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Kansas Rios

muddy

muddy

Well-Known Member
Looking to maybe hit western Kansas and try for my first Rio this spring, any of you guys from that part of the state have any tips? I've already looked at the maps the state of Kansas has to offer on their DNR website, how tough is it to get on private land for turkeys over there? Thanks in advance.
 
Kansas has very few "pure" Rios. I have seen the map on KDWP's website about sub-species distribution and it is complete doo-doo. I have read a couple studies on this as I was planning on going after my first rio this spring as well. From what I learned, the only true rios exist in the extreme SW portion of the state. That is unit 4, which even residents have to get drawn for a tag. Most of our state is hybrids. Only the extreme east where I am has true easterns. The rest of the state is mixed all up. You can go just about anywhere in the state and find birds that look rio, merriam, or eastern.So unless you know for sure that the place you intend to hunt has Rio looking birds, it could be a big crapshoot. And that can vary from farm to farm. I was told to go to Texas if I wanted a Rio. If you do want to come down this way, I can find out from some KBA buddies where your best chances of rio looking birds would be. You could have a KS bird killed and be back home before the IA season even begins.
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Muddy, I know a first class guide down in Texas if your interested. He works his butt off gettin you on birds. He will either hunt with you (call or run a cam for you) or just drop you off and pick you up. Myself, I think its best if he goes along, I would hate to wonder around down there all day long.
 
In Texas I'd want someone with me, my luck I'd end up snake bit then my carcass eaten by wild hogs.
 
Matt, I'm not trying to steer you away from coming to Kansas. Just didn't want you to be disappointed if you came down and saw a whole lot of birds that resembled who knows what. All I have ever hunted if the eastern part of the state so my info is not first hand knowledge. I know alot of the state has birds that look like Rios but probably aren't pure. If you are working on a slam, does the bird have to be 100% pure, or does 90% count? I will eventually kill a west KS bird and if it looks like a rio to me, then it's a rio
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I've got places I could hunt that are private property that are supposed to be rios, but I've never been out there yet to see .
 
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