Any recommendations for a Rio outfitter in Kansas? Thanks
Spend just one day riding around a river or creek basin road, spot birds, start nocking on doors and you will have permission to hunt as there is really no need for an outfitter in KS. Just my :z-twocents:
No need for an outfitter or private land. The public land in Kansas has excellent bird numbers. Do some online research and you'll have no problem filling tags.
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Beamers guide service
Quote from: FeatheredHat on May 23, 2016, 06:00:37 AM
No need for an outfitter or private land. The public land in Kansas has excellent bird numbers. Do some online research and you'll have no problem filling tags.
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I'd say that before you just jump in the truck and head for the promised land you should do a forum search on this very topic...several posts in the last 2 weeks that are contradictory to this advice.
Maybe they just want to keep the motherlode to themselves, or maybe they are just telling the truth.
Quote from: FeatheredHat on May 23, 2016, 06:00:37 AM
No need for an outfitter or private land. The public land in Kansas has excellent bird numbers. Do some online research and you'll have no problem filling tags.
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Absolutely disagree 100%. Bird numbers are way down in several areas and all that public land everybody speaks of gets absolutely hammered. I know several pots of tag soup that are simmering on the stove as we speak. ;)
Quote from: BowBendr on May 23, 2016, 04:28:52 PM
Quote from: FeatheredHat on May 23, 2016, 06:00:37 AM
No need for an outfitter or private land. The public land in Kansas has excellent bird numbers. Do some online research and you'll have no problem filling tags.
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Absolutely disagree 100%. Bird numbers are way down in several areas and all that public land everybody speaks of gets absolutely hammered. I know several pots of tag soup that are simmering on the stove as we speak. ;)
Most guys go too early. Go in May and you will have to clean turkeys instead of boiling tags. :)
^^ I did go in May, got mine. Just know many that struggled...:)
2015 Old Gobbler contest Champions
As with any outfitter, ask for references. ;)
I was thinking of doing an FYI, but as previously stated, a lot of tag soup threads lately.
I just got back from there. What I will say is 100% truth and no BS involved.
I had tagged out in the first week of the season there and had a good friend who wanted to get his first Rio, so I took him to a place I have hunted for a few years.
Two guys from Colorado had been out and had killed four birds using a turkey fan umbrella. Different strokes I guess.
A group of guys from Arkansas had just left this private land and according to the landowner none of them killed. Now, 10 years ago, no one would have ever been able to find this extremely out of the way place.
Now it is hammered harder than any public places out there 10 years ago.
I was able to get my buddy a bird, bur it was only because the farmer told us to go behind his house where he had been hearing one and he normally didn't allow hunting.
On two occasions, I slowed down to glass hens in a field from a distance of 400 yards and before I could get the truck stopped, they took off running like banshees.
Ten years ago, you could have pulled up within shotgun range of birds out there and they would have never paid any attention.
Now, you tell me what has caused this change?
Quote from: Hooksfan on May 23, 2016, 07:16:50 PM
I just got back from there. What I will say is 100% truth and no BS involved.
I had tagged out in the first week of the season there and had a good friend who wanted to get his first Rio, so I took him to a place I have hunted for a few years.
Two guys from Colorado had been out and had killed four birds using a turkey fan umbrella. Different strokes I guess.
A group of guys from Arkansas had just left this private land and according to the landowner none of them killed. Now, 10 years ago, no one would have ever been able to find this extremely out of the way place.
Now it is hammered harder than any public places out there 10 years ago.
I was able to get my buddy a bird, bur it was only because the farmer told us to go behind his house where he had been hearing one and he normally didn't allow hunting.
On two occasions, I slowed down to glass hens in a field from a distance of 400 yards and before I could get the truck stopped, they took off running like banshees.
Ten years ago, you could have pulled up within shotgun range of birds out there and they would have never paid any attention.
Now, you tell me what has caused this change?
Believe the word your looking for is "Pressure"...
Quote from: Hooksfan on May 23, 2016, 07:16:50 PM
I just got back from there. What I will say is 100% truth and no BS involved.
I had tagged out in the first week of the season there and had a good friend who wanted to get his first Rio, so I took him to a place I have hunted for a few years.
Two guys from Colorado had been out and had killed four birds using a turkey fan umbrella. Different strokes I guess.
A group of guys from Arkansas had just left this private land and according to the landowner none of them killed. Now, 10 years ago, no one would have ever been able to find this extremely out of the way place.
Now it is hammered harder than any public places out there 10 years ago.
I was able to get my buddy a bird, bur it was only because the farmer told us to go behind his house where he had been hearing one and he normally didn't allow hunting.
On two occasions, I slowed down to glass hens in a field from a distance of 400 yards and before I could get the truck stopped, they took off running like banshees.
Ten years ago, you could have pulled up within shotgun range of birds out there and they would have never paid any attention.
Now, you tell me what has caused this change?
I doubt those Arkansas guys left empty handed...just saying. Could be part of the problem
Quote from: dejake on May 23, 2016, 06:50:59 PM
I was thinking of doing an FYI, but as previously stated, a lot of tag soup threads lately.
It really depends on how much time you'll have available. Scouting on your own can take a few hours...or it can take a few days.
Quote from: Hooksfan on May 23, 2016, 07:16:50 PM
I just got back from there. What I will say is 100% truth and no BS involved.
I had tagged out in the first week of the season there and had a good friend who wanted to get his first Rio, so I took him to a place I have hunted for a few years.
Two guys from Colorado had been out and had killed four birds using a turkey fan umbrella. Different strokes I guess.
A group of guys from Arkansas had just left this private land and according to the landowner none of them killed. Now, 10 years ago, no one would have ever been able to find this extremely out of the way place.
Now it is hammered harder than any public places out there 10 years ago.
I was able to get my buddy a bird, bur it was only because the farmer told us to go behind his house where he had been hearing one and he normally didn't allow hunting.
On two occasions, I slowed down to glass hens in a field from a distance of 400 yards and before I could get the truck stopped, they took off running like banshees.
Ten years ago, you could have pulled up within shotgun range of birds out there and they would have never paid any attention.
Now, you tell me what has caused this change?
This forum has caused a lot of it..You have better luck sleeping with my ol lady then knowing where I hunt at.
Been to KS two years now and bird numbers are down.
I remember one guy on here that got wound pretty tight about out of staters coming to KS.I can now say I don't blame him one bit.
Quote from: WV Ridge Reaper on May 23, 2016, 09:03:48 PM
..You have better luck sleeping with my ol lady then knowing where I hunt at.
Is it in West Virginia? :z-winnersmiley:
Pm me don't want to ruin the swimming hole for everyone haha
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This was our fourth year running going to north central and north west Kansas in the latter half of May. Each year was worse than the last in terms of bird numbers on walk in areas. This year was pitiful. At this point I wouldn't recommend a walk-in only trip to anyone without some really good advance intel. If it wasn't for knocking on doors and getting permission to hunt private land, we wouldn't be going back. I would guess that some of those walk-in areas could be quite good early on, but late season they've just been too hammered.
We got back a week ago and will say that every local person ( farmers and land owners) all said that recent droughts had really knocked the turkey and pheasant populations down. Said there used to be birds all over but were now only located in small pockets. That is exactly what we found. This was our second trip to Kansas so I think the "Glory Days" are behind us. Dropping populations along with too many "Kansas is the promise land" posts have done serious damage.
I sure had tough hunting last week in KS.
I hunted public in Kansas during archery season and there was a good amount of birds, hunted the same areas this past weekend and it looks like the gun hunters cleaned them up pretty good this year. Not many birds left at all. And I ran into more hunters this past weekend then I ever have. The word is out on Kansas and everybody wants a piece of it.
Quote from: spaightlabs on May 23, 2016, 03:57:50 PM
Quote from: FeatheredHat on May 23, 2016, 06:00:37 AM
No need for an outfitter or private land. The public land in Kansas has excellent bird numbers. Do some online research and you'll have no problem filling tags.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'd say that before you just jump in the truck and head for the promised land you should do a forum search on this very topic...several posts in the last 2 weeks that are contradictory to this advice.
Maybe they just want to keep the motherlode to themselves, or maybe they are just telling the truth.
I personally killed my 2016 Kansas Rio on May 9. I had just left Nebraska the night before, drove down, parked, and heard my first gobble from the WMA parking lot while putting on my boots. I did not buy a second tag for the state, but just as I left the next morning, a strutter on some WIHA ground made me think long and hard about running to town to buy the tag and going back and killing him. I agree Kansas has probably received too much publicity and the longbeard population might not be what it used to, but hunters are failing to recognize that you don't need to see 15 longbeards in a one mile stretch to tag out. Find one, focus in on him, kill him, and then on to the next.
I've been going to KS since 2004 hunting a mix of public and private land. I can say the influx of hunters has been tremendous and the way the turkeys have changed in both numbers and behavior is very noticeable. Just as someone else has said, I used to see turkeys on the side of the road and you could stop and watch them literally right outside your truck. Now, slow down at all and they will run. This is from the countless stories of road hunting that I hear about just so guys can brag about their kill numbers.
Alot of it stems from the fact that KS has a reputation of easy, plentiful turkeys. So when a group of "hardcore turkey killers" show up from out of state to hunt KS there is no way in hell they are leaving without pictures of dead turkeys. What happens? Turkeys get shot from the road, poached, ambushed, etc.
That coupled with the increased pressure and number of kills has led to lower turkey numbers and tougher hunting. I still go because I have great friends there and it is more of a vacation now, but the hunting has without a doubt gotten much tougher.
Quote from: cuttinAR on May 24, 2016, 10:12:29 AM
I've been going to KS since 2004 hunting a mix of public and private land. I can say the influx of hunters has been tremendous and the way the turkeys have changed in both numbers and behavior is very noticeable. Just as someone else has said, I used to see turkeys on the side of the road and you could stop and watch them literally right outside your truck. Now, slow down at all and they will run. This is from the countless stories of road hunting that I hear about just so guys can brag about their kill numbers.
Alot of it stems from the fact that KS has a reputation of easy, plentiful turkeys. So when a group of "hardcore turkey killers" show up from out of state to hunt KS there is no way in hell they are leaving without pictures of dead turkeys. What happens? Turkeys get shot from the road, poached, ambushed, etc.
That coupled with the increased pressure and number of kills has led to lower turkey numbers and tougher hunting. I still go because I have great friends there and it is more of a vacation now, but the hunting has without a doubt gotten much tougher.
Sounds like a lot of places these days.
I laugh when hear someone talk about hardcore turkey hunter and all that guys carries is tail fan or strutting decoy!!! THese things and 60yd shots are gonna be the demise of this sport... THese guys prolly have a tough time in heavily wooded areas.
Quote from: Roost 1 on May 24, 2016, 11:21:24 AM
I laugh when hear someone talk about hardcore turkey hunter and all that guys carries is tail fan or strutting decoy!!! THese things and 60yd shots are gonna be the demise of this sport... THese guys prolly have a tough time in heavily wooded areas.
That is 100% right. Don't get me wrong I like to turkey hunt anywhere and see new places, but nothing like a hunt in pine/hardwood hills. That's turkey hunting in its essence. I'm not the best hunter by any stretch but I'm also no slouch and turkeys around here kick my tail all the time! I love it!
The type that is happy with a 70 yd shot and fanning are just in it for the kill and bragging rights. I don't worry about them ruining the sport because there will always be turkeys in the big woods that all the gadgets in the world won't kill.
Back to the original subject; any outfitter reviews?
I'll put a second in oh Fallhnt's recommendation for Beamer's.
I've known Beamer for around 20 years or so starting when he ran a waterfowl operation over here in CO. I've hunted his place 5 or 8 times in the last 7 or 10 years and we've always done well. He's got plenty of property and manages his operation well so that birds aren't getting pounded on every day.
He's not cheap, but the lodge is a great place to go back to mid day for ago farm lunch and at the end of the day for a stick to your ribs dinner.
Quote from: Roost 1 on May 24, 2016, 11:21:24 AM
I laugh when hear someone talk about hardcore turkey hunter and all that guys carries is tail fan or strutting decoy!!! THese things and 60yd shots are gonna be the demise of this sport... THese guys prolly have a tough time in heavily wooded areas.
:z-winnersmiley:
Quote from: FeatheredHat on May 23, 2016, 06:00:37 AM
No need for an outfitter or private land. The public land in Kansas has excellent bird numbers.
Hunted in North West Kansas last week. Bird numbers are way way down. Probably due to the Internet.
Quote from: FeatheredHat on May 23, 2016, 06:00:37 AM
Absolutely disagree 100%. Bird numbers are way down in several areas and all that public land everybody speaks of gets absolutely hammered. I know several pots of tag soup that are simmering on the stove as we speak. ;)
100% spot on.
It wont be getting any better as long anyone who had a decent trip posts it for the world to see, especially naming cities and counties like a moron
Notice how this topic has 30 something replies but 750 views. Ks is no longer the spot to go for public land hunting there are better places. We were there for 6 days and one guy we took came home with 2 tags wound up driving 2 hours to hunt and drove many many many miles to find the few birds we did find. As far as outfitters get references and do your home work there are still Rios to be had. Have you thought about Texas no shortage of outfitters and birds there
I don't know how much they charge, but I'd definitely contact the Hashknife Ranch.
Told you. Some boys from AR stopped trying to get back to a piece of government ground they had been illegally hunting. They had driven to El Dorado then worked their way east in 4 days and never worked a turkey. One guy in the hotel they were in had killed one. They were pissed they drove 9 hours and the only turkey they had worked had been in a closed area. Nobody would allow them to hunt either.
I know one public area that is discussing no longer allowing turkey hunting.
Non Residents have virtually eliminated turkeys in many areas, the pure idiocy of people to post exact locations on the internet will never end, 2 month season, a 2 bird limit that isn't enforced, tags that you can print out 1000 if you would like and hunt every weekend and "get your limit", by the time the Kansas pimping game department figures out what happened it will no longer be an issue...as they are gone.
:TrainWreck1:
Quote from: stinkpickle on May 24, 2016, 10:10:45 PM
I don't know how much they charge, but I'd definitely contact the Hashknife Ranch.
I contacted them out of curiosity. Apparently their deer hunts were $9K about 7 years ago, so I'm expecting my answer to be a little more than I want to spend but who knows. Turkey hunts are typically significantly lower in price than deer.
I really want to get a couple of birds towards my grand slam next year and Kansas was on my list for sure. I would be coming from NY. I was hoping to possibly start in Colorado for a 3 or 4 day hunt, and on the way back stop in Kansas and do the same. Roughly 27 hours of driving to Colorado makes me think an airplane is going to be my best bet. Convincing somebody to make the trip with me is going to be the hardest part.
I did an unguided hunt with heartland pride in kansas this year and got two birds the first day.