KS Hunter 2015

Kansas Hunter 

FALL 2015 

4 Days of Fury 

Waterfowl migration turns into epic hunting 

trip for group of five. 

Pg. 18 

Check out our Departments 

6 NEWS and EVENTS 

12 DEER HUNTING 

18 WATERFOWL 

26 UPLAND GAME 

35 PREDATORS 

37 NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 

41 TRAPPING 

44 EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS 

50 EXTRA SHOTS 

54 READER PHOTOS


Dear readers, 

Welcome to the first edition of Kansas Hunter magazine. Thank you for checking us out. Inside, you will find in-depth 

stories, information and photos about hunting in Kansas. We hope you find it both useful and interesting, and that it reflects 

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, which we 

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

Kansas Hunter is based on Colorado Hunter, which a sister newspaper company helps produce for Western Colorado. 

Starting a magazine from scratch isn’t easy. We could not produce such a high-quality publication without support from 

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

I’d like to specifically thank Drew Palmer, owner of Mile North Outdoor Company, who provided expert guidance and 

contributed 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 keep up 

with the progress of our 2016 issue. We can’t wait to see your latest hunting photos for the next Reader Photo section. And 

we welcome feedback and suggestions. Just email daseaton@arkcity.net, or call me at 620-442-4200. You can also comment 

on Facebook. Happy reading, and happy hunting! 

David A. Seaton 

President, Winfield Publishing Co. 

Writers 

Drew Palmer 

Steve Gilliland 

Tom Claycomb III 

Dave Seaton 

Rob Watson 

Scott Johnson 

David Allen Seaton 

Photography 

Drew Palmer 


Scott Johnson 

Brian Broom 

Donita Clausen 

fotosearch.com 

Tom Claycomb III 

Dan Torrence 

Bryan Eastham 

Todd Sauers 

Pheasants Forever 

Nebraska Game & Parks 

Lakeside Taxidermy 

Oklahoma Department of 

Wildlife Conservation 

Composing/creative 

Ken Burrell 

Marsha Wesseler 

Kay Batdorf 

Advertising 

David Newman 

Marsha Wesseler 

David A. Seaton 

Arty Hicks 

Teresa Abrams 

Rebecca Cox 

Shelly Tapia 

GROUSE 

CREEK LODGE 

5 Bedroom - 2 Bathroom Lodge 

for Nightly Rentals just 

North of Dexter, Kansas 

• Full Kitchen 

• Laundry 

• Mudroom 

• HUGE Living Room with 

Directv and Ping Pong Table 

For advertising information: 

call 620-221-1050 or 620-442-4200 

or email marsha@winfieldcourier.com 

or daseaton@winfieldcourier.com 

To get a copy mailed to you: 

call David A. Seaton 620-442-4200 

or email daseaton@arkcity.net 

Kansas Hunter Magazine 1

Kansas Hunting Seasons 

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 

SNIPE 

Sept. 1 to Dec. 16 

WOODCOCK 

Oct. 17 to Nov. 30 

SANDHILL CRANE 

Nov. 11 to Jan. 7, 2016 

PHEASANT/QUAIL 

Nov. 14 to Jan. 31, 2016 

Youth: Nov. 7-8 

GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKEN 

Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and Nov. 21 to Jan. 31, 2016 

TURKEY 

Fall 2015: 

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

Spring 2016: 

Spring Youth/Disabled: April 1-12, 2016 

Spring Archery: April 4-12, 2016 

Spring Regular: April 13 to May 31, 2016 

WATERFOWL/GEESE 

Canada: 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/DUCKS 

High 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 

SQUIRREL 

June 1 to Feb. 28, 2016 

RABBITS (Cottontail & Jack rabbit) 

Open year-around 

CROW 

Nov. 10 to Mar. 10, 2016 

DEER 

Youth 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 

SAFE HUNTING RULES 

1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded. 

2. Control the gun’s 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 ammunition 

is carried. 

5. Never point a gun at anything you don’t 

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. 

8. Never shoot at water or a flat, hard surface. 

9. Store guns and ammunition separately, 

out of reach of people unfamiliar with safe 

gun handling. 

10. NEVER handle a firearm or attempt to 

hunt while you are affected by alcohol or 

drugs. 

2 Kansas Hunter Magazine

Contents 


Fall 2015 

Features 

8 

| 3-Species Classic Hunt 

16 

12 

| Deer Myths Debunked 

14 

| The Power of the Finger 

18 

22 

| 4 Days of Fury 

| Getting a friend hooked on waterfowling 

47 

50 

| A Change of Scenery 

| Making your own sausage 

26 

| Welcome back, Bobwhite 

30 

| ‘bout Bird Dogs 

35 

33 

| Get that Thanksgiving Turkey 

35 

| Predator hunting — the wily coyote 

41 

44 

| Scratch that trapping itch 

| A Slice of Humble Pie 

Departments 

6 NEWS and EVENTS 

12 DEER HUNTING 

8 

18 WATERFOWL 

26 UPLAND GAME 

35 PREDATORS 

37 NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 

41 TRAPPING 

44 EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS 

50 EXTRA SHOTS 

54 READER PHOTOS 


Start ‘em young 

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. The 

adult may NOT hunt. 

Youth/Disabled Deer Season: September 5-13, 2015 

is a season for youth 16 or younger or anyone who 

has a disability hunting permit to hunt deer. Resident 

youth 16 years old and all nonresident youth must 

have a hunting license unless exempt by law, as well as 

a valid deer permit, and youth must be accompanied 

by an adult 18 or older. 

All resident and nonresident permits are valid 

in this season, and all permit, unit, and equipment 

restrictions 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 supervision 

of an adult 18 or older. The supervising adult 

may 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 equipment 

under the supervision of an adult 18 or older. 

(Information from Kansas Department of Wildlife, 

Parks and Tourism. Visit ksoutdoors.com, or consult the 

2015 Kansas Hunting Atlas or 2015 Kansas Hunting 

and Furharvesting regulations summary.) 

New hunting rules for 2015 

iSPORTSMAN ELECTRONIC DAILY HUNT 

PERMITS 

At designated wildlife areas, paper card daily hunt 

permits have been replaced with electronic hunt permits 

through iSportsman. The electronic permits will be more 

convenient for hunters and much less labor intensive for 

area managers. Information gathered through the permits 

helps managers to provide the best possible hunting 

opportunities. 

Hunters can register to create a user-account at any 

time by logging on to https://kdwpt. 

isportsman.net. Before hunting, a hunter 

simply checks in, providing a log-in ID 

online with a computer or smart phone 

or by phoning with a cell phone or landline. 

After the hunt, hunters use the same 

method 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 of 

those requiring hunters to obtain free Electronic Daily 

Hunt Permits: Benedictine Bottoms, Berentz/Dick, 

Bolton, Buck Creek, Cheyenne Bottoms, Clinton, Elwood, 

Hillsdale, Jamestown, Kansas River, La Cygne, 

Lovewell, Lyon, Marais des Cygnes, McPherson Wetlands, 

Melvern, Milford, Neosho, Noe, Perry, Texas 

Lake, Isabel, and Slate Creek Wetlands. 

The electronic permits will replace the paper card system 

currently in place. 

DOGS TO RETRIEVE BIG GAME 

Dogs may be used to retrieve big game animals. 

Dogs may be used to retrieve dead or wounded big 

game animals with the following restrictions: each dog 

shall be maintained on a hand-held leash at all times 

while tracking the big game animal; an individual 

tracking big game animals outside of legal shooting 

hours shall not carry equipment capable of 

harvesting the big game animal; and each 

individual harvesting a big game animal 

shall be limited to the equipment type for 

the permit and season that is authorized. 

Each individual participating in the 

tracking 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 that 

allows the harvest of an antlered deer may still purchase 

up to five whitetail antlerless only (WAO) permits and 

one antlerless only (AO) permit, the units in which they 

are valid and the extended WAO seasons are new for 

2015-2016. 

Consult page 20 f the Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting 

Regulations Summary. 


Public hunting areas in south-central Kansas 

Butler SFL 

Phone: (620) 876-5730. 

Location: 3 miles W, 1 N of Latham. 

Acres: 320 

Camping: Yes, in designated areas. 

Boating: Yes, fishing and hunting only. 

Equipment Restrictions: None. 

Other: Alcohol prohibited. 

Cowley SFL & WA 

Phone: (620) 876-5730. 

Location: 16 mi. E of Arkansas 

City. 

Acres: 197 


Boating: Yes, fishing and hunting 

only. 


Other: Alcohol prohibited. 

El Dorado WA 

Phone: (620) 767-5900. 

Location: 2 mi. E, 1 N of El Dorado. 

Acres: 4,258 

Camping: No. 

Boating: Yes. 


Other: Swimming (jumping) prohibited 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 Oxford. 

Acres: 827. 

Camping: No. 

Boating: Yes, carry-in only. 

Equipment Restrictions: Non-toxic shot only 

Other: Electronic daily hunt permits required; 

register at www.kdwpt.isportsman.net. 

Copan WA 

Phone: (620) 331-6820. 

Location: 1/2 mi. W of Caney. 

Acres: 2,360. 


Boating: Yes, carry-in only. 


Dove Flats WA 

Phone: (620) 331-6820. 

Location: 2 1/2 mi. E, 1 N of Elk 

City. 

Acres: 206. 


Boating: None. 


Duck Creek WA 

Phone: (620) 331-6820. 

Location: 1 1/2 mi. E, 3 1/3 N of Elk City. 

Acres: 246. 


Boating: None. 


For more information contact contact Kansas Department of Wildlife, 

Parks and Tourism (ksoutdoors.com): 

Office of the Secretary 

1020 S Kansas, Suite 200 

Topeka, KS 66612-1327 

(785) 296-2281 

Pratt Operations Office 

512 SE 25th Ave. 

Pratt, KS 67124-8174 

(620) 672-5911 

Region 3 Office 

6232 E 29th St. North 

Wichita, KS 67220 

(316) 683-8069 


NEWS and EVENTS 

Quail and Pheasant lovers 

flocking to Kansas City 

Quail Forever is taking its annual celebration 

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® 

Ammunition as the presenting 

sponsor. As the premiere 

quail event in the country, 

Quail Forever is urging 

hunters and members 

to take part and have a 

voice for quail conservation 

efforts. 

“Quail Forever 

will take a prominent 

role at our 2016 convention, 

and we invite 

quail hunters and 

chapter members to 

join us for a celebration 

of wildlife habitat 

conservation,” said 

Howard Vincent, president 

and CEO of Quail 

Forever. “In addition to the 

convention, Quail Forever is 

celebrating its 10th anniversary 

- this is a special milestone and one 

we wish to celebrate with all quail hunting 

supporters.” 

National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2016 

will be the nation’s largest tradeshow and convention 

for upland hunters, landowners, sport dog 

trainers, and wildlife habitat conservationists. 

The event will feature quail-specific themes 

with a Quail Summit hosted on Feb. 20, as well 

as more seminars, vendors, and hunting gear 

designed with quail hunters in mind as part 

of “Quail Country,” the event’s newest 

exhibitor area. 

Early bird registration deadline 

is Dec. 1. Visit pheasantsforever.org 

for more 

information or call 877- 

773-2070. 

“From the wild 

game cooking stage to 

the landowner habitat 

help room, every aspect 

of the show will 

have a quail infusion 

this year,” said Brad 

Heidel, director of corporate 

sales for Quail 

Forever. “We look forward 

to the attendance 

of hunters throughout 

the nation as we elevate 

the status of quail conservation.” 

More about the show: 

Quail hunters are encouraged 

to suggest vendors. “Quail Country” 

booth space is being offered at premium 

prices with advertising included in the Quail Forever 

Journal. For more information regarding vendors 

or booth space, contact Gerry Cliff, Pheasants 

Forever and Quail Forever’s corporate sales 

representative, at (763) 350-7362 or email. 


Blue Valley Wildlife Area 

created through conservation partnerships 

More than 1,000 acres opened to public hunting 

News release 

Upland bird hunter have more room 

to roam at the Tuttle Creek Wildlife Area 

in Pottawatomie County. 

Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, the 

Kansas 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 Wildlife 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 outdoor recreation. 

The 484-acre acquisition expands Tuttle Creek 

Wildlife Area to more than 12,600 acres, permanently 

conserving tallgrass prairie in the state’s 

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 Pheasants Forever’s 

first “Build a Wildlife Area” land conservation partnership 

project in Kansas. 

The “Build a Wildlife Area” program, is a proven 

model of fundraising, protecting wildlife habitat 

and securing a permanent place for the public to 

enjoy hunting, fishing and the outdoors. 

Just 3 percent of land in Kansas is in public 

ownership, wildlife, parks and tourism Secretary 

Robin Jennison said. 

“When private landowners and conservation 

groups work collaboratively with state wildlife 

agencies, we are successful in our efforts to increase 

public access opportunities for outdoor 

recreation,” he said. 

Funding for the Tuttle Creek Wildlife Area 

acquisition was provided by Kansas Department 

of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, federal 

funding through Pittman-Robertson Wildlife 

Restoration Act (excise tax on hunting and 

fishing equipment), Pheasants Forever’s 

“Build a Wildlife Area” program, the 

Flint Hills Pheasants Forever chapter, 

Fort Riley Pheasants Forever chapter, 

the National Wild Turkey Federation 

Superfund, the Robert Ramsdale 

Memorial, Robert Loyd — Commerce 

Trust Co., and a donation 

from the Jessie Benton Lyman Trust. 

GROUSE VALLEY 

GRILL & CATERING 

Whether you 

just came 

from the 

board room 

or from the 

deer blind, 

everyone is 

welcome at 

Grouse Valley 

Grill. 

Give us a call if you’re hungry, and 

come have a seat at our table. 

We have freshly baked buttermilk biscuits & gravy, 

crispy fries & handmade burgers & tender smoky 

brisket sandwiches, just to name a few. 

We can cater your meetings, or we can bring 

a home cooked meal to the hunting cabin. 

Randy Waldeck & Wanda Jackson 

501 Hwy K15, Dexter KS 

620-876-5617 or 620-218-1111 

Find us on Facebook at 

“Grouse Valley Grill & Grocery” 


3-Species Classic hunt 

By DAVID A. SEATON 

Deer. Turkey. Duck. 

Hunt them all, over three consecutive days in 

southeast Kansas. 

That’s 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 ringneck 

hunts. It kicks off in 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. 

“It’s 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. Goodcents 

restaurant chain, developed 

Timber Hills Lake Ranch into a hunting 

and fishing destination and wants to promote 

Kansas as an outdoor mecca. 

With help from the Fort Scott Area Chamber of 

Commerce, and the Department of Wildlife, Parks and 

Tourism, plans are coming together for a unique experience. 

The 3-species hunt will include hunting locations 

throughout- 

out southeast Kansas. Other 

fitters are on board, Bisogno 

said. Hunting will be 

done on ranches and 

farms. Each hunter 

will be accompanied 

by a host or guide 

during the three 

days. 

Southeast Kansas 

is well known as being 

trophy buck territory. 

“We’re really trying to 

allow people all over the 

world, and the United 

States, to know that 

if you’re looking 

for a great trip, an 

outdoor adventure 

— hunting, fishing 

— Kansas is the place 

to look.” 

The Governor’s One 

Shot Turkey Hunt in Eldora- 

do, 

and the Governor’s 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 activity 

in the more rural parts of the state,” DWPT 

director Robin Jennison told Kansas Hunter. 

Guests who fly in for the event can 

hunt Friday afternoon, Saturday, and 

Sunday morning before flying out. 

Hunters can choose their weapon 

— bow, rifle or black power for deer. 

Bow, shotgun or rifle for turkey. Shotgun 

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 first 3-Species Classic in Kansas will be kept 

small and by invitation as a test run to develop a 

larger, public event in the years to follow, Bisogno said. 

Outdoor and adventure people are being invited this 

year, along with some government dignitaries. 

The banquet in Fort Scott on Saturday, though, will 

be 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. 

“It’s really about building commerce, building tourism 

and building a community that is proud of what 

they do.” Bisogno said. 


Gear That Works 

Every fall and winter hunters roam the aisles of outdoor stores browsing the racks and asking the golden 

question, “does this really work?” Here are my “it’s worth it” picks for the fall that will cost you some money but 

won’t leave you disappointed. 

Thermacell Heated Insoles MSRP $134 

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 fit for the artic 

circle. It’s time to invest in some technology that works and works incredibly 

well. Thermacell’s Heated Insole is the answer. They are completely wireless and 

rechargeable, making ease of use a breeze. Drop them in your favorite pair of 

boots and make numb toes a thing of the past. They feature a 5-hour continuous 

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 fit, giving you added versatility 

to fit in all your different shoes regardless of the situation. Don’t 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. 

Scent Crusher Ozone Gear Bag MSRP $199 

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

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

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

technology to kill bacteria and virus that cause odor. You may be thinking that’s 

a fancy line of fluff, but it’s backed by science. Ozone, or 03, is the tri-atomic form 

of oxygen. 03 is one of nature’s most powerful oxidizers and is extremely effective 

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

charger allowing you to step out of your vehicle ready to hunt scent free. Available 

at most major outdoor stores or online. 

Rig’Em Right Shell Shocker XLT Blind Bag MSRP $89.99 

For the diehard waterfowler who likes to be prepared for everything, 

this is the bag for you. Rig’Em Right knows how to make quality 

gear, and this bag is a testament to that. This bag was designed 

with the modern waterfowler in mind and it makes organization 

easy. We all know what our blind bags look like on opening day vs. 

the last day of season. The Shell Shocker XLT is large and built like 

a tank. It boast features like a built-in hard case for sunglasses, an 

internal ammo compartment, and specialized cell phone pocket giving 

you the freedom to hunt hard all year without having to fight a 

messy blind bag. Quit relying on cheap gear and invest in a bag that 

is made for years of mud-filled, ice-breaking mornings. 

Available at most anywhere top of the line waterfowl products are sold. 

By Drew Palmer 


“THAT’LL HOLD A CUP-A-JOE. 

OR A GALLON 

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Even the most offensive spills are no match for X-act Contour TM 

truck and SUV floor liners. The patented Form-Fit Edge TM will 

contain a mistake better than any other liner on earth. Add to 

that our StayPut Cleats TM and Lifetime Guarantee and you can 

go right ahead and drink your decaf soy hazelnut latte on that 

logging road we call life… You’ve got Husky Liners. 

HUSKYLINERS.COM 

10 Kansas Hunter Magazine 

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Our Stone Barn is a Fabulous Venue for 

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flinthillsadventures.com 


DEER HUNTING 

Deer myths debunked 

Brian Broom 

The Clarion-Ledger Outdoors Editor 

Myths about wildlife are probably as old 

as man, and deer hunting has more 

than 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 probability 

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 said 

it is also rare for a yearling spike to remain a spike in 

adulthood. 

“It’s 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 — ‘I’m glad we got that management 

buck out of the gene pool,’” Strickland said. 

Removing what are considered to be inferior bucks 

from properties is a common practice and many believe 

it will improve the herd’s genetics, but Strickland 

says culling management bucks won’t do it. 

“Culling is an ineffective tool,” Strickland said. “The 


...deer movement 

around a full moon 

is squirrely,” 

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

dad. 

“You can’t control the mother’s ability to produce 

above-average fawns.” 

At the same time, Strickland said culling 

can improve the herd. Removing a 

mature six-point, 200-pound eating 

machine is a good idea because the 

groceries he’s consuming can go to 

other deer with greater potential. 

Full moon folly? 

Many events in the wild are attributed 

to a full moon and some still 

feel it affects the rut, but Lann Wilf, Mississippi 

Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and 

Parks Deer Program leader said that’s not the case. 

“No, absolutely not,” Wilf said. “There have been 

multiple studies done, and they don’t correlate.” 

Wilf explained that instead of a lunar event, it’s 

solar. 

“It’s photoperiod,” Wilf said. “It’s length of day.” 

Although a full moon does not affect the rut, Wilf 

said he believes it does factor into deer movement. 

“I’m just going to go on record as saying deer 

movement around a full moon is squirrely,” Wilf said. 

“Personally, I don’t like hunting around a 

full moon. They just don’t do right.” 

Among most hunters, the explanation 

is that deer move more during the 

night with a full moon than other nights, 

but Wilf isn’t so sure about that. 

“They move a lot on a full moon, but I’ve seen 

them move a lot on other nights,” Wilf said. “Nocturnal 

movement is going to be dictated more by other factors 

than the full moon.” 

Even though Wilf believes the full moon does alter 

deer movement, he said food availability, hunting 

pressure and weather have much greater impacts. 

The old, barren doe 

Continued on page 13

Continued from page 12 

Another 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. “She’s going to have fawns ‘til she can’t — and 

that’s usually when she’s dead. 

“If you’re waiting on a doe with no fawns, you’re 

going to be waiting a while unless you’re hunting a 

really stressed deer herd.” 

Wilf said not being bred, disease and predation on 

fawns are all factors that could lead to a doe without 

fawns, but the main cause is nutritional stress. 

Food grows big racks 

Hunters routinely plant food plots and provide 

high-protein supplemental feed in their quest to grow 

big antlers, and while it is important, Wilf said it can’t 

trump genetics. 

“Nutrition allows them to express their full genetic 

potential,” Wilf said. “Now, if he’s supposed to be a 115- 

inch 8-point, that’s what he’s going to be. 

“Managing your food sources with winter food 

plots and summer food plots is not going to blow up 

every deer to 150. Even in the Delta, the average mature 

buck is only going to score 135 to 137.” 

And there are other factors that hold back antler 

growth. Wilf said drought, floods, late births and the 

physical condition of the mother at birth are all obstacles. 

Because of that, he said less than 10 percent of 

bucks make it to the 150-class, and 170-class deer are 

about as rare as NFL players. 

“Everything is working against them,” Wilf said. 

“Every stress is working against them. 

“It takes a perfect storm to create those deer.” 

Contact Brian Broom at (601) 961-7225 or 

bbroom@gannett.com. Follow The Clarion-Ledger 

Outdoors on Facebook and @BrianBroom on Twitter. 

Photos by Brian Broom 

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The Power of the Finger 

Bow hunter recommends ‘Painting the picture’ 

to optimize your bow hunting experience 

By DREW PALMER 

I can lead you to the exact 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 now, 

I would generally walk right past it while doing late 

summer or late 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 first successful 

arrow from it. 

Three, P&Y bucks out of the same tree within five 

days is pretty substantial evidence that there is “something 

going on there. 

Treestand theories 

There are a million documented theories to treestand 

setups. The real truth I’ve learned over the years 

is that every piece of property can demand different 

tactics. 

When selecting a stand location, it’s well known 

that inside corners, pinch points, creek crossings, and 

field edges all produce great results. 

But you can’t hunt those locations all year, everyday. 

To me one of the easiest places to overlook is the 

timber finger. Sometimes as bowhunters we tend to 

think only about what’s in front of us. It’s 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 

Continued on page 15 



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 finger comes 

into play, I jump at the opportunity. 

Scouting 

When scouting a new piece of property for the first 

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, preparation 

and navigation. It has features 

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 first things 

I look at on aerial maps is 

how the winds may influence 

my entering/exiting 

of possible stand setups. 

Some of the most 

prominent winds in 

south-central Kansas 

during the later part of 

October and early November are southeast and northwest. 

Northwest winds typically involve cold fronts that 

create a drop and sharp rise in barometric pressure. 

During the pre-rut times the sharp increase can get 

those nocturnal bucks on their feet and present hunters 

with an opportunity or sighting to give us valuable 

information on buck movements. 

You’re probably wondering how in the world does 

this relate to treestand strategies or setting a stand in a 

timber finger? 

There’s more of a connection than you might think. 

A more in-depth strategy for selecting stand locations 

that I preach is “painting the picture.” 

Equation 

Aerial imagery and weather forecasting help the 

experienced bow hunter anticipate how the weather 

and the stages of the season will move deer. 

We can take the things we know about buck 

behavior and look at them as an equation of sorts. We 

then take that equation and apply it to the landscape 

to give us targeted areas. 

Focusing on movements in the pre rut, we know 

that bucks in mid-fall often stay hidden. Secluded or 

secure areas that have cover, minimal disturbance, and 

mast crops for the deer to sparsely feed on, are prime 

habitat. 

They are beginning to create scrape and rub lines, 

size up their competition, and establish dominance. 

Perhaps the most dangerous thing they are doing 

is developing travel routes 

that allow them to scent 

check vast areas of the 

land for does, using the 

winds. 

Play the finger 

This is where the timber 

finger comes into play! 

Even though the timber 

finger isn’t where the 

bucks most likely spend 

all of their time, it’s where 

they spend some of their 

time when they are vulnerable 

to an arrow. 

Bucks use these fingers 

Photo by Drew Palmer in early morning or late 

evening hours to get on 

their feet and still stay out of sight. 

You could relate these locations to how single guys 

may use a bar on their way home from work. 

The thicker the cover or size of a timber finger, the 

greater chance dominant bucks may bed there to stay 

away from smaller bucks. 

As the days transition closer to the rut, you’ll find 

that bucks tend to use these fingers and thicker cover 

to lie in wait of does coming into estrus passing to and 

from bedding or feeding areas. 

This creates the perfect opportunity for us, the 

bowhunter, to fill our tag. Also, don’t count out these 

same locations for hunting the tail end of the rut. 

Bucks commonly go back to the same areas they 

frequented in the pre rut, looking for does that may 

have not been bred. 

Drew Palmer is owner of Mile North Outdoors and a writer for 

Kansas Hunter Magazine. He lives in rural Arkansas City. 


Tree Stand Tips 

Make your time in the stand pay off 

When it comes to putting your time in and 

racking up the hours in the stand, comfort 

may be the toughest adversary. 

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “if I had a dollar 

for every time this happened, or every time I did 

that, I’d be rich.” 

Well I can tell you, if I had a dollar for every 

hour I’ve spent sitting on a cramped, cold, and 

uncomfortable stand ... I’d have enough money to 

buy a truckload of good ones. 

I hear it all to often, “Man it was a gorgeous 

morning and that was a good looking spot, but I 

was just struggling to stay sitting in that stand.” 

Part of me has sympathy for when its one of 

my cheap stands, and I feel a bit guilty. 

But hey, I don’t have a semi-truck 

coming every fall delivering me the 

best of the best, either. Just like a lot 

of other dedicated bowhunters, I have 

a lot of ground to cover and have to 

make due with what I’ve got. 

So how do we find a happy medium 

between lighting your checkbook 

on fire and not being miserable in the 

tree for 10 hours? 

Invest 

Let’s be realistic. You don’t 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 sites 

based on different elements that lead 

us to believe we could see action all 

day there. 

I’ve talk about “painting a picture,” to find the 

best spot. But if you feel that 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 you’ll be blessed with opportunity. 

That brings me to my second point: Invest in 



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

absolutely amazing at how much of a difference a 

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 can’t handle the misery 

anymore, now you have a chance at maybe the 

best buck of your life at 11:15 a.m. Pack your 

lunch and a good book. 

Strategy 

Chris 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. 

“When it comes to the rut and 

planning our sets, Casey and I have a 

couple different strategies that we rely 

on. One is hunting what we call [outside 

in]. When we are hunting a farm 

we use our aerial photos religiously 

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. 

“We don’t want to make a super 

aggressive move in October and 

possibly booger that buck that may 

make a few mistakes during the rut. 

We stick to the field edges and try to 

keep our footprint on the property to a minimum. 

Once the stages of the rut progress, we 

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. 

“Those big bucks are going slip up at some 

point, but if you’re not on stand when that happens, 

then you’re not going to have a chance.” 



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: 

“Weather and technology can play to our advantage 

tremendously,” Keefer says. “We know by 

looking at the forecast when a significant weather 

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 deer 

are mentally and genetically engineered to get on 

their feet. 

“The hours between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. can be 

prime time for big bucks cruising, especially when 

the moon phase is right.” 

Both of those factors we can predict a significant 

time in advance, giving the job-steady hunter 

a chance to schedule vacation or one of those 

“sick days.” 

Trail cameras 

A bit of attention to detail can pay big dividends 

in the bowhunting world. 

Keefer also stands firm on not relying on trail 

cameras TOO much. This is somewhat against the 

trend and has some ties to old-fashioned ideology. 

“When it comes to that time of year when 

everything is getting crazy, I don’t rely on my trail 

cameras to much. 

“I think hunters get in a bad habit about only 

going off the information they get from the cameras, 

that ultimately have a very small sample size of 

what activity is actually taking place. Trail cameras 

have revolutionized deer hunting, we know that. 

“They are absolutely incredible for gathering inventory 

on which bucks are frequenting your property, 

but we can’t get dependent. Think about how 

much ground that buck covers when you see him 

chasing a doe in the rut? Of course he isn’t walking 

by your camera at the same time everyday. 

Nothing is more valuable than time in the stand in 

your best spots.” 

Gear 

The guys at Rival Wild and I both depend on 

Millennium treestands. Chris took the words right 

out of my mouth: “If you sit in a Millennium you’ll 

never want to hunt out of anything else.” 

I find a lot of truth to those words. However I’m 

not narrow minded and I’m not going to tell you 

that other companies premium stands aren’t comfortable 

and effective, because that’s just not true. 

They all work. This isn’t a sales pitch; it’s just what 

I use and what I know. 

Being comfortable keeps our mind in the game 

longer, and that is key for the crew at Rival Wild, 

and myself. 

The Millennium M-50 is my go to. I hang a lot 

of stands and do a lot of it by myself. That brings 

safety into play. Being 20-feet up in a tree trying 

to wrestle ratchet straps around a heavy clanking 

hang on is a bit unnerving to me. 

The M-50 eliminates that completely. It features 

the cam-lock bracket that is extremely safe, easy 

to use, and quiet. 

The bracket goes around the tree with a builtin 

ratchet strap that connects to the receiver. The 

next step is to drop the stand in the receiver, tighten 

the lower tie-down strap and you are ready to 

go. That’s it. 

Chris and Casey both spend hundreds of hours 

in the stand every fall. 

“When it comes to hanging dozens of stands 

every year, the Cam-Lock system makes life a bit 

easier,” Keefer says. 

“When me and Casey are with our camera 

crew, we are able to hang the hunter stands, take 

a camera stand with us, and we are set up in a 

minute or two, tops.” 

Game Day 

Plan your attacks wisely. Look for those precious 

weather systems that create a spike in the 

barometer and trigger the instincts of big bucks. 

Prepare the night before and pack your gear 

accordingly. A good rain jacket, a lunch you can 

eat quickly and quietly, maybe a handful of the 

kids Halloween candy, and an external phone 

charger are all items that can make a 10-hour day 

in the stand more tolerable. 

Heck, I’d be lying to you if I said I haven’t 

watched college or NFL football on my phone 

during the slow times. 

It can be done, and the rewards are so sweet. 

Get out there and put the time in, a day in the 

stand is a day well spent. 

Writer Drew Palmer is owner of Mile North 

Outdoor Company and a writer for Kansas Hunter 

Magazine. 


WATERFOWL 


4 Days of Fury 

The migration resembled a giant blizzard making its 

way across the Kansas plains. It was the end of December 

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 the 

other end stuttering on about how four birds turned 

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

field they’ve ever seen. 

The caller used words like, “epic,” “motherload,” 

and “holy grail.” It was my photographer/goose hunting 

comrade Shaun, and he couldn’t get across to me 

Photos by Drew Palmer 

fast enough that he wasn’t exaggerating the estimate. 

The next four days would be some of the most 

incredible goose hunting we’ve ever been apart of. 

I’m not going to lie. I had my suspicions about this 

gig. I was still giving Shaun grief after the last slamdunk 

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 the 

spread, after his party had already limited out. Banded 

Specks, Ross’s geese, and mondo wads of Canadas all 

filled 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 fly around in 




disarray. Part of the game. 

Day 1 

With the trailer in tow packed to the brim, we 

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

and the speakers blaring our favorite Aaron Lewis record. 

Joining me on this 120-mile trip into foreign territory 

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 birds. We were meeting the 

other half of the squad in a little town I can’t say 

around 5:15 a.m. So at 5:45 a.m. in typical fashion, we 

all staggered out of the truck. We examined the field 

and began the scramble of designing a game plan to 

get this monster spread into the right spot. With five 

of us one year removed or still active 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 field 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 doing 

when 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 finally scampered nearly 30-dozen decoys into 

place, mostly Deception Decoy prototypes and silhouettes. 

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 finally 

got settled into my cedar hide next to the blind and 

threw on my trademark green ghillie suit. It wasn’t 

30 seconds after I fired up my cameras and put my 

headphones on that I heard the first 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 haven’t 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 in guys. The 

party is here!” 

Specklebellys, which are our favorite bird to call, 

eat and hunt, were the subjects of the sarcastic dialog. 

Out of season and fluttering in the decoys. Finally 

somebody ran into the decoys, spooking them off, 

only out of fear that when the Canadas got here they 

could possibly be in the line of fire and result in a fat 

ticket from a KDWP warden. 

Things slowed down for a bit and I began to doze 

off leaning up next to my camera cases and blind 

bags. I was quickly awoken when an absolute fury of 

high-pitched noise entered my headphones. The roar 

enticed the typical chatter of goose calls in the blind, 

only to reside after a bit when Shaun yelled out, “my 

lord I can’t even hear myself think! Kord is this all of 

them?” 

The skies quickly turned into a cluster when wave 

after wave of dark geese started bombarding our 

spread. One balled up pass and several birds fell from 

the heavens, in typical fashion, sealing the fate for the 

rest of them. The main wad swung wide over the field, 

and Shaun, in his typical excited humor yelled out,“Oh 

God, they are rallying up the troops. Get ready girls!” 

I didn’t know where to point the camera as the 

viewfinder quickly turned into a black wad. I was shaking 

in anticipation. Finally, after hundreds of birds back 

peddled above the decoys, most of which were made 

just weeks earlier with our own two hands, Tory asked, 

“you think it’s about that time”? Five guns eased up 

over the top of the blind and cut into a mass of Richardson’s 

Canada geese. That familiar sound echoed 

through my headphones and I trembled with excitement 

feeling like I was 6 years old again. 

It seemed like it only took a matter of seconds, but 

in reality it was close to half an hour. Birds were coming 

in so fast we had to pass up shots to count again 

and again to make sure we were still under the legal 

limit. I had been franticly trying to get both cameras 

locked on all of this madness, as I knew it was special. 

After one volley, Chase yelled in my direction, “Hey, 

Dale, (my inside nickname) you might wanna get you 

pop gun out because Kord’less needs one more, and 

then it’s your time to shine!” I was shocked and in 

disbelief as it seemed like I had only filmed 3-4 rounds 

of shooting? After Kord picked up what was left of his 

pride and dignity (he missed three times on a single 

at point blank, on camera) he folded his last bird. I 

jumped in the blind to a bunch of jabs and one-liners 

at my absence for the majority of the hunt, as I hide in 




the bushes with my cameras. 

I quickly rattled off a few shots out of my 20 gauge, 

semi-auto and put a few straggling Canada’s on the 

ground. Just like that. The day was done. 

We didn’t even have our guns unloaded when 

somebody blurted out “so who is coming to scout 

tonight, the rest of those birds that didn’t show up this 

morning?” 

Laughter filled our 

group, and Tory happily 

volunteered. After a 

leg-cramping trek out 

of a slimy wheat field, 

we got back to the 

truck and revived our 

sleep-deprived bodies 

with some “good crack” 

as Shaun calls semi-frozen 

Gatorade. It was 

time for Chase and I to 

tag and label our game 

straps full of geese and 

head south to regroup. 

Day 2-3 

The next day we let 

the birds rest, as conditions 

were less than favorable. But that evening the 

call came. “Hey we found them, and there’s more.” 

Knowing the conditions and the large number of 

birds we had to work with, my mind shifted into overdrive 

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 filled with duck full bodies 

as well. Tory’s report from scouting the night before 

was that there were a healthy amount of greenheads 

using the cut milo field, 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 Kansas landscape, 

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 field, 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 first 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 wasn’t long before 

somebody made the 

executive decision and 

we cut into a healthy 

group of salt n’ pepper. 

Snows and Canada’s 

began to hit the frozen 

milo with a thud, and 

our spirits were rejuvenated. 

Day 4 

Just as we were debating 

what to do the 

next day, our decision 

was made for us. To the 

southeast in the shadow 

of a burning Kansas 

sunrise, a roar and massive 

cloud of birds rose 

up off some poor farmers wheat field. 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 first 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 flock of geese we had 

ever laid eyes on. 

That afternoon, Shaun and Tory put in the legwork 

using the OnX Hunt Maps mobile app and a knock 

on a farmer’s door. Once the farmer understood how 

many birds were on his field, 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 apart of a field hunt. I 

had buzzed Cale on short notice the afternoon before. 

After rounding up his gear, he quickly fled 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 field 

and stopped. We deployed a large spread of full body 

decoys and mixed in some silhouettes for added numbers. 

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 

firm grip on the Midwest the next day. Lows in the single 

digits would most likely freeze up all water, moving 

this massive concentration of birds farther south 

in 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 horizon. 

“Hey, here comes the whole neighborhood boys,” 

I shouted. Cold, sunny mornings can make hungry 

geese depart their nightly roost all at once, making 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 hadn’t 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 viewfinder of my 

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

away, and more birds backed up seemingly miles into 

the sky. 

There are two things that I’m very thankful for every 

time I get to go out and hunt: a great group of selfless 

hunting buddies, and good equipment. We had 

both of those on this hunt. Great equipment let us fool 

what I guessed to be about 2,000 to 4,000 birds into 

within 30 yards of our homemade blind. And not once 

did somebody attempt to rise up and shoot into such 

a magnificent show of Mother Nature. With Shaun and 

I “melting the memory cards” in our cameras, capturing 

some of our most incredible images, the rest of the 

crew sat wide-eyed in awe. 

It seemed like the rotating wall of geese took an 

eternity to land in the field, but it was really only 10 or 

15 minutes. The mob of geese was so dense that we 

knew we wouldn’t be able to shoot into the masses 

without going over the legal bag limits. So after both 

Shaun and I had our fill of shooting our Canons, we 

elected to wait for a good group of snows to float 

within gun range. 

Our group began picking off disoriented Lesser 

Canadas left and right as they swarmed over the field. 

Everybody filled their limit except me, because I hadn’t 

fired a shot. But that was quickly accomplished as 

several more groups of geese dumped into the Deceptions 

a few yards in front of the blind. Then, in some 

sort of fowl dream, the giant flocks of geese regrouped 

and began to swarm us again. 

We fed our growling bellies at a small-town 

Braums, just off the interstate. The verdict amongst 

us was that we might never beat the last four days of 

hunting again. We hadn’t killed more than 100 each 

day, but we didn’t have 10 guns going either. The 

success for us wasn’t measured in how many birds we 

put in the back of the truck, but in how well we could 

influence group after group of educated fowl. 

There are more great hunts ahead, but those four 

days of fury will surely remain prominent in our memory 

books. 

Drew Palmer is owner of Mile North Outdoor Company. 

He lives in rural Arkansas City. 


Getting a friend hooked 

on waterfowling 

By Rob Watson 

Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2014, was a special day for 

many reasons. 

Not only was it the celebration of all American Veterans, 

it was also the start of a different celebration, 

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 Champagne, 

Command Sergeant 

Major US Army Retired, 

this would be his first. 

Jim has been an avid 

hunter for whitetails, upland 

birds, and bears but 

this would be his first ever 

waterfowl hunt. What better 

place to start than the Cheyenne 

Bottoms of Kansas. 

Jim and I have spent countless 

hours in tree stands chasing 

whitetails and many chilly mornings in 

a ground blind listening to love-sick turkeys, 

and watching Jim’s dog, Vic, lock up on pheasants in 

the fence rows and ditches of the central Flint Hills of 

Kansas. 

But we’d 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 passion 

in the outdoors. 

When planning this inaugural weekend, we knew 

we would spend some time on Jim’s ranch trying to 

harvest a whitetail and also chase some pheasants 

at the Ringneck Ranch, where Jim 

helps guide during the season. 

But it wasn’t perfect until we 

called our buddy, Drew Palmer. 

Drew invited us to join him 

and 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 Jim’s first shot 

at waterfowl, we were like 

kids on Christmas Eve and 

didn’t get much sleep in before 

the 3 a.m. wake-up call. 

Our steaming cups filled 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 flights of birds 

passed by, and we enjoyed the unforgettable sound of 


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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 can’t describe the look on Jim’s face when “take 

‘em” was called out the first 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 isn’t your average new 

guy you take out for the first 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 1st 

Infantry Division and Fort Riley. He is a veteran of Iraq, 

Afghanistan, has served in various units and has several 

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. 

It’s truly an honor to be hunting next to this man. 

We were situated, all nice and warm, in Grant’s 

boat with custom blind and portable heaters. While 

being spoiled is great, it didn’t take us long to forget 

about the cold and get into the weather because the 

birds were doing us right and flying into the decoys. 

When the shooting was done, we had a nice mixed 

bag of ducks and specks to be 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 waterfowl 

and is certain to become an annual tradition, no 

matter the distance. 


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5 Tips For A Stress Free Season 

It seems like almost everyday I find myself discussing 

tactics, gear, and just about every element of 

waterfowl hunting there is with my colleagues and 

hunting comrades. The one thing that we always find 

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 didn’t pan out. The longer I do this the more 

I cherish the hunting itself rather than the outcome, 

but that doesn’t mean success isn’t sweet. Here are a 

few outside the box tips to make this season one you 

can enjoy forever. 

Give yourself a role 

Just like most of you, I find 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 


warfighters conducting a mission. It’s not a rarity for 

me to hardly speak to Chase “the blind builder” or 

Shaun “the decoy technician” besides our usual prehunt 

game plan huddle. Good communication can 

make those sometimes-stressful pre dawn hours fly 

by and before you know it, the safeties are clicking 

and it’s time to rock n’ roll. Most of the time we let the 

scouter or the person who’s seen the field or body 

of water last, design our plans. Then it’s a few quick 

words of who’s working with whom and we are off 

to get the work done. Knowing each of our roles has 

made 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 partners on each 

hunt. You’ll find that things will come together quicker, 

ultimately resulting in more hunts starting on time. 

Don’t abandon what works 

There are a million gadgets and gizmos in the 

waterfowl world that can “put more birds in your bag.” 

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

spit when you’re trying to get them to work right. 

We’ve all found ourselves deploying the motion duck 

decoy only to have it run out of batteries or start clanking 

with every rotation of the wings. More often than 

not, we revert to the same old tried and true methods 

for motion and find they still produce results. The 

jerk string is simple and effective. Take advantage of 

dependable, pre-rigged products like the Rig’Em 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 deal 

There is a lot of pride and dignity involved 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 don’t care, but I go to great efforts to listen 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 fields. I am 

always learning new notes and sequences from LIVE 



BIRDS. 

There are a few subtle things I’ve heard over the 

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

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

Walling, a Champion of Champions goose caller, told 

me “Don’t touch a call unless you have to. If they are 

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

I’ve screwed up more birds from calling than I ever 

persuaded.” You’ll be shocked at how much noise 1,000 

geese on a pond DON’T MAKE. 

The other thing I’ve noticed is that both ducks and 

geese have different attitudes when they are on water 

vs. a field. The only time I consistently hear geese making 

constant racket on water is when they are fixing 

to get up. Pay attention to your calling and don’t 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 bring in the majority 

of drakes or the wary gander into your spread. Use 

sequences that mimic real birds on the ground, and 

aren’t directed at trying to persuade every bird in the 

sky to come hang out. 

Get your face out of sight 

It absolutely drives me nuts when I see hunters 

with pale faces staring at birds flying 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 can’t see you, too? A study conducted 

at Purdue University found that Canada Geese have 

nearly a 330-degree field 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 it’s face paint, a head net, or a full concealment 

blind, get your pasty pale face out of sight. 

You’ll have more birds in the bag. 

Keep your immediate success off social 

media 

Unfortunately not every hunter out there operates 

on the same set of ethics we do, or has the respect for 

the 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 recognizable 

landmark plastered behind them on Facebook. 

You might as well say “attention all other shady hunters 

or rich guys who wouldn’t think twice about sliding 

in the back door with or without permission, please 

feel free to come over here where I’m at.” Trust me, I’m 

a photographer by trade and I spend a good amount 

of time guiding as well. I have to share my experiences 

to promote my work or generate future business. It’s 

part of it. I also have to protect the lands and the territory 

where I spend 70 days a year in the field. When 

I read a comment on somebody’s page that says “nice 

limit man! Where at?” It makes me want to turn green 

like the hulk. C’mon man. 

It’s not fair to you, or the very generous folks that 

let you hunt their land, to have to deal with drama that 

comes from you plastering your whereabouts all over 

social media. There is a great saying in “loose lips sink 

ships,” and it holds true to our way of life we love so 

much. Do you think the best hunting tribes of Native 

Americans rode 100 miles over the land to tell their 

neighbors that there is 50,000 buffalo hidden in Red 

Rock Canyon? 

Most of us operate on a good handshake and a 

small gift to our landowners. We don’t have the funds 

to pay to play every weekend. I enjoy seeing folks 

share our wonderful traditions, harvest, and hunting 

culture on social media the RIGHT WAY. Use common 

sense and think twice about posting your grip n’ grin 

photo 10 minutes after it happened. 



UPLAND GAME 

Welcome back, Bobwhite 

Pheasant and prairie chicken numbers up, too 

By Dave Seaton 

few years ago upland game bird hunting 

A seemed a lost art in south central Kansas. 

Quail populations had been declining 

since the 1980’s. Changes in farming practices, 

predators and the weather were all 

blamed. “Everybody has a theory and they’re 

all wrong, including mine,” said hunter and 

Brittany breeder Scott Johnson of Winfield. 

One factor, the impact of no-till farming, 

remains a question. Some hunters like the 

stubble left in fields. Others think the chemicals 

used kill too many weeds that provide 

seeds for quail. “It depends a lot on timing,” 

said one. 

Burning pastures is not a factor in the 

decline of the quail population, according to 

several sources. Quail live in brush like sumac 

and in woods on the edge of pastures. 

“Burning has gone on a long time, and 

we’ve had good quail years,” said one hunter. 

Pheasants, too, nest on the edges of pastures. 

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 improvement. “Upland game birds 

are resilient,” said Charlie Swank, regional biologist 

for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, 

Parks and Tourism. “It just takes some good 

habitat creation and some good weather to 

bring them back.” 

Swank is based at Cheyenne Bottoms in 

Barton County. 

After a dismal season in 2013, following 



Photo by Bryan Eastham


several years of drought, nesting conditions 

improved in 2014 and quail numbers were 

“dramatically” improved. Spring rains and a 

relatively 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 in size, according to Dan Torrence, of 

Winfield. He 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 pheasant numbers in Sumner and Harper 

Counties. Prairie chickens are up, too. 

There are places where the upland game 

bird population has not improved, often due 

to hail storms and other big storms, Swank 

added. But as far west as Clark County quail 

numbers are up over 50 percent, according to 

farmer/farm manager Mike McCarty. 

Pheasants are up “significantly” in the Pratt 

County area, according to Tom Schnittker of 

Pratt. 

Quail numbers are up in north central Oklahoma 

where the state’s August bird survey 

found 6.7 quail per 20 miles driven compared to 

3.4 in 2014. 

There is more CRP land this year where 

quail can thrive. Pastures have more cover for 

prairie chickens. Edge land has more forbs 

(weeds) for pheasants. 

Just about everyone is optimistic about the 

2015 season. 

Bird shooting tips 

Experienced hunters agree the key to successful quail 

shooting is leading the bird. The same is true for pheasants 

and prairie chickens. But hunters don’t always agree 

on how to do this. 

For safety’s sake take an open stance as you approach 

your dog on point, says Torrence. This will reduce the 

chances of shooting toward your companions. 

“Your gun should be at the ready with the barrel elevated 

and the butt stock held just below and in front of 

your shoulder,” he says. “Your finger should be close to 

the safety but the safety should be on. Upon the flush you 

will mount the gun and release the safety as your body 

swings through with your target.” 

It’s the moment of flush that can unnerve a hunter. “But 

that’s why we go hunting,” quipped Johnson. 

“Fix your eyes on one bird,” he says. “You have to 

Photo by Todd Sauers 

Photo courtesy of Lyle Pfannestiel 

concentrate on where the shot and the bird will meet.” 

Following through with your gun assures the shot will lead 

the bird. “If you just stop you are sure to shoot behind the 

bird.” On a straight-away shot, shoot slightly below the 

bird. Your shot will rise to meet it. But don’t shoot so low 

as to endanger your dog. 

Torrence only aims at male quail, which have a white 

stripe on their heads. Females have a cream stripe. Find a 

landmark where the bird falls so you can follow your dog 

to that spot. 

Be sure to find a landmark where your pheasant falls and 

hurry to that spot. A wounded pheasant can run like a rat. 

Prairie chickens fly fast and must be led a good deal on 

any quartering shot. They are large and easier to hit. Once 

you have the bird in your sights, “let your instincts take 

over,” says Torrence. 


KDWP 2015 upland bird forecast 

South Central Prairies 

This region has 19,534 acres of public land, and 65,224 acres of WIHA open to hunters this fall. 

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

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 percent 

increase in quail density in the region this summer. This region should provide good bobwhite hunting 

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. 


Photo courtesy Nebraska Game and Parks

Pheasant and Quail Forever forecasts 

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 year’s 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 percent 

from last year (though still well below average). 

This region showed the highest numbers of 

Photo courtesy Pheasants Forever 

any region this year. The most birds will be found 

in the northern half of the region. 

Smoky Hills should also provide good hunting. 

The summer brood survey was up 40 percent 

compared with last year. The highest bird numbers 

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 released 

for 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 improved 

by 47 percent, according to summer brood 

surveys. Nonetheless, densities are low compared 

with other regions. 

Season Dates: Nov. 14, 2015 through Jan. 31, 

2016 

Youth Season Dates: Nov. 7-8 (age 16 or 

younger; daily bag limit 2, possession limit 4) 

Daily Bag Limit: 4 

Possession Limit: 16 

QUAIL — Kansas quail hunters can expect 

vastly improved hunting, with some of the best 

opportunities in the Flint Hills and south-central 

Prairies regions, says Jeff Prendergast, small game 

specialist for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, 

Parks and Tourism. 

The late summer roadside brood survey 

showed quail to be 48 percent more abundant 

statewide than last year. (Note: The surveys don’t 

distinguish between bobwhite quail and limited 

numbers of scaled quail in the southwest part of 

the state.) 

Because the survey protocol changed four 

years ago, no long-term average has been established. 

But spring whistle counts this year were 

above the long-term average for that metric. 

Weather played the biggest role in the increased 

abundance. A severe drought ended two 

years ago, and nearly normal precipitation since 

then has led to the growth of good nesting cover. 

Extremely heavy rains during a critical period of 

nesting probably limited nesting success in parts 

of the Glaciate Plains and Osage Cuestas, says 

Prendergast. 

Season Dates: Nov. 14, 2015 through Jan. 31, 

2016 

Daily Bag Limit: 8, single species or in combination 

(bobwhite and scaled quail) 

Possession Limit: 32, single species or in combination 

(bobwhite and scaled quail) 


‘bout Bird Dogs 

Avoiding Gun Shyness 

By Scott Johnson 

As bird season approaches, I and most all dog 

trainers can expect soon to receive familiar 

calls from frustrated and bewildered dog owners. 

I hear the same scenario from bird hunters 

year after year. It is usually goes like this: “I have 

this young dog that I have been working with, and 

I took him out opening day. He hunted well and 

was doing fine, but after getting into birds he just 

stopped hunting and all he wanted to do was follow 

us around.” 

My response is usually, “sounds like you may 

have a gun shy problem.” 

That is usually met 

with “Oh, he is not gun 

shy, he just stopped hunting 

and he stayed with us 

the rest of the day.” 

Common belief is that 

a gun-shy dog runs away 

or hides in a dark place. 

Even though some dogs 

may respond to gunfire 

that way, most do not. 

It is true when a dog is 

terrified by gunfire he will 

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 

recognize the signs. We have to be able to effectively 

read our dogs. 

Whenever I get a call for gundog training services, 

one of the first questions I ask the owner is, 

has the dog been shot around? Most times we 

hear “Yes, he is not gun-shy.” 

Further questioning usually leads to, “I take him 

target shooting with me all the time and it never 

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

shoot.” 

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 

shyness is easily created and gunfire is not a natural 

thing for any dog. Bird dogs aren’t born with an 

understanding of gun fire or any loud noise. 

Avoidance and association are key to most 

aspects of dog training but especially so when it 

comes to gunfire. 

Avoidance and positive association to gun fire 

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 discipline, 

not realizing they 

could be starting a negative 

association. Say the 

pup gets on the couch or 

worse, starts to chew on 

a table leg. 

Many times family 

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 

lots of love and affection (increasing the loudness 

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 noise! 

As 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 




start smacking two short pieces of 2x4 together, 

but only at a time when he can make positive association 

to the noise, such as feeding time. 

Remember it is important to watch and read 

your dog’s reactions. If he shows no signs of reacting, 

you are doing it right. If your pup backs up 

from the noise, you need to back off. 

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. Don’t take the chance on making it worse by 

trying again just to see if you were right. 

During the next several feeding sessions reduce 

the volume of the noise, or create more 

distance between the pup and the source of the 

noise. 

with great distance. In the first few sessions of gun 

intro, you will only want to shoot a couple of shots 

with a starter pistol or a small caliber, quiet gun 

(.410 or 22). 

It’s best to have someone else do the shooting 

maybe a couple hundred yards away. A puppy 

should be at least 5 months old when you begin 

this process. By now most pups will fetch a ball 

when thrown. 

Again, an older dog can be very encouraging 

for the pup. When you have the dogs’ attention, 

throw the ball. When both dogs are in full chase 

Photos by Scott Johnson 

Fireworks 

Nothing can cause fear in a dog like loud, 

screaming exploding things that fly and light up 

the night sky. 

Just think about that for a moment. How is a 

dog to understand this activity? With all the activity 

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 shooting 

This is no place for a young bird dog to be. Not 

until you have made the proper association to gunfire. 

Leave him at home or at least far away from 

the shooting. 

Even thunderstorms can be a contributing factor 

to gun shyness, particularly if a young dog is 

kenneled with another dog that is terrified of thunderstorms 

or is itself gun shy. 

Proper introduction to gunfire 

Remember dogs learn by association. A dog 

can’t learn by watching an older dog. But a dog 

can make association to another dogs action, be it 

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 

and the object you have thrown is at the apex, the 

gunner should fire. 

Watch closely for a reaction in the pup. If no 

reaction is noticed you are off to a good start. 

Repeat this exercise one more time, then quit for 

now. If you see a reaction in the pup to the gun, by 

all means do not repeat the action. 

Put the gun away and work on building the 

positive association to the game of fetch. In your 

next session, you may need to have the gunner 

farther away or just smack the 2x4’s together. 

Another approach, sometimes in succession 

to the previous exercise, is to take puppies to a 

pasture or hay meadow, somewhere there are a lot 

of birds such as swallows, meadowlarks, scissor 

tails and the like. 

Let him chase birds and have a good time. 




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

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

away, fire a shot. If the reaction is nonexistent, 

you’re doing your job well. 

Repeat the exercise one or two more times, 

then stop until the next session. 

Your goal is for the dog to not associate gunfire 

as a deterrent to chasing birds, but rather a collateral 

side effect. Ultimately when he hears a random 

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, and 

that should never be rushed. Just as in our children 

and ourselves, dogs learn at their own individual 

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. 

The first time out in wild birds can be confusing 

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

day in western Kansas can seem like the Fourth of 

July. 

When he gets into that first covey or sees his 

first wild Pheasant take flight and cackle, the last 

thing he needs is to have two or three guys firing 

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

completely flush all your hard work and careful 

training down the drain. 

His first time out is to be a positive joyful experience. 

Savvy bird hunting buddies will understand 

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

two shots should be fired with is first several bird 

encounters. 

Should all else fail and you find yourself with a 

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

can often times be fixed. It largely depends 

on the severity and if a total fear of birds has developed. 

I would recommend you let a professional 

trainer evaluate and, help work through the problem. 

Good luck with your new hunting best buddy. 

Remember, with proper education and training, 

you and your pup will have many good years 

afield. 

Scott Johnson is a professional trainer with 

more than 30 years of experience in gun dogs and 

outdoor shooting sports. 

Welcome To Winfield! 

Home to outstanding lodging, 

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it’s a great 

place to live, 

work, thrive 

and HUNT! 

Winfield 

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& Tourism 

123 East 9th Ave. 

Winfield, KS 67156 

620.221.2421 

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Get that Thanksgiving Turkey 

By Steve Gilliland 

vastly underutilized and thus under-enjoyed sport 

A here in Kansas is fall wild turkey hunting. We ourselves 

have only hunted fall turkeys a couple years out 

of the last 10. 

The problem seems to be with the time of the year. 

This year’s fall turkey seasons run from Oct. 1 through 

Dec. 1, 2015, then Dec. 14 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016, 

almost four months of hunting opportunity. 

During spring turkey season, fishing and bow 

fishing are about the only other games in 

town. However, during these nearly four 

months of the fall season, one can also 

hunt doves, ducks, and geese, participate 

in the early season youth deer hunts, hunt 

deer with bow and black powder, trap and 

call predators, not to mention high school 

and college football, soccer, girls volley ball 

and basketball. Do you see the problem? 

Fall turkey hunting has its perks. Besides fresh wild 

turkey, the temperatures are cooler, which means fewer, 

if any bugs and ticks and NO mosquitoes. 

There are more opportunities to harvest a bird 

since the turkeys are grouped together in their winter 

flocks, which can easily number in the hundreds in my 

part of the state. 

But perhaps the best perk of all lies in the fact that 

fall turkey regulation allow for the harvesting of hens 

too. That means that any wild turkey that walks past 


your stand can go onto the dinner table. 

Fall turkey hunting strategies are much different 

also. No longer can we use the gobblers need for love 

against them as we can in the spring. During the fall 

and winter the “boys” are sort of just one of the girls, 

and dominant hens actually rule the roost (pun intended 

of course.) 

Just as in the spring, turkeys travel routes and 

times are somewhat predictable from day to day, so 

one strategy for hunting them in the fall involves 

setting up a ground blind somewhere 

along their daily route and simply ambushing 

them. 

Another popular approach to hunting 

fall turkeys relies on their social need to flock 

together. It has been proven that when a big 

group of turkeys is suddenly startled, causing 

them to split and fly in numerous directions, 

not only will they eventually group back together 

again, but they will often re-congregate at or very near 

the precise spot where they split. 

Let me explain. If hunters spot a large group of fall 

turkeys somewhere near good cover, they can either 

run toward the flock, causing them to fly helter-skelter, 

or send a dog running into the flock to cause the same 

outcome. They can then conceal themselves in the 

cover nearby, fairly confident that the flock will re-con- 



Fall Turkey 

Season: Oct. 1 through Dec. 1, 2015 and 

Dec. 14, 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016 

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise 

to sunset. 

Legal Equipment: Shotguns using shot 

sizes 2-9; long, recurve or compound bows 

and crossbows. 


gregate where it split, giving them good shots. 

I have an excellent turkey calling CD by Lovett 

Williams, PhD and one of the country’s leading wild 

turkey biologists. He devotes some of the CD to fall 

hunting tactics and explains how dominant hens call a 

flock back together after having it scattered, and plays 

actual recordings of the calls and sounds turkeys use 

to accomplish that. 

If you are a purist and insist on calling turkeys in 

the fall as well, you can learn these sounds and theoretically 

call a scattered flock of turkeys back together. 

Right into your lap if you are well camouflaged. 

To me, fall turkey hunting is less frustrating than 

spring hunting because the finicky nature of the 

gobblers is not an issue. This makes it an ideal time to 

introduce a youth, your wife (or husband) or your girlfriend 

(or boyfriend) to Kansas wild turkey hunting. 

Remember, no ticks, no mosquitoes and many 

turkeys! So to put a wild turkey on the Thanksgiving 

table this year, or just to try something different for a 

change, try Kansas fall turkey hunting. 

Permit Limit: Each hunter may obtain no 

more than one turkey permit, which is valid 

in units 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. 

Residents and nonresidents who purchase 

a turkey permit may also purchase up to 

three additional turkey game tags valid in 

Unit 2 only. 

Fall turkey permits and game tags are valid 

for both male and female turkeys. 

Dogs may be used in fall season. 

Bag Limit: One turkey, either sex, per permit 

or game tag. 

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@ 

gmail.com. 

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PREDATORS 

Predator hunting — 

By David A. Seaton 

An avid bird hunter, Brian Love became and 

avid coyote hunter after walking long distances 

became difficult. 

Now, he enjoys dressing in full camouflage and 

finding a spot in a big pasture in south-central 

Kansas, where he can call in the wily predators for 

a good shot. 

“We have some of the best predator hunting 

around,” Love said of this region. 

Love will sit 30 to 45 minutes, waiting for ‘yote 

to appear, before moving to another location. 

There can be a quick burst of excitement when 

the appear. 

“You get a little bit bored and then the adrenaline 

rushes,” Love said. “The coyote comes from 

1,000 yards away.” 

With no season and no limit, coyote hunting 

requires only a regular hunting license. If you want 

to trap or sell the fur, however, you’ll need a furharvester 

license. 

The basic method to gun-hunt these plentiful, 

but elusive, predators, is to call them in, using 

electronic or hand-held devices to mimic injured 

rodents or fawns, coyote pups or birds. 

A feather or rabbit tail decoy can also help. 

One hunter says even a “plastic bag” can work. 

Find a comfortable spot, even amid the grass 

along a ridge and make your calls. Then wait. 

Galen Kleymann started coyote hunting about 

2000. He runs Flinthills Adventures. Predator hunting 

television shows seem to have boosted interest 

in the sport, he said. 

“I’m a quail hunter by trade, and it never hurts 

to thin out the coyotes,” Kleymann said. 

Coyotes are smart and can be hard to kill. For 

everyone three coyotes that come in, you’ll see 

one, Kleymann said. 

Once you have hunted one location, coyotes 

the wily coyote 

catch on and stay away. 

“They’re wily,” Kleymann said. “They’ll circle 

your wind. They’re very cautious.” Especially a 

mature male. 

Those are the prized kills, though, and they can 

provide nice pelts that fetch a higher price. Most 

animals that Kleymann and his clients harvest 

don’t have great pelts to sell, he said. Many guys 

are looking more for a good mount, he added. 

Population control is another good reason for 

coyote hunting. Cattle ranchers, and Kleymann is 

one, don’t really need to worry about them taking 

down calves. 

The ‘yotes like to eat the afterbirth, and will 



Season Dates: All year 

Possession Limit: No limit. 

No closed season for trapping or hunting coyotes. 

Motor vehicles and radios in vehicles may be used 

to hunt coyotes only. Furharvester license required 

to trap and sell; hunting license required to hunt. 


even wait around for a cow to give birth for that 

treat. 

Coyotes control rodent populations, Kleymann 

said. 

“You dont want to kill them all,” he said. 

They’re a “valuable part of the ecosystem.” 

A few years ago, the Kansas Department of 

Wildlife and Parks debated whether to limit the 

coyote hunting season because of concerns that 

some hunters were breaking certain rules to hunt 

deer, claiming they were coyote hunting. 

But the rules did not change. Coyote hunting 

still is allowed year round. 

Love, though, prefers to hunt in cold weather, 

when it does not interfere with deer season, and 

when there aren’t any chiggers. 

The predators are hungrier in the winter, he 

added, and “you can fool them a little easier.” 

Love said he basically taught himself how to 

hunt coyotes, and he sees the sport catching on. 

“It’s amazing how many predator hunters 

there are.” 


NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 

Oklahoma Hunting Seasons 

Squirrel 

May 15 through Jan. 31 

Dove 

Sep. 1 through Oct. 31 and Dec. 19-27 

Free Hunting Days 

Sep. 5-6 

Antelope 

Archery — Oct. 1-14 (Only in open areas) 

Bear 

Archery — Oct. 1-18 (Only in open counties) 

Bear Muzzleloader — Oct. 24 through Nov. 1 (Only 

in open counties, closes when quota is met) 

Deer 

Archery — Oct. 1 through Jan. 15 

Youth Gun — Oct. 16-18 

Muzzleloader — Oct. 24 through Nov. 1 (Antlerless 

days vary by zone) 

Gun — Nov. 21 through Dec. 6 (Antlerless days 

vary by zone) 

Holiday Antlerless Gun — Dec. 18-27 (Only in 

open zones) 

Elk 

Archery — Oct. 1 through Jan. 15 (Private lands 

only in open zones, closes when quota met) 

Youth Gun — Oct. 16-18 (Private lands only in 

open zones, closes when quota met) 

Muzzleloader — Oct. 24 through Nov. 1 (Private 

lands only in open zones, closes when quota met) 

Gun — Nov. 21 through Dec. 6 (Private lands only 

in open zones, closes when quota met) 

Holiday Antlerless Gun — Dec. 18-27 (Private 

lands only in open zones, closes when quota met) 

Turkey 

Fall Archery — Oct. 1 through Jan. 15 

Fall Gun — Oct. 31 through Nov. 20 (Only in open 

counties) 

Youth Spring Turkey — Apr. 2-3 (2016) (statewide, 

excluding Southeast Region) 

Spring Turkey — April 6 through May 6 (2016) 

(statewide, excluding Southeast Region) 

Youth Spring Turkey — Apr. 16-17 (2016) (Southeast 

Region) 

Spring Turkey — April 18 through May 6 (2016) 

(Southeast Region) 

Rabbit 

Oct. 1 through March 15 

Quail 

Nov. 14 through Feb. 15 

Pheasant 

Dec. 1 through Jan. 31 (Only in open counties) 

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Residents in Cowley and 

Surrounding Counties – 

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Oklahoma wants walk-in program 

Sooner state looks to Kansas for guidance 

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation 

is working on a plan to lease property from 

interested landowners to provide increased walk-in 

hunting and fishing access to sportsmen, the ODWC 

announced fall of 2015. 

At its September meeting, the department’s commission 

heard a presentation on 

the plan, made possible by a Farm 

Bill program grant of more than 

$2.2 million awarded to the Department 

last month. 

With more than 95 percent of 

the land base in Oklahoma under 

private ownership, the program will 

open more access to sportsmen 

looking for places to hunt and fish. 

And Oklahoma is looking to 

Kansas for guidance. Since 1995, 

Kansas has offered public hunting 

on private land by lease arrangements through the 

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. 

By 2004, more than 1 million acres were enrolled in 

Weather is a critical factor in quail and other 

ground nesting bird productivity. Most of Oklahoma 

had a mild winter and the state endured cold temperatures, 

throughout the season. 

Spring and summer rains and fewer days above 

100 degrees Fahrenheit improved nesting conditions 

and insect availability in a majority of the state, except 

the southcentral. 

After flooding events in the southern part of the 

state in May, the southcentral region endured 6-7 


the program. 

“We sent a few biologists up to Kansas to see how 

they do it, so that we might figure out how we might 

go about” it, Joey McAllister, biologist at Kaw Wildlife 

Management Area, told Kansas Hunter magazine. 

Officials with ODWP say the details of lease agreements 

and plans for the program 

are in the early stages of development, 

but special emphasis may be 

placed on lands in close proximity 

to populated metro areas as well as 

on species for which there are few 

existing public opportunities. 

According to Russ Horton, 

wildlife research supervisor for the 

Wildlife Department, the agency 

anticipates making access to new 

properties available to sportsmen 

by as early as fall 2016. 

“Additional details on this program will be forthcoming 

as we move through the planning stages,” 

Horton said. 

Oklahoma quail forecast 

Previous 26 year 

Average 

Statewide 

Northeast 

Northcentral 

Northwest 

Southeast 

Southcentral 

Southwest 

2014 

Average 

5.8 

3.4 

3.4 

8.04 

4.6 

2.22 

13.8 

August 2015 

weeks of little moisture. This likely had an effect on 

reproduction and is why numbers are lower in that 

region. 

It appears the habitat and weather conditions were 

favorable for early nesting attempts in most of the 

state, as most quail were at least ¾ grown. 

The increased rainfall increased vegetative cover 

along the roadways which can restrict the visibility of 

quail during the survey period. 

— Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation 

2015 

Average 

3.8 

1.43 

3.4 

7.6 

0.0 

0.62 

8.92 

6.21 

2.0 

6.7 

13.6 

1.5 

0.1 

13.1 

Average number of quail seen per 20 miles during the August Quail Roadside Survey.

Kaw Wildlife Area 

Hunt waterfowl, whitetail and more in region’s largest public hunting area 

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Management 

owns or licenses more than 1 million acres of public 

hunting land; 16,000 acres of that is an easy drive from 

south-central Kansas, at the Kaw Wildlife Area. 

If you include the Army Corp of Engineers’ managed 

land, about 30,000 acres around Kaw Lake is open to 

hunters. 

There is another 4.341 acres available to hunters on 

the Kansas side of the Kaw Wildlife Area, managed by 

the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Tourism. 

Hunters at Kaw can harvest whitetail, turkey, dove, 

quail and waterfowl. Furbearers can go after predators 

such as coyote, bobcats and raccoons. 

Joey McAllister, the biologist for Oklahoma’s Kaw 

Wildlife Management Area, said waterfowl is probably 

the most popular game to hunt at Kaw. Mallards, 

pintail, widgeon and teals are among the ducks that 

hunters seek the most. 

“If you’re here on the right day, you could almost 

see every waterfowl that is available to harvest .. that 

runs this central flyway,” McAllister said. 

One outdoor writer called Kaw a “waterfowl wonderland.” 

During hunting season, McAllister said he’ll see 

license plates from Texas, the Carolinas. Both east and 

west coasts. 

“They come from all over,” he said. “That’s primarily 

during duck season.” 

The deer archery season runs Oct. 1 to Jan. 15. 

When muzzle and other firearm seasons are closed, 

there is abundant hunting ground for archers. 

“If you’re a bow hunter and you don’t like hunting 

around other people, you have an a lot of opportunity 

here at Kaw,” McAllister said. 

$142 — Small game non-resident license fee in Oklahoma 

$75 — Small game non-resident 5-day hunt 

$280 (each) — Deer archery, deer gun, deer primitive non 

resident 

$10 — Waterfowl nonresident 

See wildlifedepartment.com for more details 

Oklahoma Deer harvested in 2013 

Kay County 

(Excludes Kaw WMA) 

Kaw WMA 

ARCHERY BUCKS 

ARCHERY DOES 

GUN BUCKS 

GUN DOES 

MUZZLE BUCKS 

MUZZLE DOES 

TOTAL BUCKS 

TOTAL DOES 

GRAND TOTAL 

11,337 

10,103 

30,9402 

20,648 

9,920 

5,061 

52,197 

35,812 

88,009 

110 

92 

426 

307 

89 

57 

625 

456 

1081 

16 

25 

73 

63 

28 

23 

117 

111 

228 

Source: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Management 


Oklahoma Trophies 

Bear 

Jean Thomison, of Copan, Okla., kneels behind her 

black bear on Oct. 2, 2014. The bear’s skull scored 19 

8/16, becoming the first state-record black bear listed 

in the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s 

Cy Curtis Awards Program. (Photo provided by Lakeside 

Taxidermy) 

Antelope 

Todd W. Bradley of Kismet, Kan., is the newest record 

holder for pronghorn in the Oklahoma Department of 

Wildlife Conservation’s Cy Curtis Awards Program. His 

buck, taken Sept. 21, 2006, in Cimarron County, scored 

85 points. The department announced the record in 

July 2015. (Photo courtesy ODWC) 

Mule Deer 

Chandler Henderson stands with his mounted 

state-record mule deer at the 2015 Backwoods 

Hunting and Fishing Expo in Oklahoma City. He 

took the deer in Cimarron County with a bow in 

November 2014. The deer scored 191 7/8 inches. 

(Photo courtesy ODWC) 


Elk 

Dale, Okla., resident Mark Thompson holds the antlers 

of his Cy Curtis Award-winning elk after his successful 

once-in-a-lifetime controlled hunt in 2013 at the Wichita 

Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Thompson’s elk is Oklahoma’s 

first state-record elk. (Photo courtesy ODWC)

TRAPPING 

By STEVE GILLILAND 

Scratch that trapping itch 

In 2005, I trapped for the first time since my youth, 

some 30 years ago. 

Back then my brother and I ran a typical schoolboy 

trap line in central Ohio, catching mostly muskrats 

and ‘coon, with an occasional fox and mink. 

Obviously there were no tapes, DVDs, websites or 

email, and if state and national trapping associations 

existed, we knew nothing of them, let alone have the 

opportunity to attend their conventions. 

A few books were available, but the best printed 

resources were magazine articles, which we pored 

over time and again. Also back then I was fortunate 

enough to be taken under the wing of an experienced 

old trapper who had trapped on our property. 

As I prepared to re-enter the trapping ranks several 

years ago, I was again fortunate enough to find a 

couple local trappers willing to share (most) of their 

wisdom with me. 

And once again, I began browsing magazines and 

was astonished at the amount of educational material 

available. I feel I have become quite adept at finding, 

selecting and using trapping educational tools 

and materials, and I’d like to share some of what I’ve 

learned to help you new and inexperienced trappers. 

because every reputable trapping supply company 

advertises there, and every issue is chock full of great 

“how-to” articles. 

A subscription to the Trappers Post magazine 

comes with an annual membership to our Kansas Fur 

Harvesters Association. 

The third year I trapped here in Kansas I purchased 

a coyote trapping book written by Mark June, a professional 

trapper who catches unbelievable numbers 

of critters each year. At the time he trapped mostly on 

farmland and sand hills pastures like the country that 

surrounds my home. 

That next year my coyote catch went from three to 

Magazines, books, videos and more 

I will always remember the first red fox I caught 

when I was just learning, more than years ago. I had 

read in a Fur Fish and Game magazine about how all 

canines are drawn to objects that stand out in the 

landscape. 

The trap was in a big pile of trash left after cutting 

a field of soybeans, and after several days of checking 

an empty trap, there was a beautiful red fox awaiting 

me one morning. I caught my first grey fox that year 

also, again using a scent-post set I had read about in 

Fur Fish and Game. 

The media I found most useful as a kid is still just as 

useful today. Magazines are perhaps the best way to 

begin your search for trapping educational resources 

more than a dozen by following his advice. When ordering 

books and DVDs, try to order from authors who 

trap in terrain and country comparable to the terrain 

and country where you will trap. 

For example, a book or a video about trapping 

bobcats in the high deserts of New Mexico would not 

be as helpful to me here in the farmland of south-central 

Kansas, as something written or filmed about 

trapping in comparable farm country. 

Something else to be aware of when building your 

trapping resource library is the fact that with each new 




author you choose you also get a new set of ideas on 

how to do certain things. This confused me at first, 

but as I sorted through the plethora of information, I’d 

find common threads that all authors agreed upon. I 

learned to pay special attention to these basic common 

denominators, and I’d log most other information 

in my “memory file,” labeled “Experiment with These 

Ideas to Find What Works Best For Me.” 

Leap into the computer age 

The Web is a wonderful thing and all trapping 

organizations and reputable trapping supply companies 

today have websites, and many of these sites 

have help lines, discussion forums, classified listings 

and other links that allow registered users to ask and 

answer questions, participate in on-line discussions 

about pertinent trapping subjects, and buy and sell 

equipment. 

These sites put you in touch with fellow trappers 

across the country and around the world. I guarantee 

that somewhere out there are other trappers who 

have the same problems, questions, solutions and 

concerns as you, and these tools allow you to find and 

communicate with them from the keyboard of your 

computer. 

Four good trapping websites to get you started are 

www.snaremantalk.com, www.trapperman.com and 

www.sullivansline.com, and American Trap Talk. 

Join, associate and demonstrate 

The second year I trapped in Kansas, I met Bob 

Redeker from Emporia at the Kansas Fur Harvesters 

convention that fall. We hit it off and I felt like he kind 

of took me under his wing, even though we lived and 

trapped over a hundred miles apart. 

Bob has caught more than a hundred coyotes 

numerous years and gave me his phone number and 

told me to call any time. I took him up on that phone 

call that same year when I encountered a coyote that 

messed with me incessantly by digging up my traps 

and doing everything but getting caught. 

Bob told me a trick he often uses to catch coyotes 

like that and two days later a big, mean, snarling male 

coyote awaited me in that trap. 

I use that trick every year to snag a coyote or two 

that I might not ever catch had I not met Bob at the 

convention. The National Trappers Association (NTA) 

and the Fur Takers of America (FTA) are both national 

trapping organizations that have annual conventions 

each summer in cities around the U.S. 

In fact, the FTA convention is coming to the Douglas 

County Fairgrounds in Lawrence, Kan., July 7-9, 

2016. 

Our state trapping organization, the Kansas Fur 

Harvesters, hosts their annual convention the first 

weekend of October each year, this year in Seneca, 

Kan. While on a smaller scale, they provide the same 

quality trapping instruction to those in attendance. 

Some of the presenters will be local master trappers, 

and even though they may not be recognized as 

having authored books or filmed videos, their instruction 

can be invaluable because they understand the 

local conditions and terrain that affect your success. 

I strongly urge you to join your state and the 

national trapping organizations to help them in their 

quest to educate both trappers and non-trappers alike. 

Check out the Kansas Fur Harvesters at www.kansasfurharvesters.com. 

Buddy-up for success 

Mr. Wolfe drove an old 1950s vintage, dark-green 

Ford car. I can still see him seated behind the wheel 

wearing hip boots and a big coat with lots of pockets, 

and wearing a pistol on his side. 

He’d pull into the drive, get out and open the trunk 

to show me what he had caught. The trunk would 

contain a mix of traps and stakes, muskrats, coons’ and 




an occasional mink. 

I remember feeling pretty pleased that this old 

man would take the time to stop and show me his 

catch. A stream traveled the entire length of our property, 

continuing on for a few miles before winding its 

way back around to cross our land a second time. 

As I remember, Mr. Wolfe trapped that stream for 

years. When I was in my early teens, he began taking 

me along, and I was hooked on trapping. Yes, Mr. Wolfe 

was the old trapper I mentioned in the beginning, who 

took me under his wing when I was a kid. 

For my money, there is no better way to learn to 

trap than to be mentored by someone who is already a 

knowledgeable, ethical and successful trapper. 

There is only one proven way to become a better 

trapper, and that involves putting traps into the water 

and into the ground, continuing to use what works 

until a better way presents itself, and discarding what 

doesn’t work in favor of something that does! 

As helpful as they are, no book, video, DVD or convention 

demonstration can take the place of spending 

time afield learning to know and understand the 

animals you hope to trap. 

So read some books, watch some DVD’s, check 

out the websites, find an experienced mentor to help 

you learn the basics and spend time afield — and may 

your stretchers be full! 

And all you experienced trappers hold up your end 

of the deal and find someone who wants to learn to 

trap and take them along this year! 

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@ 

gmail.com. 

Trapping ‘Quick Tips’ from Steve 

• There is no better advice to give to a beginning 

trapper than to “set your trap where the 

critters will be.” Predators and furbearers roam far 

and wide, but look for tracks and droppings to tell 

you where they frequent the most and set your 

traps there. 

• Spend as much time finding the furbearers 

and learning everything possible about them and 

their lives as you do setting traps to catch them. 

• When trapping bobcats, come prepared with 

an extra dose of patience. Remember, they’re just 

big house cats and house cats thrive on indifference; 

that’s what they do. So set your trap in the 

right place with good smells and something gaudy 

to attract their attention and the rest is up to them. 

• As a trapper, don’t ever be afraid of making 

a mistake. Try new things but don’t ever totally 

abandon what you know works. If you make a mistake, 

figure out what went wrong and fix it. I learn 

more from the mistakes I make than I do from what 

worked right. 

• Be very careful to keep bait and lure smells 

away from your traps. Dirty and contaminated 

traps cause canines to dig to find them, and once 

they do you’ve created a monster that will never 

stop digging for your traps until caught or killed. 

Trapping season info 

Badger, bobcat, mink, muskrat, opossum, 

raccoon, swift fox, red fox, gray 

fox, striped skunk, weasel: 

Season Dates (statewide): Nov. 18, 2015 

through Feb. 15, 2016 

Season Limit: No limit 

Coyote: 

All year. No limit. 

Beaver and otter (Trapping only) 

Season Dates: Nov. 18, 2015 through March 

31, 2016 

Season Limit: Two otter per trapper. 

No limit on beavers. 


EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS 

By Drew Palmer 

A Slice of Humble Pie 

Stalking pronghorns in Western Kansas was more than this experienced bow-hunter bargained for 

I just recently returned home from a Do- 

It-Yourself, over-the-counter antelope hunt to 

western Kansas. 

The idea started several years ago with 

an interstate daydream on the way back from 

a baseball game. 

Over time, that thought developed into a 

plan for a weekend adventure that my father 

and I embarked on in mid-September. 

In the weeks leading up to the hunt, 

I prepped for long range shots out to 60 

yards, and envisioned shooting out of a 

ground blind on a nice pronghorn over water. 

I imagined drawing from awkward positions 

after executing a tactical stalk along slight terrain 

on the Kansas prairie. 

I spent time reading up on Western hunting 

tactics for antelope, such as using the Heads Up 

decoy to get within range of a rutting pronghorn 

buck, and planning your stalk for where they are 

going, not where they are when you spot them. 

All of this wonderful knowledge that I soaked 

in was great, except for one problem: It proved 

useless. 

Total shock 

In reality, western Kansas was farther from any 

mental image that I had imagined. 

There was no rolling grasslands with terrain 

perfect for stalking. It wasn’t dry with an occasional 

water tank that every pronghorn had to drink out 

of. 

No, it was actually insanely dry, with irrigation 

pipes on crop circles everywhere, that any pronghorn 

could drink out of at anytime for miles. 

I take a lot of pride in being an above average 

shot with my bow. I have confidence in it, and 

know my limits. I also feel confident in being able 

sneak up on anything using the winds and sparse 

cover. 

My confidence in both of those skills was 

quickly shattered with just a few practice arrows at 

40 yards in 40-mph winds, and the first 10 feet of 

my first stalk. 

If there is a trick to shooting an accurate arrow 

at 40 yards with a 40-mph crosswind, I’d pay a 

few Benjamins to learn. 

To make things worse, what little cover there 

was to stalk a goat was covered by the meanest 

thorns, spines, and every other miserable sticker 

you can think of. 

Within the first few hours of the hunt, I was in 




total shock. 

This was my first time hunting antelope. And I 

can’t offer any words of wisdom to those attempting 

to fill a tag in Kansas with a bow. 

My only other pronghorn experience was driving 

across the state of Wyoming on my way to the 

Oregon Waterfowl Festival and seeing hundreds of 

them, if not thousands. 

I can, however, tell you about a few of their 

characteristics. For starters, they cover an insane 

amount of ground and seem very territorial doing 

it. 

The hunt 

One morning we watched two giant bucks run 

each other full-speed across the land, leaving a 

dust trail in their rearview. 

They covered half of the section in what 

seemed like seconds, only to return in a few minutes 

at blazing speeds across the bare dirt field. 

This is when I began to smell the humble pie I 

would eventually be served. 

My one opportunity came in a rush during the 

midday hours. I was glassing an area that I thought 

may provide a strategical advantage for stalking. 

It was an abnormal narrow field with standing 

milo on both sides that could provide an avenue 

for me to close the distance. 

A very respectable buck walked my direction 

within bow range of the milo. 

My first thought was “this is to good to be 

true.” My next thought was “that’s a long, nasty 

half-mile mile crawl through the milo.” 

But as my father used to tell me, “can’t never 

did anything.” Halfway through the taxing, 

hunched-over crawl, I looked up and saw a speck 

of white and a dust trail on the horizon. 

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and 

“Well, there goes my goat.” 

I put my Leupold’s on to see that it was another 

buck coming to challenge the buck I was after. 

They quickly engaged in a high speed race around 

the field. 

This provided an opportunity to close the distance 

in a hurry, so I stood up a little taller and began 

a semi-stealthy power walk through the milo. 

I guessed my buck had a doe bedded out of 

sight, and I was right. Luckily, she stood up about 

80 yards from me facing the other direction. 

I’m sure my reaction looked like I was shot by 

sniper fire as I hit the deck instantly. I was greeted 

by that wonderful feeling of dime-sized stickers 

and thorns entering all of my extremities. 

After several loose curse words and a few 

groans, I picked out the ones I could find and 

collected my thoughts. As I eased up into the milo 

heads to get a view of the goats, I noticed a second 

doe starring at the race still going on in the 

field. 

Great, two more eyes to spot me closing in. 

The an arrow and a prayer 

Another hour of crawling and I was nearing my 

effective range. 

The dominant buck had run off the challenger 

and returned to the area to smooth up things with 

his girls. He bedded down facing me and the does 

about 35 yards off the field edge. 

Over the next 30 minutes, I had successfully 

closed the distance to 20 yards from the does and 

roughly 30-yards from the buck. 

A sly smirk crossed my face as I couldn’t believe 

I had pulled that stalk off to get within range. 

It took another few minutes of getting the 

cramps and aches out of my body by laying flat in 


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the milo. I then tried to gather my breathing and 

get mentally ready to execute a perfect shot. 

My focus was quickly interrupted by a goat 

noise I had never heard, and a doe standing just 

a few feet away on high alert looking the other 

direction. 

I looked up to see a scene that looked like 

something out of a movie: 14 goats on the horizon 

and one huge buck sizing up his competition. 

It was now or never. 

I hadn’t even grabbed my release before my 

buck took 15 hard steps the other direction, moving 

from about 35 to 50 yards. 

The absence of a rangefinder made its value 

well known as I came to full draw. I let my magnus-tipped, 

Easton FMJ fly for what I thought was 

40 yards. 

Between the wind and the misjudged distance, 

the broadhead nicked the hair off the underside of 

the goat. 

He had no idea what or where the shot came 

from as he whirled around looking for danger. Surprisingly 

he trotted a few steps in my direction. 

I quickly regained my thoughts and allowed a 

few stressful minutes to let him and myself calm 

down. 

Just as I began to start the process of mentally 

and physically launching another arrow, my chronic 

bad luck reappeared. 

The neighbor who had been planting wheat 

on the field south of me popped over the horizon, 

spooking the big herd of goats and mine. 

I sent another arrow — with a prayer attached 

— at the goat, who was quartered away at 

what I guessed was 60 yards, still within my effective 

range. The wind, or my emotions, or both sent 

the arrow wide as it kicked up dust and the buck 

trotted away. 

Grab your cutlery Drew, tag soup and humble 

pie has been served. 

Drew Palmer, of rural Arkansas City, is owner 

of Mile North Outdoor Company and a writer for 

Kansas Hunter magazine. 

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A Change of Scenery 

Stalking ‘muleys’ out west offers fun challenge for whitetailers 


For even the most seasoned of bowhunters chasing 

elusive Kansas whitetails, mid October can become 

a bit stale. 

I myself am very guilty of putting the bow up for a 

week or two and dreaming of cooler weather. 

But there are opportunities a plenty to cash in on a 

great bowhunting adventure, and a change of scenery. 

It is commonly known that Kansas produces some 

of the biggest whitetails in the nation each year. But 

many don’t know about the great opportunity available 

to hunt quality mule deer in the western half of 

the state. 

The landscape across western Kansas is drastically 

different than the central to eastern parts. You can 

expect rolling grasslands hiding narrow canyons and 

washouts, to flat, circle-irrigation areas providing excellent 

cover and feed for big mule deer. 

Style of the hunt 

This terrain also opens up a new style of hunting 

that is exciting and very challenging: spot and stalk. 

With a new style of hunting comes a new thought 

process and a new set of skills to master. Trent Mazanec, 

a good friend of the Kansas Hunter magazine, 

makes several trips each year back to the area where 

he grew up. 

“For me returning back to northwest Kansas each 

year is something that brings me back to my roots, a 

bit of a mental escape for me,” Mazane says. “I love being 

able to cover as much country as possible and do a 

lot of glassing for bedded bucks.” 

Unlike hunting in the wooded and conventional 

terrain we often associate with bowhunting whitetails, 

covering the vast landscape in search of trophy muleys 

requires hours of meticulous glassing. 

“It’s just so different being able to hunt all day 

and have the freedom to move around,” Mazanec 

explained. “I’m not stuck in a treestand hoping something 

might walk by, I’m out there covering 4-5 mile by 

mile sections a day with my glass looking for a shooter.” 

Good optics in either a spotting scope or binoculars 

are a must. Some situations may require longer 

shots so a good rangefinder is also a must have. 

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked across 

a grassland with sparse cover with the naked eye to 

not see anything, then I look through my binos to 

see the rack of a buck bedded next to a tumbleweed,” 

Mazanec said. “They just have a way of blending into 

nothing.” 

This is where the patience and attention to detail 

come into play. These are not foreign skills for 

bowhunters, who commonly spend hours sitting in a 

treestand. 

But combing the vast openness of the mule deers’ 

habitat can be frustrating or overwhelming. 

Know your prey 

Understanding where and when to look also has 

a huge impact of your chances of success. Mazanec, 

who has multiple P&Y muleys and whitetails under his 

belt, has learned the hard way by trial and error. 

(c) natureguy / fotosearch.com 

“You got to understand what you’re looking for,” he 

said “Muley’s are most likely going to be leaving the 

feeding areas by 8:30 a.m. This is when I like to spot 

them and watch where they head to bed down for 

the day. That gives me the best chance to get on them 

quick.” 

Over many years, Mazanec has developed a refined 

set of skills to spotting and sneaking in close to mature 

mule deer bucks. Understanding the mule deer and 

their habits has led to more opportunities and a higher 

percentage of filling his tag. 




Mule deer commonly bed in open grasslands 

where they can see potential danger coming from one 

direction, and smell it coming from the opposite. With 

nearly a 320-degree field of view, deer can spot movement 

in almost all directions. 

Hunting the open country and spotting a good 

muley buck is only the start to the saga. Playing the 

winds and executing a detailed stalk is the biggest 

hurdle in the game. 

Stalks may take several hours to sneak into effective 

bow range without being detected. More times 

then not, the buck you’re after will not be alone and 

the herd may be bedded over a 100-yard area. 

This can create a real challenge when it comes 

to eluding several sets of eyes to reach your target. 

Patience and attention to detail come into play once 

again, as spooking a big buck may lead to the deer 

leaving the area or the property you’re hunting on. 

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve just had to sit 

and watch giant bucks because there were either to 

many does with him, or there was just no way to get 

within bow range without being spotted,” Mazanec 

said. 

“Bucks of that caliber rarely make mistakes in 

regards to the wind or terrain when they bed down for 

the day. At the same time, though, he’s got to get up at 

some point and go to water or feed, and that may be 

my chance.” 

But sometimes where there is a will, there is a way. 

One of Mazanec’s favorite locations to stalk game is 

cut or standing milo fields. The hip high milo stalks 

provide the perfect blend of cover for the hunter to 

stalk in, and a seemingly false sense of security to 

bucks making their bed for the day. 

“I kinda have this BS theory that I’ve developed 

from having bucks bust me by standing up to rake 

their beds,” he explained. “I always want to close on 

them within an hour of them last standing up. My theory 

is that, I want to be on him and in range by 9 a.m. 

He rakes at 10 a.m.” 

Target time 

Getting an ethical and high percentage shot may 

take just as much time as the stalk itself. It’s so crucial 

to be able to use that time efficiently and calm yourself 

down in preparation to releasing your arrow. 

Mule deer frequently stand up to rake their beds 

and rid of burs or other annoyances. This can be the 

perfect moment to get a shot off at a buck unaware of 

your presence. 

At longer distances, releasing your arrow at the 

buck undetected can be the difference between hitting 

your mark or the deer jumping your string. 

Getting a shot off at a relaxed deer can also lead 

to second chances. The wind blows in western Kansas, 

that’s not a secret. If you are in windy conditions and 

happen to “wiff” that mature buck, don’t panic. RE- 

LOAD! 

There is a good possibility the wind may distort the 

sound of the shot and the deer may become startled 

but not spooked. This may be your precious second 

chance to make it count. 

Planning your trip 

If you’re on a budget don’t panic. Embarking on 

this adventure is more affordable then you think. For 

starters, you’ll want to buy the RESIDENT ARCHERY 

EITHER-SPECIES/EITHER-SEX tag. It is $32.50 and available 

over the counter. You can expect to spend roughly 

3-4 tanks of gas. Allowing yourself a tank to get 

there, a tank to get home, and 1-2 tanks commuting 

and scouting your hunting areas. At the current price 

of gas $2.15 and the average truck fuel tank around 32 

gallons, you’re looking at roughly $280 in gas depending 

on your distance you travel. Get yourself a cheap 

motel. Suck it up and pass on the $120 a night rooms, 

you won’t be spending much time in the room anyway. 

Most towns have a local motel that you can stay 

at for $50-$70 a night. Pack a cooler with drinks. Some 

pre-made sandwiches or meals you can reheat in a 




microwave and you’ll be set. 

If you do not want to eat the cost of high quality 

optics or a spotting scope for one trip, consider 

purchasing used equipment on the Archerytalk.com 

classifieds. 

You can find hundreds of great used items at half 

the cost of buying new, and post to resell them after 

the hunt. 

Oh, and one more thing, leave your “lease to hunt” 

money at home. Most landowners in western Kansas 

are old school genuine people. As long as you’re 

respectful, walk don’t drive, and are bowhunting, you 

can enjoy hunting a lot of private property if you ask 

permission FIRST. 

Take your trusty old ball cap, jeans, a “Mr. and Mrs.” 

attitude, and you will have success attaining private 

ground to hunt. 

There are also thousands of acres of WIHP as well 

that hold great bucks. A call to the local KDWP biologist 

or game warden could provide you with some 

inside knowledge of deer concentrations on public 

ground, and establish a positive working relationship. 

Head west and happy hunting! 

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EXTRA SHOTS 

By Tom Claycomb III 

Making your own sausage 

If you shoot an animal and just drop it off at the 

processor your hunt is over. 

Processing it yourself will add another dimension 

to your hunt that is almost as enjoyable as the actual 

hunt itself. It will extend your hunting 

experience. 

There’s no way that I can adequately 

cover this topic in one article but I 

hope to encourage you to get started. 

The best way to get started is to get 

an old timer to teach you. That’s how it 

Claycomb 

has been passed on for generations. 

I’m asked in my Sausage Making seminars if they 

made better sausage in the old days. No way! They 

were limited to local spices. Now, we have all the 

spices of the world at our fingertips. Also, they smoked 

with whatever wood they had in their locale. We can 

get mesquite, hickory, alder, apple and whatever else 

we want to smoke with. 

What meat can you make sausage out of? I’ve 

made sausage out of antelope, deer, elk, bear, moose, 

pork and beef. 

But, don’t use old meat. A little soured meat can 

spoil the whole batch. 

What spices do you use? This will be determined 

Photos by TOM CLAYCOMB III 

Mixing is a lot easier if you have 60 lb. tubs. 


You’ll need a stuffer if you’re going to use casing. 

by what kind of sausage you want to make. There are 

a ton of varieties and multiple recipes for every type of 

sausage. 

I like to mix my own spices but to start, use a premade 

package. I’ve had good luck with Hi Mountain 

Seasonings. 

Pork fat juices up your sausage. I used to use pork 

fat but now I buy a pork butt. That way I get the juiciness 

of the pork fat but it also adds some good pork. 

You deer will be close to 90 percent lean, so I’d use 60 

lbs. of deer and 40 lbs. of pork butt, but there’s nothing 

magic about those numbers. 

Coarse grind the pork and then the deer separately. 

Mix the spices uniformly in with the pork and then 

mix the pork and deer meat together. Now grind all 

through a 1/8-inch plate. 

Make a small patty and fry it up and see how it 

tastes. If it’s bland, add more spices to taste. 

When making links, I like to use natural casings. I 

don’t think that collagen casings are as permeable to 

smoke. Soak your natural casings in warm water. Then 

put one end on the faucet and flush out the preserving 

salt or it will ruin your sausage. (Or you can package 

in one pound packages to later thaw and make 



patties.) 

Let’s talk about smoking. The real sausage makers 

do a cold smoke. This will be in the 

90-degree range. 

They’re depending on the nitrates 

to kill the bacteria because if they 

didn’t use them this would be the 

perfect temp to incubate bacteria. To 

begin, though, why not just do a hot 

smoke hitting an internal temperature 

of 160 (or the USDA has a chart 

for lower temps held at longer times). 

You can precook and freeze, or just 

pull it out of the freezer raw before 

a BBQ and smoke it before people 

come over. 

People panic over trichinosis, but it is killed at 137 

Shooting club teaches marksman ship and more 

The Cowley County 4-H Shooting Sports Club 

Program stands out as an example of how 4-H develops 

youth as responsible, productive citizens. 

Youth learn marksmanship, safe and responsible 

use of firearms, 

principles of hunting and archery, and much 

more. 

The activities of the program and the support 

of caring adult leaders provide 

young people with opportunities to develop life 

skills, self-worth and conservation 

ethics. 

Specific objectives for the program are: 

• Teach decision making, teamwork, self-discipline, 

self-confidence, and problem 

• solving; 

• Promote the highest standards of safety, 

sportsmanship, and ethical behavior; 

• Encourage an appreciation and understanding 

of natural resources; 

• Develop leadership abilities; 

• Build character and willingness to assume citizenship 

responsibility; 

• Furnish enjoyable, positive relationships with 

peers and adult instructors; 

• Strengthen families through participation in 

lifelong recreational activities; 

• Build awareness of related career opportunities. 

The Shooting Sports curriculum uses the time, 

Smoking a variety of sausage. That 

way I have something to throw in my 

pack when I take off hunting. 

degrees. For some reason the USDA then recommends 

160. Trichinosis in pork can also be killed by freezing, 

but freezing will not kill all strains in bear meat. The 

safest means of eliminating Trichinosis 

is by proper cooking. 

What is that red ring around the 

outside? There are three things that 

can cause the meat to be red. One is 

the smoke, the second is the nitrites, 

and the third if it is raw. That’s why it’s 

important to use a thermometer to 

check the internal temp. 

Well, hopefully I’ve spurred your 

interest in making your own sausage. 

Remember, after you’ve mixed your 

batch, fry up a little patty If it’s not 

good, add more spices before you stuff it. 

Start off making small batches. Happy smoking. 

talent, and dedication of certified 

4-H leaders who instruct 4-H members in firearms 

safety and marksmanship. The 

shooting discipline includes archery, pistol, 

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4-H members have opportunities to test their 

shooting, hunting, and sportsmanship 

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This county program has had members qualify 

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team placings for the past three years add to 

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Processing your own deer 

By Tom Claycomb III 

Photo by Tom Claycomb 

I 

’d like to encourage you to market your deer more 

in-depth. I could write a book on the topic, so it 

will be impossible to cover in one short article. 

If you mess up don’t panic, cave men didn’t 

break it down like I’m going to recommend. It’s 

just fun to break it down into more cuts. On these 

cuts you’ll have two pieces, a right and left side. 

(Use the Web if you need to become familiar 

with different cuts.) 

First let’s save the flank steaks, which are the 

tear dropped, smooth muscles that you cut between 

when you first start to gut your animal. 

Remove the tough tissue on top and bottom. 

Sprinkle on a coarse seasoning, chopped onions 

and green peppers. Roll them up and pin together 

with tooth picks. Smoke and slice paper thin. 

Excellent. 

Flap meat, inside and outside skirts: These 

work great for fajitas. Remove the tough tissue, 

slice thin, season and fry along with onions and 

green peppers. Fajita time! 

Tri-tips are popular out West. Why not save 

them off of your deer? Trim off the fat. Rub with a 

KNIFE TIPS: 

• If you’re saving the hide you’ll want a drop 

point skinning knife. Check out the selections 

by Steel Will Knives or Knives of 

Alaska. 

• If you’re going to mount the head you’ll 

want a caping knife so that you can skin 

around the lips, eyes and ears. Check out 

coarse seasoning and smoke slowly. Slice paper 

thin against the grain. They won’t last long. 

The Eye of Round lies between the inside and 

outside rounds. Remove this cigar shaped muscle 

at the seam, slice and make chicken fried steaks. 

Inside round: Slice one-half inch thick, sprinkle 

on Adolph’s Tenderizer and beat with a mallet. Dip 

in milk, roll in flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper 

and fry. I then make onion gravy and garlic toast. 

Cook twice as much as you think you’ll eat. 

Backstraps are the muscle lying along the 

backbone. On the left side remove starting at the 

hip bone on the rearend going up to where the 

muscle peters out about the third or fourth rib. 

On the right side start at the front end. I cook 

them the same as the inside round. I have access 

to the best beef in the world and I’m still not sure 

that this isn’t my favorite meat in the world. 

Shoulders: OK, I’ve saved the best for the last. I 

know I said backstraps were my favorite cut but this 

one is too! No one ever believes me on this one. 

You’ll just have to try it to believe it. 


Knives of Alaska. 

• For boning out your deer you’ll want a five 

or six inch boning knife. Forschner, Dexter 

and Don’t Tread on Me all make good 

boning knives. 

• To sharpen your knives you’ll want a 

Smith’s Fine Diamond stone. To keep your 

boning knife super sharp you’ll want to use 

a smooth steel. 



Separate the forequarter at the natural seam leaving 

on the brisket. Remove the foreshank at the joint. 

To cook, throw it on the smoker at 160 degrees 

for 3-4 hours when you get home from work. At 

bedtime put it in a black turkey roasting pan and 

add two cups of water. Sprinkle with salt, pepper 

and garlic. Put in the oven all night at 200 degrees. 

If you wake up in the middle of the night check 

it. If it runs out of water it’s ruined. Add water if 

necessary. 

The next morning if it falls apart with a fork it’s 

done. If not, turn the heat up to 300. It should get 

done in less than an hour. Chop in ¼-inch chunks 

and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Toast hamburger 

buns with butter and pile on meat, BBQ sauce and 

a splash of tabasco. They are to die for and will 

out eat a Texas BBQ sandwich. 

I wish I had more room. Like I said, I could 

write a book on the topic. For more on the topic go 

to Amazon Kindle and I have an e-article on there 

for $.99 titled COOKING DEER MEAT that should 

help you out. 

Try some of these methods so you’re not just 

making plain old deer roast and hamburger year 

after year. Happy eating. 

Your Trophy 

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READER PHOTOS 

Deik Scram pictured with a limit of Kansas public 

land mallards and a bonus goose. — DEIK SCRAM 

Levi Uden’s first deer. As his dad tells it, “He 

was 8 at the time he shot the deer. I thought 

he missed the deer, but he kept telling me he 

didn’t miss. I didn’t find blood were he had shot 

the deer. We looked for it for a while and didn’t 

see anything. We went and ran our trap line. 

Levi kept telling me he didn’t miss, so we went 

back and looked again. We found the deer in 

the opposite direction that I had last seen it. I 

was more proud of him then I’ve even been of 

shooting anything I’ve ever hunted.” 

Left to right: Cash Parrish and Alan Parrish with Colorado Buck, Luke Hocker, Matt Bohannan with 

his dog Gunner, and Tyler Goering. A stellar February urban honker hunt outside of Wichita, Ks. 

Filmed for “Where In The World Is Colorado Buck?” 


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Above: Kesha has been shooting for at least 10 years, 

starting in 4-H. Her dad took her through hunter safety 

training when she was 16. Kesha is her mother’s (Kerri) 

main hunting partner. 

Below: A doe harvested last season. “Very exciting because 

it was over a 200-yard shot,” Kerri said. “And yes, I can 

do all of field dressing and processing of the meat from 

the deer myself. We do steaks, roast and stew meat, 

ground burger, but also jerky, breakfast sausage and Italian 

sausage.” 

mmorris@sun-graphics.com 

www.sun-graphics.com 

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“This is a ‘yote I harvested last January (2015). 

It was one of six I called in that morning. I was 

able to harvest three in the Chautauqua County 

Hills.” — BRIAN LOVE 

“My best friend and I purchased a piece of 

property in Kansas as our retirement gift to each 

other after the Army five years ago. After a lot 

of blood sweat and tears and great QDM, it paid 

off in the fall of 2014. I was fortunate enough to 

harvest the biggest buck I ever shot. 171” gross. 

The great thing about it was it was on our land!” 

— JIM CHAMPAGNE 

“I shot this deer on the second day of bow season in September. The best part about it was the 

week before my dad and 4-year-old son were both with me, setting this stand in a new spot that we 

thought would be great. Turned out we were right. The sad part was that my season was over after 

two days in the stand.” — DUSTIN AVERY 


“We spotted this buck the night before with a 

doe at the edge of a small woodlot. We put up 

a blind nearby in a row of big round hay bales 

and got him the next morning. I started going to 

the woods to spend more time with (husband) 

Steve, then discovered I could do this too and 

help add to our meat supply each year.” — JOYCE 

GILLILAND 

Fort Scott Chamber 


Opening weekend of pheasant season in Ness City, Kansas, is just as important and exciting as 

Christmas is for the Pfannenstiel family. Extended family, first through third cousins, male and 

female — gather together and hunt. Younger kids get to carry BB guns and walk the fields or 

block, and everyone helps clean the birds afterward. And just for good measure, in the very early 

mornings, there is always a good coyote hunt involved, followed by some target shooting in the 

afternoon! It’s not just about hunting and providing some food for the table. It’s about being 

outside in nature, adhering to family traditions, and creating lasting memories. 

— SUBMITTED BY MENDY PFANNENSTIEL 

Reedy Ford 


“This was my first buck I shot with my Hoyt Powerhawk (December 2010). This shows my love for 

all things hunting — the preparation of the year, the trail cameras set up, the target practice, and 

the time I am able to spend with my kids doing this. The second picture is my son Hunter’s first 

deer that he shot at only 9 years old, using his crossbow. (September 2014). My daughter also 

loves shooting her bow with us, and is looking forward to possibly shooting her first deer this year.” 

— JUSTIN WINEGARNER 

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Why I hunt 

Kansas Hunter magazine asked hunters to submit 

photographs with descriptions for publication. Dustin 

Quint, who lives in Cowley County, submitted these 

photos and this powerful testimonial about the experiences 

and connections that hunting provides. 

By Dustin Quint 

I began hunting at a very young age in northwest 

Kansas at Quinter. 

We hunted and fished a 

lot because that’s what my 

dad enjoyed doing and really 

about all we had to do 

anyway in a small town. 

We always archery hunted 

cause it was a lot more 

fun, and a lot more of a 

challenge than rifle hunting, 

plus the season was a 

lot longer, so you could go 

more. 

I used to go deer hunting 

with my dad, carrying 

my own bow. Then after a 

certain time in the mornings, 

before we crawled 

out of the tree stands, he would take off his gloves 

and throw them down to the ground and let me shoot 

at them with my bow. 

Did that for a long time, until I started hitting them 

and putting holes in them. Then he wouldn’t let me 

do that anymore. 

We hunted about 

everything that you 

could hunt, and 

always ate what we 

shot. I learned then, 

at an early age, there 

was nothing like getting 

to spend a few 

hours a day in a tree 

stand with nature. 

Crawl in before the 

sun rose, and listen 

to the forest come 

alive in the morning 

or crawl in a stand 

in the afternoon and 

listen to the woods 

go to sleep in the 

evening. 

I don’t get to hunt 

as much as I once 

did, due to work and family priorities, but I still find 

myself in a stand or a duck blind quite often and have 

found it is one of the best places to get away from it 

all and clear your mind. 

Some people have the opinion that it is boring, I 


value it as an opportunity to relax and enjoy what 

very few people that don’t hunt get to see. Also, it is 

a time to be thankful for how lucky we have it compared 

to others from different places. It is also a very 

great source of meat for the table. 

Now with two young boys, I have found I enjoy it 

even more than when I go by myself. It’s very rewarding 

as a parent to pass these skills on and see 

my boys react to seeing ducks come into the decoys, 

or having that doe or buck walking right under our 

tree stand and not know that we are there. 

I believe hunting and fishing provide a lot of life 

lessons and experiences 

that we may not get by not 

being a part of it. 

As you can see I am very 

passionate about it. Some 

of my greatest memories 

with family and friends are 

hunting, fishing and rodeo-ing. 

But probably more so 

hunting and fishing because 

my entire family 

does it. 

About the photos: 

The ducks stacked on 

a log was a hunt on the 

Arkansas River a few years 

ago just east of Geuda Springs. Very, very cold. We 

kept icing up. In the picture is myself, Drew Palmer, 

Chase Barker, Devin Avery and Brent Burroughs. One 

of my favorite hunts of all time due to the surroundings 

and the company. 

Huck (my dog) with the goose in his mouth was a 

hunt a few years ago that Drew and I went on out at 

the Slate Valley Sportsman Association private marsh 

over by Geuda Springs. We had some geese come in 

and shot several. Drew took pictures of (Huck) as he 

was coming in. 

The deer photo is of myself and my oldest son, Kolby, 

6 at the time. I shot that buck on Veteran’s Day 

evening, right before dark. Heard him walking and 

used a grunt tube to call him into about 8 yards, and 

shot him with my Bow. Then went up and got Kolby 

and my brother-in-law, Stephen Jennings to help me 

get him out. He was shot on my place east of town. 

Kolby is 

hooked and 

goes duck 

hunting 

with me as 

often as he 

can, and 

is starting 

to go deer 

hunting 

more often.

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IS RIGHT 


is mailed directly to 

thousands of hunters 

and available at various 

locations in 

south-central Kansas. 

If you’re looking for an effective way to target your business 

to hunters and sportsmen, give us a call. 

We’d be happy to discuss marketing opportunities in the 

next issue of Kansas Hunter. 

WINFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. 

620-221-1050 or 620-442-4200

KS Hunter 2015

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