The Royal Treatment
Hooray Ranch provides post hunting experience
Story by Cara Clark & John Felsher
When people think of world-class waterfowling destinations, first sites to mind might be Louisiana marshes, the Texas coastal plains, Arkansas flooded timber, the Chesapeake Bay region, Great Salt Lake, or the California Delta. Kansas, generally considered a land of flat, dry prairies and wheatfields, probably would not be top of mind, but
Southerners have found an unexpected hunting haven at Hooray Ranch in Kansas. The 20,000-acre ranch, situated in the city of Kingman, is aptly named — wing shooters are treated like royalty when they visit the cold plains where the wind whips with ferocity across the lakes, ponds and fields that make appealing habitat for game birds.
“I've hunted and fished all over the world, and I've never been treated like that in a hunting or fishing lodge,” says seasoned hunter Bob Dixon of Columbus, Georgia. “That attention to detail leaves a lasting impression on you.”
The quality of care begins with an airport pick up and continues throughout the experience from dawn starts to late evening dinners and story swaps. Dixon traveled to Hooray with his three sons last December, and they were so smitten with the experience that they’ll be returning this winter for more camaraderie and “royal” treatment.
“Kansas is a great waterfowl destination,” says Jesse Vliet, general manager of the Hooray Ranch. “We’re right in the middle of the Central Flyway. We get a big variety of birds. What we bag each day depends upon the migration. It’s a mixed bag each day. For geese, we mostly shoot Canadas, but we also see snow geese and others.”
Dixon says one thing that sets Hooray apart is the option for dry field hunting, making it different from traditional waterfowl hunts in terrain, but other nuances set this particular destination above the typical experience.
“We've been to a lot of camps and lodges and what a majority of them don't seem to comprehend is that they're really in the hospitality business,” Dixon says. “Whether it’s deer hunting, turkey hunting, or any other kind of hunting, at the end of the day, they're in the hospitality business. Hooray understands that. They meet you at the airport, or if you're driving up on your own, they meet you at the front door and make you feel welcome. It’s that attention to detail and the homework they do about your group that makes you understand they know all about you and your group before you even arrive.”
Once on site with all introductions made, everyone is set up in their room and with their own equipment locker. Hooray ensures they have the shells each hunter uses and pays attention to personal tastes and preferences.
“We are not just selling a waterfowl hunt,” he says. “We are offering the once in a lifetime opportunity to enjoy what we call ‘The Hooray Experience.’ We are not an average hunting lodge. We don’t try to pack people in. We want to bring in good groups who understand what Hooray is about. We want them to come here with friends and family, have a great time, and kill some ducks or deer.”
According to Bob, Hooray has a lot to shout about.
“They have robust full seasons,” Bob says. “They also have excellent evening activities, and it's simple but creative. Whether it's an activity in the game room or a fire outside, they make it entertaining. And they have a finale with a pheasant shoot and a big celebration afterwards with fire pits and hatchet throwing and archery, lots of food, and music.”
Bob says the food, like the hunting, is a cut above, with gourmet dishes for adults and menu items that appeal to younger, more finicky eaters.
“It's very different experience,” Bob says. “There's a hunting camp or hunting lodge on every corner everywhere. You can go get a good hunt from a lot of different places. Some people go for the hunt and don't care about accommodations or hospitality. But Hooray provides a five-star experience in everything from the time you arrive.”
With a slate chalkboard set up in the main room, guests can read in exquisite detail the menu for the day. When he told Hooray he was bringing teenage boys on the hunt, Jessie surprised them with a slushie machine behind the bar. From the lodge to the field that high bar of attention to detail was met.
“You had an assistant in the field with a duffle bag and field picnic kit,” Bob explains. “You would go out there early in the morning for duck hunting and take a little break with thermoses of hot coffee for the men and hot chocolate for the boys and warm sausage and ham biscuits and doughnuts. You get up at four o'clock to go the woods and have coffee and Danish or doughnuts, but then your guy had a full breakfast packed for your morning.
“I've got a little hunting camp in Comer, Alabama, and I started taking pictures of all of the details and said, ‘We’ve got to step up our game.’”
With luxurious lodge rooms, saunas, bedside cell phone stations, glass water bottles, and bags of trail mix, everyone felt pampered. And in the common areas, roaring fires and convivial conversations warm the cold Kansas days. Each hunter’s experience is personalized to the last detail.
“It’s not like roughing it in traditional hunting,” Bob says.
Each fall, about two to four million migrating ducks representing 27 species pass through Kansas from their nesting grounds in the northern Great Plains. The five most common ducks one might spot during a Kansas hunt include mallards, pintails, green-winged teal, gadwall, and blue-winged teal.
About 50 minutes west of Wichita by automobile, Hooray controls intensively managed prime wildlife habitat in several parcels around Kingman. Established in 2013, the ranch offers waterfowl, turkey, upland bird and white-tail deer hunting. A sister ranch, the Hoodoo Ranch in Greensburg, includes approximately 8,000 acres about 65 miles west of Hooray.
“Where we hunt depends upon where the birds are,” Jesse says. “Fortunately, with our property all spread out, we can scout and find where the birds want to be. Each day during the season, five or six people go out scouting our properties to locate the birds, and that determines where we hunt the next day. Generally, we hunt duck impoundments out of pit blinds or fields in layouts.”
The ranch complex consists of six buildings, including the 10,000-square-foot Mallard Mansion, plus the Refuge – the Hooray’s recently finished 15,000-square-foot centerpiece to the property. The main lodge contains 18 rooms, a bar, fitness room, and sauna.
“Where we hunt depends upon where the birds are,” Jesse says. “Fortunately, with our property all spread out, we can scout and find where the birds want to be. Each day during the season, five or six people go out scouting our properties to locate the birds, and that determines where we hunt the next day. Generally, we hunt duck impoundments out of pit blinds or fields in layouts.”
The ranch complex consists of six buildings, including the 10,000-square-foot Mallard Mansion, plus the Refuge – the Hooray’s recently finished 15,000-square-foot centerpiece to the property. The main lodge contains 18 rooms, a bar, fitness room, and sauna.
“All of our hunting packages, except for whitetail hunts, are three nights and two days,” Jesse says. “Our guests stay at the main lodge where we also serve meals. In the evening, guests can hang out by the fireplace or watch TV. There is plenty to do inside, but guests can also hang out around the fire pit outside.”
Most people pack clothes and equipment they need for a good hunt, such as waders or knee boots, firearms, ammunition, and warm clothing. If they forget something, visitors can find just about anything they need at the pro shop.
Shortly after guest arrival, they take the “Quail Walk” for a unique shooting experience.
“The Quail Walk is about a 1.5-mile sporting clays course that goes through some trees,” Jesse says. “It has about 70 throwers. We created realistic scenarios hunters would see in the wild with quail, pheasant, and ducks, and combined them with sporting clays. It takes about 90 minutes to walk the entire course. Each guest will shoot about six to eight boxes of shells and see about 500 targets thrown. It’s a great way for our guests to brush up on their shooting skills, especially if they haven’t shot much in a while. Some people bring brand-new guns that they’ve never shot before. It’s great fun for the whole family.”
After the walk, guests return to the lodge for hors d'oeuvres and refreshments before dinner. The next morning, vehicles take the waterfowlers to their designated blinds. Normally one guide accompanies up to four people in a blind.
“We don’t just drop our guests off in the corner of a field,” Jesse says. “The guides begin spending a lot of time with our guests as soon as they arrive.”
That afternoon, guests can participate in an upland bird hunt. The property holds some wild ring-necked pheasants, but the Hooray Ranch staff supplements the wild bird population with pen-raised pheasants.
“All of our waterfowl packages include an upland experience,” Jesse says. “People hunt waterfowl in the morning and make a traditional pheasant field hunt with dogs in the afternoon. Our pheasant hunting has been fantastic. On the final afternoon, all our waterfowl hunters shoot a minimum of a 500-bird European tower shoot for live pen-raised pheasants. Nested in a grove of century-old cottonwood trees, the European tower shoot is a one-of-a-kind experience. The tower, being one of the center pieces of the ranch, offers an amazing hangout spot after the hunt.”
As for deer hunting, Kansas has gained a well-deserved reputation for growing giant whitetail deer with huge racks. Guests can hunt from tree stands, ground blinds, or tower blinds.
“Whitetail hunting in Kansas has long been a tradition, passed down through many generations and we are positioned in a great area,” Jesse confirms. “We have many options available for our deer hunters. Our whitetail hunting has been highly successful for the past few years. Most of our deer score in the 150 to 200 range on the Boone and Crockett scoring system.”
For details, visit www.hoorayranch.com.