Solid Week Of Turkey Hunting In Kansas

This week in Kansas was solid! Another dozen birds or so bit the dust as hens are becoming more and more scarce. The gobblers are on the move and are responding probably as good as they have all season. We have killed several gobblers heavier than 25 pounds, and with a week to go for me, I look to start doing some hunting of my own beginning Tuesday, May 16.

Jake Hill, of Madison, Georgia, and his son, Bryson, came into town on Thursday and hunted in Nebraska through midday Sunday. I worked a big boss and a hen into range on Friday morning, and we were hoping Bryson would be able to get his first bird, but the hen was blocking his shot on the gobbler, so he passed. I thought that was a very mature decision for a 9-year-old looking for his first bird. Jake picked his gun up off the ground and made a great shot on the bird as he was retreating back into the bottom I had called him from. He was a beautiful 3-year-old bird.

The next day and a half was spent trying to put a bird in front of Bryson, and on Saturday afternoon, a jake and a longbeard  showed up at 4:00. Bryson was unable to connect, but he handled it way better than I would have. He will be fine, and the experience will pay off in the long run.

New friends were made, and I got to hunt with a lot of great people. I joined fellow guide and South Carolina native, Stacy Boland, on May 14 in Kansas as we tag-teamed a bird for our client, Woodie Bridges, of Indiana. It was brutally hot, but we managed to get it done, and Woodie got his first Rio Grande turkey.

The weather looks less than ideal for the week ahead, but we will keep digging, and hopefully the birds will keep dying.

About The Author: GON freelance writer Donald Devereaux Jarrett has been with GON since 2003 and is currently on the following pro staffs:  JEBS Chokes, Mossy Oak, Conyers Outdoors, Champion Custom Calls, South Dakota Hunting Service and Denver Deer Scents. If you’d like to talk turkey with Donald, you can reach him through his Facebook page or through e-mail at [email protected].

DDJ Blogs:
May 8, 2017: Turkeys Heating Up In Kansas
May 1, 2017: Bad Weather In Kansas Shuts Down Gobbling
April 24, 2017: Gobblers, Girlfriend and Naps
April 17, 2017: DDJ Tags Out In Georgia
April 10, 2017: Quiet Gobblers During Windy, Rainy Week
April 3, 2017: DDJ Rolls The Boss, Calls In Several Other Birds
March 27, 2017: Henned-Up Gobblers For Georgia Opener
March 23, 2017: Chasing Osceolas With DDJ