feel a bit guilty.

But hey, I dont have a semi-truck coming every

fall delivering me the best of the best, either. Just

like a lot of other dedicated bow-

hunters, I have a lot of ground to

cover and have to make due with

what Ive got.

medium between lighting your

-

ing miserable in the tree for 10

hours?

InvestLets be realistic. You dont

have to buy a whole palate of

top-of-the-line stands to go

along with every location you

have an interest in hunting.

We all have several stand

that lead us to believe we could

see action all day there.

there is a strong chance you could be presented

with a shot opportunity at any point during the

rut throughout the day, then that spot is probably

worth putting in a premium stand.

Play the weather and pick your spots and

chances are youll be blessed with opportunity.

That brings me to my second point: Invest in

a couple top-of-the-line comfortable stands. It is

well-designed stand can make when it comes to

enduring those long sits.

Mentally, physically, and emotionally being

comfortable can change the way you hunt.

Instead of heading home at 9:45 a.m. because

your legs and rear end cant handle the misery

anymore, now you have a chance at maybe thebest buck of your life at 11:15 a.m. Pack your

lunch and a good book.

StrategyChris Keefer, co-host of the hit show Rival Wild,

has a wealth of knowledge and experience when it

comes to sitting all day.

He also has a stacked trophy

room of mature trophy bucks to

back up his know how.

and planning our sets, Casey

strategies that we rely on. One is

hunting what we call [outside in].

When we are hunting a farm we

use our aerial photos religious-

ly and scouting knowledge to

develop a strategy for selecting

stand sites that allow us to keep

our distance from where we feel

the deer are living.

super aggressive move in Oc-

tober and possibly booger that

buck that may make a few mis-

takes during the rut. We stick to

property to a minimum.

will start looking and planning what we call [rut

stands], those are our stand locations where we

know that at anytime there could be a stud walk

by, and we need to be there to seal the deal.

Treestand TipsMake your time in the stand pay off

!" $%&' ()*+&%



point, but if youre not on stand when that hap-

The next part of the proven strategy that the

Keefer brothers employ relates to weather and

technology.

For the hunter who is limited on time and days

to hunt, soak this in:

-

system is going to move in. Those are the days

that you have to be out there and stay out there.

When that inclement weather comes, those deerare mentally and genetically engineered to get on

their feet.

prime time for big bucks cruising, especially when

-

cant time in advance, giving the job-steady hunter

a chance to schedule vacation or one of those

Trail camerasA bit of attention to detail can pay big divi-

dends in the bowhunting world.

cameras TOO much. This is somewhat against thetrend and has some ties to old-fashioned ideology.

everything is getting crazy, I dont rely on my trail

cameras to much.

-

as, that ultimately have a very small sample size of

what activity is actually taking place. Trail cameras

have revolutionized deer hunting, we know that.

-

ventory on which bucks are frequenting your p rop-

erty, but we cant get dependent. Think about how

much ground that buck covers when you see him

chasing a doe in the rut? Of course he isnt walk-

ing by your camera at the same time everyday.Nothing is more valuable than time in the stand in

GearThe guys at Rival Wild and I both depend on

Millennium treestands. Chris took the words right

not narrow minded and Im not goin

that other companies premium stan

They all work. This isnt a sales pitch

I use and what I know.

Being comfortable keeps our min

longer, and that is key for the crew a

and myself.

The Millennium M-50 is my go to

of stands and do a lot of it by mysel

safety into play. Being 20-feet up in

to wrestle ratchet straps around a h

hang on is a bit unnerving to me.

The M-50 eliminates that comple

the cam-lock bracket that is extrem

to use, and quiet.

The bracket goes around the tree

in ratchet strap that connects to the

next step is to drop the stand in the

en the lower tie-down strap and you

go. Thats it.

Chris and Casey both spend hun

in the stand every fall.

every year, the Cam-Lock system m

crew, we are able to hang the hunte

a camera stand with us, and we are

Game dayPlan your attacks wisely. Look fo

cious weather systems that create a

barometer and trigger the instincts o

Prepare the night before and pac

accordingly. A good rain jacket, a lu

eat quickly and quietly, maybe a han

kids Halloween candy, and an extern

charger are all items that can make

in the stand more tolerable.

Heck, Id be lying to you if I said watched college or NFL football on m

during the slow times.

It can be done, and the rewards

Get out there and put the time in, a d

stand is a day well spent.

Writer Drew Palmer is the owner

Outdoor Company. He lives in rural A


Kansas Hun


11/35

Kansas Hun18 Kansas Hunter Magazine

!"#$ &"'"($"

Bushnell, an industry-leader in

trail cameras and outdoor technology,

has partnered with biologists at The

Quality Deer Management Association

and leading outdoor access technol-

ogy developer Powederhook in the

creation of a revolutionary new deer

hunting tool.

QDMA Deer Tracker allows hunters

to submit reports based on observed

deer activity or deer they harvest. Us-ing this data, the app generates a heat

map estimating the likelihood of seeing

deer activity during hunting hours and

within a selected area.

Powderhook developed the app

with collaboration from biologists at QDMA and

teams at Bushnell, Cabelas and Hunting Lease

Network.

Designed with privacy in mind, Deer

Tracker never reveals your exact loca-

tion, yet crowd-sources a regional snap-

shot of deer activity that can be used to

judge rut timing, feeding windows and

optimum hunting periods.

fun and informative for everyone from

beginners to the hardcore DIY archery

giving way some cool prizes from our

The app is available in the Apple

App store and Google Play. Or vis-

it www.deertrackerapp.com for more

information.

New app

helps

track

deer

)&*+ ,-" ./01

American deer hunters are killing the highest-ev-

er percentage of bucks age 3and older, according

to data gathered by the Quality Deer Management

Association (QDMA) for its 2015 Whitetail Report, now

available online.

In the 2013-14 season, the most recent season with

complete deer harvest data available from all states,34 percent of bucks harvested in the states that collect

buck age data were 3or older. That statistic is up

from 32 percent the season before, and signicantly

up from a decade before i n the 2003-04 season, when

only 23 percent of the national buck harvest was ma -

ture. These gains have been made while the percent-

age of yearling bucks (1years old) in the harvest has

steadily declined, reaching a record-low of 36 percent.

This is a testament to how far weve come as

hunters in the past decade, said Kip Adams, QDMAs

Director of Education & Outreach, who compiles the

annual Whitetail Report. More hunters are choosing to

protect yearling bucks, and they are being rewarded

by seeing and killing more of them as mature animals.

This trade-offcan be seen in state-by-state data.The ve states with the lowest percentage of year-

ling bucks in the antlered buck harvest, according to

QDMAs Whitetail Report, are also the top-ve states

in percentage of mature bucks: Louisiana, Arkansas,

Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.

Though the age structure of the buck harvest is

improving, total numbers of bucks kille

are on the decline in several states. Nat

tal buck harvest declined 4 percent fro

2.85 million in 2012 to 2.74 million in 2

The 2015 Whitetail Report also exa

trends in total buck and doe harvest by

analysis, while the Northeast and South

relatively stable, the Midwest region sa

drop in deer harvest: 18 percent fewer 2003 to 2013, and 20 percent fewer do

Wisconsins buck harvest declined

during the last decade, Minnesotas dro

cent, and Iowas plummeted 43 percent

These are big declines, and hunters ar

taking notice.

While lower harvests in some areas

intentional efforts to reduce deer dens

eas deer populations have dropped be

the habitat can support in healthy cond

Whitetail Report explores the factors in

ing hemorrhagic disease o utbreaks, ha

habitat loss, and over-harvest.

There is good news and not-so-go

this years Whitetail Report, and thats e

monitor and report trends in the white

said Lindsay Thomas Jr., QDMAs Direct

cations. Its particularly important for h

hunting industry to be aware of threats

tail resource, so well continue to keep

radar.

(c) brm1949 / fotosearch.com

WATERFOWLl d i th d ! C l j t ilC ti d f p 20


12/35

WATERFOWL


The migration resembled a giant blizzard making i tsway across the Kansas plains. It was the end of De-cember and for my small group of friends, the greatest

time of year. With a little extra Christmas cash in our

pockets and plenty of leftover sweets in the fridge, we

were ready to hit it hard.

I was curled up on the couch watching a football

game when I got a phone call with somebody on theother end stuttering on about how four birds turned

into 40,000 on a scouting trip and it was the craziest

eld theyve ever seen.

The caller used words like, epic, motherload, and

holy grail. It was my photographer/goose hunting

comrade Shaun, and he couldnt get across to me fast

enough that he wasnt exaggerating the estimate.

The next four days would be some of the most

incredible goose hunting weve ever been part of.

Im not going to lie. I had my suspicions about this

gig. I was still giving Shaun grief after the last slam-

dunk he took me on a few days prior. Which was a

day after he melted the memory card in his camera

taking pictures of hundreds of birds piling into thespread, after his party had a lready limited out. Banded

Specks, Rosss geese, and mondo wads of Canadas all

lled my text message inbox along with OMG you

would be in heaven. Well, the day I showed up we

killed three birds and watched thousands y around in

4 Days of Fury!" $%&' ()*+&%

4 Days of Fury


Photo by Shaun Reid

Kansas Hun

disarray. Part of the game.

Day 1

With the trailer in tow packed to the b rim, we

rolled out of town at about 3:15 a.m. with hot coffee

and the speakers blaring our favorite Aaron Lewis re-

cord. Joining me on this 120-mile trip i nto foreign ter-

ritory was my lifelong hunting partner Chase, whom

had just returned home from four years of service in

the United States Army.

We were chomping at the bit to see some new

country and hunt new bi rds. We were meeting the

other half of the squad in a little town I cant say

around 5:15 a.m. So at 5:45 a.m. in typical fashion, weall staggered out of the truck. We examined the eld

and began the scramble of designing a game plan to

get this monster spread into the right spot. With ve

of us one year removed or still ac tive college baseball

players, and Chase fresh out of the service, we legged

out a lot of gear a long ways in a short amount of

time. There were plenty of remarks in between deep

gasp for air about how we were already fat and out of

shape, but the truth was, this was no hunt for old men.

There was a pretty heavy coat of fog hovering

about the landscape and not a breath of wind. Two

factors that make me sweat and bite my nails. This was

a huge wheat eld with not an inch of cover anywhere

besides a hedgerow we were set up in. With darkness

still looming, we all stopped what we were doingwhen we heard a faint roar of a large group of Lesser

Canadas closing in on our position. At the same time

we all uttered our best goose hating slurs and curse

words with disbelief, as this was not normal for them

to be showing up in the dark. What in the world is

going on here? They were on the ground and it was

still 45 minutes from being able to shoot?

We nally scampered nearly 30-dozen decoys into

place, mostly Deception Decoy prototypes and silhou-

ettes. Tory, Kord, Chase, and Reese were all piled into

the homemade A-frame blind that Shaun, the master

engineer, was beating and slamming together. I nally

got settled into my cedar hide next to the blind and

threw on my trademark green ghillie suit. It wasnt

30 seconds after I red up my cameras and put my

headphones on that I heard the rst wave of shrieking

geese descending on our setup.

The shrieking got closer and a few choice words

came out of the blind. Are you kidding me? Already?

We havent been here for 5 minutes and those illegal

out of season (unmentionable word) want to come

land in the decoys! Cool, ya just pile on

party is here!

Specklebellys, which are our favorit

eat and hunt, were the subjects of the s

log. Out of season and uttering in the

somebody ran into the decoys, spookin

only out of fear that when the Canadas

could possibly be in the line o f re and

ticket from a KDWP warden.

Things slowed down for a bit and I

offleaning up next to my camera cases

bags. I was quickly awoken when an ab

high-pitched noise entered my headph

enticed the typical chatter of goose cal

only to reside after a bit when Shaun yLord, I cant even hear myself think! Ko

them?

The skies quickly turned into a clus

after wave of dark geese started bomb

spread. One balled up pass and several

the heavens, in typical fashion, sealing

rest of them. The main wad swung wid

and Shaun, in his typical excited humo

God, they are rallying up the troops. Ge

I didnt know where to point the ca

viewnder quickly turned into a black w

ing in anticipation. Finally, after hundre

peddled above the decoys, most of wh

just weeks earlier with our own two ha

you think its about that time? Five gu

over the top of the blind and cut into a

ardsons Canada geese. That familiar so

through my headphones and I tremble

ment feeling like I was 6 years old agai

It seemed like it only took a matter

in reality it was close to half an hour. Bi

ing in so fast we had to pass up shots t

and again to make sure we were still u

limit. I had been franticly trying to get

locked on all of this madness, as I knew

After one volley, Chase yelled in my dir

Dale, (my inside nickname) you might w

your pop gun out because Kordless ne

and then its your time to shine! I was s

disbelief as it seemed like I had only l

of shooting? After Kord picked up what

pride and dignity (he missed three time

at point blank, on camera) he folded hi

jumped in the blind to a bunch of jabs

at my absence for the majority of the h


Co

we moved a few dozen decoys to higher ground andContinued from page 21 both of those on this hunt Great equipContinued from page 22


13/35

the bushes with my cameras.

I quickly rattled offa few shots out of my 20 gauge,

semi-auto and put a few straggling Canadas on the

ground. Just like that. The day was done.

We didnt even have our guns unloaded when

somebody blurted out so who is coming to scout

tonight, the rest of those birds that didnt show up this

morning?

Laughter lled our

group, and Tory happily

volunteered. After a

leg-cramping trek out

of a slimy wheat eld,

we got back to the

truck and revived our

sleep-deprived bodies

with some good crack

as Shaun calls semi-fro-

zen Gatorade. It was

time for Chase and I to

tag and label our game

straps full of geese and

head south to regroup.

Day 2-3The next day we let

the birds rest, as con-

ditions were less than favorable. But that evening the

call came. Hey we found them, and theres more.Knowing the conditions and the large number of

birds we had to work with, my mind shifted into over-

drive and thoughts of a 100-bird day began to dance

in my imagination. We all rendezvoused at the same

intersection as the previous hunt and headed out to

the battlegrounds. This setup was an all hands on deck

event, as we were deploying a large number of full

bodies plus a grain sack lled with duck full bodies

as well. Torys report from scouting the night before

was that there were a healthy amount of greenheads

using the cut milo eld, but knowing the ducks were

typically only feeding once a day in the evenings, we

all remained a bit skeptical. A few drakes in the bag

would be icing on the cake.

As the sun came up over the frozen Ka nsas land-scape, we could hear the sounds of geese in every

direction. A few mallards bombed the spread out of

nowhere and we quickly downed a few greenheads

to get on the board. Soon after, lines of geese began

to trace the skyline. It was wave after wave after wave.

But we quickly realized we were in the wrong eld, so

we moved a few dozen decoys to higher ground and

the birds quickly changed their attitudes. Even though

the masses were still a mile away in the next section,

we started to gain the interest of some groups late to

the party.

By about 9 a.m., we got our rst tornado rotating

above us. A few stray Canadas began to work the

spread. That was all it took. With each group the vortex

of geese got bigger and bigger. It wasnt long before

somebody made the

executive decision and

we cut into a healthy

group of salt n pepper.

Snows and Canadas

began to hit the frozenmilo with a thud, and

our spirits were rejuve-

nated.

Day 4

Just as we were de-

bating what to do the

next day, our decision

was made for us. To the

southeast in the shad-

ow of a burning Kansas

sunrise, a roar and mas-

sive cloud of birds rose

up offsome poor farmers wheat eld. It was a sight

that every goose hunter dreams of. The only thing that

made it sweeter, was that another group just as big fell

in behind the rst storm of shrieking little geese. In a

quick discussion with a few intense verbs, our group

all came to the verdict that what we just watched

could have been the biggest ock of geese we had

ever laid eyes on.

That afternoon, Shaun and Tory put in the legwork

using the OnX Hunt Maps mobile app a nd a knock

on a farmers door. Once the farmer understood how

many birds were on his eld, he quickly stated I want

them all dead and gone. We like farmers with that

attitude!

The next morning was much of the same, I-35

was wide open at 3:30 a. m., and we had a truck full

of eager goose hunters. Joining Chase and I were my

former teammate, Cale, from southeast Oklahoma, and

our good buddy, Kyle. Coming from the hill country in

Oklahoma, Cale had never been part of a eld hunt. I

had buzzed Cale on short notice the afternoon before.

After rounding up his gear, he quickly ed the red




dirt country and headed north to Kansas. Little did he

know what he was about to witness.

The setup was perfect, a half section of wheat with

a hedgerow that jetted into the middle of the eld

and stopped. We deployed a large spread of full body

decoys and mixed in some silhouettes for added num-

bers. The trek in was half the battle itself, as we drug

large grain sacks on beavertail sport sleds down the

edge of the hedgerow. Temperatures were in the teens

and a crisp frost laced the ground. The forecast was a

bit depressing, as Old Man Winter was about to get a

rm grip on the Midwest the next day. Lows in the sin-

gle digits would most likely freeze up all water, mov-

ing this massive concentration of birds farther southin search of open water. We settled into the A-frame

blind and anxiously awaited the birds arrival.

As I removed my green ghillie suit hood and

looked over my shoulder into the rising sun, I saw

what looked like the entire roost lift up over the hori-

zon. Hey, here comes the whole neighborhood boys,

I shouted. Cold, sunny mornings can make hungry

geese depart their nightly roost all at once, mak ing for

a feast or famine hunt. This morning we would feast.

As the birds closed in on us, it was evident we had

everything right. Some early birds fell from the sky like

they hadnt eaten in weeks, pitching in to within feet

of my position. The rest of the mob quickly rallied up

and began rotating the spread. With every turn more

and more birds hit the ground and began to feed.

At one point, I gazed through the viewnder of my

camera to see birds in focus, uttering at a few yards

away, and more birds backed up seemingly miles into

the sky.

There are two things that Im very thankful for ev-

ery time I get to go out and hunt: a great group of self-

less hunting buddies, and good equipment. We had

both of those on this hunt. Great equip

what I guessed to be about 2,000 to 4,0

within 30 yards of our homemade blind

did somebody attempt to rise up and s

a magnicent show of Mother N ature.

I melting the memory cards in our cam

some of our most incredible images, th

crew sat wide-eyed in awe.

It seemed like the rotating wall of g

eternity to land in the eld, but it was r

15 minutes. The mob of geese was so d

knew we wouldnt be able to shoot into

without going over the legal bag limits

Shaun and I had our ll of shooting ou

elected to wait for a goo d group of snowithin gun range.

Our group began picking offdisorie

Canadas left and right as they swarmed

Everybody lled their limit except me,

red a shot. But that was quickly accom

several more groups of geese dumped

tions a few yards in front of the blind. T

sort of fowl dream, the giant ocks of g

and began to swarm us again.

We fed our growling bellies at a sm

Braums, just offthe interstate. The verd

us was that we might never beat the la

hunting again. We hadnt killed more t

day, but we didnt have 10 guns going

success for us wasnt measured in how

put in the back of the truck, but in how

inuence group after group of educate

There are more great hunts ahead,

days of fury will surely remain promine

ory books.

Writer Drew Palmer is the owner of M

door Company. He lives in rural Arkansas

Kansas Hun


G tti f i d h k d



14/35

Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2014, was a special day formany reasons.Not only was it the celebration of all American Vet-

erans, it was also the start of a different celebra-

tion, one where two friends, Rob Watson

and Jim Champagne, would meet

in Kansas and enjoy camaraderie

over an icy decoy spread.

As a Marine Corps Veteran,this site was all too familiar

for me but for Jim Cham-

pagne, Command Sergeant

Major US Army Retired,

this would be his rst.

Jim has been an avid

hunter for whitetails, up-

land birds, and bears but

this would be his rst ever

waterfowl hunt. What better

place to start than the Chey-

enne Bottoms of Kansas.

Jim and I have spent count-

less hours in tree stands chasing

whitetails and many chilly mornings in

a ground blind listening to love-sick turkeys,

and watching Jims dog, Vic, lock up on pheasants in

the fence rows and ditches of the central Flint Hills of

Kansas.

But wed never chased waterfowl together.

Jim and I met a few years ago while working on

a project, instantly became friends and now several

years later are like brothers who share the same pas-

sion in the outdoors.

When planning this inaugural weekend, we knew

we would spend some time on Jims ranch trying to

harvest a whitetail and also chase some pheas-

ants at the Ringneck Ranch, where Jim

helps guide during the season.

But it wasnt perfect until we

called our buddy, Drew Palmer.

Drew invited us to join himand his crew for a hunt in the

bottoms, which caused us a

sleepless night for sure.

Jim and I typically

enjoy a good bourbon

and cigar in the evenings

when we get together, but

this being J imsrst shot

at waterfowl, we were like

kids on Christmas Eve and

didnt get much sleep in be-

fore the 3 a.m. wake-up ca ll.

Our steaming cups lled with

coffee and the truck loaded, we

drove to Hoisington, Kansas to meet

Drew, Shaun Reid and Grant Doyle .

We enjoyed a quick ride over to the bottoms to put

the boat in and a chilly ride to an awesome spot where

the setup began. Once decoys were out and blind was

brushed, we sat back and watched the show begin.

Jim was immediately amazed as ights of birds

passed by, and we enjoyed the unforgettable sound of


Getting a friend hooked

on waterfowling!" $%& '()*%+

1810 N. Summit, Arkansas City, KS (620) 442-5650

!"#$%& () *+),$+)-. /0123 ()45+) 657 8+123.

DiVallRetail Liquor Store

H HHunting Supplies,HandHHunting Supplies, LLC!"" $ %&'( )*)+,&(- .&(/&/ 01"0!20345 13678!1!9:+( ;' !476- )&* ?7!3

!"#$!%&'$(()*+,--./0+1(2

!"#$"% '(% )(*+, -#.#/"

0%12 3 4#%5"% 6(72

!" $%&' (")) * +,-." /0,"-,12

@'/'* &CC DB E&::'(F &(,

B >+G>+&*'B(&C (++,/H


Kansas Hun

whistling wings well before shooting hours.

For now, all we had to do was sit back and enjoy

the coffee while we watched birds land and take in the

view.

I cant describe the look on Jims face when take

em was called out the rst time, but I can tell you it

was the look of a now-hooked waterfowler!

Let me back up a little and share the amazing story

of who Jim Champagne is. He isnt your average new

guy you take out for the rst time. Jim is a US Army

combat veteran with 29 years of service to this great

country.

For more than half a decade, Command Sgt. Maj.

Jim Champagne has been a leader within the 1stInfantry Division and Fort Riley. He is a veteran of Iraq,

Afghanistan, has served in various units and has sever-

al decorations including two bronze stars.

He is a true American Hero and one of the most

humble men I have ever had the privilege to know.

He is always giving back to the troops, whether it be

providing solid advice to young soldiers or helping the

combat wounded adjust to their new lives through the

outdoors.

Its truly an honor to be hunting next to this man.

We were situated, all nice and warm, in Grants

boat with custom blind and portable heaters. While

being spoiled is great, it didnt take us long to forget

about the cold and get into the weather because the

birds were doing us right and ying into the decoys.When the shooting was done, we had a nice mixed

bag of ducks and specks to b e proud of. We had some

great conversation and enjoyed great company. But

the best part was sharing this hunt with friends and a

fellow veteran.

This was the start of Jim being hooked on water-

fowl and is certain to become an annual tradition, no

matter the distance.


!"#$%&!"#$%&!!' )

&*+,$-."&+

!!' )

&*+,$-."&+!"#" %&' !(()

*+,-./ 0-.1-1

(2345264632678+. 9:.,-'4;1,-' !! ?9 @: # A9

B>C,-' -., *-@=>,-' !! ?9 @: !3 A9

Photos

5 Tips For A Stress Free SeasonContinued from page 26


15/35

It seems like almost everyday I nd myself dis-

cussing tactics, gear, and just about every element of

waterfowl hunting there is with my colleagues and

hunting comrades. The one thing that we always nd

ourselves reminiscing is our best hunts of the year, and

what made them great. We also never seem to forget

about those hunts that could have been and why we

think they didnt pan out. The longer I do this the more

I cherish the hunting itself rather than the outcome,

but that doesnt mean success isnt sweet. Here are a

few outside the box tips to make this season one youcan enjoy forever.

Give yourself a roleJust like most of you, I nd myself sharing a blind

or pit with the same group of guys over and over. By

December, we are striking on all cylinders and our

hunts resemble a group of highly-trained special ops

warghters conducting a mission. Its not a rarity for

me to hardly speak to Chase the blind builder or

Shaun the decoy technician besides our usual pre-

hunt game plan huddle. Good communication can

make those sometimes-stressful pre dawn hours y

by and before you know it, the safeties are clicking

and its time to rock n roll. Most of the time we let the

scouter or the person whos seen the eld or body

of water last, design our plans. Then its a few quick

words of whos working with whom and we are off

to get the work done. Knowing each of our roles hasmade setting out 50 dozen decoys and grassing in 12ft

A-frame blinds seem like a walk in the park. This year

try to establish a role for yourself and par tners on each

hunt. Youll nd that things will come together quicker,

ultimately resulting in more hunts starting on time.

Dont abandon what worksThere are a million gadgets and gizmos in the

waterfowl world that ca n put more birds in your bag.

What they can also do is make you want to cuss and

spit when youre trying to get them to work right.

Weve all found ourselves deploying the motion duck

decoy only to have it run out of batteries or start clank-

ing with every rotation of the wings. More often than

not, we revert to the same old tried and true methodsfor motion and nd they still produce results. The

jerk string is simple and effective. Take advantage of

dependable, pre-rigged products like the RigEm Right

Jerk Rig or The Spreader from Motion Ducks. They take

the headache and the hassle of trying to hone your

homemade jerk rig into something that works just

right.

Go listen to the real dealThere is a lo t of pride and dignity i nvolved in

being a good caller for most waterfowlers. It can be a

long process to learn and become decent on a call. I

know it was for me, and I am mostly self-taught. This

year can be your biggest improvement yet! Call me

crazy, I really dont care, but I go to great efforts tolisten to live birds. Twenty minutes listening to the

real deal can teach you more than any audio CD or

recording. Every time I hear them and study them,

I pick up something new. My favorite thing to do is

roll down the windows and listen to them all talk it

up in feed elds. I am always learning new notes and

5 Tips For A Stress Free Season



!" $%&' ()*+&%

Kansas Hun

sequences from LIVE BIRDS.

There are a few subtle things Ive heard over the

years that have changed the way I look at calling. The

rst one is that less is more. My good friend Wade

Walling, a Champion of Champions goose caller, told

me Dont touch a call unless you have to. If they are

coming in your direction, let them do it on their own.

Ive screwed up more birds from calling than I ever

persuaded. Youll be shocked at how much noise 1,000

geese on a pond DONT MAKE.

The other thing Ive noticed is that both ducks and

geese have different attitudes when they are on water

vs. a eld. The only time I consistently hear geese mak-

ing constant racket on water is when they are xing

to get up. Pay attention to your calling and dont call

like a human. Real birds rarely vocalize for longer than

10 seconds at one time. Hunters often create a wall of

sound with all of their favorite notes strung together.

Those sequences can last as long as the birds are in

the air within calling distance! Truth be told, a couple

basic sounds at the right time can b ring in the major-

ity of drakes or the war y gander into your spread. Use

sequences that mimic real birds on the ground, and

arent directed at trying to persuade every bird i n the

sky to come hang out.

Get your face out of sightIt absolutely drives me nuts when I see hunters

with pale faces staring at birds ying in the distance.

First off, comparing our eyesight to theirs, we are all

Helen Keller and they are all bald eagles. I can see your

face sticking out of layout blind at 300 yards. Do you

not think they cant see you, too? A study conducted

at Purdue University found that Canada Geese have

nearly a 330-degree eld of view. To break that down

into redneck logic, that means with a slight turn of

their head they can see you 99.999 percent of the

time. Whether its face paint, a head net, or a full con-

cealment blind, get your pasty pale face out of sight.

Youll have more birds in the bag.

Unfortunately not every hunter out there operates

on the same set of e thics we do, or has the respect forthe right way to do things. I shake my head when I see

people who are so eager for attention that they post a

picture of their recent success, with a giant recogniz-

able landmark plastered behind them on Facebook.

You might as well say attention all other shady hunt-

ers or rich guys who wouldnt think twice about sliding

in the back door with o r without perm

feel free to come over here where Im at

a photographer by trade and I spend a

of time guiding as well. I have to share

to promote my work or generate futurepart of it. I also have to protect the land

ritory where I spend 70 days a year in t

I read a comment on somebody s page

limit man! Where at? It makes me wan

like the Hulk. Cmon man.

Its not fair to you, or the very gener

let you hunt their land, to have to deal

comes from you plastering your where

social media. There is a great saying in

ships, and it holds true to our way of lif

much. Do you think the best hunting tr

Americans rode 100 miles over the land

neighbors that there is 50,000 buffalo h

Rock Canyon?

Most of us operate on a good handsmall gift to o ur landowners. We dont

to pay to play every weekend. I enjoy s

share our wonderful traditions, harvest

culture on social media the RIGHT WAY

sense and think twice about posting yo

photo 10 minutes after it happened.

f p g

UPLAND GAME2014 Where they are found mostlyContinued from page 28


16/35

Welcome back, Bobwhite!"#$%$&' $&) *+$,+,# -",-.#& &/01#+% /*2 '33

Afew years ago upland game bird huntingseemed a lost art in south central Kansas.Quail populations had been declining sincethe 1980s. Changes in farming practices, pred-

-

body has a theory and theyre all wrong, in-

One factor, the impact of no-till farming, re-

mains a question. Some hunters like the stubble

Burning pastures is not a factor in the decline

of the quail population, according to several

sources. Quail live in brush like sumac and inwoods on the edge of pastures.

Pheasants, too, nest on the edges of pas-

tures. He also discounted the introduction of

wild turkeys into Kansas as a factor, although he

noted the turkeys arrived about the same time

the quail population began its decline.

But this year the quail population is surging.

Most experts look to the weather to explain the

said Charlie Swank, regional biologist for the

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tour-

Swank is based at Cheyenne Bottoms in

Barton County.

After a dismal season in 2013, following

several years of drought, nesting conditions

-

!" $%&' ('%)*+

UPLAND GAME

Photo by Bryan Eastham28 Kansas Hunter Magazine


Experienced hunters agree the key to successfulquail shooting is leading the bird. The same is truefor pheasants and prairie chickens. But hunters dontalways agree on how to do this.

For safetys sake take an open stance as you ap-proach your dog on point, says Torrence. This will re-duce the chances of shooting toward your companions.

-vated and the butt stock held just below and in front of you will mount the gun and release the safety as your

Bird shooting tipsPhoto courtesy of Mendy Pfannestiel

Photo by Todd Sauers

Kansas Hun

wet summer in 2015 have further improved habitat

and nesting conditions, bringing a 170 percent

overall increase in the quail population, according

to Swank.

Coveys in the Cowley County area have grown

is seeing up to 22 or 23 birds in a covey compared

with16 to 18 last year. In Chautauqua County to the

east quail numbers are also up, though not quite so

much, according to game warden Clint Lee.

In western counties the pheasant population

is up 70 percent, Swank said. His colleague Chris

Stout has seen an increase of 10 percent in pheas-ant numbers in Sumner and Harper Counties.

Prairie chickens are up, too.

A KDWPT spring survey of prairie chickens

found a 12-13 percent increase in numbers over

2014. Where they are found, mostly

Kansas, Chickens usually follow Phe

ulation growth.

There are places where the uplan

population has not improved, often

storms and other big storms, Swank

as far west as Clark County quail nu

over 50 percent, according to farme

er Mike McCarty.

County area, according to Tom Schn

Quail numbers are up in north-ce

ma where the states August bird su

quail per 20 miles driven compared

There is more CRP land this year wthrive. Pastures have more cover for p

Edge land has more forbs (weeds) for

Just about everyone is optimistic

2015 season.

f p g

Following through with your gun assure below the bird. Your shot will rise to meshoot so low as to endanger your dog.

Torrence only aims at male quail, whicstripe on their heads. Females have a cFind a landmark where the bird falls so

your dog to that spot.

and hurry to that spot. A wounded pheaa rat.

on any quartering shot. They are large a

KDWPT 2015 upland bird Ph t d Q il F f


17/35

QUAIL This region generally has some of the highest quail densities in Kansas; however, popula-

tions are still recovering from the severe drought conditions experienced from 2011-2013. The breeding

population index rebounded this year by 50 percent and the brood survey indicated nearly a 170 per-

cent increase in quail density in the region this summer. This region should provide good bobwhite hunt-

ing opportunities this fall. Greatest densities will be found in the central and west-central counties, with

other opportunities for this species also likely in patches throughout the region where adequate habitat

exists.PHEASANT The spring pheasant crow survey index indicated a 52 percent increase from 2014.

The summer brood survey also showed an increase of nearly 70 percent. After four consecutive years

of CRP being released for emergency haying/grazing in nearly all counties of this region, no CRP was

released in 2015, which should improve the quality and quantity of cover on these acres this year. The

best hunting opportunities will be in the northcentral and central portions of this region.PRAIRIE CHICKEN This region is almost entirely occupied by lesser prairie chickens and areas

included in the Southwest Unit are closed to prairie chicken hunting. Greater prairie chickens may occur

in very low densities within the limited area of rangeland tracts in the northeast portion of the region.

KDWPT 2015 upland bird

forecast South Central PrairiesThis region has 19,534 acres of public land, and 65,224 acres of WIHA open to hunters this fall.

Photo courtesy Nebraska Game and Parks30 Kansas Hunter Magazine

PHEASANT Severe drought pushed Kansas

pheasant numbers to record lows in recent years.

The return of rain in 2014 and 2015 has helped

restore cover, food crops, and insects (though

rainfall in eastern regions was too heavy and hurt

brood survival). Statewide, summer brood counts

are 51 percent higher than in 2014.

With more birds, hunting should be better than

last year. But recovery from the drought will require

more time. This years harvest will probably remain

below average, according to Kansas Department

of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.Northern High Plains will provide some of the

best hunting. Pheasant numbers are up 130 per-

cent from last year (though still well below aver-

age). This region showed the highest numbers of

any region this year. The most birds will be found

in the northern half of the region.

Smoky Hills should also provide good hunt-

ing. The summer brood survey was up 40 percent

compared with last year. The highest bird num-

bers occurred in the northeast and southern tier of

counties.

Glaciated Plains started well, but heavy rain

in June and July hurt broods. Roadside surveys

indicate a 48 percent decrease compared with last

year.

South-Central Prairies showed an increase of

nearly 70 percent. No CRP land has been releasedfor emergency haying and grazing this year, so the

quality and quantity of cover will be better than in

recent years.

Southern High Plains pheasant population im-

proved by 47 percent, according to summer brood

surveys. Nonetheless, densities are low compared

with other regions.

Season Dates: Nov. 14, 2015 th

2016

Youth Season Dates: Nov. 7-8 (a

younger; daily bag limit 2, possessio

Daily Bag Limit: 4

Possession Limit: 16

QUAIL Kansas quail hunters

vastly improved hunting, with some

opportunities in the Flint Hills and so

specialist for the Kansas Departmen

Parks and Tourism.

The late summer roadside brood

showed quail to be 48 percent more

statewide than last year. (Note: The

distinguish between bobwhite quail

numbers of scaled quail in the south

the state.)

Because the survey protocol cha

years ago, no long-term average ha

lished. But spring whistle counts thi

above the long-term average for tha

Weather played the biggest role

creased abundance. A severe droug

years ago, and nearly normal precipthen has led to the growth of good n

Extremely heavy rains during a critic

nesting probably limited nesting suc

of the Glaciate Plains and Osage Cu

Prendergast.Season Dates:Nov. 14, 2015 th

2016Daily Bag Limit: 8, single specie

nation (bobwhite and scaled quail)Possession Limit: 32, single spe

combination (bobwhite and scaled q

Photo courtesy Pheasants Forever

Pheasant and Quail Forever forec

Kansas Hun

Photo by Breck Ch

b t Bi d D Continued from page 32


18/35

As bird season approaches, I and most all dogtrainers can expect soon to receive familiarcalls from frustrated and bewildered dog owners.

I hear the same scenario from bird hunters

this young dog that I have been working with, and

I took him out opening day. He hunted well and

stopped hunting and all he wanted to do was fol-

That is usually met

shy, he just stopped hunt-

ing and he stayed with us

Common belief is that

a gun-shy dog runs away

or hides in a dark place.

Even though some dogs

that way, most do not.

It is true when a dog is

seek safety.

In most cases that

means he will seek his owner and stay behind him.

After all, all he has ever know from a young age is

you to be his protector and provider.

To avoid gun shyness, we need to be able to

-

tively read our dogs.

Whenever I get a call for gundog training ser-

has the dog been shot around? Most times we

target shooting with me all the time and it never

bothers him. He just lays there at our feet while we

Would it not seem unusual that a puppy that

is normally very active suddenly curls up as if to

sleep to the sound of a 1-round clip of a .45 being

emptied?

First thing we need to understand is that gun

-

ral thing for any dog. Bird dogs arent born with an

Avoidance and association are key to most

aspects of dog training but especially so when it

needs to start from day one of owning a puppy.

Today, most of our bird dogs are also the family

pet. Therefore, they sometimes live in the house

(yes, a bird dog can also

be a house dog).

Lots of times people

will use noise for disci-

pline, not realizing they

could be starting a nega-

tive association. Say the

pup gets on the couch or

worse, starts to chew on

a table leg.

Many times fami-

ly members will chase

after the pup shouting

and loudly clapping their

hands. Pup can associate

loud clapping noise as a bad thing.

Loud noise should never be used for discipline

of a bird dog and should be avoided, unless it is

associated with positive things, such as treat or

feeding time.

If the owner was to gently clap hands when

calling his puppy to him for a treat, coupled with

of the clap as days progress), the puppy begins

to associate that type of noise with good things in

life.

Start slow and low with noiseAs time goes on you can increase the volume.

When you are sure (weeks later) that the pup has

no negative association to loud clapping, you can


bout Bird DogsAvoiding gun shyness !" $%&'' (&)*+&*


start smacking two short pieces of 2x4 together,

but only at a time when he can make positive as-

sociation to the noise, such as feeding time.

Remember it is important to watch and read

your dogs reactions. If he shows no signs of re-

acting, you are doing it right. If your pup backs up

Take your time. You may have this dog for 15

years but you can ruin a good dog in an instant. If

you sense a negative reaction, you are probably

right. Dont take the chance on making it worse by

trying again just to see if you were right.

During the next several feeding sessions re-

duce the volume of the noise, or create more

distance between the pup and the source of the

noise.

FireworksNothing can cause fear in a dog like loud,

the night sky.

Just think about that for a moment. How is a

dog to understand this activity? With all the ac-

tivity of the kids running around with excitement

ramped up. The noise and the light must seem like

nothing our pup has ever known. This needs to be

avoided with young dogs. Find a kennel or a safe

place far away from Fourth of July celebrations.

Gun ranges/back yard target shootingThis is no place for a young bird dog to be. Not

until you have made the proper association to gun-

the shooting.

Even thunderstorms can be a contributing fac-

tor to gun shyness, particularly if a young dog is

-

derstorms or is itself gun shy.

Remember dogs learn by association. A dog

cant learn by watching an older dog. But a dog

can make association to another dogs action, beit bad or good.

Puppies like competition. Just as when one

dog might chase a ball, most times the pup will

want to also. This can be helpful when introducing

the gun.

It is important to remember to start slow and

intro, you will only want to shoot a c

with a starter pistol or a small calibe

(.410 or 22).

Its best to have someone else d

maybe a couple hundred yards awa

should be at least 5 months old whe

this process. By now most pups will

when thrown.

Again, an older dog can be very

for the pup. When you have the dog

throw the ball. When both dogs are

and the object you have thrown is a

Watch closely for a reaction in th

Repeat this exercise one more time

now. If you see a reaction in the pup

all means do not repeat the action.

Put the gun away and work on b

positive association to the game of f

next session, you may need to have

farther away or just smack the 2x4s

Another approach, sometimes into the previous exercise, is to take p

pasture or hay meadow, somewhere

of birds such as swallows, meadow

tails and the like.

Let him chase birds and have a g

Kansas Hun

Photos b

Co


Get that Thanksgiving tur


19/35

Watch him and read him. When he is in full chase,

focused on a bird, as long as he is several yards

youre doing your job well.

Repeat the exercise one or two more times,

then stop until the next session.

as a deterrent to chasing birds, but rather a collat-

-

dom shot, he should be looking for a bird. When

you have achieved this you are ready to begin your

gundog training.

Remember, start slowly. This is education, andthat should never be rushed. Just as in our chil-

dren and ourselves, dogs learn at their own indi-

vidual speed.

Finally and most importantly: When bird season

comes around, do not take your green dog out to

hunt with a bunch of gunners and dogs.

and a lot to absorb. To most young dogs, opening

day in western Kansas can seem like the Fourth of

July.

12 gauges over his head. This is a sure way to

training down the drain.

-

rience. Savvy bird hunting buddies will understand

that this is a young dog, and only one or maybe

encounters.

gun shy dog, not all is necessarily lost. Gun shy-

on the severity and if a total fear of birds has de-veloped.

I would recommend you let a professional train-

er evaluate and help work through the problem.

Good luck with your new hunting best buddy.

Remember, with p roper education and training,

you and your pup will have many good years

Scott Johnson is a professional trainer with

more than 30 years of experience in gun dogs and

outdoor shooting sports.


!"#$"%&')*#+%#,"*#

- .*/0"12

345 671, 8,9 :+%;

!"#$"%&'< => ?@3A?

?4B;443;4C43

+"1",D"#$"%&';E*2

!"#$"%&')*#+%#,"*#

- .*/0"12

345 671, 8,9 :+%;

!"#$"%&'< => ?@3A?

?4B;443;4C43

+"1",D"#$"%&';E*2

!"#$%&" (% !)*+)"#,-!"#$ &" "'&(&)*+,*- ."+-,*-/

0$(&)'0)*&a

kansas hunter fall 2015

Documents