This website serves Farmers and Ranchers in the Kansas AgriTourism Industry.
Welcome to Kansas AgriTourism!
This website has been developed specifically for Kansas farmers and ranchers involved in AgriTourism, rural properties where the traveler has an opportunity to experience farm and country life far from the hustle of the city.
the Kansas Agriculture Marketing Division and the Travel and Tourism Division of the Department of Commerce
and with financial assistance from Frontier Farm Credit.
We invite you to explore this website to find a variety of articles and resources that will help you succeed in agritourism.
If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Commerce, Travel and Tourism Division, and ask for the Agritourism Liaison.
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This month's Feature Destination:
Covert Creek Lodge
 November 2005
The town of Covert, Kansas is gone. About all that remains are a few old structures like the water tower and the general store, plus some pretty interesting tales.
But the loss of the town doesn’t seem to limit Covert Creek Lodge, about midway between Russell and Osborne in North Central Kansas. Owners Ray and Audrey Schneider say that hunters from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Colorado, among other states, all come to enjoy good hunting on their 7,500-acre farm.
The Schneider’s purchased the farm in 1991, and converted a purebred auction barn into the lodge about eight years ago. The renovated building has four large bedrooms, two of which sleep four adults, and two that sleep five people.
 The bedrooms adjoin a large lobby with chairs, satellite TV, and a spacious kitchen. They also have a house on the property that will sleep eight more.
All meals are furnished in the main dining room, a 58' by 40' hall with a 13' open beam ceiling. The dining room is also rented out for reunions and dinner parties, and Ray says they have served more than 150 people at one time.
 A special feature of the dining hall is a seven by 12 foot mural painting of the Ghost Town of Covert, dedicated a couple of years ago on the anniversary of the town of Covert.
Each year, the Schneider’s host an anniversary party, this year featuring bluegrass artists. Ray says that last year, the town’s 125th Anniversary, he had a special guest—one of the ten Flying Tiger pilots still alive, who retold the story of these daring World War II pilots.
The year before, they held a Branding Party, and everyone brought their branding irons and was invited to brand the bar.
 The real attraction for Covert Creek Lodge, of course, is some very good hunting. Ray plants corn, beans, milo, wheat and alfalfa on the property, which he describes as a real banquet for the birds.
“We have an abundance of quail, pheasants, prairie chicken, and turkeys,” he said. “Lots of turkeys. We provide guides and dogs. We provide great food and a nice play to stay. We clean and freeze their birds. And they can bring their own dogs if they want.”
Rates for a day long bird hunt are $300, which includes lodging, a guide/assistant, meals, non-resident permit, and taxes, plus a dog if you don’t bring your own. A deer hunt is $2500 for five days with rifles or seven days with archery. They also have a $150 turkey hunt, and special hunts for predators such as coyotes and bobcats.
 Hunters find the Covert Creek Lodge primarily through their website, by word of mouth, and through other websites, such as the Sports Hunting Association. Ray said they started their marketing with the Denver Sports Show, and they also advertised in a few newspapers in Dallas, Fort Worth, Denver, and Kansas City.
“Some of them paid off, and some didn’t,” Ray said. “We tried one of the magazines as well. It was pretty expensive, and while I paid for the ad, we didn’t make a whole lot more. It only went to members of that association, so it didn’t reach enough people.”
He said they also get some folks that just want room and board, but have their own place to hunt. “There’s just not too many places to stay near Covert,” he added.
 In the off-season, they do get a good number of Christmas parties and business meetings.
“The newest thing is we are getting quilting and scrapbooking groups that want to get away for a couple of days,” according to Ray. “And they love Audrey’s cooking!”
Too bad Audrey didn’t move to Covert earlier—the town might have had a great restaurant!
For more about Covert Creek Lodge , visit www.covertlodge.com.
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