The Osborne County Pheasants Forever Chapter and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) are inviting young hunters to participate in an opening weekend dove hunt. This hunt is expected to provide the kids with plenty of shooting action as the birds flock to grain fields for morning feeding.
The hunt will be for youth between the ages of 10 and 16 who have had limited previous dove hunting experience. Kids who have not hunted doves before will be given preference to participate. Only the kids will be hunting, and each hunter will have at least one adult mentor at their side to assist them. All hunters must be strong enough to handle their guns in a safe manner.
Due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, participants are strongly encouraged to bring their own experienced hunting mentors with them. There will be volunteer Pheasants Forever mentors available to assist the youth that do not have a mentor attending with them. All aspects of the event will be held outdoors with proper social distancing measures.
The hunt will take place early on Saturday, September 4th, on the Glen Elder Wildlife Area. A managed crop field on the lake property will be reserved exclusively for this youth hunting event. Hunters will meet before sunrise on the morning of the hunt at the Glen Elder Wildlife Area shop in Cawker City to organize and be paired up with adult mentors before heading to the field. After the hunt is finished all participants will enjoy a free lunch provided by Osborne County Pheasants Forever where stories of the morning’s hunt can be re-lived and shared.
Young hunters who would like to participate in the hunt will need to pre-register by calling the Glen Elder Area Office at 785-545-3345 (8:00 – 4:00 weekdays). Signup deadline will be Wednesday, September 1st. Spots will be limited to 20, so hunters are encouraged to register early.
Shotguns can be provided for those kids who do not have one. 12 and 20 gauge shotgun shells will be provided for the youth hunters. Hunters 16 and older will be required to have a hunting license and HIP stamp prior to hunting.
For questions, more information, or if you would like to assist with this event, please contact Chris Lecuyer (KDWP) at 785-545-3345.