Kansas Turkey Hunting

[macobb]

I am from Alabama and have hunted Eastern turkeys all my life.
I am planning a trip to West Kansas in May to chase RIO's.
I am looking for any tips or experiences anyone may have to help.
I intend to hunt public land out there and have never been so I am interested in anything to help.

[stinkpickle]

If they're calling for rain, stay off dirt roads.  Seriously.  Park where the gravel ends and walk, if necessary.

[dirt road ninja]

If a road looks too muddy, it is! No matter how tough you think your truck is, it isn't. Go some else till it dries up some. If you kill birds at home you'll kill birds in KS.

[mpgavin1987]

I am from Alabama and have hunted Eastern turkeys all my life.
I am planning a trip to West Kansas in May to chase RIO's.
I am looking for any tips or experiences anyone may have to help.
I intend to hunt public land out there and have never been so I am interested in anything to help.

Where in Kansas you going? Possibly going to be hunting near Leroy in May


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[stinkpickle]

Here's an old post about Kansas mud...

http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,23078.0.html

[spurman]

just a shower will make the side roads a real mess and it may take a long walk to find someone to help you out.

[macobb]

I appreciate the tips about the mud. I'll keep that in mind. Do y'all have any tips on where to start looking at public land in west KS

[yankeedeerslayer]

I can't say about west side but in eastern the farmers hate them. Just drive and find the birds and knock on doors. It ain't bad like it is here. You will get permission from a few.

[charlesgoff71]

Most of the ranchers in that area dont live on thier property but live in town from my experience.  Take the first day and drive alot to check out the diff. Walk in areas. Get ONX it makes the task of finding the areas you can hunt a whole lot easier.

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[Mizzouhntr]

Check WIHA... kansas walk in hunting access. It's private land enrolled in a program for public use. Lots of it. There are hybrids more in the central parts which is where I hunted, Flint Hills National wildlife refuge.

[RS]

I tried it twice in 2015 and 2016. KS mud roads and spring storms are not to be taken lightly. Expect to spend a lot of time and fuel locating turkeys on WIHA land.  I found that only a portion of the parcels will have birds.

[macobb]

I appreciate all the advice. We're specifically targeting Rio's so we plan to hunt the western half of the state. We should be out around the first of May. Just haven't narrowed down the specific areas yet. Thanks for the heads up about the storms.

[kennedyh1990]

Me and 2 buddies went out to far northwest KS last year and camped on public ground and hunted surrounding WIHAs and WMAs. A lot of windshield time/glassing is key. We killed 4 long beards in 5 days. Spent most afternoons sitting on roof of the truck glassing a big WIHA. Would roost birds with the glasses and get tight the next am. Worked well for us

[fallhnt]

Roads get muddy if it rains. Get an Atlas of WIHA and go find yourself some birds.

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[mudbug_4]

I concur on the reply that "if you can kill them at home then you can kill them in KS." My dad and I have had no problem getting after (and tagging) birds after having grown up hunting them in LA and MS. Ticks beaucoup, though! It seems like every cedar tree I hid under had a nest of the things (I took 17 of them off of my wife during a post-hunt tick check. Most were not dug in yet but still...17 ticks!).