Successful Kansas Turkey Hunting
Kansas spring turkey hunting has been a good option for our turkey hunters for as long as most can remember. The very oldest of our Kansas hunters will tell the classic “…back in the early days…” stories how there was not much to talk about and the occasional wild tom harvested by a local boy would certainly be something to pass about the Co-Op. That appears to have been 25 years ago.
How times and Kansas turkey hunting have changed. The talk now is not about any one turkey hunter tagging a single Kansas tom. The talk the last many years and currently is along the lines of how fast anyone filled both tags, beard and spur length and if one or both were Eastern or Rio Grande continuing with where the Rio and Eastern line has shifted and who harvested a hybrid. Not really the type of information we were seeking for this article, but a good example of how our spring turkey season has developed.
The intent for this article was to present what new to MAHA self guided turkey hunters may want to know about how to setup their first Kansas spring turkey hunt, especially the non-resident turkey hunter that has never experienced Kansas and its open terrain. To that end a while back we started collecting information from our older Kansas turkey hunters what are the components to a successful hunting trip. The idea was how to prepare our growing numbers of non-resident members for their first spring season hunt. The response was a whole lot less about Kansas spring turkey season hunting techniques and more about how to put the mechanics of the hunt together.
What we found out was that talking to our experienced do it yourself turkey hunters was that tagging a tom was taken for granted and of less concern than which motel has the cleanest rooms or which Kansas county has the largest flocks. This of course was not what we were looking for. We soon found it more beneficial to talk to our newest hunters or those between one and three seasons of hunts under their belt and limited the discussion to Kansas spring turkey. Their lessons learned were still fresh and contained the information they would have like to have heard first from others before experiencing it themselves. To that end we have a short listing of what they considered the most useful for those new to our area. Their answers focused on specific to Kansas habitat, scouting and how to setup.
Not paying attention cost us a picture of birds in the roost late on a gloomy day scouting trip in this non-descript and now vacant tree pictured as much out of frustration as to its complete ambiguity.
The droppings below the tree shows this to be a routine roost tree of long standing on a small interior pasture. We were distracted looking farther down the small farm lane watching deer when the flock lets us know they were there by scattering deeper into the creek bottom and waiting to do so only when we were right on top of them.
The basic answer to the first question we posed to our do it yourself turkey hunters of what it takes to be successful in Kansas was to learn the land - meaning the habitat.
We found this meant different things to different hunters and was largely contained to that most Kansas hunters are coming from big woods states and hunting the Kansas' big wide open was a bit of a shock that at first stymied the hunt.
These were turkey hunters that far more frequently would hear a tom before ever seeing one in their home state. The converse they found was far more frequent in Kansas where long range visibility often lends to scouting by binocular rather than a common big woods tactic of walking logging roads and listening for gobbles.
While this advantage was not lost on the first year MAHA turkey hunting member, it did develop a sense of overconfidence with the follow up being a range of specific to our Kansas spring turkey hunter failures. These failures largely lead to the misreading of the flock’s home range and a longer learning curve at how to identify a roost area versus daylong movement area.
Early in the season scenes of Kansas turkeys and habitat.
A tom on the prowl for hens. The roost on this lease was to the rear of the camera along a creek bottom. Flydown was always to the open ground. The same flydown area was frequented during the day by individual birds.
Talking habitat is one of the most beneficial aspects of this web site. In this case we'll use this quote from a recently new resident:
"A lot of outsiders think of plains states as a flatland, but many of the remote areas of the best habitat and bird populations that will rival the best of the states in the country. The high side of the rivers and tributaries have have timbered bluffs that boarder crop fields and the birds are easy to pattern once they are located."
The hand written notes on the back of each picture said, photo one: "Scott -Turkey. My hunting buddies first time hunting Rios, limited out. Not bad for 2-5 yrs old. Longtime hunting buddies. Plenty of turkeys. Somewhere in Kansas."
Photo two: "Sid-Turkey. Thanks for a great Rio hunt. First time hunting Rios, plenty of turkeys and Gobblers, nice landowner Place: somewhere in Kansas."
Text for photo three: "Sid - Largest Eastern I've ever took, 24.5 lbs, 1 ¾ spurs, 10” beard. Somewhere in Missouri P.S. weather was terrible but a great hunt due to amount lots of turkeys."
These pictures are from a time when the only pictures to be had were on paper.
The common wild turkey story was along the lines there were turkeys just about everywhere they looked and never where they were regardless of moving between setups. This changed once the hunter learned to roost the flock during the last hours of daylight rather than attempt to pattern all day long activity. A significant key.
After this was assimilated success rates increased in terms of fewer days to harvest and increased number of hunters filling both tags on a single hunt. This success was largely due to setting up to ambush off the roost and the need to stay put rather than move. However, this one step forward was met with continuing trail and error.
The next Kansas turkey hunting error (while we identify this as a Kansas error it is an error some will make in most places) was that after learning the value to roost a flock the hunter would then be a bit over exuberant and press in too close for an early morning setup at the roost.
This was detected by the stories of how the hunter would be well within easy hearing range and sight of the flock in the roost trees, watch them flydown, and the turkeys seemingly disappear slowly moving away from where the hunter had setup.
These Kansas turkey hunters would go on to say how they would try to get as close to the roost as they thought they could get to gain a quick shot off the roost before the birds dispersed for the day. It was not long until these same hunters learned on their own to move their setup to the anticipated strutting areas away from the roost and within sight of the roost. That learning typically took two years of turkey hunting experience and notably from former run and gun type turkey hunters.
By the time we spoke to the third year self guided hunters most of these failings had given way to far more effective hunts taking less time and having eyes on more birds. Any failure to fill any desired tag was more a result of simple mistakes such as moving too soon, bad shot or spending too much time on other activities such as deer scouting.
The realization at this point for the do it yourself Kansas spring turkey hunter is that with this Association giving the advantage of returning years of turkey hunts that is the very attitude for turkey hunting success. The first year turkey hunter best serves himself if he works for years of Kansas turkey hunting to come rather than solely concentrate on that first season. This is a case of hindsight.
What wild turkey hunters that do seek their own turkey hunts find in their previous experience is a gypsy like travel pattern seeking turkeys in variable locations without ever finding any one locality suitable for return visits. These same hunters typically had been public lands hunters shunning guide services and putting up with that competitive beat the other guy mentality hoping that other guy would never show up. The reality of public lands hunting as all who tried it will agree is to accept seeing other hunters.
Our map sheets showing the acreage on county road maps. In this case 3,060 acres on individually numbered properties ranging from 80 to 640 acres. Actual map sheet is 8x11.5 inches.
All Association land is presented on such map sheets that together number close to 200 on an online map library that all members have access to.
The only difference between the acreage on one map sheet to another is the number of farms we can post to a single sheet of paper before we begin to shrink the map size to the point the bi-focal generation may begin to have trouble reading them.
Another common approach, and more difficult to find, was a private rancher willing to provide some type of hunting lease arrangement. Again variable results were achieved and many were short term until the rancher received a better offer or the hunter grew tired of the same spots.
With MAHA that same turkey hunter finds a return each season hunt to a known spot as well as the adventure of exploring new areas. Being able to return consistently to the same areas allows for that desired increasing levels of success while retaining the adventure of exploring three states. Three states may not seem like much, however once entered into they suddenly become big when taking them a quarter section at a time.
Of those self guided Kansas spring turkey season hunters that hunted the Rio Grande Turkey region common comments were about how the Rio tom looked to be as big as any other turkey species they had hunted but once weight and beard measured they were typically on the smaller size. Weights reported were around the 20 pound mark and most beards under 10 inches. Many of these Kansas hunters had only Easterns for their earlier hunting career and the Rio Grande Turkey was their first of another species. The second most common comment was that the Rio tom seemed easier to call and decoy in than their earlier experiences which largely centered on big woods Eastern birds.
Overall, of those that hunted the youth turkey season and the regular reported a lower likelihood of returning for the youth only season the following year so as the father and youth could both hunt during the regular Kansas turkey season. This was motivated by seeing many turkeys through out the year and the lack of hunting pressure stated as not seeing another hunter in the field, not hearing another shot and an the occasional hunter that was encountered was frequently so in the motel parking lot.
Good example how distant glassing/scouting pays off. We are just over the ridge from the road. These birds would not have been seen by anyone driving by.
Another view of the same lease from a higher elevation making it look much different.
The pond at center right is the only water for as far as we could see on this lease. A not so small point when turkey and deer scouting.
There was some confusion over the interchangeable terms of the Kansas spring turkey hunting tag and permit as well as management units. On the turkey tags they are distributed by units with zero to 2 tags available per turkey management unit (distinct from deer units) over the last several years. Both tags are for over the counter purchase and may be done so by walking up to the sporting goods counter in any Wal-mart and many small town grocery store customer service desks as well as online.
On the Kansas management units for fall season they range from dividing the state up into as few as 2 and as many as 4. That difference between the fall and spring has always been an issue and further complicated by their mis-match to the deer management units. The only answer is to read the state regulations just before every hunt.
Pretty much all realized the need to purchase a new, as to the calendar year, basic license and have it in possession along with their turkey licenses.
Several turkey hunters offered not just for Kansas spring turkey but that for Missouri and Iowa that a ground blind of natural material made on the spot or a man made one was especially useful. The particular conditions motivating these comments was the amount of time the turkeys were in the open and working toward the setup.
The turkey hunter without concealment had to be more disciplined at remaining still for a longer period of time than what many were accustomed to. For those hunters that started without a blind they all pretty much employed one by their second turkey hunting trip. This relates back to the largely open habitat common to Kansas turkey habitat compared to Missouri.
A few do it yourself turkey hunters stated they initially planned to hunt counties they found record statistics for. Many changed that plan the next year as they were able to find a good selection of toms just about every where they hunted having frequently opted to hunt where they planned to deer hunt that fall.
Several told of having eyes on toms that either had exceptional beards or were noticeably larger in size. Many of these birds were not harvested. It appeared during the conversation that many of the spring turkey hunters were more willing to harvest an acceptable tom rather than hunt for one of the more exceptional birds they had seen during the hunt.
Almost all of the first year spring turkey hunting members did use aerial photographs and reported them useful for determining property lines during the hunt.
None believed the aerials did much good for finding roost locations while some of the new to afternoon strutting area turkey hunters reported they gained a better understanding of strut area selection when combined with boots on the ground roost observation. Hunters with three years of Kansas spring turkey hunting were less likely to use aerial photographs.
A nearly universal comment concerned the leisurely pace of our wild turkey hunting.
Hunters were able to employ their turkey scouting and hunting effort without pressure real or imagined. That was an experience lacking compared to their home state. Many reported it was common practice for jakes to be shot in their home state spring season. With MAHA a jake harvest soon was no longer a consideration.
Starting with their first spring trip they observed plenty enough mature toms that shooting a jake was soon removed form their mind. The more experienced turkey hunters further reported that coming back to hunt the same land lease farms allowed them to spend less time scouting and start turkey hunting earlier in their trip.
The final Kansas turkey hunting preparation comment we actually looked for as confirmation we screened for the right hunters was the ones that told they had or would have had a good hunt regardless of filling a tag or not. The good turkey hunt was described as no pressure, plenty of birds and enjoying the solitude of the field.
Overall, the view point of those we spoke to was that of Kansas self guided hunts it was a good experience enough to earn a planned return the next year. Many commented the return hunt would be to a new area as the long season was a good time of the year and activity to enjoy the added adventure of new ground exploration.
Association Turkey Hunter Feedback
John, Jon, and Shaun:
Rex checking in on an unexpected youth turkey hunt this past weekend. It was our spring break week and I have never went shed hunting, so our family decided to forgo Florida this year and try some shed hunting/scouting this year.
It turned out to be very productive as we found a complete dead deer with horns, guessed him at pushing the 150" mark. It could have been shot at by another member and not found. We also found several halves of racks while searching. But the real prize was finding out that Kansas has a spring youth turkey season which we were not expecting. Wouldn't you know it we didn't bring any turkey gear.
To make a long story short, we tried to buy a gun at Walmart but they would not sell because of residency laws, so I convinced a resident in the parking lot to loan us a guy and he was very nice, fixing Austin up with a nice browning semi auto. We bought a cheap 10$ decoy and a 4$ mouth call along with the license and were in business.
The end of the trip was just as exciting as the first as my son Austin was able to harvest his first gobbler. The hunt was very exciting for him, he said his heart was beating hard, just like when a trophy buck is coming in, however he kept his composure and harvested the gobbler cleanly with one shot. It had a 10" beard and 1" spurs.
Enclosed are some pics of the horns and turkey, thank you so much for providing us with quality turkey hunt at the end of our spring break trip in Kansas.
Sincerely, Rex and Austin
