April 14, 2006

Governor gets “clean kill” with first shot
Sebelius gets her bird early in annual turkey hunt

EL DORADO, Kan. – As the sun was coming up this morning, Governor Kathleen Sebelius bagged a tom with her first shot during the Governor’s Annual One-Shot Turkey Hunt. This was the Governor’s fourth year participating in the Turkey Hunt.

She took him with a 20-gauge shotgun at 7 a.m., this morning, near the El Dorado Lake. The tom boasted a 9 3/8-inch beard, 1 1/8-inch right spur, 1 3/16-inch left spur, and weighed in at 17.88 pounds. He scored 59.75 points.

“It was a beautiful morning and the birds came in just as the sun was coming up,” Governor Sebelius said. “I had the perfect opportunity so I took it. What a great way to start out the morning.”

Sebelius’ hunting guide was Secretary of Wildlife and Parks Mike Hayden. He said, “The Governor’s getting to be a seasoned turkey hunter. It was her first shot and she killed it clean, instantly.”

The hunt is in its 20th year. Started by Governor Hayden in 1987, it was developed with the concept of inviting key people from different professions as celebrities to come to the region and experience the hospitality and warmth that is the tradition of Kansas.