So there I was, shopping at Wal-Mart with my wife and son. I hadn't been out to Wal-Mart in a couple of weeks, so I headed over to the disgrace they call a sporting goods section to see if any turkey stuff was out. Wal-Mart had a small selection of slate and box calls, several mouth calls, a couple of choke tubes, and some fiber-optic sights. I looked at some of the slate calls pretty hard. My slate call is a hand-me-down from my brother. The first turkey call I've ever bought is a Quaker Boy Hurricane box call. I've killed three turkeys with it, so I don't believe it to be ineffective. Anyway, my brother has a lot more calls than I do. In fact, the reason I don't own many calls is mostly because my brother does own so many. I'll detail this in a future post- I promise.
Back to the subject. My brother gave me his old slate call when he bought a new one. I have always wanted a newer, better slate call. So I'm standing at Wal-Mart, checking out the selection of slate calls priced from $13 to $22. I'm thinking "you know, I ought to just go ahead and buy one. If it's no good, my son can use it in ten years." But my next thought was, "wait a minute. This $22 turkey call can't be any better than the hand-me-down slate call I already have and it's certainly no better than the box call I've put three birds in the freezer with."
Sometimes the best money you spend is the money you've already spent. Now I have more money for beer.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Marshall County- the Turkey Hunting Capital of Kansas
If you live in the East and you want to hunt for a Rio, Kansas is about as far as you need to go. Once confined to the southwest corner of the state, the Rio has migrated East. Do a Google map of Home, Kansas. My first turkey was a Rio-Eastern hybrid and was shot about two miles south of there. If you are from the West and you want to shoot an Eastern, Kansas is about as far as you need to go. The Northeast corner of the state is rich with Easterns and if you want to drive a little further, say- to Missouri, you can find even greater hunting for Easterns. For those of you wanting to travel, here is some information about Kansas turkey hunting.
Kansas Subspecies Distribution Map- This isn't completely accurate. There are Rio-Eastern hybrids as far east as Nemaha County (the third county from the East along the northern border) and Easterns as far west as Jewell County (four counties west of Nemaha). http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/hunting/hunting_image_gallery/approximate_turkey_subspecies_distribution_in_kansas
Kansas Spring Season- Archery and Youth only- 1-8 April 2008; Firearms/Archery- 9 April-31 May 2008. For a complete list of regulations, check here- http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/hunting/turkey
Kansas Hunting Atlas- If you're hunting public land, check this baby out first. You'll start to notice that more public land is available in some counties than in others. http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/kdwp_info/locations/hunting_fishing_maps_by_county/2007_spring_turkey_hunting_atlas/marshall
Here's what you need to know about turkey hunting in Kansas.
Legal firearms- 20-gauge and above, shot 2-9. I use 6 shot, but I'll get into that another time. Electronic calls are prohibited.
Kansas is divided into four management units for turkey. Unit 1 is the largest unit in terms of area, but Unit 2 is by far the richest in turkey poplation. I live in Marshall County. If you click on the map and start at the Northeastern-most county, this is Doniphan County. Moving West, you'll see Brown, Nemaha, Marshall and Washington. There are fantastic woods in Washington County, and there is a good mix of Eastern and Rio sub-species there. Nemaha County also features very rich hunting of all subspecies, as does Jackson County. Jackson is directly to the south and east of Nemaha.
If you're an out-of-stater and don't know anyone in Kansas, you'll be particularly interested in public hunting areas. Marshall County is the best in the state in terms of combined quality and quantity of hunting areas. There are 46 different walk-in hunting areas in Marshall County, with the biggest concentration in the Northwest, Northeast, and Southeast corners. Feel free to comment on this thread if you're interested in coming out to hunt Marshall County. I'd be happy to be your guide and maybe learn a thing or two.
Here's what I know about the different areas of Marshall County. The hunting in the Northwest corner is pretty tough. There are a lot of open wheat fields and finding a good spot can be troublesome. The biggest birds are in the Northeast corner, up by the Nebraska border near Summerfield. However, these birds are very tough to call in. My brother and I have seen 30-pound birds up there, but have never brought one in closer than 80 yards. They're spooky. The Southeast corner is good hunting without the monster birds that are up by the border.
Lodging- About the only motels in the county are in Marysville. There are a few motels here, but call in advance. Union Pacific Railroad uses them often and they are frequently booked up with railroaders.
Meals- Aside from the little cafes and bars, there are some fast-food joints in Marysville as well as two grocery stores.
What you'll need- First, if you don't have a four-wheel-drive, you're severely limiting where you can hunt. There are plenty of great places to go down muddy roads, but a 2-wheel drive won't get you home. You can pick up a tag in about any Wal-Mart or courthouse, or order one online at the KDWP website. Get here early on your first day. That way, you can go out scouting as many walk-in areas as possible.
What I know- Stay away from wheat fields in late spring. When the wheat gets too high, you're just wasting your time. The best places to hunt are newly planted corn and bean fields. If you must, hunt cedar pasture and the big woods, but try to stay near a corn or bean field if possible.
Last but not least- Don't get in a hurry. The toms are pretty henned up throughout the season. The later you plan to hunt, the better. If you have one tag to fill, you can fill it on Memorial Day weekend. There's no sense coming in April. Two of the three birds I've shot have been after the middle of May.
If you're interested in hunting Kansas, I'm probably interested in hunting your state. Leave me a comment and let me know when you want to visit. I might be able to help you out.
Kansas Subspecies Distribution Map- This isn't completely accurate. There are Rio-Eastern hybrids as far east as Nemaha County (the third county from the East along the northern border) and Easterns as far west as Jewell County (four counties west of Nemaha). http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/hunting/hunting_image_gallery/approximate_turkey_subspecies_distribution_in_kansas
Kansas Spring Season- Archery and Youth only- 1-8 April 2008; Firearms/Archery- 9 April-31 May 2008. For a complete list of regulations, check here- http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/hunting/turkey
Kansas Hunting Atlas- If you're hunting public land, check this baby out first. You'll start to notice that more public land is available in some counties than in others. http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/kdwp_info/locations/hunting_fishing_maps_by_county/2007_spring_turkey_hunting_atlas/marshall
Here's what you need to know about turkey hunting in Kansas.
Legal firearms- 20-gauge and above, shot 2-9. I use 6 shot, but I'll get into that another time. Electronic calls are prohibited.
Kansas is divided into four management units for turkey. Unit 1 is the largest unit in terms of area, but Unit 2 is by far the richest in turkey poplation. I live in Marshall County. If you click on the map and start at the Northeastern-most county, this is Doniphan County. Moving West, you'll see Brown, Nemaha, Marshall and Washington. There are fantastic woods in Washington County, and there is a good mix of Eastern and Rio sub-species there. Nemaha County also features very rich hunting of all subspecies, as does Jackson County. Jackson is directly to the south and east of Nemaha.
If you're an out-of-stater and don't know anyone in Kansas, you'll be particularly interested in public hunting areas. Marshall County is the best in the state in terms of combined quality and quantity of hunting areas. There are 46 different walk-in hunting areas in Marshall County, with the biggest concentration in the Northwest, Northeast, and Southeast corners. Feel free to comment on this thread if you're interested in coming out to hunt Marshall County. I'd be happy to be your guide and maybe learn a thing or two.
Here's what I know about the different areas of Marshall County. The hunting in the Northwest corner is pretty tough. There are a lot of open wheat fields and finding a good spot can be troublesome. The biggest birds are in the Northeast corner, up by the Nebraska border near Summerfield. However, these birds are very tough to call in. My brother and I have seen 30-pound birds up there, but have never brought one in closer than 80 yards. They're spooky. The Southeast corner is good hunting without the monster birds that are up by the border.
Lodging- About the only motels in the county are in Marysville. There are a few motels here, but call in advance. Union Pacific Railroad uses them often and they are frequently booked up with railroaders.
Meals- Aside from the little cafes and bars, there are some fast-food joints in Marysville as well as two grocery stores.
What you'll need- First, if you don't have a four-wheel-drive, you're severely limiting where you can hunt. There are plenty of great places to go down muddy roads, but a 2-wheel drive won't get you home. You can pick up a tag in about any Wal-Mart or courthouse, or order one online at the KDWP website. Get here early on your first day. That way, you can go out scouting as many walk-in areas as possible.
What I know- Stay away from wheat fields in late spring. When the wheat gets too high, you're just wasting your time. The best places to hunt are newly planted corn and bean fields. If you must, hunt cedar pasture and the big woods, but try to stay near a corn or bean field if possible.
Last but not least- Don't get in a hurry. The toms are pretty henned up throughout the season. The later you plan to hunt, the better. If you have one tag to fill, you can fill it on Memorial Day weekend. There's no sense coming in April. Two of the three birds I've shot have been after the middle of May.
If you're interested in hunting Kansas, I'm probably interested in hunting your state. Leave me a comment and let me know when you want to visit. I might be able to help you out.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Agony and Agony
I feel terrible for these guys. Who hasn't been there? Scroll ahead to about the four-minute mark. Basically, these guys did everything right except- well, you'll see.
Gear Reviews- Shotgun
I like to travel light. I'm not the guy who has a dozen calls in his vest or a Double-Bull Matrix 360 on his shoulder. I'm not a run-and-gun kind of hunter, but I hate the long, lonely walk back to the pickup when I'm carrying too much gear.
I want to use this topic- specifically the comments section- for you to share reviews of the gear you already own. That way, everyone who reads this will have a better idea of what to get next time and what to stay away from. And, according to my wife, I'll know what to add to my Cabela's wishlist.
There's no need to go through the whole closet at once, so today let's talk shotguns. I am a shotgunner. I will, eventually, add a post about archery for those of you who are bowhunters. I won't get too involved in that conversation. Bowhunting looks like a load of fun, but I'm a big fan of gunpowder- one of the best inventions ever as far as I'm concerned.
My shotgun is a Benelli Nova 12 gauge with BSA green dot. I bought this shotgun prior to the 2007 spring season. Previously, I had been using a side-side 12 gauge which was cumbersome and inaccurate. My other shotgun- my #1- is a Remington 870 Wingmaster. I never really liked the idea of beating up a nice, pretty gun by taking it turkey hunting. My brother beat the crap out of a good-looking Browning BPS by using it in the turkey woods.
The gun shop in Seneca had Novas on sale last winter, so I bought one and decided to add a green dot to it. I figured that would be all I'd need. Wrong. If you buy a Nova, or any other light synthetic, and/or you plan on shooting 3-1/2 inch high-velocity turkey loads, you're going to want to invest in a Limb Saver recoil pad. I went out to pattern my gun without a limb-saver last March and I came home with a bruise on my shoulder that looked like Georgia.
In addition to the limb saver, I added an aftermarket turkey choke. I bought a Carlson's choke from Cabela's in super-full. I don't have any problems with the choke. It does it's job.
Bottom line- hits and misses of the Benelli Nova 12 gauge.
Hits-
Price. I paid around $340.
Chamber. Rarely do you find a gun that will chamber anything from 2-3/4'" to 3-1/2" shells.
Limb Saver recoil pad. Unless you want to deal with the long-term health risks associated with beating your shoulder with the back end of a turkey cannon.
Green Dot. I paid about $25 for this thing. It's low end, but I'm shooting at 30-yards and in. It makes the shot easy. Put the dot on the bird's head and squeeze the trigger.
Weight. A light gun that is easy to carry in and out of the field.
Misses-
Kick. This is the most painful-to-shoot gun I have ever fired, and that includes an M60 Machine Gun from the shoulder position.
Trigger. The trigger requires about the same amount of force as a steel door.
Pump. Not only is the trigger hard, the pump is tight.
Green Dot Mount. I had to buy a $45 mounting bracket from B-Square to mount my $25 green dot scope.
Tell us about your gun? What do you like/dislike?
I want to use this topic- specifically the comments section- for you to share reviews of the gear you already own. That way, everyone who reads this will have a better idea of what to get next time and what to stay away from. And, according to my wife, I'll know what to add to my Cabela's wishlist.
There's no need to go through the whole closet at once, so today let's talk shotguns. I am a shotgunner. I will, eventually, add a post about archery for those of you who are bowhunters. I won't get too involved in that conversation. Bowhunting looks like a load of fun, but I'm a big fan of gunpowder- one of the best inventions ever as far as I'm concerned.
My shotgun is a Benelli Nova 12 gauge with BSA green dot. I bought this shotgun prior to the 2007 spring season. Previously, I had been using a side-side 12 gauge which was cumbersome and inaccurate. My other shotgun- my #1- is a Remington 870 Wingmaster. I never really liked the idea of beating up a nice, pretty gun by taking it turkey hunting. My brother beat the crap out of a good-looking Browning BPS by using it in the turkey woods.
The gun shop in Seneca had Novas on sale last winter, so I bought one and decided to add a green dot to it. I figured that would be all I'd need. Wrong. If you buy a Nova, or any other light synthetic, and/or you plan on shooting 3-1/2 inch high-velocity turkey loads, you're going to want to invest in a Limb Saver recoil pad. I went out to pattern my gun without a limb-saver last March and I came home with a bruise on my shoulder that looked like Georgia.
In addition to the limb saver, I added an aftermarket turkey choke. I bought a Carlson's choke from Cabela's in super-full. I don't have any problems with the choke. It does it's job.
Bottom line- hits and misses of the Benelli Nova 12 gauge.
Hits-
Price. I paid around $340.
Chamber. Rarely do you find a gun that will chamber anything from 2-3/4'" to 3-1/2" shells.
Limb Saver recoil pad. Unless you want to deal with the long-term health risks associated with beating your shoulder with the back end of a turkey cannon.
Green Dot. I paid about $25 for this thing. It's low end, but I'm shooting at 30-yards and in. It makes the shot easy. Put the dot on the bird's head and squeeze the trigger.
Weight. A light gun that is easy to carry in and out of the field.
Misses-
Kick. This is the most painful-to-shoot gun I have ever fired, and that includes an M60 Machine Gun from the shoulder position.
Trigger. The trigger requires about the same amount of force as a steel door.
Pump. Not only is the trigger hard, the pump is tight.
Green Dot Mount. I had to buy a $45 mounting bracket from B-Square to mount my $25 green dot scope.
Tell us about your gun? What do you like/dislike?
Welcome!
Welcome to Kansas Aggie's Turkey Hunter. This blog has a mission- to help more hunters kill and eat more wild turkeys in more places.
First, a little about me. My name is Chris and I live in Marysville, Kansas. I have been hunting all my life but just picked up turkey hunting in 2003. I was a very unsuccessful turkey hunter the first year, but got hooked on the experience of sitting in the woods on a warm spring day and getting ticks in my hair.
I shot my first bird, a 21-pound Eastern-Rio hybrid, in 2005. I have bagged one tom each the past two seasons and I'm chomping at the bit to get out in the woods this spring. I shot all three birds in the same little cornfield, so I'm a little short on broad experience.
I would like for this blog to be a sharing experience. With each other, we can share tips, tricks, equipment reviews, recipies, etc. Basically, we help our fellow man become better at killing senseless animals.
Welcome to the show!
First, a little about me. My name is Chris and I live in Marysville, Kansas. I have been hunting all my life but just picked up turkey hunting in 2003. I was a very unsuccessful turkey hunter the first year, but got hooked on the experience of sitting in the woods on a warm spring day and getting ticks in my hair.
I shot my first bird, a 21-pound Eastern-Rio hybrid, in 2005. I have bagged one tom each the past two seasons and I'm chomping at the bit to get out in the woods this spring. I shot all three birds in the same little cornfield, so I'm a little short on broad experience.
I would like for this blog to be a sharing experience. With each other, we can share tips, tricks, equipment reviews, recipies, etc. Basically, we help our fellow man become better at killing senseless animals.
Welcome to the show!
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