Got to love Kansas!! We got home yesterday evening after 10 days, 3475.6 miles, $1500+/-, 4 turkeys, 1 coyote, great Kansas hospitality, a tornado, and more unmatched memories made with my son Brennan!!
We left May23 about 1845 and arrived about 1500 on May24. About a 21hr trip with a stop to Cabela's in KC. That first afternoon we went to our "Honeyhole" from last year to find it occupied by another hunter. We made small talk and came to an agreement that we would leave him that area and hunt the opposite end of the land the next morning. We then left and went to a known roost area to see what was in this area. Let me go ahead and throw this in, the wind was horrible!! Not just the day we arrived, but every day except the day we left. By horrible I mean 20mph+ and that was a good day! Anyway, Brennan and I set up about 75yds apart watching different areas. I was downwind from him. I managed to call in a Jake first, which got a pass. Then 5 hens about 45 minutes later. The jake came in gobbling and Brennan never heard him or me calling!! The wind was bad!! Brennan ended up seeing about 12 hens. No gobblers were seen or heard and we never went back to that area again. Let me point out that for the past 3 years (I went the first year without Brennan) this spot has produced a first day arrival gobbler.
The next morning May25, found us downwind of our honeyhole. As it started getting light and with no gobbles heard I spotted a coyote in the prairie. I cut real hard on a mouth call with no visible response from the coyote. I then switched to a box call with the same results. Brennan said, get ready, I got this. He then proceeded to mouth squeak that coyote over 150yds to 14yds where I decided that was close enough!! At the shot we at least to hopefully hear a shock gobble or something - nada! After moving around a little with no response we decided to drive around to the other side and see if ole boy had done any good. When we got to the entrance we realized he had apparently decided not to hunt. There were no fresh tracks (it had rained a little in the night) and after scouting around we realized our honeyhole had dried up.
Here's a couple pics of the young female yote!
Didn't realize the teeth they had!
We then decided to break out the map and start picking out new areas. One of the first places we went we lucked up and found 2 gobblers. Brennan self appointed himself to have a go at the first bird. He grabbed gun, fan, and mouth call and bailed out of the truck while I was trying to formulate a game plan. Ten minutes later the first gobbler of the trip was on the ground!! He had 9" beard and sharp 1" spurs!
After a few pics we decided to go check out another place. What was just going to be a quick little scouting trip on the back side of an old corn field turned out to be a 1.5 mile chase on gobbles. Yeah, I said gobbles and not a gobbler. This happened several times and we didn't realize it until later that week. Remember me saying the wind was bad?? Well trying to determine where a single gobble comes from in high winds is eeny, meeny, miiny, moe!! We heard a gobble and worked in that direction and set up - nothing. We then decided maybe he went through a bottom and worked our way around to a water hole and heard another gobble we thought came from above us on the prairie. We moved and set up again to, you guessed it, nothing! We made our way around the bottom, up the prairie to a tree line and came to a gate separating some cows. At this point we were starting to get tired and thirsty and decided to head back to the truck. We decided what the heck, we would walk back through the prairie dotted with cedars. Basically we were making a big circle. Anyway, just for fun, when we got down towards the bottom I hit the box and one answered upwind and close!! In fact it was so close we dropped at the closest cedar tree. Brennan graciously told me I was the shooter and he would call. He broke out a glass call and nothing. I cut with my mouth call and nothing. What the heck?? I handed Brennan the box call and after the first yelp he hammered!! Game on again!! Brennan yelped three more times and we heard two gobbles. Anyone who's ever hunted the prairie can relate to this, if you haven't here's the scenario. We've got 8-15ft high cedars dotting knee high or higher grass. We have two birds coming from slightly uphill and up/crosswind. Where we dropped there was a cedar right in front of us where the gobbles were coming from. Since Brennan is left handed he always sits to my right so we can cove 180 degrees or more. I told Brennan get your gun up, if he comes on your side take him. Well, they decided to come on my side. All I could see was red heads!! What I thought was the lead/dominant bird decided he didn't like what he didn't see - a hen - and started to move to my left out of view. His buddy wanted a closer look and raised his head. That was a mistake!! At 41yds I let him have the Hevi #7's!! We didn't have a scale but this is my heaviest bird I've ever killed. I'll guesstimate about 22-24lbs, with a 10" beard and 7/8" spurs.
I won't bore y'all with all the close encounters and chases, but I will say the weather in Kansas can be a little intimidating for a South Georgia boy. The folks out there think nothing of a tornado or severe thunderstorms. They say there used to it!! Even though the weather forecast was bleak for our trip we only encountered rain maybe two days and only 1 tornado. The tornado passed a mile north of where we were staying, we heard it but really felt no effects from it. That wasn't even a day it rained on us. Although we did get some serious hail!!
It wasn't until May28 that we had success again (the day after that evenings tornado). Brennan and I had been separating and hunting different areas and I really expected him to seal the deal that morning. Instead I happened to get to a high point on the prairie and heard some distant gobbles. I figured what the heck, I had already walked about a mile, what's a little farther going to hurt. My only concern was running out of public land. One bottom and three fences later I came to a recently harrowed up bean field near a highway and still public land. I sat at a little tree on the fence line and did a little calling and heard nothing. I was about to leave when I spotted a couple hens at the far end of the field. They were way to far to hear my calling as I was slightly downwind from them. I was tired and thought I'll just sit hear a little while. After about 10 minutes or so I heard a gobble. It took me a little to figure out the direction but I finally spotted a gobbler and four hens across the highway heading towards the distant hens in the field I was overlooking. Once they came across the road and entered the field, I determined which way they were heading and slipped under the fence back down the hill in the prairie. I then pulled up Google maps on the phone and went to jogging to intercept them!! Once I got down below them where I thought they should be in the field, I cut as hard as I could on the mouth call. He gobbled right above me!!! I shucked my vest and grabbed my fan and gun and crawled up the hill to the fence. Luckily there was a little rise right there in the field which allowed me to get right up to the edge of the fence and set up before I called. I raised my head slightly and saw 4 hens and the gobbler. I called and raised the fan and he went in strut the popped out and went back feeding. I had heard and seen them come running in at the fan. This bird would strut, break strut, and go back to feeding. But, the hens were curious and as they started my way his tolerance of me grew less. He finally had enough when his hens got within 15 yards and came in at a march; getting a little faster with each step. At about 20yards or so I limited out!! Now I'll admit I noticed this bird had a rope marching in to me but I never expected what I got. 1" pearl colored spurs and a triple beard!! 5.5", 7", and 10.25"!!!
Well we needed one more for both of us to limit out and it came down to the wire! May31 we went to some private land we had gained access to and set up on what we thought were three hens and a gobbler. Turns out Brennan was hearing things when he could've swore he heard one gobble. It was 4 hens!
But, luck was on our side!! There was a gobbler on the opposite side of the road that would not shut up!! We were in a freshly planted corn field and we had the hens. Two eventually worked their way towards him and two worked the opposite direction. Once the hens left we started moving down the field in his direction calling every other step. We were about 125yds from the road crawling in the grass when his gobbles sounded louder. We crawled back up to the fence and saw two turkeys moving our direction rather quickly. It turned out to be those two hens. I guess they wanted to find the loudmouth hen. Here's where Brennan almost blew it. He was on his knees when the hens came in. I told him do not move as I was laying in the grass watching these hens at less than 5yds. Well, the turkey gobbled on our side of the road and Brennan flinched!! The hens spooked, but luckily didn't fly. They ran back the gobblers direction, which I thought had ruined it!! Wrong!! The gobbler thought they were running back to him. This was good and bad! He locked up in strut and wouldn't move except to gobble. I mean one spot for 15-20minutes!!! I decided then we would have to try something different. I had Brennan crawl about 30yds closer and set up at the next little tree/bush. I crawled under the fence and started fanning. Again nothing happened until the hens started my way. The every time I would call he would gobble. The whole time I'm praying Brennan let's him get close enough for a shot. I didn't want him getting excited and making a long shot. Well it turns out I thought I was going to get to relate what it's like to get beat up by a turkey!! Brennan hung back in a little cut in the bottom bordering the field and could only see 5 yards down the field edge, but forever out in front and back my way!!! About the time the pucker factor was setting in and I was about to scream shoot - he shot!! Our Kansas limit had been reached!! His bird had a 9.5"beard, 1" spurs, and a tail fan missing about 4or 5 feathers!!
It was one of our hardest trips and one of the most rewarding! I know I say it every year, but thanks to Dave Owens for introducing me to Kansas!!
We left May23 about 1845 and arrived about 1500 on May24. About a 21hr trip with a stop to Cabela's in KC. That first afternoon we went to our "Honeyhole" from last year to find it occupied by another hunter. We made small talk and came to an agreement that we would leave him that area and hunt the opposite end of the land the next morning. We then left and went to a known roost area to see what was in this area. Let me go ahead and throw this in, the wind was horrible!! Not just the day we arrived, but every day except the day we left. By horrible I mean 20mph+ and that was a good day! Anyway, Brennan and I set up about 75yds apart watching different areas. I was downwind from him. I managed to call in a Jake first, which got a pass. Then 5 hens about 45 minutes later. The jake came in gobbling and Brennan never heard him or me calling!! The wind was bad!! Brennan ended up seeing about 12 hens. No gobblers were seen or heard and we never went back to that area again. Let me point out that for the past 3 years (I went the first year without Brennan) this spot has produced a first day arrival gobbler.
The next morning May25, found us downwind of our honeyhole. As it started getting light and with no gobbles heard I spotted a coyote in the prairie. I cut real hard on a mouth call with no visible response from the coyote. I then switched to a box call with the same results. Brennan said, get ready, I got this. He then proceeded to mouth squeak that coyote over 150yds to 14yds where I decided that was close enough!! At the shot we at least to hopefully hear a shock gobble or something - nada! After moving around a little with no response we decided to drive around to the other side and see if ole boy had done any good. When we got to the entrance we realized he had apparently decided not to hunt. There were no fresh tracks (it had rained a little in the night) and after scouting around we realized our honeyhole had dried up.
Here's a couple pics of the young female yote!
Didn't realize the teeth they had!
We then decided to break out the map and start picking out new areas. One of the first places we went we lucked up and found 2 gobblers. Brennan self appointed himself to have a go at the first bird. He grabbed gun, fan, and mouth call and bailed out of the truck while I was trying to formulate a game plan. Ten minutes later the first gobbler of the trip was on the ground!! He had 9" beard and sharp 1" spurs!
After a few pics we decided to go check out another place. What was just going to be a quick little scouting trip on the back side of an old corn field turned out to be a 1.5 mile chase on gobbles. Yeah, I said gobbles and not a gobbler. This happened several times and we didn't realize it until later that week. Remember me saying the wind was bad?? Well trying to determine where a single gobble comes from in high winds is eeny, meeny, miiny, moe!! We heard a gobble and worked in that direction and set up - nothing. We then decided maybe he went through a bottom and worked our way around to a water hole and heard another gobble we thought came from above us on the prairie. We moved and set up again to, you guessed it, nothing! We made our way around the bottom, up the prairie to a tree line and came to a gate separating some cows. At this point we were starting to get tired and thirsty and decided to head back to the truck. We decided what the heck, we would walk back through the prairie dotted with cedars. Basically we were making a big circle. Anyway, just for fun, when we got down towards the bottom I hit the box and one answered upwind and close!! In fact it was so close we dropped at the closest cedar tree. Brennan graciously told me I was the shooter and he would call. He broke out a glass call and nothing. I cut with my mouth call and nothing. What the heck?? I handed Brennan the box call and after the first yelp he hammered!! Game on again!! Brennan yelped three more times and we heard two gobbles. Anyone who's ever hunted the prairie can relate to this, if you haven't here's the scenario. We've got 8-15ft high cedars dotting knee high or higher grass. We have two birds coming from slightly uphill and up/crosswind. Where we dropped there was a cedar right in front of us where the gobbles were coming from. Since Brennan is left handed he always sits to my right so we can cove 180 degrees or more. I told Brennan get your gun up, if he comes on your side take him. Well, they decided to come on my side. All I could see was red heads!! What I thought was the lead/dominant bird decided he didn't like what he didn't see - a hen - and started to move to my left out of view. His buddy wanted a closer look and raised his head. That was a mistake!! At 41yds I let him have the Hevi #7's!! We didn't have a scale but this is my heaviest bird I've ever killed. I'll guesstimate about 22-24lbs, with a 10" beard and 7/8" spurs.
I won't bore y'all with all the close encounters and chases, but I will say the weather in Kansas can be a little intimidating for a South Georgia boy. The folks out there think nothing of a tornado or severe thunderstorms. They say there used to it!! Even though the weather forecast was bleak for our trip we only encountered rain maybe two days and only 1 tornado. The tornado passed a mile north of where we were staying, we heard it but really felt no effects from it. That wasn't even a day it rained on us. Although we did get some serious hail!!
It wasn't until May28 that we had success again (the day after that evenings tornado). Brennan and I had been separating and hunting different areas and I really expected him to seal the deal that morning. Instead I happened to get to a high point on the prairie and heard some distant gobbles. I figured what the heck, I had already walked about a mile, what's a little farther going to hurt. My only concern was running out of public land. One bottom and three fences later I came to a recently harrowed up bean field near a highway and still public land. I sat at a little tree on the fence line and did a little calling and heard nothing. I was about to leave when I spotted a couple hens at the far end of the field. They were way to far to hear my calling as I was slightly downwind from them. I was tired and thought I'll just sit hear a little while. After about 10 minutes or so I heard a gobble. It took me a little to figure out the direction but I finally spotted a gobbler and four hens across the highway heading towards the distant hens in the field I was overlooking. Once they came across the road and entered the field, I determined which way they were heading and slipped under the fence back down the hill in the prairie. I then pulled up Google maps on the phone and went to jogging to intercept them!! Once I got down below them where I thought they should be in the field, I cut as hard as I could on the mouth call. He gobbled right above me!!! I shucked my vest and grabbed my fan and gun and crawled up the hill to the fence. Luckily there was a little rise right there in the field which allowed me to get right up to the edge of the fence and set up before I called. I raised my head slightly and saw 4 hens and the gobbler. I called and raised the fan and he went in strut the popped out and went back feeding. I had heard and seen them come running in at the fan. This bird would strut, break strut, and go back to feeding. But, the hens were curious and as they started my way his tolerance of me grew less. He finally had enough when his hens got within 15 yards and came in at a march; getting a little faster with each step. At about 20yards or so I limited out!! Now I'll admit I noticed this bird had a rope marching in to me but I never expected what I got. 1" pearl colored spurs and a triple beard!! 5.5", 7", and 10.25"!!!
Well we needed one more for both of us to limit out and it came down to the wire! May31 we went to some private land we had gained access to and set up on what we thought were three hens and a gobbler. Turns out Brennan was hearing things when he could've swore he heard one gobble. It was 4 hens!
But, luck was on our side!! There was a gobbler on the opposite side of the road that would not shut up!! We were in a freshly planted corn field and we had the hens. Two eventually worked their way towards him and two worked the opposite direction. Once the hens left we started moving down the field in his direction calling every other step. We were about 125yds from the road crawling in the grass when his gobbles sounded louder. We crawled back up to the fence and saw two turkeys moving our direction rather quickly. It turned out to be those two hens. I guess they wanted to find the loudmouth hen. Here's where Brennan almost blew it. He was on his knees when the hens came in. I told him do not move as I was laying in the grass watching these hens at less than 5yds. Well, the turkey gobbled on our side of the road and Brennan flinched!! The hens spooked, but luckily didn't fly. They ran back the gobblers direction, which I thought had ruined it!! Wrong!! The gobbler thought they were running back to him. This was good and bad! He locked up in strut and wouldn't move except to gobble. I mean one spot for 15-20minutes!!! I decided then we would have to try something different. I had Brennan crawl about 30yds closer and set up at the next little tree/bush. I crawled under the fence and started fanning. Again nothing happened until the hens started my way. The every time I would call he would gobble. The whole time I'm praying Brennan let's him get close enough for a shot. I didn't want him getting excited and making a long shot. Well it turns out I thought I was going to get to relate what it's like to get beat up by a turkey!! Brennan hung back in a little cut in the bottom bordering the field and could only see 5 yards down the field edge, but forever out in front and back my way!!! About the time the pucker factor was setting in and I was about to scream shoot - he shot!! Our Kansas limit had been reached!! His bird had a 9.5"beard, 1" spurs, and a tail fan missing about 4or 5 feathers!!
It was one of our hardest trips and one of the most rewarding! I know I say it every year, but thanks to Dave Owens for introducing me to Kansas!!
