Monthly Archives: August 2013

Youth Dove Hunt at Clinton Wildlife Area

A mentored dove hunt is a perfect way to introduce a youngster to hunting

The Jayhawk Chapter of the Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation (QUWF) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) are making preparations for their 6th Annual Youth Dove Hunt to be held opening day, Sept. 1, 2013 at Clinton Wildlife Area near Lecompton.

The hunt is open to hunters age 16 and younger. Shotguns, shells, and eye and ear protection will be provided to participants at no cost. Hunters are encouraged to wear camouflage clothing.

“This is just a great event for kids to get out in the field and get hands-on experience hunting doves without worrying about the cost. We supply them with everything they need, and we are happy to do it,” said QUWF Jayhawk Chapter member Dr. John Hill. “Last year, our young hunters shot a little over 780 shells. This year, we hope to shoot even more.”

Mentors will accompany all participants, but non-hunting family members are encouraged to attend, as well. The hunt will begin just before sunrise and conclude mid-day. To register for this event, contact Hill at (785) 550-5657 or by e-mail at[email protected].

Make Walking to School Safely Second Nature

Walking to and from school is a wonderful way to fit outdoor time and exercise into your child’s busy day.

By Alyson Weinberg

Be Out There

National Wildlife Federation

With childhood obesity on the rise, walking to school is a time-efficient and easy way to help get kids’ hearts pumping and legs moving. Multiple studies also show that even a little time outside can improve children’s academic performance and focus—meaning kids who walk to school arrive feeling more ready to dive in to their studies. 

Rachel Weinishke of Bethesda, Maryland, a mom of two teenagers, says her kids’ daily walk to high school gives them a great start. “School starts so early. As they walk together, without the noise of a car radio or loud kids on the bus, they can wake up to the sounds of nature. They chill out and get some exercise at the same time,” she says.

With young children, parents get the added bonus of enjoying quality time with their kids while they savor the surroundings along the way, whether it’s a sky full of cloud “animals,” brightly-colored fall leaves or a squirrel scampering by.

Walking to school benefits kids physically and mentally, but some parents may have safety concerns that prevent them from allowing it. The tips below, provided courtesy of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), can help ensure a safer journey, leading the way for more mornings and afternoons spent in the fresh air rather than the car.

            Walk the route to and from school with your children pointing out landmarks and safe places to go if they’re being followed or need help. Make the walk to and from school a “teachable moment” and chance to put their skills to the test. Make a map with your children showing acceptable routes to and from school. If your children wait for a bus, wait with them or make arrangements for supervision at the bus stop.

Instruct your children to always TAKE A FRIEND, always stay in well-lit areas, never take shortcuts, and never go into isolated areas. Teach them to stay aware of their surroundings and observe all traffic rules in place to more safely share the roads and sidewalks with others.

If anyone bothers your children or makes them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused, while going to or from school, teach your children to trust their feelings, immediately get away from that person, and TELL you or another trusted adult. If an adult approaches your children for help or directions, remember grownups needing help should not ask children; they should ask other adults. Instruct your children to never accept money or gifts from anyone unless you have told them it is OK to accept in each instance.

Even though there may be more safety in numbers it is still not safe for young children to walk to and from school, especially if they must take isolated routes anytime during the day or in darkness. Always provide supervision for your young children to help ensure their safe arrival to and from school.

Instruct your children to leave items and clothing with their name on them at home. If anyone calls out their name, teach them to not be fooled or confused. Teach your children about the tricks someone may try to use to confuse them or engage them in conversation. Children should also be taught that they do not need to be polite if approached and to get out of the situation as quickly and safely as possible.

Ensure current and accurate emergency contact information is on file for your children at their school. If you, or another trusted family member or friend, need to pick up your children, make sure to follow the school’s departure procedures. These procedures need to include the school’s confirmation of your children’s departure with only those you authorize to pick them up.

Teach your children if anyone tries to take them somewhere they should quickly get away and yell, “This person is trying to take me away” or “This person is not my father/mother/ guardian.” Teach your children to make a scene and every effort to get away by kicking, screaming, and resisting if anyone tries to grab them.

            Teach your children if anyone follows them on foot to get away from that person as quickly as possible. If anyone follows them in a vehicle they should turn around, go in the other direction, and try to quickly get to a spot where a trusted adult may help them. Advise them to be sure to TELL you or another trusted adult what happened.

Instruct your children to never leave school with anyone until they’ve checked with a trusted adult. If anyone tells them there is an emergency and they want your children to go with them, teach your children to always CHECK FIRSTwith you before doing anything. Also teach your children to always CHECK FIRST with you if they want to change their plans before or after school. Make sure your children always play with other children, have your permission to play in specific areas, and let you know where they are going to be. Instruct your children to TELL a trusted adult if they notice anyone they don’t know or feel comfortable with hanging around them.

In the event your children may be lost or injured, make sure they carry a contact card with your name and telephone numbers such as work and cellular. This card should be hidden from plain view. 

Whether it’s walking to and from school or on the weekends, anytime is a good time to Be Out There! Remember, a big part of keeping children healthy and well is making sure they get plenty of outdoor time—it enhances their mental, physical and emotional well-being. So, teach your children the safety rules and head outside for some fresh air. Click herefor some great outdoor activities to do with your child!

           

Copyright © 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2009 National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. All rights reserved.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2009-MC-CX-K002 awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® and 1-800-THE-LOST® are registered service marks of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. NCMEC Order #91.

Wichita Honey Bee Festival September 14

The Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita will host a Honey Bee Festival Saturday, September 14. The event, which is designed for kids and adults alike, will run from 10 AM to 3 PM.

            Attendees can watch the award winning film “Vanishing of the Bees” in the Coleman Auditorium. Learn the difference between native bees and honey bees. Also learn about other pollinators as well.

            Participants can get up close and personal with honey bees in the Center’s outdoor hive and learn how you can have bees in your backyard. Kids can engage in crafts and games designed especially for them. Taste a variety of honey. The Center’s Owl’s Nest Gift Shop will have honey bee products available for purchase.

            Mark your calendar for September 14th as it should “bee” a fun day for everyone involved.


New Angler Instructor Course to be Held at Schermerhorn Park

A new course designed to certify anglers to teach fishing techniques in Kansas will be held Aug. 31

Fishing’s Future and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism will host an angler education class Aug. 31 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Schermerhorn Park, 7693 SE 77th Terrace, Galena. The course, which will be held just outside of theSoutheast Kansas Nature Center, is part of a new educational program designed to enlist qualified volunteer instructors to teach fishing techniques throughout the state.

Although the class is not a requirement to teach, those in attendance will be given valuable information about working with children, sample curriculums and tips for preparing a class or clinic. Other subjects covered in the four-hour class will include current fishing rules and regulations, species identification, fishing ethics, equipment, knot-tying, casting, fish habitat, aquatic nuisance species, and conservation.

Anglers interested in registering for the Aug. 31 course can sign up by visiting www.fishingsfuture.org and clicking “upcoming events,” then “Kansas Angler Education Training Program.”

For more information, contact Fishing’s Future local coordinator Kevin Reich at [email protected], or by phone at (785) 577-6921.

Sportsmen Unite to Urge Action on Clean Water Act

Thirteen prominent sportsmen’s groups representing millions of hunters, anglers, conservationists, and resource managers nationwide today delivered a strongly worded letter to administration officials urging immediate action to clarify and restore Clean Water Act protections to the nation’s wetlands, lakes and streams.

Addressed to Sylvia Mathews Burwell, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Howard Shelanski, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the sportsmen’s letter asks the administration to deliver on promises made in 2008 by presidential candidate Barack Obama to restore the CWA’s protections to wetlands and other waters left in legal limbo.

Signatories include the American Fisheries Society, American Fly Fishing Trade Association, B.A.S.S., Berkley Conservation Institute, Bull Moose Sportsmen’s Alliance, Izaak Walton League of America, National Wildlife Federation, Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, The Wildlife Society, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trout Unlimited and Wildlife Management Institute.

“For more than two years, the administration has conducted a comprehensive interagency and public process to clarify the reach of the Clean Water Act in a manner that is both legally and scientifically sound,” states the sportsmen’s letter. “We appreciate the heavy investment of resources in this effort by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the Council on Environmental Quality.

“However, the guidelines for identifying waters protected by the Clean Water Act have been pending at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for more than 18 months – since February 2012. Continued delay is inexcusable and puts critical wildlife and habitat at risk.”

The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers released draft replacement guidelines for public comment in early 2011. More than 230,000 comments – the vast majority positive – were submitted on the draft.

Clean water protections for millions of small and intermittently-flowing streams and wetlands have been in limbo for more than a decade because of a pair of Supreme Court cases and flawed policies put in place to implement those court rulings. As a result, the viability of many valuable wetlands, lakes and small streams is threatened, and others are harder to protect.

These waters and wetlands absorb flood waters, filter pollutants and contribute to the drinking water supply of more than 117 million Americans. They also support fish, waterfowl, and healthy waters that are prized by anglers and hunters and that support a multi-billion dollar outdoor recreation industry. Anglers alone generated nearly $115 billion in total economic activity in 2011, breathing life into rural communities and supporting more than 1 million jobs across the country.

“Action to protect the nation’s waters from pollution and habitat destruction is long overdue,” the sportsmen’s letter concludes. “We urge you to act immediately to finalize the guidance and launch the formal rulemaking that all sides agree is badly needed to provide clarity and certainty to landowners, developers, conservationists, and state and federal agencies alike.”  

Birding Trends

Public Participation in Birding Slows

Ken Cordell, Project Leader

Athens Research Group

In October, 2011, a film, The Big Year, opened to tell a story about 3 men looking to set a new record for seeing or hearing as many bird species as possible in a single calendar year. Kenny, Stu and Brad travelled the country competing to be theone to set a new record for the most species by one person, ever. This film underscores the unfolding story of growth in birding (bird watching mostly) in the U.S., and elsewhere.

In a Cover Story in Birding Business (February, 2006, pages 16 – 21), we gave results from the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment that highlighted the significance of this growth phenomenon. Reported were results from an earlier survey that estimated there to be 21 million birding participants in the U. S. in 1983. By 1995, new surveying indicated the number of participants had grown to 54 million. By 2001, the estimated number was 70 million. By 2004, the number had reached 83 million. Although growth continues, it appears to be slowing, reaching nearly 85 million participants by 2009.

            Birding Participants

            Interest in birding cuts across the demographics of the U.S. population. It is not just one group that is involved—there is broad participation. Birding ranks about 15th on the list of most popular activities included in the most recent National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (Cordell 2012). As an activity, birding ranks just below visiting a beach, swimming in lakes/streams/etc., and bicycling. Birding ranks just above day hiking, visiting natural areas and gathering mushrooms/berries/other nature products.

            Forecasts of Future Participation

            In research just published last year (Bowker et al 2012), birding was forecast to continue growth. Projected number of people 16 or older in the U. S. expected to participate in birding increases between 4 and 8 percent over the next 50 years to more than 36 percent, or 117 to 150 million people by 2060. This range of projected growth reflects testing for the possible effects of climate, income and population change scenarios over the next 50 years. The number of times (days) per year each person participates is projected to decline between 1 and 7 percent, which is a decline of about 4 days per participant. Given that adult birders average nearly 98 times per year, an annual decline of 4 days does not have much of an effect on the annual total days of birding. The rise in number of participants of between 37 and 71 percent by 2060 is enough to override this decline in days per year.

            To put these projections into perspective, the 2012 recreation projections showed the greatest anticipated increase in participants from 2008 to 2060 to be developed site use (112 to 116 million), nature viewing (112 to 114 million), interpretive site use (104 to 106 million), and swimming (99 million). Those are the four most popular activities we examined. Activities with participant increases of at least 40 million include day hiking (50 to 55 million), birding (47 to 53 million), primitive area use (42 to 47 million), and motorized boating (35 to 40 million).

Averaged over all futures scenarios and climate alternatives, the five activities for which days of participation increase the most over the next 50 years are nature viewing (13,597 to 14,635 million days), swimming (2,298 to 2,446 million days), hiking (1,366 to 1,470 million days), developed site use (1,185 to 1,294 million days), and birding (3,764 to 4,859 million days).

Approval of Hunting Highest Since 1995

79% of Americans Approve of Hunting

A recently released nationwide scientific survey by Responsive Management shows that 79% of Americans 18 years old and older approve of hunting, up five percentage points from 74% in 2011. This marks the highest level of support for hunting since 1995, according to data compiled by Responsive Management.

Responsive Management has been tracking trends in public approval of hunting since 1995, which has remained generally consistent during this time: 73% in 1995, 75% in 2003, 78% in 2006, 74% in 2011, and now at 79% (see graph below). At 79%, approval is the highest since Responsive Management has tracked it. The reasons for this increase are still unclear, but it may be related to the recent increase in hunting and shooting participation that has occurred.



Since 2006, hunting participation has increased by 9%, according to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2011). Meanwhile, shooting participation has increased by 18% since 2009 (Responsive Management, 2013). Other studies on public opinion on hunting conducted by Responsive Management show that the strongest correlation with approval of hunting is knowing a hunter–over and above demographic variables or any other factor. With the increased number of hunters in the field and sport shooters at the range, it is possible that this increase is being reflected in support for hunting as well.

Overall, the most recent study found that more than half of Americans (52%) strongly approve of hunting (79% strongly or moderately approve). At the other end of the spectrum, 12% disapprove (strongly or moderately) of hunting. Another 9% gave a neutral answer. 


Methodology

Conducted in February 2013, the study surveyed 1,306 Americans 18 years old and older using random digit dialing and supplemental cell phone sampling. The sampling error is +/- 3.00 percentage points. The survey was the fifth in a series of surveys by Responsive Management to track trends in public approval of hunting

Open Youth Team Bass Tournament

Brought to you by the Kansas B.A.S.S. Nation

The Kansas B.A.S.S. Nation will sponsor a 2-youth team bass tournament at Wilson Reservoir September 8, 2013. Also hosting the event is the Russell County Economic Development and Convention & Visitors Bureau.

This is a youth-only bass tournament. Any two youth aged 18 and under can create a team with an adult as their boater/coach. The two youth anglers’ fish, the boater/coach drives the boat but does not fish. You don’t need to be a member of any group or organization to enter.

There is a $50 per team entry fee,* which includes all side pots. The team will fish for a five-fish limit. They will have a live weigh-in. Based on 30 teams entered, prizes will be given for first through sixth places, plus a Biggest Bass award and a Second Biggest Bass award. A $350 prize package for Biggest Bass is being donated by the Backlashers Bass Club and the $150 prize package for second Biggest Bass has been donated by the KC Bass Club.

            The tournament will run from 7 am to 2 pm. Blast-off will be from the Hell Creek Ramp at Wilson Reservoir. There is a mandatory pre-tournament meeting September 7, 2013 in Russell, Kansas. Refreshments at the pre-tournament meeting provided by the Russell County Economic Development and Convention & Visitors Bureau.

For an Entry Form and Rules, e-mail either KBN Youth Director Brad VanRiette at[email protected] or KBN Tournament Director Joel Porter at [email protected]. Entries must be postmarked by August 27, 2013.

            Contestants should visit the Russell County website at www.russellcoks.org for lodging options and local attractions.

            Go to the Kansas B.A.S.S. Nation’s website at www.ksbassnation.com to learn more about the organization and Open Youth Team Bass tournament.

*After expenses, 20% will be deducted and placed in the KBN Youth account, and 80% will be paid back in gift cards, prizes, etc.

2013 NWTF Kansas State JAKES Camp September 14 & 15

The National Wild Turkey Federation will hold their 2013 NWTF Kansas State JAKES Camp September 14th & 15th at White Memorial Camp, located 6 miles north of Council Grove, just off highway 177. Youth 17 years of age and younger get to select 6 activities to participate in on Saturday which includes fishing, arts & crafts, deer hunting 101, trap & still target shooting, archery, canoeing, quail in Kansas presented by the Quail & Upland Game Federation Chapter from Council Grove, the World of Sporting Dogs presented by KVOE radio host Phil Taunton, and Turkey Talk with turkey hunting legend, author, outdoor TV personality, and Grand National turkey calling champion Ray Eye.

Saturday evening JAKES members can participate in the annual NWTF Kansas State JAKES (youth aged 12 and under) and Xtreme JAKES (youth aged 13 to 17) Turkey Calling contest. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in both divisions. Later, around the campfire, Ray Eye will entertain everyone with his award winning turkey hunting stories and adventures.

            On Sunday, Pastor Gary Cargill will start the day with a sunrise service. Activities on Sunday morning include Predator Calling with Knight & Hale Pro Staff member Mick Bowman, Turkey Biology & Management by NWTF biologist Brandon Houck, and a presentation by the MilfordNature Center.

            The cost of the event is $20 for JAKES members, $30 for non-JAKES members (which includes a JAKES membership), and $20 for adults. Attendees may chose to tent camp (bring your own tent) Saturday night or may elect to commute both days. New this year, you have the option (for an additional fee) to stay in a resident cabin (bunk beds & shared bath). Boys and girls will have separate cabins. There are also a few RV hookups. The cost includes lunch and supper on Saturday and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. Meals will be prepared by the White Memorial Camp kitchen staff. All youth 17 and younger will receive a commemorative tee shirt and win a prize in a drawing at the end of the event on Sunday.

            The NWTF Kansas State JAKES Camp was awarded the “Best State JAKES Event” in 2012 and the “Best Special JAKES Event” in 2013 at the NWTF National Convention in Nashville, TN.

            For more information or a registration form, contact Gib Rhodes at 620-437-2012.

New Angler Instructor Course to be Held at Schermerhorn Park

A new course designed to certify anglers to teach fishing techniques in Kansas will be held Aug. 31

Fishing’s Future and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism will host an angler education class Aug. 31 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Schermerhorn Park, 7693 SE 77th Terrace, Galena. The course, which will be held just outside of the Southeast Kansas Nature Center, is part of a new educational program designed to enlist qualified volunteer instructors to teach fishing techniques throughout the state.

Although the class is not a requirement to teach, those in attendance will be given valuable information about working with children, sample curriculums and tips for preparing a class or clinic. Other subjects covered in the four-hour class will include current fishing rules and regulations, species identification, fishing ethics, equipment, knot-tying, casting, fish habitat, aquatic nuisance species, and conservation.

Anglers interested in registering for the Aug. 31 course can sign up by visiting www.fishingsfuture.organd clicking “upcoming events,” then “Kansas Angler Education Training Program.”

For more information, contact Fishing’s Future local coordinator Kevin Reich at[email protected], or by phone at (785) 577-6921.
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