LAWRENCE, Kan.— Eight young hunters braved the morning rain and thunder in hopes of harvesting a turkey at Clinton Lake on Saturday, April 7, 2012. By the end of the day, the youth had harvested four turkeys, a record high for this hunt, which has been put on by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Clinton Lake for the past six years.
That rainy morning, Chase Langston, age 16, from Lawrence, harvested his first turkey, a large tom of about 25 pounds with a beard exceeding 10 inches in length.
At 11:00, the hunters filed in to the base camp for fellowship and a warm lunch of pulled pork, hot dogs, chips, cookies, and pop provided by the Kaw Valley Sportsman’s Association of DeSoto, Kan. After lunch, several of the hunters returned to their blinds to try again. That afternoon, David Hughes, age 12, from Hoyt, harvested two additional birds, and Kaleb Brown, age 11, from Tonganoxie, took the fourth and final harvest of the hunt.
“Kaleb and Larry had a great time! Kaleb loves hunting with his Papa,” explained Barb Shipman, Kaleb’s grandmother. Though the other hunters went home without a bird, each hunter, mentor, volunteer, and host enjoyed this opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with these young sportsmen.
“It is a great program to get our youth outside and away from the TV. I just wish there were more kids interested,” stated Brian Jupe, mentor and guide for Chase Langston. The Clinton Lake Youth Turkey Hunt allowed nine young hunters, between the ages of 10 and 16, to hunt in an assigned area which is usually closed to hunting.
The Corps received only seven applicants; however, with the help of local hunters, two more young hunters were recruited for this event. One hunter had to drop out that morning due to sickness.
The purpose of the special hunt is to encourage our youth to enjoy the outdoors, to become interested in the sport of hunting, and to learn the ethics of hunting. Each young hunter was assisted by an adult mentor, and all hunting was in compliance with Kansas statutes.
For more information on this hunt or future hunts at Clinton Lake, please go to the Clinton Lake website at www.nwk.usace.army.mil/cl/Hunting-Special.cfm, the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ClintonLakeUSACE, or call the Project Office at 785-843-7665.
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