Daily Archives: October 7, 2016

Wade your way into waterfowl season

When one door closes, another opens, and with the close of teal season, waterfowlers can now enjoy the opening of the 2016 Kansas duck seasons. Listed below are the Kansas duck zones and their associated season dates where hunters can begin pursuing early migrants like gadwall, wigeon, pintails, redhead, and shovelers in some areas as early as Oct. 8.

KANSAS WATERFOWL SEASONS

High Plains Zone: Oct. 8, 2016-Jan. 1, 2017 and Jan. 20-29, 2017

Low Plains Early Zone: Oct. 8-Dec. 4, 2016 and Dec. 17, 2016-Jan. 1, 2017

Low Plains Late Zone: Oct. 29, 2016-Jan. 1, 2017 and Jan. 21-29, 2017

Low Plains Southeast Zone: Nov. 12, 2016-Jan. 1, 2017 and Jan. 7-29, 2017

YOUTH-ONLY WATERFOWL SEASONS

Low Plains Late Zone: Oct. 22-23, 2016

Low Plains Southeast Zone: Nov. 5-6, 2016

Hunters, including youth during youth seasons, may take six ducks daily, which in any combination, may include no more than 5 mallards (only two of which may be hens); 3 wood ducks; 3 scaup; 2 pintails; 2 redheads; and 2 canvasbacks. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.

Licensed hunters must have a State Waterfowl Permit, $10, and a Kansas Harvest Information Program (HIP) Permit, $2.50, to hunt ducks, geese, or mergansers in Kansas. All waterfowl hunters age 16 and older must also have a Federal Waterfowl Stamp, $26.50.

For more information on duck hunting in Kansas, consult the 2016 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary available wherever licenses are sold, and online at www.ksoutdoors.com.

Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission to consider turkey seasons

The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission will conduct a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 20 in Liberal at the Seward County Event Center, 810 Stadium Road. The afternoon session will begin at 1 p.m. and recess at 5 p.m. The evening session will convene at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend both sessions and time will be set aside for public comment at the beginning of each for discussion of non-agenda items.

The afternoon session will begin with a report on the agency and state fiscal status and a preview of the 2017 Kansas Legislative Session. The General Discussion portion of the meeting will include a report on the Powderhook mobile app and its digital mentor feature, antelope and elk regulations, public lands regulations, and an update on the Blue Ribbon Panel for wildlife conservation funding and signing of a resolution.

The evening portion of the meeting will convene at 6:30 p.m. for the Public Hearing. Commissioners will hear and vote on recommendations for fall and spring turkey seasons and bag limits; motor vehicle permit fees in state parks; camping and utility fees; authorized motorized vehicles in state parks; and regulations concerning commercial sale of bait fish, tournament black bass pass, and fishing methods of take, and creel, size and possession limits.

If necessary, the commission will reconvene at the same location at 9 a.m., Oct. 21, to complete any unfinished business. Information about the Commission, as well as the Oct. 20 meeting agenda and briefing book, can be downloaded at ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Commission/Upcoming-Commission-Meetings.

Live video and audio streaming of the Oct. 20 meeting will be available at www.ksoutdoors.com. If notified in advance, the department will have an interpreter available for the hearing impaired. To request an interpreter, call the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at 1-800-432-0698. Any individual with a disability may request other accommodations by contacting the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission secretary at (620) 672-5911.

The next Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism commission meeting is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2017, in Emporia.

There’s still time to take Hunter Education

Fall hunting seasons may have started, but there’s still time to get into a Kansas Hunter Education class near you. October is chock-full of opportunities, and with Internet-assisted courses, finding one to fit your schedule has never been more convenient. The easiest way to find a class near you is to visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting,” then “Hunter Education.” Students must be 11 or older to be certified. However, hunters 15 or younger may hunt without hunter education certification provided they are under the direct supervision of an adult 18 or older. Otherwise, anyone born on or after July 1, 1957 must be certified by an approved course before they can hunt in Kansas.

Class schedules are organized by format: traditional or Internet-assisted. Traditional hunter education courses are 10 hours long and are usually held over two to three days. Internet-assisted courses are designed to meet the needs of individuals with busy schedules by providing online classwork that can be done at home. After the Internet work is completed, students must attend a field day, which often includes live-fire, trail-walk and safe gun handing exercises before final testing and certification. Students must register for an Internet-assisted course (field day) before completing the online portion.

Classes fill up quickly, so early registration is encouraged. Sign up today and we’ll see you in the field!

iSportsman daily hunt permits

Kansas hunters should be aware that iSportsman Electronic Daily Hunt Permits are required on 24 wildlife areas (check the2016 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary or kdwpt.isportsman.net for a list). The electronic permit system has been in place for two years, and is normally fast and efficient. However, the software company that manages the host servers experienced technical difficulties this week that slowed the check-in procedure. Hunters utilizing iSportsman may experience slow processing or may find the system entirely down for the next few days.

iSportsman replaces the old paper permits and allows hunters to conveniently check in and out using a telephone, smartphone or home computer. As with the old paper system, information gathered helps area managers tailor management practices specific to an area and hunter preference. The paper system was inconvenient for hunters and labor intensive for managers. However, hunters who experience difficulties this weekend with iSportsman are encouraged to check wildlife area offices and kiosks and use paper forms where available.

Repairs should have the iSportsman system fully functional soon, and KDWPT staff want all hunters to enjoy hunting this weekend. If technical problems persist, KDWPT encourages hunters to go hunting but keep trying to check in with iSportsman or check with area offices and kiosks for paper cards.