Kansans at Work for the Pheasants+++

M. R. Byrd

M. R. Byrd

Well-known member
There is a group of dedicated men in Kansas that are working hard to preserve our hunting heritage, pass it on to another generation and provide habitat for all upland birds, plus other wildlife. We, on the committee, are doing this through a grassroots effort through Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever and in conjunction with other organizations.

Catch me along the highways and byways of Kansas and over a cup of coffee(or iced tea in my case) I will tell you all about it. As many of you know I travel to Kansas City frequently to see the kids and grandkids, you can sure catch me there or along the way. I will also be in Hays on November 9th for a presentation.

My sincere desire is that my grandchildren(and yours) have an opportunity to hunt these majestic prairie birds for years to come.

Wishing you each a bountiful and safe hunting season,
 
Hunter's ed

If you get by, stop in and we'll work over a pot of coffee. With the problems QU seems to be inflicting on themselves, PF/QF should find favor with sportsmen. Yesterday, we finished off the first local "Hunter's Education in the School" session with a field day. 70+ students rotated through an obstacle course, lazer hunting game, and live fire shotgun shooting at the trap range. Not one parent opted their kid out of the class that lasted 6-8 weeks and culminated in yesterday's event. We had tristar auto 20 guages and my son't 870 youth models for them to shoot at three traps. It was a hoot!!! The kids had fun, the administrator's had fun, and the teachers may have had the most fun. We need more exposure through these and other avenue's for ALL kids to get exposure to the magnificent outdoors. Keep up the good work Maynard!
 
Prairie Drifter-
That is awesome. Which school district? Good work!

I have not been your way for awhile, but I sure need to. Stop in if you are out this way.
 
Kingman School district approved it at the school board unanimously. It was held in the Kingman 7th grade and no parents opted their kids out (50+ kids). It was offered as an elective at the Norwich school and 28 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders chose to participate. I went in and helped teach 6 classes then ran the trap range event with 3 other KDWP employees and a local police officer working to become a hunter's ed instructor. The PE teacher led the teaching and another hunter's ed instructor and myself assisted. I'm sure it was as fun for me as it was for the kids.
 
Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever has a new trailer that you might see running around the state. The first one is stationed at our Western Kansas Representative at Lincoln. It is available for use throughout the state. It comes equipped with hunting equipment(guns, bows, trap) and fishing gear. All designed to get kids involved in the great outdoors.

Here it is in Cabela's parking lot earlier this month.

20091013KC066.jpg


20091013KC067.jpg
 
Now oh wise one, tell me how we can link a class like this with the PF group and have a field hunt with any kids wanting to go? If we can get to that level, we will recruit an extraordinary % of the kids that are touched.
 
Prairie Drifter-
It can be done. One man and organization that is doing just that is Mike Christensen with Pass It On- Outdoor Mentors. Mike is also a part of our grassroots committee. Just recently they had a pheasant hunt at Bever's in Finney County. Mike was in Dodge last year at the Dodge City Gun Club for a shoot with the Big Brothers Big Sisters. Jim Kellenberger was there with KDWP's trailer with shotguns, shells and clay pigeons.

Here is a link to Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors
http://www.outdoormentors.org/

Mike told me he would like to challenge each PF or QF chapter in the state do a youth hunt each year. It could happen.
 
The exciting part of the Kingman program is that we are reaching everyone in the class, not just teaching the kids that would have come anyway. However, in this situation, we have the loaded cart pushed to the very summit and it would only take that one little push of a successful hunt to make some of them lifelong hunters. What we need to figure out and provide is that next little push. The local banker and 3 other gents just utilized the recent youth waterfowl season to take 9 young boys on just such a hunt. If only we could offer that to 70+ in every school!
 
This is all very good news. Keep up the great work guys! I hope to have a similar opportunity to reach so many young people at one time. Introducing 1 at a time is rewarding.
 
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:10sign: Wow, guys! That is some great stuff. I wish those opportunities had been available when I was a kid! You are doing some great work for the future of our sport. Maybe if these programs had been around 20 years ago, more people from my generation would hunt and fish. I'm glad to see there are so many people working to recruit the next generation of hunters.
 
PD,

I'd appreciate an opportunity to talk with you about how we might work together to get those kids a hunting opportunity this year. 70 kids all at once wouldn't work, but between the bird seasons, deer season and the spring turkey season, we ought to be able to get most of them out.

The challenges are that we don't have a PF/QF/QU organization there to tap for volunteers to take the kids out.

When you get a chance, give me a call at 316-290-8883 and maybe we can come up with some ideas to make some neat things happen in Kingman.

BTW, I'll be bringing a load of kids from Wichita out that way next weekend for the youth upland hunts. We generally head for some WIHA land west of Wichita and tromp through that on Saturday morning. Kids aren't in shape enough to make a full day of it, but they get a taste and they're ready for more!

I'd really like to see more programs like you have going there. Hopefully, KDWP will leverage this success to more places around KS.

Congratulations!

Mike C.
Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc.
http://www.outdoormentors.org
 
hey maynard

Maynard,
I will buy you a cup of coffee or something stiffer when we are in Dodge, come 20 Nov......we usually eat breakfast in Cimmaron in the am down at what used to Skid's and now is something else (it is the littel cafe on the west side of town)

We wil lbe staying at the Travel lodge on 50 right across from Pizza Hut...I would love to hear about the men that are keeping the pheasant hunting going and all of the work they are doing....give me a call 719-205-1703

Greg Floyd
 
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Mike C

Good to have you on and, as always, I appreciate all your work with the youth.
 
Mike C, do you already take big brothers and big sisters to hunt on Cheney? If that's you, we've met. I'll try to give you a call soon. Is there a best time? We didn't get 100% for the kids to shoot so I'm sure we won't get even that many interested in a hunt. Waterfowl would be nice, because they wouldn't have to buy anything. Our time would be best spent on the ones who won't have anyone to take them instead of those that will be going anyway. I'll call.
 
PD,

I'm the guy who's taken BBBS kids to hunt Cheney in the past. Was that you with Stuart checking us out on opening day this year?

Giving kids who wouldn't have the chance otherwise is who I like to focus on.

I'll look for your call!
 
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