This week on Kentucky Afield.

Turkey season is just about a month away and biologists are hard at work in the field preparing for it.

Next, anyone can get drawn to hunt elk in the state of Kentucky.

And if you are drawn, there are several ways to be successful.

We're tagging along with a do it yourself public land hunter Then we're catching crappie with Chad█s son Leo.

It's all next on Kentucky Afield.

Hello and welcome to Kentucky Afield.

I'm your host, Chad Miles.

Join us as we journey the commonwealth in search of outdoor adventure.

I don't know about you, but I'm super excited for the upcoming spring turkey season.

Now let's hit the field to check in with some biologists to see what they're doing to manage our turkey populations.

Zach, we're actually doing something pretty unique.

We're going to use several rockets and a net to catch turkeys.

Yup.

What in the world would we want to do that for?

Right.

For research.

Yeah.

This is research designed specifically to make sure our hunting regulations are where they should be for sustainability of turkey population for hunters.

Hopefully 10-15 gobblers will come in here on the bait site.

May take hours.

This is a waiting game, right?

Right.

But once you shoot the net and you catch these turkeys, you█re going to run out.

And then what are we going to do to allow us to gather data?

We█re going to put leg bands.

The leg bands are on the birds.

The birds are subject to harvest here in a couple of months.

Okay.

Hunter shoots the bird.

He reports it to us.

This is just one sample of birds here, but we're doing this all across the state.

You█re hoping to band 300 right?

Yeah, that's our goal.

But you█re specifically trying to get male birds, right?

In this case males, yeah, because we're trying to estimate spring harvest rate.

That's what we're after.

So bearded hens, yeah, we would band those too.

Okay, We've caught a few at this site already, so if we could get another handful, that'd be great.

We've got many other sites spread out.

That's part of the study is to be representative of the whole state.

So from western Kentucky to eastern Kentucky and us in between here, we've got multiple sites in each region so we can spread things out a little bit.

This is going to be really cool to watch.

Yeah, it's a rodeo, I'm sure.

All right.

Well, I guess it's about time for us to get back into our locations and get ready to go.

All right.

Good deal.

Well, we've got all of our rockets setup.

We've got our bait site set.

We've tested everything.

We should be good to go.

Now it's just a waiting game.

We've got big expectations of getting a good group of gobblers caught in the net.

Hopefully it doesn't take too long.

But when it happens and that boom takes place and that net goes out, it's going to be a mad dash from everybody around to get out there and to try to hold these turkeys down, get them secured, get them banded, and get them released back in the wild.

Yeah, here we go.

Our first turkey.

I can't tell if it's a gobbler or not.

It█s got a beard.

Well, that turkey that came in has now made its way off all the way at the far end of the field.

It didn't come to the bait, but that's okay.

We need more birds to come to trigger the rockets anyway.

So hopefully we get another flock of more birds that come in and make their way right there to the bait pile.

It█s still early.

Barely after nine.

Well, our turkeys didn't get the message.

They haven't showed up yet.

We've been here for several hours.

It's actually warmed up.

Went from about ten degrees to, it█s in the thirtys now.

It feels pretty good.

Some cattle are moving around, birds are flying, just not turkeys.

Alright, we█ve got turkeys on both sides.

Oh my goodness.

Man we█ve still got six or seven turkeys on the back side.

Here they come.

Are they going to come in or no?

And these are all male turkeys but some of them have got really short beards.

Not now?

No.

We█re going to get, we█re going to have a chance at catching 12 to 14 all in one shot.

This is going to be insane.

Come on turkeys It█s go time.

Okay.

let█s go.

Oh, my goodness.

All at the last minute.

We sat there for 8 hours.

10 hours.

All right, blindfolds on all the heads we can.

I think we've got 11 male turkeys on the ground right now getting these little socks on their heads, trying to settle them as best we can.

And it's time to start the work up process.

It just calm them down, keeps us from freaking out so bad.

We know that they're male birds unless they're bearded hens, so.

They're all male bird.

I thought.

I thought I saw a jake or two.

There's a couple of jakes in there.

2161..

He's got 2160.

Oh, he█s got 2160?

Yup.

All right.

So you got the number, everything recorded?

2161 jake, right?

Yeah, everything's good on that one.

We're actually doing this study in conjunction with Tennessee, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency and Tennessee Tech University.

And what we're trying to do is estimate harvest rates of male turkeys.

Okay.

Band number 10-55.

10-55.

We know from telecheck how many legally hunters harvest.

What does that mean?

You know, so this is kind of a percentage thing.

Plus, we'll be able to look at survival of the bird.

Got him.

So I'm taking his...

Hold on to him a little longer next time.

The only way you can do that effectively is you have to disperse the number of birds you're taking across the state because certain areas have higher hunting pressure and higher population of birds, different habitats, different landscapes.

You know, Kentucky's very diverse east west, so we're doing it across the state.

Both public and private lands?

Yep, for sure.

Okay.

Today we're on a private land property.

Yeah, but you also had some people today at Clay WMA, right?

That's right.

Yep.

Yep.

They caught five birds right before we did these, so.

Okay.

How many years is this project going to go on?

It█s a four year project.

This is the first one.

You can just sat him down... Don█t Don█t keep hanging on to him.

Well, you told me to hold on long while ago.

I noticed some of these are, you know, silver, and some of them are green.

Tell me about the green ones.

Yeah, every fourth one is green.

They are reward bands.

Oh, okay.

Purpose of the reward bands is to help us estimate harvest rate of the non-reward bands.

Gotcha.

They're doing this type of work for a long time in the waterfowl world.

There█s some type of financial or surprise award for whoever turns in one of these?

$75.

Yeah.

$75?

And we've got some really good cooperation there.

We have the Kentucky Fish Wildlife Foundation would be contacting the hunters and the funds for that are donated by the Kentucky chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Okay.

So multiple partners helping out.

So, hey, if you're out and hunting and you come across a turkey that's got a band on it like this, make sure you report it.

Get all the information back to the agency.

But the turkey is theirs to keep.

The band is there to keep.

And hey.

Absolutely.

I've never killed a banded Turkey, have you?

No.

There's not been many been a bird since George.

Wright years and years ago when turkeys were still being restored.

And if you're lucky enough to get a green one, then there's actually a financial incentive as well.

That's right.

All right.

Hey, thank you so much.

I appreciate your time.

Yes, sir.

When it comes to hunting big game here in Kentucky, there's one animal that reigns supreme and that is the Elk.

Hey, my name's Travis Stevens from Richmond, Kentucky.

I drew a cow firearm tag for week two.

We're out here in Bell County.

We█re on the Middlesboro tract.

I'm really excited I got drawn to hunt this piece of land.

It's over 30,000 acres, which, from what I was researching, is one of the larger tracts that you can hunt on.

It's a WMA, it's an old reclaimed coal mine, and we're doing a spot and stalk style hunt, which is a style I've never done before.

But we decided to do a DIY hunt with no guides, and we█re going to be camping out here in these mountains for the next few days.

I've come out here a couple of times to scout, which is something that I've never done.

I█ve deer hunted for several years.

This is new to me, so I'm really excited.

Been watching a lot of YouTube and getting excited for this hunt.

Elk.

At the very top.

At the clearing, right at the edge of the tree.

Yeah.

I think we spotted some elk.

We're going to go take a look.

We saw five elk on top of this ridgeline here.

Came down.

Tried to get a good shot.

And I spooked them or they just took off into the timber on the other side.

So we're going to hike around this bend here, try to catch them on the other side.

When we came to scout, we were an ATV and we saw one on the road and we thought it like went up the hill.

We just kind of eased on toward it, just kept trottin█ and trottin█.

It was crazy.

It was so big, you know, so much bigger than the deer.

It's neat.

I hope we see one again.

They bedded down somewhere.

This morning we saw several elk right here on this hillside then the fog rolled in.

I think they spooked or something.

So we're getting ready to go back out to the same spot.

We've been hunting all day, kind of hiking around the other side of this ridge.

But we're hopeful that they'll be here when we get back tonight.

All right.

Let's just sit right here.

We've got my buddy Tyler behind us glassing this ridge back this way, and then we're looking at this up here, toward this ridge, its where we saw them this morning.

We're hoping they█d come back out.

Hey, I think I see something over here, I'm gonna get up and just see if I can see something.

We got Travis checking out a hillside right here where he thought he saw some movement, then we've got a nice little ridge and a bowl that we're glassing over where we saw some elk earlier.

So hopefully between these two viewpoints, we can find something.

Fun first day.

We hiked around a lot and we tried our best.

Couldn't find them tonight, but we're going to go back to camp, get a good night's rest and hit it again tomorrow.

See if they're back.

Lord help us to have a successful hunt today.

Help us to harvest an elk and to feed many people with it.

Thank you for our fellowship, and no matter thank you that we got to have this time together.

So fun.

You say in your word that when two or more are gathered, you're there also.

So would you be with us today?

Just help us to glorify you and all that we do.

Including this hunt.

Pray this in Christ█s name, amen.

Going around here, like walk this whole thing around to where we were yesterday morning.

There's Elk over there.

There█s two or three.

There's a whole herd right there, right beside where we started yesterday.

They're walking along that top road.

They█re on that far, far ridge.

All right.

Let's go.

So this morning, we left our campsite.

We kind of made one big loop around that ridge that we'd started on.

Well this morning, we came and they are right where we began yesterday, where we originally spotted them.

And now we're trying to hike in and get a close shot.

I think it's too far to shoot.

You can't make the shot from here.

No, It's way too far.

All right.

We got to keep going.

All right.

They've crossed over that hill.

We got to go now.

Let's go.

There's some of them even closer right there.

All right.

The one on the left.

You hit, you hit one.

You hit one.

It's about to go down.

It just bedded down.

It's falling.

Did it take off?

It█s down.

It's down, Travis.

Oh, my God.

That was awesome.

I got my first elk.

Yes sir!

Oh.

Oh, my gosh.

Yes, sir.

That was awesome.

It's down.

Oh, my gosh.

Good shot.

Good job.

That's the herd, baby.

Look at them.

There's a bunch of them.

We found him.

Are you sure it█s down?

Are you sure it█s down?

We got to get closer.

I got to make sure that it█s down.

Oh, look at that.

Oh, my goodness.

Look how big.

Oh, look how big it is.

Oh, my gosh, that's awesome.

Look how huge.

Oh, my goodness.

Woo!

Cow, late season, baby.

Wow, that was awesome.

Oh, look at those mountains.

Awesome.

Wow.

This thing is so much bigger than a deer.

I mean, that thing is so big, and they're beautiful.

Look at this fur.

This is amazing.

I mean, this is just amazing.

You kidding me right now?

Look how big it is.

I know.

Look at that shot.

Get you some.

That's awesome.

That's bigger than I imagined.

Daniel, can you believe that?

Born here in Kentucky came down from Richmond to do this hunt.

We camped out here.

We got up in the morning and we just kind of walked around this edge and we saw these elk on this hillside.

So we took off after them.

And we we were like, so- man, we made it up here.

I got a long shot and I just can't believe it.

Got a good shot here.

Yeah.

My dad's old gun came through for me and got a cow elk.

Congrats.

Yeah man, it█s beautiful.

Good work.

Man, you guys helped so much.

It's such a privilege to get out here and do this this morning with these guys.

So thankful for my friends coming out here.

This is a team effort.

Uh, gosh, thankful we get to do this here in these pretty mountains here in eastern Kentucky.

Man, what a great experience.

One of the best opportunities to get a young kid outdoors in the early spring is to take them crappy fishing.

Leo, can you carry that?

Your rig is a little harder to cast.

Yeah.

So once we locate the crappie I'll let you reel them in.

You can start casting that over and over and over and try to catch them on your own.

You know what crappie are good for, don't you?

Fish?

Well, they are fish.

In my tummy?

For your tummy.

They are so good to eat Leo, you know you've had crappie before.

What's your favorite way to have them?

The fish and rice meal.

whoops.

Hey.

Hey.

That ones a crappie.

That's a crappie.

And that one's probably big enough to keep.

We█re keeping, its a keeper!

This is a homemade stringer here now.

Little joker came off.

Oh you get a bite?

Yeah, I had him on and he came off.

Try it again.

There you go.

When I was a kid, when the bluegill went on the nest, my dad used to take little what's called a Popeye fly and tie those on the bottom of one of those casting corks like that.

And I bring it across the nest.

And that is really kind of how I learned how to start casting and fishing is right there.

Casting cork across bluegill beds.

Really what I do now is just grab one of those plastic bobbers and cast it out in the backyard.

Hey, when you get home and you got 20 minutes before it gets dark and you got home from practice and you don't have time to go to the pond, just grab your casting cork and learn how to cast it.

Got any bites yet?

Not yet.

Where did you catch yours deeper or closer to the bank?

Probably right where my bobber is now.

Okay.

I don't think this is a crappie.

If it is, we got a good one.

my goodness, Leo.

This crappie.

That's a crappie?

Oh my goodness.

It█s like a five pound Largemouth bass.

Oh my.

I want to catch one.

Leo, look at that crappie.

That is two fish sandwiches right there.

We need to give that one to.

my gosh.

Catholic school fish fry.

You wanna take that to your fish fry?

I don't think they're allowed to do that.

Hey, we're going to put that baby there.

How do you say you want it?

On some rice?

Yeah.

What a pretty fish.

Hey, now, this thing didn't get in this pond this year.

It's been in here for a couple of years.

That crappie has got to be at least four years old.

What a fish.

Look at them side by side, What you like about that?

One's, like, double the size.

Double?

I'd say it's four times.

How did you catch that fish so good?

a little one.

It is a little crappy, but look how thick across the back that is.

The meat is right here.

So even though that crappie is only nine inches long, there's as much meat on that is what you would get on a bluegill.

Now, there's no way I'd go out on the lake and keep a crappie that size.

But on this pond we're gonna keep it.

Once you get right in that area, you don't even have to really pull it much.

Just kind of bounce it around.

you got him.

you see?

Yeah I saw him but he jerked away.

That's alright.

Where's the honey hole?

Little bit down from us is the spot I've caught the most crappie.

This is a beaver dam.

So I'll bet you there are crappie right here where this beaver dam is.

That tells me that all the sticks are also out there in the water.

To go fishing?

I got to go to the water to get- I can't pick this thing up on this 4 pound test.

He█s breaking my line.

what a beautiful, beautiful fish.

I'll tell you what.

It's not going to take many of these to have a good, solid mess of fish.

Wow.

Let me show you the best way to catch these.

I just have this little eight ounce jig, and it's got this little curly tail.

All you need to do if you're in tight quarters like this, or you got sticks and stuff around you, all i█m going to do is flip it out about ten or 15 feet.

Let it go to the bottom.

And then as I start picking the rod up, what I'm doing is look at my rod tip.

It's going up.

Look there█s a fish.

All I'm doing is casting it out there because the water is getting more shallow as it gets closer to the bank.

All I'm doing is keeping the bait two or three inches off the bottom.

And this is just a really good way to fish for crappie or bluegill in tight quarters like this.

Throw it out that way and see what you can do.

You caught him finally.

That's a bass.

I think.

Yeah.

Large mouth.

No.

Hey, normally.

Normally we love catching large mouth.

Not today.

That's not the objective today.

Nice job though.

Here you go, Leo.

Right here.

I█m going to get a monster.

That's a monster right there.

That's a monster.

Is that fun?

Why is it rainbow on the end like that?

You know what?

Fish Just have that color on them that.

That really pretty color.

That's a white crappie.

It's like metallic.

It's got blues and purples all up there in the top.

What a pretty fish, huh?

Lookie there, buddy.

It's a nice one.

That's pretty good fish.

Just get it over the bank.

You know what, Leo?

You know what I love about this?

When you were at school this morning, did you know we were going fishing today?

Not at all.

That's what I like.

It's just sometimes you don't have baseball practice.

Didn't have volleyball practice today.

You finally got a day off.

And look at the weather.

It's beautiful outside.

We decided to come out here.

And you know what the bonus is?

What?

What do you think it is?

food.

We get to take these babies home and filet these up.

Okay.

Hey, look, I've had a great time with you.

Thanks for coming out here with me.

Did you have fun?

Yes.

I hope we get to do this again real soon.

You, too.

All right, let's go Bud.

here we have 13 year old Addison Woosley with her first buck, a nice eight pointer that was taken in Grayson County.

Nice job.

Check out the size of this beautiful white crappie taken by Hatten Adams.

He caught this at Kentucky Lake.

Congratulations.

Here we have Brian and Matt Dennison, who caught a skillet full of crappie while fishing at Nolin Lake.

Are you looking forward to getting outdoors?

Well, don't forget to purchase your new hunting or fishing license.

You can log on to fw.ky.gov or visit your local retailer.

And remember, hunting and fishing on private property is a privilege.

Always ask permission and thank the landowner.

Until next week, I'm your host, Chad Miles, and I hope to see you in the woods or on the water.