The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) and sponsoring partners will be holding their 2021 Youth and Women’s Pheasant Hunt at Waconda Lake on Saturday, December 11th. Participants will meet at Glen Elder State Park to begin the day where there will be a pre-hunt safety talk and introductions to hunt group leaders, guides, and mentors.
Women of any age and youth ages 11 – 16 are eligible and encouraged to apply for this hunt. Individuals who have not pheasant hunted before will be given preference to participate. Participants will be divided into groups based on their hunting experience and skill levels. The most inexperienced hunters will start their activities with some basic field safety exercises and trap shooting, and progress towards live hunting later in the day. Those that have some prior experience will spend most of their time in the field hunting behind bird dogs. To finish the day, the new hunters will learn how to properly clean and package their harvested birds, and a post hunt meeting will be held to re-cap the day’s events and highlights.
Due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, participants are strongly encouraged to bring their own experienced hunting mentors with them. There will be some volunteer mentors available to assist the youth that do not have a mentor attending with them. Most aspects of the event will be held outdoors with proper social distancing measures.
This hunt is geared toward providing a comfortable and positive hunting environment for new or inexperienced hunters. Previous hunting experience is not required, and some shotguns and ammunition can be provided to applicants who do not have access to their own equipment. Registrations should be made by contacting the Glen Elder Area Office at 785-545-3345 (8:00 – 4:00 weekdays) starting Monday, November 22nd and ending Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Signups will be limited to the first 24 applicants. Meeting location, start time, and further details will be provided to participants when they register.
Extra volunteers are always needed for the event to serve as hunting and instructional mentors. For further questions concerning the event or if you would like to be involved, please contact Chris Lecuyer at the KDWP Glen Elder Area Office 785-545-3345.