Shooting Skills for Women Event May 30

 If you’re a female age 18 or older and are interested in learning the ins-and-outs of shootingMay 30 at Lil’ Toledo Lodge, 10600 170th Rd, Chanute.

firearms in a fun, low-pressure atmosphere, consider joining other like-minded women at the Shooting Skills for Women event

Hosted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife,Parks and Tourism, Lil’ |Toledo Lodge, Kansas Bow Hunters Association, and the Kansas Wildlife Officers Association, this annual shooting event will provide women with the opportunity to handle and fire a variety of firearms. Participants will gain confidence and experience with shooting shotguns, revolvers, semiautomatic hand guns, small caliber rifles, big bore rifles, and black powder rifles. A variety of archery equipment will also be available for use, including long bows, recurve bows, and compound bows. No experience is required, and all guns and equipment will be provided.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided courtesy of the Kansas Bowhunters Association and prizes will be drawn for.

The cost to attend is $50.00 and pre-registration is required. The event will be open to the first 40 women who register and pay.

For more information, or to sign up for this event, contact Stacy Hageman at (620) 672-5911.

Hell Creek On Heels 5K, 10K Trail Runs

“Wild Within You” will be hosting the 5th annual “Hell Creek On Heels” trail run May 2 at 8 a.m. Runners will meet at the trailhead at 7:45 a.m.

Wilson State Park. The 5K and 10K runs will take place on Switchgrass Trail and begin at

Runners will be met by aid stationsalong the trailoffering water and assorted energy-packed snacks. After the event, runners can enjoy some free race goodies, as well as enter in several drawings for prizes.

Runners can preregister online at www.active.com, in person at the Hays Recreation Commission, 1105 Canterbury Dr, Hays, or by mailing an entry form to Wild Within You, 101 W. 3rd, Liebenthal, KS 67553. Cash or check payments are accepted and race fees are non-refundable.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/HellCreekHeels, or contact Sara Kay Carrell at (785) 650-1620.

Webster State Park to Host OK Kids Day

STOCKTON – If you know a child who would enjoy participating in a jam-packed day of outdoor exploration and instruction, consider taking them to the OK Kids Day event at Webster State Park on May 2. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., youth ages 4 to 12 are invited to participate in a variety of activities including: a fishing clinic, Laser Shot shooting simulator, skins and skulls presentation, K-9 demonstration, nature craft project, first aid kit making, bird migration game, and more. There is no cost to attend and all supplies and equipment, including lunch, will be provided.

To make the day even more memorable, youth who participate in eight or more of the OK Kids Day events will have their names entered into a drawing for a chance to win a lifetime hunting, fishing, or furharvesting license of their choice, as well as other prizes.

For more information on this event, contact Jana Slansky at (785) 425-6775.

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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Investigation Into Dead Fish At Wilson Reservoir Continues

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Staff from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are investigating dead and dying fish near the spillway at Wilson Reservoir in Russell County. In late March, KDWPT district fisheries biologist Scott Waters investigated reports of dead fish in Spillway Cove near the lake’s dam and found approximately 50 dead fish.

 “Probably half of the fish were adult smallmouth bass,” Waters said. “The rest of the mix was made up of walleye, drum and one striped bass. They appeared healthy, and some were still alive, swimming lethargically.”

Dead fish and water samples have been sent to labs for testing, and results are expected in early May. Investigators have identified no obvious reason for the die-off, which may number several hundred fish. The number of dead fish showing up each day appears to be slowing down.

The 9,000-acre reservoir, known for its crystal clear water and rugged prairie surroundings, has suffered through the long-term drought. The water level is more than 8 feet below what is considered normal; however, at this time, it does not appear connected to the dead fish. There is no evidence that any threat is posed to anglers or lake users.

“Our staff will continue to monitor the situation,” said KDWPT Fisheries Section chief Doug Nygren. “And we’ll inform the public as soon as test results are received and evaluated or we learn anything new.”

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Waystations needed to save monarchs

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With the Kansas Wetlands Education Center and Cheyenne Bottoms in its backyard, Barton County is no stranger to butterfly tagging, and the each year, butterfly enthusiasts take part in butterfly counts throughout the warmer months. These efforts have shown numbers have dropped to critical levels over the past few decades.  Barbara Green, a representative of Monarch Watch, hopes more people will respond by creating monarch waystations.

At the 2015 We Kan Conference held in Salina, Green presented a talk about how to create the waystations, which are simply gardens in which the butterflies can find its most critical food source--milkweed plants. These islands along the migration route to Mexico are now a critical necessity if the species is to survive.

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Apply For Nonresident Deer Permit By April 24

 The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) would like to remind nonresident deer hunters that the application deadline for 2015-2016 Nonresidents Deer Permits is midnight on April 24. Only online applications are being accepted through the KDWPT website, ksoutdoors.com, where applicants will be taken through a process step-by-step.

A nonresident white-tailed deer combo permit is $346.96, including application and convenience fees. The Mule Deer Stamp is $102.50. Nonresident youth white-tailed deer combo permits (hunters 15 and younger) are $116.34. All nonresident permits are combo permits and include one either-sex whitetail tag and one antlerless-only whitetail tag. Hunters who draw a permit will also need a nonresident hunting license.

Application instructions, season information, permit quotas, as well as last year’s drawing statistics, can be accessed at www.ksoutdoors.com.

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