Monthly Archives: July 2016

Soil Health workshop

The following workshop is an opportunity to learn more about water quality benefits of soil health improvement.

The workshop agenda and description is provided through the link below. The recent Gail Fuller Building a Healthy Soil Community presentation informed participants that a major key to improving our landscapes (and producer’s true profits) is to improve the carbon content in our agricultural soils, which can be done via purposeful management of vegetative diversity and reduced chemical inputs. These discussions may be helpful in getting a buy-in of landowners on some additional benefits to currently less popular (but impactful for Water Quality) Best Management Practices (BMPs). These concepts are also key in efforts to reduce nutrient loading and sediment/erosion in our watersheds. Similar concepts will be visited in the August 23rd workshop.

Among the topics: Ray Archuleta will present: Increased Soil Function Decreases Dependency on Chemical Inputs; and Dave Brandt will present Using Cover Crops to your Advantage. Other topics will include Livestock; Cover Crops and No-Till; non-GMO crops; and infiltration exercises.

The Soil Health workshop is scheduled for August 23rd at the Waverly Community Center in Waverly, KS. Registration is $50 (early bird date is July 31) or $75 at the door. Go to the following link for details and a registration form:  http://www.notill.org/events/soil-health-workshop

Check out FOK’s new Hydrocache locations!

Water Quality Hydrocaching is geocaching with a twist! Developed by Friends of the Kaw with the help of a Johnson County Stormwater Education grant and the Mid-American Regional Council (MARC), hydrocaching uses the geocache format to help you learn about water quality in the Kansas River.

Three caches are located at Kansas River boat ramps in metro Kansas City and ten caches are located at Best Management Practice (BMP)  sites in Johnson County that help prevent pollution from stormwater runoff. When you find the cache you will be asked to do a simple water quality test or answer a question about the BMP practice. Enter your data or answer in the cache’s log book. Earn a free canoe rental on one of our Educational Float trips after you find 10 hydrocaches!

Hydrocache locations are also entered on geocaching.com – you can register for free on this site and use your smart phone to help you find the caches. You can also report to us when you find the cache from this application. Hydrocaches coordinates:

Kaw Point Boat Ramp Hydrocache: N 39° 06.977 W 094° 36.793

Edwardsville Boat Ramp Hydrocache: N 39° 03.015 W 094° 48.987

De Soto Boat Ramp Hydrocache: N 38° 59.090 W 094° 58.481

Turkey Creek Hydrocache (Merriam) – N 39° 00.450 W 094° 41.954

Little Mill Creek Hydrocache (Shawnee) – N 38° 59.668 W 094° 44.649

Wet Pond Hydrocache (Shawnee) – N 39° 01.365 W 094° 46.900

Clear Creek Hydrocache (Shawnee) – N 39° 00.949 W 094° 50.399

Hydrodynamic Separator Hydrocache (Shawnee) – N 38° 59.958 W 094° 51.982

Retention Basin Hydrocache (Lenexa) – N 38° 58.553 W 094° 52.343

Pervious Pavement Hydrocache (Lenexa) – N 38° 57.250 W 094° 50.880

Wetland Hydrocache (Lenexa) – N 38° 57.544 W 094° 50.890

Little Cedar Creek Hydrocache (Olathe) – N 38° 52.924 W 094° 50.313

Rain Garden Hydrocache (Olathe) – N 38° 51.712 W 094° 50.716

We have already had over 130 hydrocache finds!  Have fun and be safe!

Fishing’s Future/KDWPT Fish Kansas instructor certification class

Lakewood Discovery Center

205 Lakewood Drive

Salina, KS

Saturday, August 20th

Most of us have had a mentor at some point in our lives that 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 9:00am to 12:00pm at the Lakewood Discovery Center, 205 Lakewood Drive, Salina Kansas 67401, on Saturday, August 2oth.

Topics Covered:

▪ Fishing Regulations

▪ Species Identification

▪ Fishing Ethics

▪ Equipment

▪ Knot-tying

▪ Casting

▪ Fish Habitat

▪ Aquatic Nuisance Species

▪ 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 with a signed parental form 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 sign up please go to www.fishingsfuture.org find the events page and scroll through till you find the Salina course. If you cannot sign up on line or have any questions please contact Stuart Scott by email at [email protected], or phone at (316) 648-9847.

Pokemon GO going wild at Kansas state parks

Elusive Pokemon GO characters have been spotted at many Kansas state parks and nature centers, and there’s no better time to join the chase. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) welcomes Pokemon hunters stalking the virtual critters that have popped up at some of the most picturesque and educational places in Kansas. The game is an exciting new way to get outdoors and enjoy all that natural Kansas has to offer.

“Pokemon GO is both fun and distracting, so we encourage players to use common sense and follow certain safety precautions while on a Pokemon quest,” said Linda Lanterman, State Parks Director.

Some of the basic safety rules include:

  • Be aware of your surroundings, especially along trails, roads, cliffs, stream banks and lakes. It is important to watch where you place your feet to avoid a fall, poison ivy or a venomous snake.
  • Stay on trails and don’t drive off roads into unauthorized areas.
  • Don’t trespass on private property which may be adjacent to park boundaries, and don’t enter someone else’s campsite or recreational vehicle.
  • Don’t operate a vehicle or boat while distracted by the game. Watch for pedestrians, bicyclists and wildlife along roads, around boat docks and in parking areas.
  • State park entrance fees still apply. Any vehicle entering a Kansas state park must have either an annual entrance permit or a daily entrance permit. The daily entrance permit is $5 and is available at the entrance gatehouse or kiosk. All state parks are open 24 hours, except for Kaw River State Park, which is open from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Prairie Spirit Trail, which is open during daylight hours only. Players can use the self-pay stations if a park office is closed.

KDWPT sports 26 state parks and six nature centers where visitors can enjoy the outdoors and learn about the natural history of Kansas. For information about the state parks and nature centers, visit ksoutdoors.com and click on either State Parks or Education.

Sportsmen encourage party platforms to support America’s public lands

More than thirty sportsmen organizations sent a letter to the RNC and DNC encouraging them to support America’s public lands

By Casey Skeens

National Wildlife Federation

More than thirty national and state-level sportsmen organizations, representing millions of hunters and anglers, sent the following letters to the Republican and Democratic Platform Committees encouraging them to support America’s public lands:

July 11, 2016

310 First Street SE                                                       1900 Market St, Suite 300

Washington, D.C 20003                                             Philadelphia, PA 19103

Honorable Reince Priebus                                         Honorable Shirley Franklin

Chairperson, Republican National Comm.            Honorable Daniel Malloy

Republican National Committee                              Co-Chair, Democratic National Comm.

Dear Mr. Priebus:                                                          Dear Mrs. Franklin & Governor Malloy:

Our organizations collectively represent millions of hunters, anglers and other outdoors enthusiasts. Our members, and tens of millions of other Americans, depend on our national forests, parks, wildlife refuges and other federal lands to provide fish and wildlife habitat and access to places to hunt, fish, and enjoy the outdoors. The iconic landscapes of America’s public lands also sustain our economy by supporting an outdoor recreation industry that generates $646 billion in economic benefit annually and supports 6.1 million jobs—and attracting tourists from around the nation.

Our national tapestry of public lands is the product of more than a century of leadership by both Republicans and Democrats. Several of the world’s first national forests, monuments and wildlife refuges were set aside by Republican President Theodore Roosevelt. Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt expanded our National Wildlife Refuge System and National Park System and put millions of Americans to work during the Great Depression restoring and maintaining public lands.  Over the years, presidents of both parties worked with bipartisan leaders in Congress to craft the laws that govern the activities of the U.S. Forest Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Wilderness Preservation System, and the Bureau of Land Management.

America’s public lands provide important value for all Americans, whether they live in rural or urban areas. These benefits include improving air and water quality, sustaining local water supplies, producing timber, providing grass for grazing, bolstering local tourism economies, enhancing agricultural production through pollination, and supporting a range wildlife and biodiversity.

America’s hunters and anglers have a special interest in our public lands.  Some of our most treasured big game animals depend on the secure habitat and migration corridors that are provided by public land.  Many sportfish species depend on cool, clean waters that originate on public lands.   Federal public lands also provide free access for tens of millions of Americans to hunt and fish every year.  These lands sustain our hunting and fishing heritage and fill our freezers. While all of America owns these lands, their wise stewardship is of particularly vital concern to us.

Managing hundreds of millions of acres of federal land for the public benefit requires a careful balancing of many different uses.  It is also essential to ensure that current activities do not impair the ability of future generations to benefit from our public lands.  There are no easy answers, but the value of public lands to the American people makes finding common-sense solutions worth the effort.

Your 2016 party platform presents an opportunity to explain to the American people how you will satisfy competing interests and protect our public lands for future generations.  Healthy debate about how to manage federal lands is an important part of the democratic process.  Your platform can advance that democratic debate by explaining how your party proposes to sustainably develop natural resources, protect wildlife habitat, ensure public access, and maintain our public land heritage for future generations.

At the same time, we do not believe it would be constructive to include broad directives to transfer federal lands to state or local control, sell federal lands to private interests, or otherwise liquidate the national interest in federal land management.  These kinds of directives do a disservice to the American people and especially to America’s hunters and anglers. These proposals do not advance the goal of finding meaningful ways to balance competing interests and preserve our national public land heritage for future generations.

Thank you for your commitment to the sound management and conservation of our public lands, which provide so much benefit to all Americans. If you would like to discuss this with us, please contact Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, at [email protected], 703-438-6046.

Sincerely,

The National Wildlife Federation

Boone and Crockett Club

Dallas Safari Club

Ducks Unlimited

National Wild Turkey Federation

Pheasants Forever

Quail Forever

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Trout Unlimited

Wild Sheep Foundation

Wildlife Management Institute

Alabama Wildlife Federation

Arizona Wildlife Federation

Association of Northwest Steelheaders

Colorado Wildlife Federation

Conservation Federation of Missouri

Florida Wildlife Federation

Georgia Wildlife Federation

Idaho Wildlife Federation

Indiana Wildlife Federation

Kansas Wildlife Federation

Michigan United Conservation Clubs

Minnesota Conservation Federation

Montana Wildlife Federation

Nevada Wildlife Federation

New Mexico Wildlife Federation

North Carolina Wildlife Federation

North Dakota Wildlife Federation

South Carolina Wildlife Federation

South Dakota Wildlife Federation

Tennessee Wildlife Federation

Wisconsin Wildlife Federation

Wyoming Wildlife Federation

How to land summer bass

It’s hard to think about fishing on a sweltering summer day, but when the sun sinks toward the western horizon, everything changes. Warm water and direct sun make the bass sluggish during the day, but as evening temperatures cool, the fishing can get hot. Now it’s time to grab your bass rods and find the nearest farm pond, state fishing lake or community lake.

Pick a shady shoreline and look for brush, docks, vegetation – anything that provides dark hiding places for bass. Start out with a weedless plastic bait that can be flipped right into the cover. Fish slow and thoroughly, hitting every visible bass lair. Bass are ambush hunters and a slow meal dropped right in front of them can be irresistible.

As daylight fades and the breeze dies, tie on a topwater bait just for fun. There’s nothing like the thrill of a bass exploding on a surface lure. Fish will be more spread out now, so cast along the shore and any weedbed edges. Land the bait as close to the edge as possible, then let it sit for several seconds. Twitch it tantalizingly several times before beginning to retrieve. And it’s a good idea to pause several times during the retrieve. A brief pause can sometimes be too much for a bass watching from below, triggering an explosive strike. The anticipation can also be too much for a bass angler. When fishing topwater, wait until you feel the strike before setting the hook. If you rear back as soon as you see and hear the topwater strike, you’ll pull the bait right out of the fish’s mouth.

There are thousands of farm ponds tucked away all across Kansas’ countryside, and many have great bass fishing. Anglers need landowner permission to fish private ponds except for those leased by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and opened to public fishing through the F.I.S.H. program. To find them, download the 2016 Kansas Fishing Atlas at www.ksoutdoors.com. The atlas contains maps of all F.I.S.H. waters, as well as all other public fishing lakes and reservoirs. You’ll also find the 2016 Kansas Fishing Forecast, which will tell you which public waters have the best bass populations.

Don’t just dream about fishing this summer, take advantage of the cooler evenings and explore a Kansas farm pond, local community lake or state fishing lake. The bass are waiting.

Shop at Dillons and Support the Kansas Wildlife Federation

Do you shop at Dillons?

Did you know that the Kansas Wildlife Federation is participating in their Community Rewards program?

Now, when you shop at Dillons and use your Rewards Card, the Kansas Wildlife Federation will get credit for every purchase you make!

Here’s what you need to do:

The Kansas Wildlife Federation’s NPO number is 62633.

A customer must have 3 things to register and begin supporting the Kansas Wildlife Federation:

  • A Plus card, which is available at any store by asking an associate
  • A valid email address, which can be obtained from any free online service and can be anonymous
  • A personalized account at our website, which again can be anonymous

TO ENROLL IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM:

1.   Members must visit Dillon’s website at www.dillons.com/communityrewards

2.  Sign in OR Create an account (see below on creating an online account at our website)

3.  Click on “Enroll Now”

4.  Enter the 5-digit NPO and search

5.  Select your Organization and click on “Enroll”

TO CREATE AN ONLINE ACCOUNT AT OUR WEBSITE:

1.  Visit our website at www.dillons.com/communityrewards 

2.  Click on “Register” at the top of the page

3.  Enter your email address, password, zip code (select preferred store) and check the box if you desire to receive email communitcation from us

4.  Click on “Create Account” at the bottom of the page

5.  You will receive an email confirmation to your inbox, to activate your account click on the link in the body of the email and enter your sign in information to confirm

For assistance setting up an online account or with general questions, please feel free to contact us at 800-576-4377 option 3.  Administrators are always welcome to email us at [email protected].

Please share this with your friends and let’s help outdoor Kansas !

Take Hunter Education now to hunt this fall

A right of passage, an initiation, a crash-course, call it what you will, but for those who have taken a Kansas Hunter Education course, they know it’s definitely one thing: worth it.

Because classes are offered in one of two formats – traditional and Internet-assisted – new hunters can find a class to fit nearly any schedule. Traditional courses are 10 hours, typically in a classroom setting, and are usually held over the course of two to three days. Internet-assisted courses involve online classwork that can be done at home, followed by a required field day, which 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 work. To view a current list of all upcoming classes, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting,” then “Hunter Education.” Students must be 11 or older to participate.

Kansas Hunter Education classes cover a variety of topics including hunter responsibility, ethics, fair chase, history of firearms, firearms basics, ammunition, basic gun safety, field safety, bowhunting, conservation and wildlife management, wildlife of Kansas, outdoor emergencies, Kansas hunting regulations and boating safety for hunters.

Kansas law requires anyone born on or after July 1, 1957 be certified through an approved course in hunter education before hunting in Kansas, except that anyone 15 or younger may hunt without hunter education certification provided they are under the direct supervision of an adult 18 or older.

Sign up now, because classes fill up fast, and hunting season will be here before you know it. Invest time in a class now, so you, too, can enjoy opening day.

Congress introduces historic fish and wildlife conservation funding legislation

Yesterday, July 6, Congressman Don Young (R-AK) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (HR 5650). The legislation calls for annually dedicating $1.3 billion in existing revenue from the development of energy and mineral resources on federal lands and waters to proactive fish and wildlife conservation. The bill was prompted by the recommendation of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources.  The Panel released its recommendations in March 2016 at the National Press Club as part of the Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in.

The Young-Dingell bill proposes to invest new funding in the Wildlife Conservation Restoration program that was created in 2000 through the advocacy of the Teaming With Wildlife coalition. The program, which is part of the successful Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program, is designed to address the conservation needs of species that are not hunted or fished, including over 12,000 species identified in State Wildlife Action Plans as Species in Greatest Conservation Need. The program can also be used to support conservation education and wildlife-dependent recreation programs.

In the days ahead, members of the coalition will be launching a co-sponsor drive to secure bipartisan support for the bill and will be working with the Senate to introduce companion legislation.  The Congressional Sportsman’s Caucus and National Wildlife Federation, both members of the Teaming With Wildlife coalition played key roles in advancing House legislation. Watch for future updates on this important legislation and help spread the word by forwarding this update and using the hashtag #Funding4Wildlife on social media.

More Information:

Press Release

Blue Ribbon Panel Report 

Blue Ribbon Panel  Frequently Asked Questions

Teaming with Wildlife is a coalition of over 6,400 organizations supporting

Register for youth and disabled hunter deer hunt at Tuttle Creek

Youth and disabled hunters have until July 21 to apply for an assisted deer hunt at Tuttle Creek Lake. This event is limited to 25 hunters. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Riley County Fish and Game Association and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Tuttle Creek Lake are partnering to conduct the 2016 Tuttle Creek Youth/Disabled Assisted Deer Hunt on Sept. 10-11. The hunt is free and open to resident youth ages 11-16 and anyone with a certified disability interested in hunting Kansas whitetails.

An experienced hunting guide will assist each participant, and hunters will be provided with accessible hunting blinds, transportation to prime field locations and hunter orange hats and vests. Area meat lockers will provide basic processing of harvested deer free of charge. Applicants will be notified following the July 21 deadline. All hunters must have a deer permit and those ages 16-74 must also have a Kansas hunting license.

Successful applicants are required to attend a firearm safety presentation and firearm sight-in at the Fancy Creek Shooting Range, Sunday, Aug. 21 at 4 p.m. Scholarship assistance for the purchase of licenses and permits is available, and rifles and ammunition are also available on request.

For more information, call Steve Prockish, Tuttle Creek Lake natural resource specialist at 785-539-8511, ext. 3167, or [email protected].

This event is made possible by Friends of Fancy Creek Range, Kansas City Chapter of Safari Club International, Kansas State Rifle Association and the Tuttle Creek Lake Association.

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