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February's Featured Destination A Hunter's Perspective
Among hunters, there are very few that have not heard of Babe Winkleman. Babe is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has been teaching people to fish and hunt for 25 years on his award-winning “Good Fishing” and “Outdoor Secrets” television shows on The Outdoor Life Network, WGN-TV, Fox Sports Net, The Men’s Channel, The Great American Country, and the Sportsman’s Channel. One source said he’s had more airtime than “The Price is Right.” In this month’s article, we going to look at Kansas hunting from several perspectives, and that’s how Babe Winkleman fits in. We also talked with Joshua Johnson of Kankakee, Illinois to learn why he chose a Kansas ranch for one of his regular hunting retreats. Finally, we visited with Dan and Carla Thurston, the owners of the Lazy D Outfitters in Madison, Kansas, who have hosted both Babe and Joshua on their Southeast Kansas ranch.
Josh is an avid hunter who says he hunts every day from October 1 to the end of the season in mid-January. Somehow, he also owns a construction business, and has a very, very understanding wife who does not hunt. Josh often uses a hunting consultant, Russell Walker, and though he reads many hunting magazines and goes to a lot of hunting shows, he relies on the consultant, and word of mouth, to choose where he will hunt. (If you have never used one, consultants are generally compensated by the outfitter, not the hunter.) Walker knew and recommended the Lazy D Outfitters. Josh had already heard of them through both the Winkleman broadcasts, and videos that he has seen produced by Drury Outdoors. “If these guys hunt there,” Josh said, “I know that it’s going to be well managed. I know there will be game, and they’ll also coordinate the space so the hunters are not sitting on top of each other when the sun comes up.”
“Ninety-five percent of my business comes to me by word of mouth,” Dan said about his Lazy D Outfitters business. “A lot of these hunters have seen the videos or tv shows. We’ve done 13 shows with Babe. We also were featured on Dream Season TV, sponsored by Drury Outdoors, where the prize was a trip to the Lazy D. Mark and Terry Drury are here pretty often too.” “I’ve never gone to one of the trade shows or had a booth,” Dan said. “The guys that have hunted here go home or go to the shows, and they run their mouth a little, and then my phone starts ringing for reservations.” Between what he owns and leases, Dan has nearly 30,000 acres for hunting. He has about 88 tree stand sets and 41 gun huts, blinds and boxes, but he also is very careful about where the hunters are placed, and how many hunters he allows. “Dan took me to the stand by day and showed me the lay of the land,” Josh recalls, “and that way when I went out the next morning in the dark, I knew what would be around me, and where the deer may be moving. Dan thinks through every detail, such as the wind directions and how much pressure an area has had so it isn’t over hunted.”
“Dan and Carla are quality people,” he said, “We’ve become friends and it’s a fun place to be. There’s always a nice mix of people-some are the big, professional hunters, and some have saved up for years to take their hunting trip. It’s all a level playing field, and everybody enjoys sharing.” “I think Dan’s pretty good at quickly learning what you know about hunting and what your needs are. I learned to turkey hunt from one of his guides, Bunch, but when I’m there for deer, he’ll help me decide where to go, and pretty much leaves me to hunt.” “Prices are reasonable. I just started paying to hunt a few years ago. The first time, in another state, made me pretty uneasy. The guy was more interested in pumping out his septic tank. Dan’s more interested in your success on the hunt.”
Dan started the hunting business about 1999 when Kansas non-residential deer hunting began. Most of his hunters are from out of state, and will hunt 5-7 days. He says he runs about 20 bow hunts a year, and a dozen or less gun hunts. “It’s important to watch the checks and balances,” he said. He fiercely protects the integrity, and trophy possibilities, of his land, limiting the number of hunts each year and treating the area “like the precious resource it is.” “The biggest deer ever shot here was a 190-class Boone and Crockett deer,” he said. “That was in 2000.” Dan also raises quail, and hunters come there for quail, prairie chicken, and predator hunts. “We probably don’t have more than about 16 bird hunters a year, and 6 or 8 hunting bobcats or coyotes.”
I guess recommendations from Babe Winkleman, Mark and Terry Drury, and Joshua Johnson are three pretty strong references. Thanks guys. We enjoyed learning about Dan and Carla Thurston, and the Lazy D Outfitters.
Click to read other articles in the February 2007 Agritourism News Click to visit www.lazydoutfitters.com Click to visit Babe Winkleman's home page Click to See Other Featured Destinations |
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Josh hunts deer with a bow, and returns to the Lazy D when he can. He doesn’t always get a Kansas tag, and when he doesn’t, he has some property in Illinois that he will go to instead. He also hunts turkey at the Lazy D, and spoke highly of their operation.
“Carla’s cooking is just right. It’s simple meals, good homestyle food. Thick steaks, chili, enchiladas, that kind of thing. And they keep the place stocked so you can find more food if you want. Help yourself. There’s an open bar, too, along with pool tables, big screen tv, and always hunters ready to share stories. Dan’s next door to the lodge if you need anything.”
“I like the way Lazy D is managed and run,” Josh said. “Usually when I start hearing about a place, I look up their website. It’s weird how a nice, polished website will keep me interested, and pretty soon I’m signed up. But I learned more about Dan from the videos. His website is a really basic, single page, but I guess it says what you need to know to get hold of him. For most of us, we’ve already heard about a place from somebody we trust. That’s what helps you find where you want to go.”
Lazy D seems to be the epitomy of good hunting, good land management, and good people.