Monthly Archives: March 2016

Kirk Thompson named wetland manager of the year

Kirk Thompson, Public Lands manager at Benedictine Bottoms Wildlife Area, was recently named Kansas Ducks Unlimited’s Wetland Manager of the Year, and for those who know Thompson, it comes as little surprise.

A Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism employee of 34 years, Thompson knows what it means to be dedicated to something. His work with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) on the Missouri River Mitigation properties, and his efforts to repair seepage issues at the 56 manageable wetland areas he oversees at the Benedictine Bottoms Wildlife area, are proof of that.

“Kirk has worked diligently with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on the Missouri River Mitigation properties to develop and enhance wetlands,” said KDWPT Public Lands Supervisor Dustin Mengarelli, who nominated Thompson. He added that the multi-million dollar USACE mitigation project created 5.75 miles of side chute shallow water channels that create a more natural stream bed flow regime. Thompson worked closely with the USACE during the mitigation work to develop two wetlands at the Dalbey Wildlife Area, south of Atchison, totaling 58 acres.

Mengarelli added that Thompson has taken it upon himself to work with the USACE mitigation funds to address water loss at Benedictine Bottoms Wildlife Area.

“He spread over 1,300 tons of bentonite clay on these wetlands in an effort to seal up the leaking pools. He has worked diligently to repair the three wells at the Bottoms, one of which was approximately 50 years old,” said Mengarelli. “His hard work is paying off as the wetlands have begun to hold water and the pumps are able to fill the units instead of temporarily maintaining water levels.”

Artificial walleye spawning produces real results

 

Maintaining healthy fish populations across the state that meet the desires of today’s anglers and fit within budget restraints is no easy feat, but Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) Fisheries Division staff thrive in the face of this challenge. Walleye are popular with anglers, but few lakes in Kansas provide the necessary elements for adequate natural reproduction. The answer? Artificial spawning.

 

Every year about this time, fisheries biologists can be seen working tirelessly at select Kansas lakes, setting nets to capture spawning walleye. Eggs of ripe females are collected, and then taken to a station where they are fertilized with milt, or sperm, taken from male walleyes caught from the same body of water. After fertilization, the eggs are immediately delivered to the Pratt and Milford fish hatcheries where fish culturists work around the clock to ensure high hatch and survival rates of young walleye, which are then stocked into Kansas lakes as fry, or raised to a larger size for stocking. Sauger are also produced to ensure a supply of sauger males. Some walleye eggs are fertilized with sauger milt to create the saugeye, a popular hybrid.

 

Last year, the KDWPT Walleye Culture Program harvested nearly 100 million walleye eggs and produced the following for Kansas waters:

 

WALLEYE

-38 million walleye fry

-580,000 walleye fingerlings

-6,500 walleye intermediates

 

SAUGER

-2.7 million sauger fry

-More than 20,000 sauger fingerlings

 

SAUGEYE

-More than 6 million saugeye fry

-Approximately 310,000 fingerlings

 

This year, staff hope to harvest more than 100 million eggs and increase walleye production to stock 48 million walleye fry, and 1.2 million walleye fingerlings.

 

It’s hard to believe walleye would need any assistance in producing young of their own, especially since large females can produce upwards of 300,000 eggs, but research has shown less than 10 percent of naturally-spawned walleye eggs will successfully hatch. Thanks to the efforts of KDWPT’s hatchery staff, hatch rates can be as high as 70 percent in a controlled setting.

 

In addition to walleye, KDWPT hatcheries also produce bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, sauger, saugeye, smallmouth bass, striped bass, and wipers.

For more information on KDWPT hatcheries and the fish they produce, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Fishing/Hatcheries.” 

Fishing’s Future to conduct instructor certification class

Most of us have had a mentor at some point in our lives who inspired us, taught us, and delighted in our successes. It’s a wonderful thing, but not everyone is so lucky, especially when it comes to having an outdoor mentor. By becoming a volunteer certified angler instructor through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s Angler Education program, you’ll not only have an avenue for sharing your passion for angling with others, but you too, could be someone’s mentor. To get you started, a certification course will be held from 2:30-5:30 in 2414 Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center at Kansas State University, on Monday, March 21. Visitors will need a parking permit.

Topics covered will include current fishing regulations, species identification, fishing ethics, equipment, knot-tying, casting, fish habitat, aquatic nuisance species, and conservation practices. In addition to becoming certified, anglers will also receive a sample curriculum and tips for preparing a class.

Participants must be 18 years old and pass a background check prior to certification. Youth between the ages of 12 and 17 can also take the workshop and gain Junior Assistant Angling Volunteer status. This age group must work with a certified instructor when hosting an aquatic education activity, clinic, derby or outreach.

To register for this class, and to learn more, contact Sid Stevenson, Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources at K-State by email, [email protected], or phone at (785) 532-1405; or contact Phil Taunton at (620) 794-5373 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Donations needed for disabled veterans’ hunting and fishing licenses

Our disabled veterans made enormous sacrifices ensuring our freedom and way of life. As a small token of our appreciation, the Kansas Legislature annually appropriates funding to provide them free hunting and fishing licenses. Any Kansas resident who is a military veteran with at least 30 percent disability qualifies, and they must apply each year for the licenses. However, as interest in the program has grown, the number of applications has increased annually and appropriated funds have been exhausted the last two years. Funding appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016 ran out in February.

To supplement funding for the veterans’ licenses, The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) established a donation fund, allowing anyone purchasing a hunting or fishing license online to check a box and donate. And the department has a WildTrust account that accepts donations for these licenses, as well. Unfortunately, both of those sources have been spent, and there are still more than 200 applications waiting to be filled.

But you can help by checking the box when you buy a license online at www.ksoutdoors.com or calling 620-672-5911 and asking for the WildTrust coordinator to learn more. Donations, designated for the Disabled Veterans License Account can be sent to KDWPT, c/o WildTrust, 512 SE 25th Ave., Pratt, KS 67124. Learn more about WildTrust at ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Donate/WildTrust  

Westar Energy hosts young turkey hunters

Westar Energy invites any eligible youth to hunt turkeys this spring, April 1-12, at Jeffrey Energy Center, 7 miles north of St. Marys. The event is open to 12- to 17-year-olds who have not harvested a turkey. The project is supported by Westar Energy Green Team volunteers, who are veteran hunters and available to assist the young hunters and their mentors.

Youth must be accompanied by an adult mentor, preferably one who does not have turkey hunting experience. Hunters, mentors and guides will hunt from enclosed blinds around small crop fields scattered throughout Westar property, and turkeys are abundant.

Hunters should bring a shotgun, but no special clothing, calls or decoys are needed. Those 15 and younger will need to purchase a Youth Spring Turkey permit. Hunters 16 and 17 years old must have a hunting license, and Hunter Education certificate or if they don’t have Hunter Education, an apprentice hunting license, in addition to a Unit 3 Spring Turkey Permit.

Hunts will take place primarily in the mornings and on weekends, but weekday and afternoon hunts are possible, depending on volunteer guide availability. Registration will be open through Friday, March 18, or until all slots are filled. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis with preference given to inexperienced hunters. Please contact Barb Cornelius at 785-575-8125 to apply or for more information.

The Westar Energy Green Team is a group of employees and retiree volunteers who take on environmental projects across Kansas. The group completes between 50 and 70 projects per year on weekends and evenings. The Green Team also collaborates with conservation groups, agencies and schools in enhancing and fostering an understanding of the Kansas environment.

Council Grove Area wants youth turkey hunters

Turkeys know it and turkey hunters feel it: spring is on the way. That means the Kansas spring turkey season opens soon and it’s time for the 16th Annual Council Grove Youth Turkey Hunt. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), in cooperation with area chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will host the Council Grove 16th Annual Spring Turkey Hunt on Saturday, April 2.

As part of KDWPT’s Pass It On program, this event is designed to provide beginning hunters with a safe and high quality spring turkey hunting experience. The event is open to youngsters age 11-16, who should be accompanied by a parent or mentor. Registration is required by March 21 by calling Brent Konen, Council Grove Wildlife Area manager, (620) 767-5900.

Young hunters will have the opportunity to become involved in not only the hunt but also its preparation. The evening before the morning hunt will be devoted to patterning shotguns and scouting hunting areas. On the morning of their hunt, hunters and their mentors will be guided to area locations on public and private land where encounters with these magnificent game birds are likely. Volunteers will arrange transportation to hunting sites and will be available to assist in the hunts. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and there will also be door prizes and a turkey hunting presentation. Hunters will experience a fantastic spring morning in the Flint Hills and share camaraderie with other participants and volunteers. If past hunts are any indicator, participants will have exciting stories of turkey encounters to tell.

Lodging is available in nearby Council Grove and camping is available at Council Grove Lake. Participants are encouraged to explore historic Council Grove, scenic Morris County and travel the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway while visiting the area.

Aerial surveys monitor Lesser Prairie-chicken population trends

According to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAWFA), aerial surveys for lesser prairie chickens will begin March 17. The surveys, which will continue through mid-May, will be conducted by helicopter throughout the five-state lesser prairie chicken range. The surveys are conducted annually by WAFWA to ascertain population trends and how the bird is responding to management strategies identified in theLesser Prairie Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan.

The range-wide plan is a collaborative effort of WAFWA and the state wildlife agencies of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. It was developed to ensure conservation of the lesser prairie chicken with voluntary cooperation from landowners and industry. This plan allows agriculture producers and industry to continue operations while reducing impacts to the species and its grassland habitat.

“Working with the wildlife agencies of each of these five states, we’ve established a consistent methodology to conduct these aerial surveys,” explained Bill Van Pelt, WAFWA’s grassland coordinator. “This allows us to get the most accurate information possible so we can see how various management strategies for the bird are working on the ground.”

lpchicken

In previous years, some of the fly paths prompted calls, which is why WAFWA is getting the word out about the start of aerial survey work.

Last year’s aerial surveys brought good news: an abundance of spring rainfall in 2015, along with ongoing efforts associated with the range-wide plan and other conservation initiatives, helped increase the lesser prairie chicken population by approximately 25 percent from 2014 to 2015. Results from this year’s surveys will be available on July 1.

Despite last year’s encouraging news, the population is still low compared to historical numbers, and concern for the lesser prairie chicken and its habitat still exist. WAFWA is committed to continued successful implementation of the range-wide plan and the long-term recovery of this iconic grassland bird.

For more information about the lesser prairie chicken and the conservation work being done to support it, see the Lesser Prairie Chicken Range-wide Plan at www.wafwa.org.

Enjoy Spring Break at the Great Plains Nature Center

 

You don’t have to be a student to enjoy spring break at the Great Plains Nature Center (GPNC). From March 14-18, staff at the GPNC will celebrate the wildlife food chain, dedicating each day to a specific level. 

● Monday – Plant Life Day (Producers)

● Tuesday – Herbivore Day (Primary)

● Wednesday – Omnivore Day (Secondary)

● Thursday – Top Dog Day (Tertiary)

● Friday – Snail and Fungi Day (Decomposers / Detritivores)

 

Each day, guests will have the opportunity to create fun and unique crafts specific to that day’s theme. Naturalists will also present daily morning and afternoon programs in the auditorium, and hikes will be offered twice a day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 

 

This week promises to be fun and educational for the whole family, so join the GPNC this spring break and explore a new side of nature!

 

For more information, visit www.gpnc.org, call (316) 683-5499 ext. 105, or find the Great Plains Nature on Facebook and Twitter.

“Wing Bee” is a Central Flyway tradition

Everyone has heard of, and probably participated in, a spelling bee. But did you know there is such a thing as a wing bee? There is and it is well-known among waterfowl biologists. While it’s not a competition, the wing bee is part of the annual waterfowl harvest monitoring process, and each year it brings professional biologists and enforcement officers to a single location to analyze approximately 18,000 duck wings and 6,000 goose tail fans.

This year marks the 52nd year of the Central Flyway Wing Bee, which has been hosted for the last 25 years by the by Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge.

Wing bee participants gathered in Hartford on Feb. 16-19, 2016 to examine wings and tail feathers in order to estimate the species, age, and sex of waterfowl harvested in the Central Flyway. Each year since 1964, a sample of waterfowl hunters have been asked to send a wing from each duck and primary wing feathers and tail from each goose they harvested.

The task of reading or classifying the large sample of wings and tails requires an extensive cadre of willing, dedicated and often highly experienced workers. In a typical year, about 40 biologists and enforcement officers from state wildlife agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and universities assemble for four days to “read” wings. In the 25 years that Kansas has hosted the wing bee, more than half-a-million parts have been analyzed.

2015 Kansas hunting-related incident report

Just six hunting-related incidents were reported in Kansas in 2015, tying the record low set in 2013. Unfortunately, one hunter lost his life. While six incidents is an amazingly low number considering hunters recorded more than 5 million hunter-days last year, it doesn’t lessen the impact on a family and community who lost one of their members.

Once again, most of incidents were the result of careless firearm handling. These types of incidents concern those involved in hunter education because they are preventable and stem from a violation of one of the four basic firearm safety rules: treat every firearm as if it loaded; always point the muzzle in a safe direction; keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to fire; and never climb a fence or other obstacle with a loaded gun. All hunters must remember to: “Load your brain before you load your gun,” because the most important piece of safety equipment a hunter can have in the field is between his or her ears.

There were also five elevated stand incidents, including one fatality, reported last year. A full body harness/fall arrest system should be correctly used any time a hunter leaves the ground. But a full body harness/fall arrest system is not a parachute, so it will not protect a hunter if not attached to the tree.

When you compare hunting-related incidents to the number of incidents reported for other activities per 100,000 participants, hunting is safer than cheerleading. And the trend in safe hunting can be directly attributed to the dedicated efforts of the 700 Kansas Hunter Education Program volunteer instructors, who have taught and certified more than 500,000 Kansas students since 1973.

To find a Hunter Education class near you, visit www.ksoutdoors.com/Services/Education/Hunter.