Daily Archives: March 6, 2015

Spring turkey hunting atlas mega-map of where to hunt

You’ve got your turkey permit purchased, your slate call packed, and you’ve brought your tom and hen decoys out of hibernation – all you need is the perfect place to hunt. Lucky for you, there’s the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) 2015 Spring Turkey Hunting Atlas. Available online now at www.ksoutdoors.com and soon to be in print wherever licenses are sold, this 66-page atlas provides the locations of nearly 200,000 acres of Walk-in Hunting Access (WIHA) areas, as well as state and federal public lands open to spring turkey hunting.

From sunrise and sunset tables, to information on where to camp, the free 2015 Spring Turkey Hunting Atlas is a must-own for every turkey hunter looking to make the most of the season.

In addition to electronic and printed copies of the atlas, hunters also have access to file downloads on ksoutdoors.com that can be loaded onto Garmin GPS units, and Android and iOS devices that can be used with Google Earth, making locating areas easier than ever.

The 2015 spring turkey season will kick off with the youth/disabled season April 1-14, followed by the archery season April 6-14, and regular firearm season April 15-May 31. Spring turkey permits for Units 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 are available at ksoutdoors.com and at any license vendor through May 30. Buy the spring turkey permit combo by March 31 and save $7.50. A valid Kansas hunting license is required of all residents age 16 through 74 and all nonresidents, except persons hunting on their own land.

To purchase your turkey permit and optional additional game tag today, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click License-Permits.

15TH annual Council Grove youth turkey hunt

Youth age 11-16 who have an interest in learning how to hunt turkeys are eligible to apply for one of the coveted spots in the 15th Annual Council Grove Youth Turkey Hunt. Lucky young hunters will hunt with experienced mentors on April 4, during the youth turkey season. Deadline for registration is March 20. The hunt is sponsored by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), area chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation, and Ducks Unlimited, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The event is part of KDWPT’s “Pass It On” program, designed to recruit young hunters.

“Kansas turkey hunting prospects are good, and the excitement of the spring hunt can spark a passion for the outdoors many young Kansans have never experienced,” said KDWPT public land manager Brent Konen.

Participants will pattern their shotguns, learn about turkey hunting techniques and scout for turkeys on the evening of April 3. On the morning of the hunt, hunters and their accompanying adults will be guided on public and private land. In addition to a memorable outdoor experience, participants will also receive door prizes, breakfast and lunch the day of the hunt, and one lucky hunter will get their bird mounted free, courtesy of JD Taxidermy of Alta Vista.

Lodging is available in nearby Council Grove, and camping is available at Council Grove Reservoir. Register by March 20 by contacting Konen at (620) 767-5900.

Kansas paddlefish season opens March 15

Have you ever considered paddlefish snagging? Whether you answered yes or no, consider this a “sign” that this is your year to try it. Hooking one of these pre-historic-looking giants on the end of your line is one of the most unique fishing opportunities Kansas has to offer, and if you’ve yet to give it a go, it’s time to change that. Here are some things you need to know to get started.

The Kansas paddlefish season runs March 15–May 15 during the annual spring spawning run. Paddlefish permit-holders can snag up to two fish per day, and six for the season, from designated areas on the Neosho and Marais des Cygnes rivers. Paddlefish permits, which include six carcass tags, are $12.50 for anglers 16 and older and $7.50 for youth 15 and younger. Unless exempt, paddlefish snaggers must also have a Kansas fishing license.

Paddlefish may be taken inside Chetopa and Burlington city parks on the Neosho River; on the Neosho River at Iola, downstream from the dam to the city limits; on the Marais des Cygnes River below Osawatomie Dam, downstream to a posted boundary; on the Marais des Cygnes River on the upstream boundary of the Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area, downstream to the Kansas-Missouri border; and the Browning Oxbow of the Missouri River (Doniphan County).

While the snagging season will open at these locations, certain conditions are necessary for paddlefish to be present. Water temperatures of 50-55 degrees and an increase in river flow will start paddlefish moving upstream out of reservoirs. The Neosho River at Chetopa is the most popular snagging site in Kansas, but for paddlefish to be present there requires a significant increase in river flow. It’s a good idea to call local Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism offices or area bait shops for river and angler updates before traveling to a site.

Paddlefish may be snagged using pole and line with not more than two single or treble hooks. Barbless hooks must be used in Chetopa City Park. Catch and release is allowed in Burlington, Chetopa, and Iola, except that once attached to a stringer, a fish becomes part of the daily creel limit. On the Missouri River boundary waters, there is a 24-inch minimum length limit. On the Marias des Cygnes River there is a 34-inch minimum length limit.

Immediately upon harvest, anglers must sign a carcass tag, record the county, date and time of harvest, and attach the tag to the lower jaw of the paddlefish. Paddlefish caught out of season or in non-snagging areas may be kept only if they are hooked inside the mouth.

For information, consult your 2015 Kansas Fishing Regulation Summary, or visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Fishing/Fishing-Regulations/Paddlefish-Snagging.”

Great Backyard Bird Count sets new species record

 

 Nearly half the world’s species identified in four days  

Participants from more than 100 countries submitted a record 147, 265 bird checklists for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count and broke the previous count record for the number of species identified. The 5,090 species reported represents nearly half the possible bird species in the world. The four-day count was held February 13-16, the 18th year for the event which is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with partner Bird Studies Canada.

The information gathered by tens of thousands of volunteers helps track the health of bird populations at a scale made possible by using the eBird online checklist program. A sampling of species found by intrepid counters include Ibisbill in India, Bornean Bistlehead in Malaysia, and Magellanic Plover in Chile, complete with amazing photos. GBBC participants even reported two species, Millpo Tapaculo and Santa Marta Screech-Owl that have not yet been described in the official scientific literature.             Bitter Weather

The bitter cold, snowy weather in much of the northeastern United States and much of Canada was a major factor in this year’s count. In much of the Northeast, Sunday was particularly frigid and windy, and the number of reports showed an obvious dip as some counters were forced indoors. As one participant in Quebec noted, watching birds came with a price as wind chill temperatures rarely topped -20 degrees Celsius (zero degrees Fahrenheit).

For those who did brave the cold, the GBBC data will help to better understand the impact of the cold on birds and bird populations. For example, scientists will be able to compare the abundance of some so-called “half-hardy” species, such as Carolina Wren and Yellow-rumped Warbler, to see if this cold winter has affected their populations.

Snowy Owl Echo

Snowy Owls are one of the most charismatic and emblematic birds of winter. They breed in Arctic regions worldwide and drop south in some winters (“irrupt”), depending on food supplies and their breeding success in the previous summer. The winter of 2013-14 was a huge year for these owls which appeared in amazing numbers across the Great Lakes states, Northeastern U.S., Atlantic Coast, and southern Canada. GBBC reports for 2015 also show a surge in Snowy Owl sightings across the same range, though the frequency of reports is about half of last winter’s. This is a well-known phenomenon with Snowy Owls, with the year after a very large invasion often being referred to as an “echo flight.”

Winter Finches

Winter finches—such as Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, redpolls, and crossbills—are popular among GBBC participants. These birds also “irrupt” south of their usual haunts depending on food supplies, so their numbers in a given region may change widely from year to year.

2015 was a banner year for Pine Siskins which are reported on 10.5% of GBBC checklists so far. Compare that to 1.2% of checklists in 2014 when most siskins stayed far north in Canada. Siskins will likely be hanging around through April and May, especially if the feeders are stocked with their favorite nyjer (thistle) seed.

GBBC Top 10 Lists

Surprisingly, a Eurasian species, the Brambling, appears on the Top 10 list of most reported species for the first time ever. Since November, some of these birds have been spotted on the West Coast and others strayed even farther by turning up in Montana, Wyoming, and Ontario, with one 2015 GBBC record in North America from Washington state. But the Brambling’s appearance among the Top 10 can be traced to one checklist from Germany reporting a flock estimated at one million birds. Up to three million Bramblings have been known to gather at that site.

In North America, California sits atop the leader board with the most checklists submitted and the greatest number of species, followed by Pennsylvania and New York. Ontario, Canada, is in the Top 10 for the second year in a row, nudging past Ohio and Georgia.

Outside of the U.S. and Canada, India was once again a star performer, nearly doubling the number of checklists submitted to more than 6,800 and reporting the greatest number of species so far with 717.

Top 10 most frequently reported species (number of checklists reporting this species):

Species Number of Checklists
Northern Cardinal 59,083
Dark-eyed Junco 59,074
Mourning Dove 48,313
Downy Woodpecker 45,399
Blue Jay 41,671
American Goldfinch 39,880
House Finch 39,241
Tufted Titmouse 38,191
Black-capped Chickadee 36,363
House Sparrow 34,564

All Top 10 species are North American, reflecting high participation from this region.

Top 10 most numerous species (sum of how many individuals were observed across all checklists)*:

Species Number of Individuals
Snow Goose 1,494,937
Canada Goose 1,110,946
Brambling 1,000,047
European Starling 630,610
Mallard 579,330
American Coot 501,152
American Robin 488,063
Dark-eyed Junco 465,939
Red-winged Blackbird 432,513
American Goldfinch 364,963

* All Top 10 species are North American, reflecting high participation from this region. Top 10 states/provinces by checklists submitted

State/Province Number of Species Number of Checklists
California 376 8,453
Pennsylvania 141 7,120
New York 163 6,615
Florida 309 5,478
Texas 366 5,256
Virginia 180 4,672
North Carolina 201 4,497
Ontario 137 4,216
Ohio 125 4,190
Georgia 200 4,017

Top 10 countries by checklists submitted

Country Number of Species Number of Checklists
United States 671 108,396
Canada 241 10,491
India 717 6,810
Australia 524 812
Mexico 653 425
Costa Rica 559 303
Portugal 197 193
New Zealand 126 161
Ecuador 784 138
Honduras 353 133

Explore what’s been reported on the Great Backyard Bird Count website. See what species are being reported and how many checklists are being turned in at the county, state/province, and country levels. Check out a sampling of the photos submitted for the GBBC photo contest.

The GBBC is made possible in part by sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.