Natural Wonders of Western Kansas

The rumble of your car down a rural gravel road is enough to flush pheasants in northwestern Kansas, a region rich with the ringneck beauties. And, Kuhrt Ranch (20 miles northeast of Goodland) puts hunters right in the middle of the action. The four-generations-old working ranch covers 4,000 contiguous acres of prime bird habitat, a mix of pastures, creek bottoms, woodlands and fallow farm land. Pheasants, turkey and quail begin roaming the fields in the pre-dawn darkness. So do hunters. With ranch owner Brent Flanders as their guide and a good bird dog at their side, they seek out the birds’ favorite hiding places, hoping to flush them from cover to the broad and brightening skies above. Successful hunts end with a fine feast, gathered around the table at the ranch’s stately hand-quarried limestone “Prairie Castle” house or the casual apartment-style lodge next door.