Monthly Archives: October 2013

Quail Initiative

BY AJ DOME

KVOE AM 1400

Elk burgers attracted landowners and state officials to the Fairgrounds Anderson Building on Tuesday, Oct. 29, for the Kansas Quail Initiative workshop. 

About 110 people from Lyon and surrounding counties attended, listening to state representatives and scientists discuss their plans for quail conservation and habitat management.

Presentations were given by various local officials from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, and other local conservation agencies, about the different aspects of protecting the quail population. State wildlife biologist Bob Culbertson says there are good incentives for people to join.

The cost-sharing initiative would reimburse landowners 100% of the estimated costs of turning some of their land into quail-friendly property. Landowner and rural Lyon County resident Richard Porter just got started with the process of clearing some of his acreage for wildlife habitat and says the process is going well so far.

Private landowners are the biggest partner with the KDWPT on this project and the state is committed to spending up to $100,000 a year on private land improvements. Porter says it’s well worth the effort, especially if done smartly.

The Quail Initiative project was designed to improve habitats and foster changes in the quail population in eastern Kansas. That population, along with other grassland birds, has been declining steadily over the past 40 years.

The primary goals of the initiative are to increase the bobwhite quail population by 50%, and to see a 5% net increase in suitable quail habitat within each of the two focus areas in eastern Kansas.

More information about the Kansas Quail Initiative, and the focus areas, is available through the KDWPT. You can contact their Wichita office at 316-683-4464 or go to their website athttp://www.kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/Services/Private-Landowner-Assistance/Wildlife/Technical-Assistance/State-Programs/KDWP-Conservation-Programs/Kansas-Quail-Initiative.

Endangered Species makes Appearance in Kansas

Whooping cranes are North America’s tallest bird, some reaching 5-feet when standing erect

The first migrating whooping crane was spotted on Oct. 24 at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, near Stafford in central Kansas. A rare and fantastic sight, this whooping crane is part of the only sustaining wild population estimated at 250 birds. Whooping cranes from this population will fly through the state in upcoming weeks, making their way to wintering grounds at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Past records indicate that most whooping cranes will pass through Kansas between Oct. 17 and Nov. 10, usually travelling in small family groups. However, on November 9 2012, 18 whoopers were spotted together at Quivira as they migrated south from their Canadian nesting grounds at WoodBuffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories.

As part of a cooperative monitoring program supervised by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) encourages anyone who has spotted a whooper to contact their local natural resource officer or KDWPT office. Sighting information can be used to alert managers of key areas along the flyway — such as Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area in central Kansas — and to provide sighting records for the Whooping Crane Recovery Plan and for whooping crane research in the U.S. and Canada.

For more information, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website atwww.fws.gov/midwest/whoopingcrane.

Public Buffalo Auction Nov. 20

Buffalo from Maxwell Wildlife Refuge herd are available for purchase

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) will auction off surplus buffalo at the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday, November 20, 2013 beginning at 11 a.m. Those interested in bidding are encouraged to arrive early to receive a bidder number. The auction is open to the public and lunch and concessions will be served.

Each fall, surplus buffalo are sold as available habitat can support only a finite number of animals. This year, a total of 60 buffalo will be auctioned, including seven cows, 13 yearling heifers, eight heifer calves, 13 yearling bulls, eight two-year-old bulls, eight bull calves, and three three-year-old bulls. Bison over 1-year-old will be brucellosis and tuberculosis tested and accompanied by a health certificate. Heifer calves will be vaccinated for brucellosis and certificates issued. Prices paid per animal range from several hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on market demand, condition, sex and age of the animal.

Cash and personal checks (if accompanied by a notarized authorization letter from the issuing bank) will be accepted. KDWPT reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Buyers must pick up the bison the day of the sale or make arrangements with the refuge manager prior to the sale. Animals become the buyer’s responsibility upon settlement on sale day. Load-out assistance is available until dusk the day of the sale. Stock racks and trailers should be covered or lined because bison transport best in dark conditions.

The sale will be outside and will take place rain or shine, so attendees are encouraged to dress accordingly. For more information, contact Maxwell Wildlife Refuge manager Cliff Peterson at (620) 628-4592, or KDWPT’s Region 4 Office in Wichita at (316) 683-8069.

Nov. 2-3 Youth Upland Bird Season

Youth hunters may hunt pheasant and quail free of competition during this special season

The beginning of November marks one of Kansas’ most prized hunting seasons – pheasant and quail – and for hunters age 16 and younger, a jump-start on the regular season can mean the difference between a decent hunt and an unforgettable season. Nov. 2-3 is the Kansas youth pheasant and quail season, which will be open to youth hunters under adult supervision.

Established as part of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s Pass It On program, the youth season provides young hunters and their mentors the opportunity to be in the field before the crowds of opening day. Public lands and Walk-In Hunting Access lands are open, and hunting pressure is usually light. Adult mentors may not hunt during the two-day youth season, but they can pass on their hunting knowledge without giving up their own opening-day.

Resident youth 15 and younger do not need anything other than an adult supervisor to hunt during the youth season, although a hunter education certificate is recommended. Hunters age 16 will need a hunting license and a hunter education certificate, unless they purchase an apprentice license, which is a one-time deferral of the hunter education requirement. However, adult supervision is required at all times for an apprentice license holder, even during the regular season.

Daily bag limits during the youth pheasant and quail season are half those of the regular season; two rooster pheasants and four quail.

Resident youth age 16-21 also have the privilege of qualifying for a multi-year hunting license at $42.50 and a multi-year combination hunting/fishing license at $72.50. A great bargain, this multi-year hunting license is valid through the year the hunter turns 21.

For more information, including where to hunt and to view the current upland bird forecast, visit www.ksoutdoors.com/hunting.

Outdoor Mentors Get Kids to the Outdoors

Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors is proud to announce that they have been named as a finalist in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program!

Now they need your support! Vote for Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors atwww.100carsforgood.com on November 3rd!

 

If Pass It On is one of the 2 top vote getting organizations on that date, they will win a new Toyota Tundra! Having a new Tundra will greatly enhance their program, giving them a tremendous resource to travel about the state, taking kids hunting and fishing!

Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program will award 100 vehicles over the course of 50 days to 100 deserving nonprofit organizations based on votes from the public. Winning organizations will use the Toyota vehicles to help expand their reach and missions within their communities.
 

Please support Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors on November 3rd!

Voting will take place at www.100carsforgood.com
Put a reminder in your calendar today and please share this with everyone you know!

Thank you for helping Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors give kids a chance to get outdoors!

Women in the Outdoors: Numbers on the Rise

By Southwick Associates

            The traditional image of men escaping for the weekend to experience the thrill and challenge of outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing and shooting may be as antiquated as the gender make-up in the boardroom in scenes from television’s Mad Men. Annie it seems has definitely got her gun, and hunting license and fishing rod and reel. In fact, according to Women in the Outdoors in 2012, an in-depth report on women’s participation in outdoor recreation compiled by Southwick Associates, women now make up more than a quarter of all anglers and represent the fastest growing segment within the hunting and shooting communities making up as much as nearly 11 percent of all hunters.

“Many people may be surprised to learn the traditional view of the outdoors person is changing, but to anybody who hunts, fishes and shoots, the presence of women on the water, in the woods and at the range is anything but new, and certainly not surprising,” says Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates.

The Women in the Outdoors in 2012 report is a comprehensive snapshot of women’s participation in outdoor sports ever published. It examines the level and rate of participation of females in freshwater and saltwater fishing, hunting and shooting and compares women and men’s purchasing habits for hunting, shooting and fishing equipment. It also offers a unique glimpse at their outdoor media consumption, providing invaluable insight to advertisers, manufacturers and retailers into where today’s outdoorswoman gets most of the information that affects her purchasing decisions.

Southwick Associates utilizes proprietary market data from their own research combined with the most recent and reliable data from key government sources to compile the report.

While the decision-guiding data found in most Southwick Associates market reports are available for sale, the company is making the Women in the Outdoors in 2012 report available athttp://www.southwickassociates.com/portfolio-view/women-in-the-outdoors-in-2012/  

Cargill Cares Donates $10,000 to Pass It On Outdoor Mentors to Get Kids Outdoors

Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors announced today that it was awarded a $10,000.00 grant from the Wichita Cargill Cares Council. This generous donation will be used to supplement Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors’ efforts to give more children the opportunity to experience the great outdoors with a caring mentor. Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors works with state fish and wildlife agencies, conservation groups and youth organizations to reach out to underserved youth, giving them the chance to experience the great outdoors.

“Too many children are spending too little time outdoors,” indicated Michael Christensen, President of Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors, Inc. “It is up to the outdoor community to step up and introduce these children to the great outdoors that we all know and love if we are to see our outdoor heritage passed along to the next generation. This generous donation from the Cargill Cares will help young people in the Greater Wichita Metropolitan Area develop healthy lifestyles, understand the importance of their natural environment and avoid risky behavior through participation in traditional outdoor activities and practical environmental projects with carefully screened, caring adult mentors through programs provided in partnership with local conservation groups and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.”

“Cargill is a company with a long and rich heritage tied to agriculture, the land and nature, and we believe it is important for children to have an opportunity to experience outdoor activities and learn about, and appreciate, the importance and value of the natural environment,” said Debbie Nece, Wichita Cargill Cares Council chairman. “We are pleased to be able to support such a worthy effort by an organization with the passion and commitment of Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors, Inc.

Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors has partnered with state fish and wildlife agencies, conservation organizations and youth organizations to give at-risk children outdoor opportunities they would not have had otherwise. “There are many organizations providing outdoor activities. It is imperative that we involve children who are not connected to these organizations to insure that they have the chance to experience the wonders and joys of the great outdoors that we all know and love,” stated Christensen.

Win a Buffalo Hunt

Geary County Fish and Game Association

The Geary County Fish and Game Association is conducting their Annual Fund Raiser. The prize is a Buffalo Hunt or $500 cash. Tickets are one for $20 or six for $100. Enter for your chance to win a hunt for a 2-3 year-old Bull, estimated to weigh 1,000 pounds. Winner can us rifle, bow or black powder (if large enough caliber).

Hunt will be on a ranch in Dickinson County. You shoot, we help load on your trailer or truck. Winner pays for meat processing. Drawing will be held at the Geary County Fish and Game headquarters at Milford Reservoir at its meeting on November 11, 2013. Need not be present to win.

If you have any questions, call Tom Goudey, GCFGA Vice President, at 785-238-7845 or 785-761-7525. You may also call Ken Schortmann, GCFGA Director, at 785-210-9072.

Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission Approves Price Reduction for Youth Permits

Commission votes to significantly reduce resident and nonresident youth permit prices

At the public hearing conducted Oct. 17 in Hutchinson, the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission approved several recommendations including one that will significantly reduce the price of resident and nonresident youth big game permits starting January 1, 2014. Youth permits approved for a price reduction include deer, turkey, and antelope. In other public hearing items, the commission approved a special provision that will prohibit anglers from fishing or collecting bait from fish ladders, or any artificial barrier or dam that facilitates the natural migration of fish upstream. This provision was recommended in an effort to reduce conflict between boaters and anglers using the same passage way.

Commissioners also approved a variety of changes to fishing regulations including a 13- to 18-inch slot limit for largemouth bass at Grand Osage Wildlife Area and Howard-Polk Daniels Lake. The 15-inch minimum length limit on spotted bass will also be removed at Howard-Polk Daniels Lake. Floatline fishing will now be allowed at Elk City, Fall River, Glen Elder, and Lovewell reservoirs. A trout permit will be required for trout anglers at Meade State Fishing Lakefrom Nov. 1-April 15.

The last public hearing item presented to the commission included recommendations to change future turkey hunting regulations. Commissioners approved the creation of a youth/disabled season that will allow youth to hunt turkeys free of competition from April 1 to the first full weekend of the month starting with the 2015 spring season. Regular archery season will start the Monday following the youth/disabled season, and regular firearm season will start the Wednesday after the second Saturday. Bag limits for the fall turkey season will also be reduced in Units 3, 5, and 6 from four birds to one bird. Season dates for the spring 2014 turkey season will remain unchanged.

The next commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 9, 2014 at Southwestern College, 

100 College St.

, in Winfield.

Migrating Waterfowl Bring Flocks of Hunting Opportunities

Daily bag limits increased for dark and light geese for 2013 seasons

“More is better” isn’t always true in a lot of instances, but for waterfowl hunters this season, “more” is a beautiful thing. New regulations now allow hunters to harvest greater quantities of waterfowl than ever before, increasing Canadageese bag limits from three to six birds, and light geese bag limits from 20 to 50 birds. Possession limits on all migratory birds was increased from two times the daily bag limit to three times the daily bag limit. The daily bag limit for ducks remained at six, but the number of scaup that may be included in the daily limit was reduced from three to two.

Oct. 26, 2013 is a big day for waterfowl hunters, marking the opening day of goose season, the first day of the Low Plains Late Zone season for ducks, and the first day of youth season in the Low Plains Southeast Zone. White-fronted geese may be hunted Oct. 26-Dec. 29, 2013 and Feb. 1-Feb. 9, 2014. The daily bag limit for white-fronted geese is two birds, and possession limit is six. Canada geese and light geese may be hunted Oct. 26-Nov. 3, 2013 AND Nov. 6-Feb. 9, 2014.The daily bag limit on Canada geese is six, possession limit is 18. The daily bag limit on light geese is 50, and there is no possession limit. The Low Plains Late Zone for ducks will run Oct. 26-Dec. 29, AND Jan. 18-Jan. 26, 2014. Following the Low Plains Late Zone, waterfowl hunters in the Low Plains Southeast Zone may hunt Nov. 2-3, 2013 AND Nov. 16, 2013-Jan. 26, 2014. Youth season the Low Plains Southeast Zone will run Oct. 26-27, 2013.

The daily bag limit for ducks is six, which may include no more than five mallards, of which only two may be hens; two redheads; three wood ducks; three scaup; two pintails; and two canvasbacks.

Following regular goose seasons, hunters may hunt light geese during a special conservation period Feb 10-April 30, 2014. During the Light Goose Conservation Order there is no bag or possession limit. In addition, hunters will be allowed to use unplugged shotguns and electronic calls and take light geese from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset during the period of the conservation order.

Although not as widely sought-after as geese and ducks, sandhill cranes may be hunted from Nov. 6 2013-Jan 2, 2014 with a valid federal permit. All sandhill crane hunters must take an online crane identification test each year before obtaining a permit. The test can be found by visiting www.ksoutdoors.com and clicking “Hunting/Migratory Birds/Sandhill Crane.” The daily bag limit on sandhill cranes is three birds, with a possession limit of nine. Quivira and Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge are closed to crane hunting.

For more information on migratory bird regulations, visit www.ksoutdoors.com

1234