Hunter Rouse’s dog, T-Bone, poses for a picture with a group of geese they took during a recent hunt. (Submitted photographs)
With the end of 2017 in sight, it’s time to clear out my metaphorical mail bag with some of the emails I’ve received from hunters and anglers that I haven’t gotten around to writing about.
Norris Poole poses with his 10-point buck.
Norris Poole poses with his 10-point buck.
A few hunters have been sending in photos from their successful hunts across the state this year.
Norris Poole, son-in-law of retired Washburn Rural cross country coach Scott Shufelberger, shot a good-sized buck on Dec. 21.
Poole was bow hunting in north-central Kansas when he spotted the 10-pointer. The buck scored 157 on the Boone & Crockett scale for scoring deer.
Norris Poole, son-in-law of retired Washburn Rural cross country coach Scott Shufelberger, shot a good-sized buck on Dec. 21.
Poole was bow hunting in north-central Kansas when he spotted the 10-pointer. The buck scored 157 on the Boone & Crockett scale for scoring deer.
Congrats on the nice buck, Norris, and I hope you get some good venison out of it!
My cousin, Hunter Rouse, also sent me a great photo he shot from a recent goose hunting trip with his bird-hunting buddy, T-Bone, a chocolate Labrador retriever. T-Bone is a great bird dog who loves working the water, and Hunter’s always proud to show off his work.
Hunter also got some new blue shotgun shells to try out — I think they were Herter’s — so I’m sure we’ll see more from them in the future as bird season continues.
Don’t forget that many hunting licenses will become valid for 365 days from their purchase date starting in 2018, thanks to a new system the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism has set in place. The system also allows for automatic renewal of licenses, so you don’t have to worry about remembering what day you purchased them.
The Kaw Valley chapter of the Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation will host its eighth annual Sportsman’s Banquet on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018 at the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center in downtown Topeka.
The event will begin with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. and an auction following the meal.
Those interested in attending can get tickets by calling Aaron Jennings at (785) 220-6632 or Tony Konrade at (785) 220-3342.
Chris Kornhaus sent me a question regarding my recent list of fishing lures that make great stocking stuffers (or New Year’s party gifts, if you’re still looking).
“I have been reading your stories and had a question about the Christmas list from a week ago,” Kornhaus said. “I fish mainly ponds and small lakes around Ottawa and in Western Kansas. What colors have you had luck with using the Ned rig, the Arashi squarebill and the Top Secret grub.”
For the Ned Rig, it depends a lot on the water clarity and what bait you’re trying to mimic, but California Craw or Drew’s Craw TRDs work well in clearer water and I like to use Bubble Gum or a black and blue flake in murkier water. I use the black or red mushroom jig heads typically. I recently bought some chartreuse jig heads that I’m going to try out in the spring for crappie.
On the Arashis, I’m a big fan of anything that mimics a shad, especially for fall fishing. Hot Blue Shad works well for me where I fish, but I’d just try to match the hatch to whatever’s closest to the bait fish in the area you’re fishing. Bluegill would be a good go-to color, as well, as bass can’t stand those during the spawn.
For the Top Secret grubs, if you’re going for crappie then you can’t go wrong with chartreuse. Pink, orange and red are solid, too. The Reapers have great action, but any of the jig styles work well. On a cloudier day, I’d go with a darker color like black with a blue tail.
My cousin, Hunter Rouse, also sent me a great photo he shot from a recent goose hunting trip with his bird-hunting buddy, T-Bone, a chocolate Labrador retriever. T-Bone is a great bird dog who loves working the water, and Hunter’s always proud to show off his work.
Hunter also got some new blue shotgun shells to try out — I think they were Herter’s — so I’m sure we’ll see more from them in the future as bird season continues.
Don’t forget that many hunting licenses will become valid for 365 days from their purchase date starting in 2018, thanks to a new system the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism has set in place. The system also allows for automatic renewal of licenses, so you don’t have to worry about remembering what day you purchased them.
The Kaw Valley chapter of the Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation will host its eighth annual Sportsman’s Banquet on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018 at the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center in downtown Topeka.
The event will begin with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. and an auction following the meal.
Those interested in attending can get tickets by calling Aaron Jennings at (785) 220-6632 or Tony Konrade at (785) 220-3342.
Chris Kornhaus sent me a question regarding my recent list of fishing lures that make great stocking stuffers (or New Year’s party gifts, if you’re still looking).
“I have been reading your stories and had a question about the Christmas list from a week ago,” Kornhaus said. “I fish mainly ponds and small lakes around Ottawa and in Western Kansas. What colors have you had luck with using the Ned rig, the Arashi squarebill and the Top Secret grub.”
For the Ned Rig, it depends a lot on the water clarity and what bait you’re trying to mimic, but California Craw or Drew’s Craw TRDs work well in clearer water and I like to use Bubble Gum or a black and blue flake in murkier water. I use the black or red mushroom jig heads typically. I recently bought some chartreuse jig heads that I’m going to try out in the spring for crappie.
On the Arashis, I’m a big fan of anything that mimics a shad, especially for fall fishing. Hot Blue Shad works well for me where I fish, but I’d just try to match the hatch to whatever’s closest to the bait fish in the area you’re fishing. Bluegill would be a good go-to color, as well, as bass can’t stand those during the spawn.
For the Top Secret grubs, if you’re going for crappie then you can’t go wrong with chartreuse. Pink, orange and red are solid, too. The Reapers have great action, but any of the jig styles work well. On a cloudier day, I’d go with a darker color like black with a blue tail.
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