Member Newsletter - February 8, 2010

Featured Outfitter – Bell Wildlife Specialties

Bell Wildlife Specialties is a first-class outfitting operation located in Harveyville, Kansas. Dan Bell, the owner and registered outfitter is as big as the country he hunts. Dan is a gentle giant with a love for helping others achieve their hunting goals. Bell Wildlife Specialties operates on over 20,000 acres of prime habitat for all of Kansas’s huntable species. If you are looking for Boone & Crockett whitetail deer, wild turkey, quail, prairie chicken, ducks, geese, predators or dove, they have it all.

Dan has a heart for helping youngsters develop the love of hunting. In a recent conversation with Dan he shared with me, “There is no greater thrill for me than helping a youth harvest their first turkey or deer”. Dan does this by offering special rates for youth and hosting the Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors youth program. Bell Wildlife Specialties has been actively involved with this program since 2002. During that time, many young kids have harvested their first deer or turkey with Dan.

Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors works with Dan to find children who want to experience the great outdoors we all know and love. Teaming with Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, who have over 100 years of mentoring experience, they make a huge difference in the lives of young people with the desire to hunt.

Bell Wildlife Specialties is also a big supporter of many wildlife and conservation programs including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the National Turkey Federation, Friends of the NRA, Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, Safari Club International, and Whitetail Unlimited.

Just recently Dan worked out a deal to help one of our Dream Hunt’s Members that is confined to a wheelchair and only able to shoot a custom made crossbow. If you have an extra few minutes, read the full article about how Dan is helping this Member go on his “dream hunt”.

The country that Bell Wildlife’s hunters have the opportunity to hunt is full of record book deer and turkey. The placement of stands aided by the use of many trail cameras helps to increase their hunter’s success at a trophy animal. Archery season starts the end of September and runs thru the end of December. The chance of harvesting a Buck scoring over 150 and up is excellent!

In the past, Dan’s clients have averaged harvesting 60 gobblers per year with 25% of them making the record book. If you like to turkey hunt, this is the hunt for you! You can harvest two birds which many hunters do in just one day! Dan says, “We have as dense a population of wild turkey as anywhere I know, with over 3000 birds within a 10-mile radius of town”

With many acres of milo, corn and soybeans, quail and prairie chicken also do well. Daily limits of quail and prairie chicken are frequent, so if upland bird hunting is your pleasure, this could be the trip for you.

If waterfowl hunting is your specialty, you may want to spent some time hunting with Dan for Snow, Canada, or Ross geese, or test your skills with Mallards as they blacken the Kansas skies.

Dan also brags a bit about his down home family atmosphere and hospitality, stating that “It is free of charge”. Hunters stay in a rustic 2-story limestone building that was built in 1900. In addition to being an expert guide, Dan is also a very accomplished taxidermist. You can be assured that after your kill, your meat, hides and skins will all be handled professionally at their in-house facilities! With Bell Wildlife Specialties there are no worries.

One thing for sure, we are proud to have Dan Bell and Bell Wildlife Specialties as one of our top outfitters at MyDreamHunts.com. Dan has quickly become a great friend and as you can see by his donations of almost $200,000 worth of hunts, he is totally committed to MyDreamHunts.com and its Members. If you get a chance to win or book a hunt with Dan, be sure to let him know how much his contributions are appreciated.