Hunter scores big in Midwest

A couple of weeks ago I said we would close the book on turkey hunting for this year. 

Well, I’m about to reopen that book for just one more story, and it’s a good one. 

If you were like many and struggled during the spring turkey season, I’m sure you will appreciate the efforts of Jeff Waddell.  Jeff managed to kill a couple birds in Georgia this past season but like most, found the season to be quite challenging.

So, the instant the season was over in Georgia, on the 15th of May, Jeff packed up and headed for the state of Kansas, where he felt certain that his efforts would be rewarded. And were they ever. 

Near the town of Downs, Kan., is a hunting lodge called Outdoor Obsessions. They specialize in spring turkey hunting and fall pheasant hunting. A gentleman named Erik Vrbas acted as Jeff’s guide for the hunt. He arrived late on the afternoon of May 15. 
By 8 p.m. on the day of arrival, Jeff killed his first turkey. 

At 6:05 a.m. the following morning, he filled his limit with his second gobbler. 

It is a two-hour drive from where he hunted in Kansas to Nebraska. Jeff packed up his gear and headed for the Corn Husker State.  In Harlan County, Neb., Jeff found some public land where he was allowed to turkey hunt on his own. He stopped at a local store to pick up a license and supplies. The local residents told Jeff that he should have no problem bagging a bird, as they were everywhere. 

At 2 p.m. on May 16, Jeff shot his third bird.  Three birds in 12 hours - not bad, considering the fact that turkey simply don’t walk up and play dead, no matter what state you’re hunting. 

Jeff attributed his success to the light hunting pressure in that part of the country. There is a lot of wide open, sparsely populated country, in both Kansas and Nebraska. The public hunting land in Nebraska showed little, if any hunting pressure. 

So, congratulations to Jeff on a very successful trip to America’s heartland. He said that information on Outdoor Obsessions can be found by calling 785-565-2584 or by checking out their Web site at . 

I’m sure that information on the Nebraska public hunting land would be easy enough to source by checking out the Web site of the Fish and Game division of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. 

So, now we will officially close the book on turkey hunting for this year.  Unless, of course, another good story like Jeff’s happens to come along. 

Fishing rodeo

Getting back a little closer to home; how about the fishing rodeo last Saturday for the kids! 

If you weren’t there, then you probably missed one of the most exciting outdoor youth events of the year.  It was a picture perfect morning, a beautiful setting and the fish were biting everything from chicken livers to hot dogs. 

A big high five goes to Ken Ludlum for making his lake available for this event. And a special high five to Aurora Thomas and his crew from the Game and Fish Division of the Alabama Department of Natural Resources for managing the rodeo. A long list of sponsors also contributed making this a first-class fishing event. 

According to Thomas, they stocked 1,000 channel cats from ¾ of a pound up to 7 lbs.

Each contestant was allowed a limit of five catfish, which they were then allowed to take home. 

And from what I could tell, most of the contestants were filling their limits without too much trouble. The pond already had a healthy population of bass and brim, so the young anglers were also given a limit of these to catch. But from every indication, it was the catfish that were providing all the action. 

After walking around the rodeo site, I’m not quite sure who was having the best time - the kids or mom and dad. Some of the parents seemed to be enjoying the event as much as the contestants. 

And that’s really what this is all about. What a great way to enjoy a family outing where the parents can teach and lend a helping hand where needed. 

And in some cases, it was almost necessary for a parent to hold onto the young ones to keep them from being pulled in the lake. When a 3 or 4-year-old hangs into a six or seven pound catfish, it’s often unpredictable what the results will be. 

Young Shawn Thrash was a classic example of this.  When he finally landed his lunker, the fish was almost as long as the young angler who caught it. The fish weighed over seven pounds. 

Now the good news.  According to Aurora Thomas, this will probably become an annual event for the kids. It’s a good bet that all who were there this year will be back and chances are they will bring their friends.  What a great way to introduce the young ones to a great sport.