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Recreation & Parks |
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Recreation & Parks
While Graham County has the usual recreational
facilities found in other Northwest Kansas communities, it is
outstanding in two areas:
 hunting
and golfing. Graham County is located in the middle of some of the
best upland game habitat in the United States, with over 68,000
acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. CRP land, along
with natural habitat along rivers and streams, we have a hunter's
paradise. Dominant species are the ringneck pheasant and bobwhite
quail, and the lesser prairie chicken is slowly making a comeback in
huntable numbers across the county. Deer and turkeys are abundant,
as well as numerous farm ponds to attract migratory waterfowl.
Antelope Lake, to the west of Hill City,
was built in the 30's as a WPA project and covers 80 surface acres.
The site includes two shelter houses, 3 outhouses, a boat ramp,
fishing pier and picnic table in various sites around the lake.
Kansas Wildlife & Parks has a new program for upland game hunters entitled Walk-In Hunting. The state contacts farmers and contracts
with them to open part or all of their property to the public for
hunting. In return, the state posts the ground and
Jayhawk Outfitting
Jayhawk Outfitting
is an Orvis Endorsed Upland Game Wingshooting Lodge. Located in
northwest Kansas, an area long noted for outstanding pheasant and
quail
Guests are ensured the highest quality hunt all season long and, unless requested, will never hunt the same ground twice. They also have a good number of Bobwhite quail and these can be pursued in combination with the pheasant. Their top priority at Jayhawk is seeing to it that your stay with them is everything you want it to be. They can, and often do, tailor hunts to suit the age of our clients.
The rustic, yet fully modern, log hunting lodge provides a quiet, relaxing atmosphere for up to twelve guests. After the day's hunt, relax and enjoy the large fireplace or watch your favorite programming on the satellite TV. Since Jayhawk Outfitting's goal is to provide only the finest wingshooting experience, groups consisting of six or more hunters will have exclusive use of the lodge during their stay.
Our rates include: Daily Bag Limit, Choice of 4 Pheasant & 8
Quail, or 6 Pheasant Daily rates are per person per day - 10% more for less than three in a group. Non-hunters are welcome with a special per day rate for non-hunters. Their season is from September 1 to March 31. I recommend a date anywhere from early October to late February. For more information, contact Jayhawk Outfitting at RR2, Box 117, Hill City, Ks 67642 or phone (785) 421-2284. After you have harvested that trophy specimen, have it mounted locally by a internationally known taxidermist. Milbrook Wranglers is a powder shoot
club that holds shoots every other week end. They have a site built
down
Clothing requirements will be very liberal until the club becomes more established, still no tennis shoes or baseball hats, we are not quite that lenient! Western wear and cowboy boots make the targets seem much larger and much closer! We would certainly encourage spectators to dress in period clothing as well.
A modern swimming pool, lighted tennis and
volleyball courts, and a newly-constructed baseball/softball complex
round out the recreational opportunities in the county. The
recreation commission sponsors summer youth programs in softball,
baseball, golf and volleyball and provides training clinics in
basketball, wrestling, and fishing.
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Very
good fishing is available in area lakes and in farm ponds. Hill
City, the county seat, is located 30 miles from both Webster and
Norton reservoirs, and approximately 50 from Kirwin and Cedar Bluffs
reservoirs. 
These
bodies of water are populated with black bass, crappie, walleye,
stripers, white bass, and several species of catfish. Populations
vary from lake to lake, but specific information is available from
Kansas Wildlife & Parks and in brochures widely available in the
area. 
establishes
the boundaries for public use. The area must be accessed on foot.
This program is designed to open more hunting areas to the public by
providing farmers protection from the two things they fear most:
public liability and the problem of having hunters driving their
vehicles all over their property. Farmers are paid a fee for their
cooperation and encouraged to plant food plots and to leave portions
of their property fallow for nesting habitat. A pilot program of
this nature for fishermen is in the planning stage. 
hunting,
Jayhawk Outfitting is prepared to show you one of the world's finest
wingshooting experiences. Over 18,000 acres of handpicked hunting
grounds, picked for its hunt ability as well as abundant populations
of native birds, are located in four large, separate tracts, which
are individually managed to keep hunting pressure light and wild
birds plentiful. 
The
day at Jayhawk Outfitting starts with a hearty breakfast, then a
short drive to the up land game fields, where two hunters will enjoy
the company of a professional guide and dog handler. Guests are
welcome to bring their own dogs. Kennel facilities are provided at
the lodge. Hunts are tailored to the needs of each individual group,
and hunters are given the option of eating a hearty field lunch or
returning to the lodge for a hot meal. Delicious home cooking is the
norm, served up with large portions of western hospitality.
by
the Solomon River that is very unique.
Prairie
Trails Golf Course provides a nine-hole par 35 course with
buffalo grass fairways and grass greens, located at the eastern edge
of Hill City. Reasonable green fees, ready access, and a full
schedule of tournament play make this an outstanding facility.
