Kansas Turkey Adventures

[kansasdad]

My south central turkeys are in for a serious test this weekend. Somewhere between 1/2 to 1 inch of freezing rain predicted for us over about a 36 hour span. Easily enough to destroy roosting trees with the added weight, and cover any semblance of normal foodstuffs.

 

[F250]

I'm headed to an area just north of Topeka for the opening of shotgun season in April. Can you tell me if there is a chance of seeing a Rio in that part of Kansas, or are they all Easterns ?

 

[kansasdad]

I'm headed to an area just north of Topeka for the opening of shotgun season in April. Can you tell me if there is a chance of seeing a Rio in that part of Kansas, or are they all Easterns ?

The further west you go, the more likely it is find Rio characteristics. My public land birds in south central Kansas vary widely in their fan colors, ranging from what looks like pure Eastern darkness to very light Rios.

This map gives a pretty good idea where you might find the "true" Rio Grande sub species.

 

[F250]

Great !! Thank you !!

 

[kansasdad]

Sunny and in the 50's as I was taking a Sunday afternoon drive through the suburban turkey oasis. Warm enough that most of the loafing birds were standing in the shade. I suppose they are acclimatized to wintertime temps and it felt quite warm.




When the sun glints off a male turkey, I think I can see about a zillion different colors, something that a camera lens can't ever quite fully capture.

 

[kansasdad]

Its the time of year where we have either cold or warm fronts bearing down on us every 3-4 days, flipping the thermostat down, and then up. This afternoon the birds were working for their dinner, and perhaps trying to stay out of the wind, and in the sun.

 

[F250]

Keep those photos coming !! Really looking forward to hunting them in your state. I also just booked a cabin for the first week of November for a return trip to chase whitetails. I did not kill a buck there two year ago, but I saw some monsters. I did take a couple does. Probably some of the best venison I have ever had !!! I met lots of folks out there. Great state !!!!!

 

[Epfd217]

I've spent the last couple days checking out the opportunities to hunt spring birds in Kansas. Those last couple pictures did a good job of capturing the myriad of colors found in the turkey's feathers. Thanks for sharing!

 

[kansasdad]

The paper today announces that Kansas will again change how they sell permits/tags that require a carcass tag (deer, turkey, elk and antelope). No longer will hunters be able to purchase these items directly online. Purchases will need to be made a vendor (we have more than 600 points of purchase), or over the phone from a Wildlife & Parks office, which would then mail the tags to you.

This same article did not mention whether Kansas would once again make it so that tags would not be valid on the day purchased, as once was the procedure.


PS: purchase of any licenses online, at vendors and even KDWPT offices are down till sometime early next week for a scheduled upgrade.

 

[F250]

I bought my hunting license and turkey tags a few weeks ago. I assume I am good to go. I understand the reason for better control of the tags. Seven weeks until I am Kansas bound !!!!

 

[kansasdad]

Driving to work yesterday I found the boys heading away from the roost doing some preening and looking for breakfast.





As per usual, there was a lot of roughhousing among the birds. The "four" that seem to be the co-dominant birds gave me some faint hearted gobbles amidst the squabbling.





Sunlight on a fan is magical

 

[kansasdad]

It was a magical day in Kansas today, mostly sunny, warmish and NO WIND!! Driving through the watershed neighborhood, I found the majority of the winter flock in the horse pasture, and it seemed as if they were headed towards the pecan grove. Parking the car near the spot where they like to leave the pasture, I saw that the 4 amigos were hanging together, fans in full array.






About 50 yards away, the full contingent of jakes were trying their best to look like big boys and not the nerds that they really are.





Several hens were looking like they were "in the mood", putting themselves into a strutter's pathway, and lowering themselves to the ground. I thought that it might be about to get x-rated in the horse pasture several times, but the boys didn't take the hint.





I had pulled just off the little road that runs through the neighborhood, rolled the window down and really enjoyed the show that nature was putting on. I enjoyed it so much that I forget to turn off the headlights that normally shut off once the door is opened, and when I tried to turn the car on to move back a few feet to improve my shooting angle, I found I had a dead battery.

Waiting for a jump from friends, I marveled at these suburban birds, and their indifference to human presence. Close ups were there for the taking.

 

[kansasdad]

The hens were hanging with the boys. This one was making a lot of racket, telling the whole flock that a man in a SUV was hanging around taking pictures.



As the four amigos neared the gate, one of the boys dropped his fan, puffed up his back even higher, and started moving his feet as if he were tap dancing. Periodically he made a higher pitched whooshing sound, sorta like a youngster trying to whistle without making an actual whistling noise, combining that noise with a clicking noise in the back of your throat. This was my first time to really see and hear "spitting and drumming" in action.

 

[Southwind]

Late Feb birds acting like late March birds.

 

[1_pointer]

Very nice pics! I'm thinking I'll actually take some time off to turkey hunt this year. Have a 20ga, new choke, and some supposedly wicked loads I'd like to try out this year.

 

[Hem]

Yep...cool pictures..getting psyched .

 

[kansasdad]

Daylight savings time has not effected "my" turkeys at all, as they are clued in to daylight duration and temperature changes to know that spring is near, and turkey making is just around the corner.

Leaving the horse pasture, and just about to cross the road to get down to the roost spot on the lake, these hens were making dinnertime look easy.





Kansas spring turkey permit and tag allow for two bearded birds to be taken. One year I found two toms in synchronous strutting which saved their lives, as that year the region we were in only allowed the taking of one bird. Unlike some states there is no limitation of one bird a day, and these two boys would have been flopping simultaneously with one shell had it been season.








Two weeks to go for the youth/disabled season opener, and then the archers get a weeks headstart on the gun hunters.

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

WOW!!

I wanna come hunt with YOU!

 

[kansasdad]

TO DO LIST:

1: purchase broadheads and make sure that POI does not change from field points
2: purchase combo permit/tag before the price goes up on 4/1/17
3: permethrin applied to all exterior pieces that might be worn for the turkey season.......lightest camo to the full insulated coat.....its Kansas in
springtime!!
4: get a waterproof case for upgraded cell phone......its Kansas in springtime!!
5: contact land owner about upcoming sale of land.....has it gone through?, how do I meet the new owners?
6: scout the public land I plan to hunt. (I LOVE early morning roost gobblefests!)
7: figure out adult children's desire for spring time turkey action and coordinate schedules.
8: ask Julia if this is the year to burn her apprentice hunting license......she has not yet taken hunters safety course.
9: create a countdown calendar till opening day.

 

[kansasdad]

Two days left to purchase your combo permit/tag for the reduced price for Kansas spring turkeys.

WIHA for 2017 now online at KDWPT website. I did not see the print version at my walleyworld store Tuesday.