Not only does Kansas rack up a spring harvest of near 34,000 gobblers, but it also boasts healthy populations of both the Rio Grande and eastern species. Eric Johnson scored on this big eastern bird in Greenwood County last spring. Photo by Marc Murrell.

Kansas is well known as a trophy-deer destination, and it consistently ranks among the top handful of states when it comes to pheasant harvest.

Hunters from all over the country converge on Kansas each fall to pursue these species, and the state's reputation for producing happy nimrods is extensively documented. But one of Kansas' best-kept secrets -- although that secret is apparently getting out -- is that the Sunflower State may very well be a premier destination for those who like to chase spring gobblers.

Home to both the Rio Grande and eastern subspecies of turkeys, Kansas is a turkey hunter's dream. Not only does the state have plenty of birds, but it also has turkey habitat that's conducive to finding and calling birds -- an ideal turkey hunting situation. If one setup doesn't work out, it doesn't generally take long to find another willing participant and get in position for another try.

The success of the Kansas turkey program is monumental. The first season was held in 1974, and turkey hunting opportunities have grown by leaps and bounds since that inaugural opener, when just a handful of permits were issued. The season was nine days long and generated only $4,000 in total revenue. By comparison, the 2007 season was 61 days long and generated more than $1.3 million in total revenue.

Turkey numbers have done well over the years, but recently they've dipped in some parts of the state.

"In the eastern part of the state, we've been on a decline the last three years or so due to below-average production, and I assume that will be the case again this spring due to June and July rain and flooding last summer," said Jim Pitman, small game program coordinator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. "In the central and western part of the state, we're stable or slightly increasing, and there are still pretty good bird numbers in the east, although we've seen a decline."

But despite the decline over the last few years, hunter success and harvest figures haven't shown any indication that hunters can't find and kill their spring gobblers.

"We haven't seen a decline yet," Pitman said of success rates that have held steady despite the lower population. "I'm not sure what will happen this year, and it may be two years before this production is noticeable, when there are fewer 2-year-old birds out there. Time will tell if we have enough hunting pressure to have a noticeable impact on success, but so far we haven't seen it."

According to Pitman, Kansas' bird numbers are strong enough, even in off years, to satisfy the demand of hunters. Kansas doesn't have huge numbers of hunters compared to other Great Plains states, but interest seems to be increasing as the state's success rate gets noticed.