Kansas Blog

While working at a marina in college, I pulled out dead minnows from our live tanks and threw them off the dock every day. Usually, I'd watch the minnows float away to see carp and crappies come up to snatch an easy meal. One slow morning, a big fish appeared out of nowhere, grabbed a minnow, and was gone in a flash. I ran up to the marina to grab a hook and line. I dangled another dead minnow just off the dock and before I knew it, my line snapped by that same lightning-fast strike.

Hunting requires hard work, intense preparation and dedicated focus to reach success. It also offers the adrenaline rush, the satisfaction and all the rewards that come with any popular sports season.  Essentially, that is what makes hunting so addictive, and keeps hunters in the outdoors season after season, and year after year. The challenges are worth the rewards.

One advantage of the many hunting opportunities in Kansas is the anticipation of looking forward to the next season and the next big opening day. Some seasons offer boisterous camaraderie with other outdoorsmen, while other hunts require patience and a complete disconnect with the rest of the world. Regardless of the season or the experiences that come from it, most hunters simply revel in the opportunity to be outdoors. The best hunting trips have a way of getting into the blood and creating a stream of never-ending enthusiasm, so it's no big surprise that most hunters live for their favorite seasons. 

Kansas is well known for quality hunting and fishing opportunities. With plentiful numbers of wildlife, furharvesting and trapping are outdoor activities that while often overlooked, are an important part of our culture.

 As the sun rises over the water, the silhouettes of the decoys begin to take shape, contrasted with the muted pinks and blues in the sky. Huddled in a brush-covered blind, we impatiently wait for the first birds of the morning, hearing their calls long before we can see them. The birds have been flying consistently, and with greater numbers each day. Even though the temperature is close to freezing this morning, enthusiasm is still running rampant. 

 As part of the Central Flyway, an established migration route for waterfowl through the Great Plains region, Kansas lays claim to some impressive waterfowl hunting opportunities. As the weather starts cooling down for the year and the migratory birds start flying south, the waterfowl populations in Kansas start growing.

Deer hunting is so many different things to different people. It's a source of food, a tradition, a sport, or simply a way to find peace and quiet in a crazy world. All of these things play a part in why I keep hunting year after year, but the biggest draw for me are the actual deer themselves.