Kansas Rumors/Truths?

M. R. Byrd

M. R. Byrd

Well-known member
Don't want to scare anyone, but those coming to Kansas should be aware of some of the recent reported spotting, above and beyond the usual porcupines, badgers and skunks.

Let's see--

Grizzly bear in extreme SW Kansas.

Timber rattlesnakes. A neighbor of mine reports killing four timber rattlesnakes in his yard.

Diamondbacks. Crop scouts reporting diamondbacks north of Dodge.

Mountain lion. Report of a mountain lion with kit a half mile from my place. I am watching my ten trail cams, but nothing yet. I did see a mountain a half mile from that location in 1986.

I do have a rattlesnake story, but no time at the moment.

So, anything exciting happening in your neck of the woods?

Oh, and there are pheasant, bob white quail, lesser prairie chicken, whitetail deer, mule deer and elk around also.:)
 
Well, I am going to be in the Elkhart, Rolla, Hugoton area the day after Thanksgiving and stay for a few days. Sounds like I need to bring my pepperspray for the griz. If a bear don't show up I can always use it to season the morning eggs!:rolleyes:

BobM
 
Bob,

From the scat reports they like pepper spray and bells.:)

Well, I better go check my girls(cows).
 
I will be in the Ullysses area 1st week of phez season, any elephants been seen, I could rent a big trailer for my elephant decoys!
 
I work in NE Kansas and I have seen plenty of timber rattlers and copperheads and one of my employees claims to have seen a mountain lion, but I am out there at least 12 hours a day/ 5 days a week and a couple hours a day the others and have not seen it yet (I have seen some big bobcats and plenty of coyotes though).

Rut
 
I have lots of coyotes---so many they start in howling in the middle of the afternoon, just so they can get the airwaves.
 
Well here in Wisconsin your dog could get eaten by one of the ever growing wolf population and you could legally only just say goodbye, and we have so many ticks you have to crop dust your dog once a month.
I hope the snakes are in holes by the time I come down.
 
Fenway said:
Well here in Wisconsin your dog could get eaten by one of the ever growing wolf population and you could legally only just say goodbye, and we have so many ticks you have to crop dust your dog once a month.
I hope the snakes are in holes by the time I come down.
Click to expand...

If I was hunting in a scenario like that I would probably take out my magazine plug and replace it with 2 wolf-worthy loads. Yeah, I would say "goodbye"... but only if I ran out of ammo.:cool: I am NOT advocating shooting nongame or protected critters, but you gotta protect your "family".

I had a situation 2 years ago where I walked up on my dog nose-to-nose with a badger. Fortunately, the badger backed into it's hole as I approached so I collared my dog and we backed away. I could have easily shot the badger, but it didn't seem necessary. On the other hand, if I had walked up on a fight, you can bet I would have made sure the dog won.;)
 
Byrd, speaking of rattlesnake stories... If you get a really big one, just throw him in the freezer for me.:eek: I'm looking for a taxidermy project.:D
 
We had a run in with a big timber rattler last summer here in NE KS. People argue w/ me and say they aren't here but I can assure you they are. A kid was attacked by a Mt. Lion just outside of town. The claw marks on his chest were impressive, but the animal let him go (didn't taste good?).
 
Toad said:
Byrd, speaking of rattlesnake stories... If you get a really big one, just throw him in the freezer for me.:eek: I'm looking for a taxidermy project.:D
Click to expand...

Are you good at replacing heads?:)

"Oh, you can hardly see where the rancher chopped the snake's head off."

BTW, catch and release not practiced at the Byrd Ranch. ;)
 
kansasbrittany said:
A kid was attacked by a Mt. Lion just outside of town. The claw marks on his chest were impressive, but the animal let him go (didn't taste good?).
Click to expand...

Maybe the lion was distracted by the smell coming from the cheese factory or your plant? ;)
 
we have mountain lions here in gove county and as far as rattlers I couldn't tell ya what kind they are I 'm usually to busy runnin the other way to look at it or to care what kind it is
 
M. R. Byrd said:
Are you good at replacing heads?:)

"Oh, you can hardly see where the rancher chopped the snake's head off."

BTW, catch and release not practiced at the Byrd Ranch. ;)
Click to expand...

"head on" would probably be easier for a full body mount.:D Otherwise, I was thinking my new rifle would look even better with a snakeskin sling. I wouldn't need a head for that.:thumbsup:
 
kansasbrittany said:
We had a run in with a big timber rattler last summer here in NE KS. People argue w/ me and say they aren't here but I can assure you they are. A kid was attacked by a Mt. Lion just outside of town. The claw marks on his chest were impressive, but the animal let him go (didn't taste good?).
Click to expand...

I SWEAR I saw one just about sunrise near HWY 99/ I-70 last year. It jumped a barbed wire fence right in front of me (edit... my pickup), which seemed very strange. I would have figured a mountain lion would go UNDER a fence. Anyway, it went OVER and I got a really good look at it. It was impressive.
 
Back in the prime of Gunsmoke, Boot Hill had lots of tourists. My mother ran a soda fountain and some of the locals added a few yarns anytime they had an audience. Dave Cook was one of the locals that loved to tell about his father being on the crew that dug the Arkansas River and hauled all the dirt and rock to Colorado to build Pike's Peak.

Along those lines, here is a fish I caught in the Arkansas River from the 14th Avenue bridge in Dodge.

IMG_7102.jpg
 
Maynard,
I will be heading to my normal areas that I have been going to since 1996......down, in and around Dodge City. So sounds like there is alot of wildlife down Dodge city way.

I figure once the guns start blazing when pheasant season starts, most of those critters will head for the hils so to speak....

I heard that the bird count is looking good in SW kansas this year....

Greg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top