It’s time for fishermen, hunters to get their spring training

Fishermen and turkey hunters are coming out of hibernation.

After a long, cold winter, outdoors enthusiasts are thinking spring. And there is plenty going on to help them get a little spring training.

▪ March is still prime time for trout fishermen, and a class at the Cabela’s store will help beginners learn to tie their own flies.

Classes will be held each Monday in March from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Instructors will provide hands-on training in how to tie everything from dry flies to nymphs to streamers. A one-time fee of $45 will be charged for materials, tools and instructor fees. To register, call the Fly Shop at Cabela’s at 913-328-0322.

▪ It won’t be long before the crappies will be in the shallows and fishermen will be out in force, trying to catch a stringerfull of the tasty panfish.

Looking for a way to get started? The Missouri Department of Conservation will sponsor a “Crappie Fishing for Beginners” program March 19 at the Springfield Nature Center.

The class, which will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., will give tips on how and where to catch the fish, equipment and baits to use, and how to clean them. The free course is open to fishermen ages 12 and up. Registration is open. Call 417-888-4237.

▪ This is the time of the year when many hunters dream about warm spring days when Missouri’s gobblers are in full strut.

Want to become one of those hunters? The Department of Conservation will put on a clinic called “Introduction to Turkey Hunting” from 10 a.m. to noon March 28.

The clinic, open to potential hunters ages 11 and up, will be at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Youngsters ages 11 to 15 must be accompanied by an adult.

Experts will cover the basics of turkey hunting, including locations, bird behavior, techniques, safety, calling, equipment and more. Registration for the clinic is now open. To register, call 816-228-3766.

▪ The Flint Hills Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is preparing for its 14th annual Spring Turkey Hunting Clinic.

The event, which is open to the first 250 people who register, will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 28 at the Dry Creek Sporting Clays facility south of Emporia, Kan.

The clinic is open to hunters of all ages. Participants ages 17 and under will receive a free T-shirt , memberships in the Turkey Federation’s Jakes program and will be eligible for drawings for prizes.

To register, call Gib Rhoades at 620-437-2012.

▪ How would you like to be one of those paddlefish snaggers posing with a catch almost as big as a person?

Here’s how you can get started. The Department of Conservation will sponsor two clinics on paddlefish snagging April 18 at the Community Building, 181 Harrison St. in Warsaw, Mo.

Clinics are free, but classes will be limited to 18 participants in each session — one from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the other from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will learn about the history of paddlefish in Missouri, the roles of the Department of Conservation hatcheries, how to snag them and where to catch them. The clinic will include a two-hour snagging trip on Lake of the Ozarks.

Rods and reels will be provided, but participants must bring five snagging weights in the 14- to 20-ounce size range. Registration for the clinic is now open. Call 660-530-5500 to sign up.

Turkey calling champ is from Missouri

Missouri not only has some of the nation’s best turkey hunting, it has some of the best callers.

Billy Yargus of New London is the king of the class after winning the 2015 title recently at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Grand National Calling Contest.

Yargus, a member of the pro staff for MAD Calls, won the title in 2008 and placed third in last year’s competition.

Other Missouri callers also fared well. James Harrison of Hillsboro won the owl hooting championship and J.R. Lanhan of Bunker teamed with Mitchell Johnston of Purlear, N.C., to win the Team Challenge.

Missouri chapter of Quail Forever honored

The Shortgrass Chapter of Quail Forever, based in Chillicothe, Mo., is quite a success story.

The chapter won a No Child Left Inside national award for outstanding achievement in youth programs at the recent National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic in Des Moines, Iowa.

Just a few years ago, the chapter was on the brink of closing. But two members attended a national Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever program that trains volunteers on youth education and outreach, and they were inspired. They returned to Missouri and led an effort to get the chapter involved in more youth programs.

Chapter members bought a trailer for habitat and shooting programs, sponsored and coached youth shooting teams and led youth habitat programs.

That revitalized an organization that once was close to going under. Not only did the chapter’s youth membership grow by 76 percent, its adult membership went up, too.

This story was originally published March 5, 2015 at 1:47 PM with the headline "It’s time for fishermen, hunters to get their spring training."