Daily Archives: October 1, 2015

Pintails, redheads and mallards, oh my

The 2015 Kansas duck season is about to kick off – are you ready for the marsh madness? Before you throw on your waders and start unraveling decoys, there are a few things you need to know. iSportsman, the free and convenient electronic check-in system, is now offered at 23 locations throughout the state. If you have yet to create an account, consider signing up at www.kdwpt.isportsman.net. Federal Waterfowl Stamps, required of all waterfowl hunters age 16 and older, have increased in price and can be purchased for $26.50.

All hunters who are required to have a hunting license must also have a State Waterfowl Permit, $7, and a Kansas Harvest Information Program (HIP) Permit, $2.50, before hunting ducks, geese, or mergansers. Licenses, stamps and permits, except for Federal Waterfowl Stamps, may be obtained wherever licenses are sold and online at ksoutdoors.com. Apart from post offices, Federal Waterfowl Stamps may also be obtained online from www.duckstamp.com and www.usps.com.

Federal and state waterfowl permits are not required to hunt coots, doves, rails, snipe, woodcock, or sandhill cranes; however a HIP Permit is required.

 

2015 DUCK SEASONS

YOUTH WATERFOWL SEASONS

High Plains Unit: Oct. 3-4, 2015

Low Plains Early Zone: Oct. 3-4, 2015

Low Plains Late Zone: Oct. 24-25, 2015

Southeast Zone: Nov. 7-8, 2015

(Bag limits for the youth seasons are the same as during the regular seasons and include ducks, geese, coots and mergansers.)

HIGH PLAINS UNIT

Oct. 10, 2015-Jan. 4, 2016 and Jan. 23-31, 2016

LOW PLAINS EARLY ZONE

Oct. 10-Dec. 6, 2015 and Dec. 19, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016

LOW PLAINS LATE ZONE

Season: Oct. 31, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016 and Jan. 23-31, 2016

LOW PLAINS SOUTHEAST ZONE

Nov. 14, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016 and Jan. 9-31, 2016

Hunters may take six ducks daily, including no more than, 5 mallards, of which only 2 may be hens; 3 wood ducks; 3 scaup; 2 pintails; 2 redheads; and 2 canvasbacks. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.

Hunters taking mergansers may possess up to five a day, only two of which may be hooded mergansers. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.

For more information on Kansas duck hunting, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting,” “Seasons and Limits,” then “Migratory Bird Seasons,” or pick up a copy of the 2015 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary wherever licenses are sold.

Youth ages 12-18 invited to memorial upland bird hunt

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism staff, in cooperation with the Smoky Hill Pheasants Forever #424 Chapter, invite youth to an upland hunt Oct. 10. The event will take place at Hays City Sportsman Club and will be held in memory of former chapter volunteers, Darrell Brown, LaVern Steiben, LeRoy Culbreath, and Sid Carlile. There is no cost to attend.

Youth ages 12-18 are invited to attend and will have the opportunity to harvest at least four birds. Pointing dogs will be available.

In addition to the hunt, participants will receive instruction on a variety of topics including training and hunting with dogs, field safety and gun handling, preparing birds for cooking, and upland bird habitat. The D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program will also be incorporated into the event.

This special hunt is a part of the Kansas Hunter Recruitment and Retention Program, “Pass It On.”

For more information, or to register your child for this event, contact Shayne Wilson at (785) 628-1415, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Waterfowl hunters’ breakfast at Kansas Wetlands Education Center

As many as 500 waterfowl hunters from across the U.S. will flock to Cheyenne Bottoms for the opening weekend of duck season, which begins Oct. 10 in the Low Plains Early Duck Zone.

Knowing all too well how important a good breakfast can be, staff at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC) invite each and every one of those hunters to their 3rd Annual Hunter Appreciation Breakfast. Visiting hunters will enjoy a hot plate of biscuits and gravy, as well as coffee and juice. And the best part? It’s all free. Hungry hunters can stop by KWEC, located at the southeast corner of Cheyenne Bottoms along K-156 Highway, from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. and refuel after their morning hunts.

Following breakfast, hunters can explore Cheyenne Bottoms’ history at the education center, peruse through items in the Cheyenne Bottoms Ducks Unlimited Chapter raffle and silent auction, and brush up on their waterfowl identification, among other activities.

Hunters can also get a complimentary waterfowl boat inspection done, courtesy of Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Boater Education staff.

For more information, call the KWEC at (877) 243-9268.

This event is sponsored by Great Bend Regional Hospital.

Scary good fun at Milford State Park Oct. 10

Bats, spiders, and snakes, oh my! Milford State Park and Milford Nature Center staff, along with members of the Milford Friends Group, invite your family to have a scary good time at the 24th Annual “Monster Myths by Moonlight” event, Saturday, Oct. 10. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., this free event will shed light on some of the holiday’s misunderstood “monsters,” such as the notoriously ill-reputed bat and equally slandered spiders and snakes. Participants are encouraged to come in costume.

Those brave enough to make the trek will explore Milford State Park’s “Waterfall Trail,” stopping at special booths along the way, many featuring live animals. At the end of the trail, explorers can shake off their heebie-jeebies with some cookies and cider.

Hayrack rides will transport participants to and from the trail, starting at the Milford Lake Marina parking lot in Milford State Park.

A daily vehicle park permit, $5, will be required for entrance.

For more information, contact Milford Nature Center staff at (785) 238-5323, or Milford State Park staff at (785) 238-3014.

Additional sponsors for this event include the Junction City Police Department and Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.