Daily Archives: October 5, 2017

Fall turkey hunting not your average season

If you like a good challenge, want to test your hunting prowess, or just want to shake up your fall hunting plans, consider adding a fall turkey hunt to your list. Spring turkey hunts are hugely popular, and given the time of year, it’s no surprise – it’s the first hunting season of the year, temperatures are comfortable, and action is everywhere. But come fall, action-packed turkey hunts can still be had, that is, if hunters are up to the challenge.

Hunting techniques used in the spring can prove less effective later in the year. Unlike the spring when mating is top priority, during the fall season, turkeys are gathering into winter flocks and are focused on finding food. Therefore, fall hunting is often a matter of finding birds, scouting their feeding areas and setting up an ambush point.

A hunting technique common in southern states is to break up a flock of turkeys, sometimes using a dog to scatter the birds, then hiding quietly as the birds begin to re-group. Birds will make a “kee-kee-run” call to locate flock members, and the hunter can use this call to an advantage. One thing that doesn’t change from spring to fall is the fact that good camouflage and well-timed movements are still keys to success.

The 2017 fall turkey hunting season runs from Oct. 1 – Nov. 28 and opens back up again from Dec. 11 – Jan. 31, 2018.

Hunters may take one turkey during the fall season. Resident fall turkey permits are $27.50 for hunters 16 and older and $7.50 for hunters 15 and younger. Nonresident fall turkey permits are $52.50 for hunters 16 and older and $12.50 for youth 15 and younger. Fall turkey permits are available wherever licenses are sold and at ksoutdoors.com.

For information on turkey hunting regulations, legal equipment, unit maps and public hunting areas, reference the 2017 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary and 2017 Kansas Hunting Atlas, or visit ksoutdoors.com.

Tuttle Creek State Park to host guided bike ride

Clip on a helmet, stretch out your legs, and prepare to experience Tuttle Creek State Park in a whole new way! In celebration of national Bike Your Park Day on Sept. 30, a 5-mile guided bike ride will be offered at Tuttle Creek State Park, 5800 River Pond Rd A, Manhattan. The free, family-friendly event will take place from 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m., after which bikers can enjoy complimentary breakfast snacks.

The group will meet at the camp store, located in the River Pond Area prior to take-off.

There is no cost to participate; however, participants must bring their own bike and have an annual vehicle permit or purchase a daily vehicle permit, $5.00, to enter the park.

Bike Your Park with staff at Tuttle Creek State Park and see how fast you can pedal yourself to a good time.

Hike into the night Oct. 6 at Tuttle Creek State Park

If stepping into the unknown and going on an expedition is something that sounds fun to you, and you’re not too scared of the dark, here’s an event with your name on it – Tuttle Creek State Park’s Nite Hike. On Oct. 6, adventure-seeking hikers will embark on an hour-long hike through Tuttle Creek State Park from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The hike is limited to the first 50 people who sign up. To secure your spot, call (785) 539-7941 or e-mail [email protected].

The group will meet at the Tuttle Creek State Park office, 5800A River Pond Rd., prior to hiking into the dark. Hikers are encouraged to wear hiking-appropriate shoes, and bring water and a flashlight, glow stick or headlamp.

Grab a friend, lace up, and hike into the night!

Secretary Zinke declares October National Hunting and Fishing Month

From The Outdoor Wire

Just days before National Hunting and Fishing Day – which is held on the fourth Saturday of September every year – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke declared October will officially be recognized as National Hunting and Fishing Month at the Department. Zinke championed the order to recognize the lasting and positive impact of hunters and anglers on wildlife and habitat conservation in America. This order comes on the heels of several major sportsmen actions from Interior including the announcement September 20 of the addition of 600 acres of land in Arizona’s Santa Teresa Mountains to make Wilderness Areas accessible for hunting and fishing.

“I grew up in northwest Montana surrounded by public lands and waters. Some of my best memories are hunting and fishing with my dad and granddad, and then later teaching my own kids to hunt and fish. That’s something I want more families to experience, which is exactly why increasing access to public lands is so important,” said Secretary Ryan Zinke. “Hunters and anglers are the backbone of wildlife and habitat conservation in America, and they contribute billions of dollars to conservation. From my perspective, the more sportsmen we have in the woods and waters, the better our wildlife and land will be. Formally recognizing the contributions of hunters and anglers to wildlife and habitat conservation is long overdue.”

“Hunters, anglers, and target shooters are the best conservationists who contribute so much through the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Acts,” said Richard Childress, second Vice President of the National Rifle Association, NASCAR driver, and honorary chair of Hunting and Fishing Day. “Last year, they contributed $1.2 billion toward conservation and protecting our natural resources. We need more mentors taking young people out and teaching them to hunt and fish, so I’m glad Secretary Zinke is promoting hunting and fishing at the federal level.”

The declaration was signed at the grand opening of the Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Missouri September 20. Event speakers included former Presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.

President George H.W. Bush sent a video message with a virtual ribbon cutting. Earlier in the day Secretary Zinke scuba dove in the shark-filled aquarium and conducted a question and answer session with a fifth grade class of young conservationists.

Hunters and anglers contribute billions of dollars to conservation through initiatives like the Federal Duck Stamp, which sells for $25 and raises nearly $40 million each year to provide critical funds to conserve and protect wetland habitats in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Excise taxes on firearms, ammo and tackle also generate more than a billion dollars per year through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration acts.

This September and October, the Department of the Interior is setting its sights on the continued role that hunters and anglers play in wildlife conservation.

Earlier this month, Secretary Zinke signed a directive to support and expand hunting and fishing, enhance conservation stewardship, improve wildlife management, and increase outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans. The order expanded hunting, fishing and shooting on public lands and sought innovative solutions to open private land. It also focused on wildlife and habitat conservation and restoration as well as better collaboration with states, tribes and territorial governments. The move was widely praised by sportsmen and wildlife conservation organizations.

In August, the Secretary announced a proposal to expand hunting and fishing opportunities at 10 National Wildlife Refuges, and he announced the initial stages of a plan to acquire land to make the Bureau of Land Management Sabinoso Wilderness Area accessible for the first time ever to hunters, hikers, and wildlife watchers.

On his first day in office, Secretary Zinke reversed an order that would have banned lead ammo and tackle on National Wildlife Refuge lands, and he began the process of expanding hunting and fishing opportunities on public lands across the Department.

“It’s imperative that we have people like Secretary Zinke speaking about and promoting hunting and fishing. It’s not only our heritage, it’s also the key to true conservation,” said Craig Morgan, a country music performer who performed at the event.

“It is refreshing that Secretary Zinke understands the value of hunting and fishing to American conservation,” said Major David Eaton, who spoke at the event. “The more public game lands become available to Americans, the better off our country will be.”

In addition, Secretary Zinke recently made recommendations to President Trump on 27 national monuments, calling for changes to some that, while still protecting the land, would also protect and expand public access to that land for citizens who want to hunt, fish, hike, and experience the joy and beauty of those public lands.

Editor’s note: Unfortunately many of the recommendations by Secretary Zinke call for reducing the size of some monuments while opening other monuments to oil, gas and coal exploitation, negatively impacting the habitat available to wildlife and hunters on these public lands.