Flashback Friday: Bell Wildlife Specialties – Outfitter Extraordinaire!
Shortly after I started with KS BBBS as their Director of Outdoor Mentoring in ‘02, I attended a Quail Unlimited banquet in Wichita. A gentleman approached me and said that he heard about what we were putting together and wanted to offer to take some kids turkey hunting that next spring. We traded contact information and I assured him that I would give him a call the following March to get things set up.
Six months later, I reached out to Dan Bell with Bell Wildlife Specialties and asked if he remembered me and our conversation. He said absolutely and when asked how many kids to bring up, he said, “Bring 12-15 kids!” I asked if he could handle that many along with their mentors and he said, “Absolutely!”.
We brought 9 kids to the hunt, along with their mentors. And we also had Byron Schrag join us to film the hunts for his Diamond Adventures TV Show. What a memorable hunt! We have video of two of the hunters getting their first birds on our youtube channel. If you haven’t watched this hunt, it’s worth the time. The toms attacked the decoy and ran off with it! It was a hunt that won’t be forgotten.
I had the pleasure of hunting with Dan and my Little Brother that first year. Dan and another young hunter were in the blind next to us. We had a hen and 2 jakes come strolling by. Dan whispered, “We’ll shoot on 3!” We heard a quiet 1, 2, then Dan shouted out, “Hey Stupid!!” and all three birds stuck their heads straight up, offering a perfect target for the kids! Memorable hunts to be sure.
This was the beginning of what has been a great relationship with Bell Wildlife Specialties.
We have brought kids to Dan’s lodge every year until just recently as the bird population started dropping off. Dan donated all the hunts, the meals, the lodging. His staff helped mentor/guide the hunts. And Dan provided loads of excitement. There’s nothing like having Dan step into the bunkhouse at 4 AM and let loose a GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE to rouse everyone from their sleep.
The youth who participated in these hunts were all from the Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Many of these kids had never set foot out of Wichita, never seen or heard a cow. Experiencing the wonders of seeing a bright spring morning from the blind, hearing the woods wake up, listening to the owls’ hoot and the toms gobble and coyote’s howl. All totally unique experiences for these kids.
Many young hunters tagged their first bird hunting with Dan and his crew. One young man came hunting with us twice to Bell Wildlife Specialties and harvested a tom that went in the KS record book each year! That young man is now helping coach the Wichita Clay Dusters trap team and helps mentor many of the hunts we organize today.
In later years, Dan hosted deer and goose hunts for our program. And we’ll be doe hunting this coming January with Dan as well!
Dan’s support doesn’t stop with providing hunting opportunities. Dan has donated deer hunts to Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors over the years that we have raffled to raise funds for our programs and he has donated taxidermy that we have auctioned as well.
Dan Bell…one of the finest outfitters you’ll come across and a man dedicated to seeing that our outdoor heritage is passed on to the next generation.
