The weather is warming up, the birds are singing, and the ice is melting.
Ben Jedlicka, Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism Game Warden, says with the recent warm spell, the ice on lakes, rivers, and ponds are melting. He says it is not the time to partake in activity on the ice such as ice fishing.
“The ice conditions are not good now,” Jedlicka says. “We have had the warmup and it kind of turns honeycomb or it starts to melt from the bottom and to the top both, and it is treacherous. So, stay off the ice now.”
Jedlicka adds that if the ice were to break, submersion in the water at the current temperature is extremely dangerous.
“It’s a matter of just minutes, he adds. “You will be alive, but you will be incapacitated, simply, you’re muscles seize up and they just don’t work.”
Jedlicka says there are plenty of things to do on the land until the water temperatures are safe.
One of those activities that you might embark upon is archery. Tuttle Creek State Park Manager, Todd Lovin, says over the last few years they have seen an increase in the number of archers at their recreational range. He says they continue to hold archery tournaments as well. Lovin adds that it’s a great sport and creates an even playing field for all athletes.
“You can pick a little, 100-pound person with very little muscle mass up against a 230-pound person that’s just ripped with muscles and that can be equal in archery,” Lovin says.
Lovin tells KMAN this past weekend they held an archery event and saw great success. He says archers started at a bullseye course before moving on to the 3-D target course.
“Chapman National Archery and Schools program was the organizer of it, and put it on. The participants were mainly from them, we did get some from Platte City, Missouri to come up.”
Chapman adds that nearly 100 archers came out for the archery tournament. He says they are already planning another tournament for April 24. For more information about archery at Tuttle Creek State Park visit ksoutdoors.com.
