Frozen turkey, anyone? Frigid weather adds challenge to late-season hunt in Kansas

This isn’t what most people envision when they think of turkey season. The temperature was 8 degrees, gray clouds spit snow, and a north wind added some bite to the air.

But that didn’t keep David Farley, a disabled Navy veteran, from enjoying a memorable Kansas hunt last weekend.

“I wasn’t going to let the cold keep me from going,” said Farley, 68, of Emporia, Kan. “It was time to go hunting.

“I had never taken a turkey. And I knew I had a good shot at getting one this time.”

This was no ordinary hunt. Farley was guided by Fred Masters, a longtime hunter who is active in introducing veterans and children to the sport, and Phil Taunton, the head of the Outside for a Better Inside organization devoted to bringing people to the outdoors.

In the predawn darkness near Americus in eastern Kansas, Farley conquered his first challenge: walking 150 yards to the blind. The hunters watched the turkeys fly off the roost, but the birds scattered when Farley inadvertently made some noise.

But one bird remained and slowly made its way toward Masters’ calls. Farley lifted his shotgun, squeezed the trigger and hit his target.

A day later, Farley sat down to a dinner of pan-fried turkey breast, the culmination of a memorable hunt.

The late-season hunt (the Kansas season closes Jan. 31) lacked the comforts of the spring season, when the weather is often warm, birds chirp, and turkeys gobble to attract hens. But that didn’t matter to Farley.

“It was nice getting back into the truck with the heater on,” Farley said. “But I’m glad we went out. The conditions weren’t the best, but the turkeys were out, and that’s what mattered.”

Flint Hills essay contest

Hey, kids, it’s time to start thinking about the spring turkey season. The Flint Hills Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is sponsoring its 14th annual essay contest.

Youths 16 and younger are eligible, but participants must be from Chase, Coffey, Greenwood, Lyon, Morris, Osage or Wabaunsee counties.

The topic this year is “How is hunting important to you and your family?” Essays must be 500 words or fewer.

The winner will receive a guided spring turkey hunt, a youth shotgun and a hunting vest loaded with turkey-hunting items. Essays must be submitted by Feb. 26 to Gib Rhodes, 1643 360th St., Madison, KS 66860, or Shelley Sparks, 1789 Road B5, Emporia, KS 66801. The winner will be notified by March 2.

For more information, call Rhodes at 620-437-2012.

Successful Missouri deer season

The numbers for the Missouri deer season have been crunched, and they document a success story.

Hunters shot 279,401 deer in the combined seasons, an increase of more than 21,000 over the total in the 2014-15 season.

Leading counties were Texas, with 5,812 deer checked in, Franklin with 5,463 and Howell with 5,440.

The deer season ended when the bow-hunting portion closed Jan. 15. Preliminary data show that 50,085 deer were taken by archers.

This story was originally published January 21, 2016 at 7:19 PM with the headline "Frozen turkey, anyone? Frigid weather adds challenge to late-season hunt in Kansas."