Driving DirectionsFrom Knob Noster, take Highway 23 south 7 miles, then County Road SE 600 east 2 miles, then turn south on SE 1201 to the area. HighlightsOld fields, forest and cropland. About This AreaJ.N. "Turkey" Kearn Memorial Wildlife Area is in Johnson and Pettis counties.  J.N."Turkey" Kearn, who delighted many people with his humor and knowledge of local history, lived on this land in harmony with its natural beauty. In 1976, he donated 1,479 acres to the Conservation Department with the wish that the bounty of wildlife his ancestors spoke of when they first settled here be restored and preserved for future generations. The Department purchased an additional 195 acres, bringing the area to its present size of 1,674 acres.The area features a great variety of habitat types, including wooded hills, bottomlands, crop fields, and native grass fields. Two fishing lakes, covering nine and 25 acres, respectively, were built in 2000. The area contains several small ponds and one two-acre pond, and Muddy Creek crosses the northwest corner of the area.Management of the area focuses on providing habitat for upland wildlife species, including deer, turkey, rabbits, squirrels, doves, and songbirds. Prairie chickens are also sometimes seen here.