I put in for youth draw for my son and my nephew in Kansas. I got notified 2 weeks ago they were both unsuccessful. I went ahead and made plans to let them hunt Melvern Reservoir area for youth weekend. I booked and paid for a cabin there at Melvern.

Last night I get an email that one of them was successful at Grand Osage WMA youth drawing. I guess someone couldn't make it and they went down the list.

My question is this. I have heard the Melvern WMA holds a lot of birds. I don't know a lot about Grand Osage WMA. I think they are 1 1/2 hours apart so we may try and hit both. Just hoping someone knows the area and can give me their 2 cents on which WMA is better.

Thanks In Advance.

Good luck, we have alot of birds in se kansas.

To hunt Grand Osage, you will need to attend the required hunter briefing. This is an old ammo depot. There are some birds there, but not like in other areas in that region.

Gman

I lived in Kansas from 2010-2104. I hunted Melvern quite a bit. It has a lot of turkeys on it! The only problem is that it is public land. So, they get pressured each year and quickly become call and decoy shy. The best areas are on the north and west side of the lake. You will find Easterns ans also Hybrids there.

As far as Grand Osage...I've never hunted it but I've heard there are a lot of turkeys on it! I would think that it would better than Melvern because it is not as pressured and Melvern. And the staff will tell you where the birds are on the property and will tell you where to set up...especially since it's a youth hunt. A friend of mine took his son on a deer hunt (draw) and the staff was very helpful!

Good luck!

Hunted Melvern many times and there are lots of turkeys there. Do your homework the night before and watch them until they roost....come back in the morning and set up close to roost....wait for them to fly down and collect your trophy. It really is that easy.....as long as you can find them the day before. If hunting late season, I would leave the calls and decoys at home and just ambush them going from feeding to roost or vice versa. It doesn't take but a couple weeks before they know exactly what a call and decoy are.

I have never hunted Grand Osage.

Personally, I wouldn't travel that far up north in Kansas to turkey hunt....lots more public places in SE Kansas that hold lots of birds and are open all season.

Thanks for all the help. We will be hunting the youth weekend. It will be the 1st weekend in April. Right before general season opens. We have to be at a hunter briefing the night before. If we get out in time we will definitely try and find them and see where they are roosting. Thanks again for all the gear information.

elkaholic, I would bring a popup blind to hunt out of, especially since there will be more than one in the hunting party. Turks have great eye sight, but don't seem to mind blinds at all.

I agree on the blind...especially if its cold. I've been known to fire up a catalytic heater inside the blind in KS.

Gman