Commission To Discuss 2017 Turkey Hunting Regulations

PRATT – The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission will conduct a public meeting in Clay Center at Life’s Finer Moments, 1285 16th Road, on August 11, 2016. The afternoon session will begin at 1 p.m. and recess at 5 p.m. The evening session will convene at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend both sessions and time is set aside for public comment at the beginning of each for discussion of non-agenda items.

The afternoon session will begin with Secretary Robin Jennison’s report on the agency and state fiscal status and an update on pertinent 2016 legislative actions. The General Discussion portion of the meeting will include a review of big game regulations, a Tourism Division update, discussion on the Flint Hills Nature Trail Project, and an update on Ducks Unlimited wetlands projects in the state.

The evening portion of the meeting will convene at 6:30 p.m. for the Workshop Session where topics include 2017 turkey regulations, park regulations, fishing regulations, and regulations pertaining to threatened and endangered species will be discussed.

If necessary, the commission will reconvene at the same location at 9 a.m., August 12, to complete any unfinished business. Information about the Commission, as well as the August 11 meeting agenda and Briefing Book, can be downloaded at ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Commission/Upcoming-Commission-Meetings.

Live video and audio streaming of the August 11 meeting will be available at ksoutdoors.com. If notified in advance, the department will have an interpreter available for the hearing impaired. To request an interpreter, call the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at 1-800-432-0698. Any individual with a disability may request other accommodations by contacting the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission secretary at(620) 672-5911.

The next Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism commission meeting is scheduled for October 20, 2016, in Liberal.

Fall Turkey Season Offers Second Chance at Gobblers

Turkey Recipes

PRATT – If lady luck wasn’t on your side this spring turkey season, or you simply want to enjoy a unique fall hunting experience, the fall turkey season is an opportunity for a second chance. From Oct. 1 - Dec. 1 and Dec. 14, 2015 - Jan. 31, 2016, turkey hunters may hunt both male and female turkeys in turkey management units: 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. Hunters with a fall turkey permit and valid Kansas hunting license may also purchase up to three additional turkey game tags valid in Unit 2, offering plenty of opportunities to stock up this winter.

All hunters must have a hunting license, unless exempt, and a turkey permit. Residents 15 and younger, 75 and older and hunters hunting on land they own are exempt from hunting license requirements. Resident permits are $22.50 for hunters 16 and older and $7.50 for hunters 15 and younger. Resident turkey game tags are $12.50. Nonresident turkey permits are $32.50 and nonresident turkey game tags are $22.50.

For information on turkey hunting regulations, legal equipment, unit maps and public hunting areas, pick up or download an electronic copy (ksoutdoors.com) of the 2015 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary and 2015 Kansas Hunting Atlas. Permits and game tags are available wherever licenses are sold and at ksoutdoors.com.

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Kansas Wild Turkey Federation to Host JAKES Camp

The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) will hold its 2015 Kansas State JAKES Camp September 12-13. The event is open to youth 17 and younger and will be conducted at White Memorial Camp, 6 miles north of Council Grove, off Highway K-177.  On Saturday, youth can enjoy up to six activities, including fishing, arts and crafts, JAKES Take Aim BB gun shooting, disc golf, trap shooting, still target shooting, archery, canoeing, flint knapping, and turkey calling with three time World Champion Steve Stoltz. On Saturday evening, JAKES members can participate in the annual NWTF Kansas State JAKES (youth aged 12 and under) and Xtreme JAKES (youth aged 13 to 17) Turkey Calling Contest. Prizes will be awarded to the top three callers in each division. After the contest, Stoltz will entertain the group with his turkey hunting stories and adventures.

On Sunday, Pastor Gary Cargill will start the day with a sunrise service. Other activities include a presentation by Milford Nature Center staff and a predator calling demonstration with Knight & Hale pro staffer Mick Bowman.

The cost of the event is $20 for JAKES members, $30 for non-JAKES members (which includes a JAKES membership), and $20 for adults. Attendees may tent camp onsite (bring your own tent) Saturday night or may commute both days. For an additional fee, participants can stay in a resident cabin, which includes bunk beds and shared bath. Boys and girls will have separate cabins. There are also a few RV hookups. The camp fee includes lunch and supper on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. Meals will be prepared by the White Memorial Camp kitchen staff. All youth will receive a commemorative tee shirt and win a prize in a drawing at the end of the event on Sunday.

The NWTF is a conservation organization dedicated to conserving wild turkeys, their habitat and our hunting heritage. JAKES, or Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship, is a program designed to get youth involved in conservation and hunting.

The NWTF Kansas State JAKES Camp was awarded the "Best State JAKES Event" in 2012, the "Best Special JAKES Event" in 2013 at the NWTF National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

For more information or to receive a registration form, contact Gib Rhodes at 620-437-2012.

Trophy Turkey Program Recognizes Big Gobblers

Big game and turkey hunters love to compare the animals they take. Most trophy-class

animals are older and more difficult to hunt, presenting a unique challenge many hunters enjoy. Deer hunters, for example, use well-known scoring formulas to compare antlers based on size and symmetry. Turkey hunters are no different, and those who take an extraordinary specimen may qualify for a Trophy Turkey Award from the Kansas Department of Wildlife,Parks and Tourism (KDWPT).

The scoring system published by the National Wild Turkey Federation in the early 1980s is used for the KDWPT awards program. A score sheet and certificate application can be downloaded at www.ksoutdoors.com. Hunters score their own birds using the following formula, taking measurements to the nearest eighth of an inch: First, weigh your bird on accurate scales with witnesses. Next, measure the beard (or beards) from the point it protrudes from the skin to the longest bristle. Then, measure each spur from the point where it protrudes from the scaled leg skin. Now you have the necessary measurements and are ready to calculate the score.

Multiply the length of the beard (or sum of the beard lengths if there is more than one) times two. Then add the length of the spurs together and multiply the sum by 10. Add the weight to these two figures for a total score. For example, a bird that weighed 21 pounds, with a 10-inch beard and spurs that measured 1 1/4 inches each would score 66. (21 + 20 [10 x 2] + 25 [1 ¼ + 1 ¼ x 10] = 66)

The minimum score for a Trophy Turkey Award is 65. KDWPT keeps Top 20 lists in two categories: typical and nontypical. Birds with multiple beards would fall under the nontypical category. The largest typical bird on record scored 88 4/8 and was taken in 2007 in Franklin County by Bobby Robinson of Eupora, Miss. That bird weighed 26 4/8 pounds, had a beard that measured 17 ¼ inches and spurs that measured 1 3/8 inches each. The largest nontypical ever awarded was taken in 2008 by Rick Pritchard of Little Rock, Ark. Pritchard’s bird, also taken in Franklin County, weighed 27 pounds, and had spurs that measured 1 1/8 inches each. However, the bird sported eight beards that measured 54 5/8 inches in total. The official score was 158 6/8. 

The spring turkey seasons runs through the end of May, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy an exciting spring hunt. If you’re lucky enough too take a big ole gobbler, weigh it and take some measurements. You might qualify for a Trophy Turkey Award.

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FLINT HILLS GOBBLERS TO HOST 14TH ANNUAL SPRING TURKEY HUNTING CLINIC

Event open to first 250 who register

EMPORIA – The Flint Hills Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold the 14th Annual Spring Turkey Hunting Clinic and Internet-Assisted Hunter Education Class on Saturday, March 28. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Dry Creek Sporting Clays, south of Emporia and is open to anyone interested in learning how to become a better turkey hunter.

Participants 17 years old and younger will receive commemorative t-shirts and JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) memberships. Prizes will also be drawn for youth at the end of the clinic. Lunch will be provided. There is no fee to participate; however, preregistration is required.

Participants will go through several education stations covering various aspects of turkey hunting, including:

Turkey biology and management • turkey hunting equipment and safety • turkey calling and locator calling • scouting and roosting • bowhunting for turkeys • shotgun hunting and safety • trap shooting • and target shooting.

An Internet-Assisted Hunter Education Class will also be taught during the clinic; however it will be limited to 24 students.

For more information or to register for the clinic or Internet-Assisted Hunter Education Class, contact Gib Rhodes at (620) 437-2012.

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