March 2007

Submit your outdoors photos to KDWP Public photo galleries are now online through KDWP's website. Outdoors photos will be considered in four topical areas listed on the homepage banner: State Parks (includes all scenics); Hunting (includes all wildlife); Fishing; and Boating. Selected photos will be posted based on quality and portrayal of ... Read More


Southwest Kansas companies to add 34,000 acres of native habitat; potentially the best lesser prairie chicken area anywhere In an example of how corporate expansion can enhance the needs of native wildlife habitat, Wheatland Electric Cooperative, in cooperation with Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, has purchased 34,000 acres of irriga ... Read More


Space available for Hutchinson area youth hunt On April 6 and 7, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will sponsor the Hutchinson area's 8th Annual Youth Turkey Hunt. Event coordinators are Steve Adams and Kyle McDonald, both of Hutchinson. All youngsters age 12 through 16 are eligible to apply for the hunt. There is no direct cost fo ... Read More


Youth and archery seasons added to regular spring season In 2007, Kansas turkey hunters will enjoy the longest spring turkey season ever. With the addition of an archery-only season, April 1-10, Kansas hunters will be able to hunt for two full months. As the Kansas spring turkey hunting seasons approach, hunters across the state are honing c ... Read More


Public input, reports combine with biologists' data for more complete angling picture Want to know where the fish are biting? The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) can help. One of the most popular and useful tools provided by KDWP is the weekly lake-by-lake fishing reports posted on the agency's website. While these reports com ... Read More


State income tax return box helps conserve wildlife; tax deadline April 17 While it may not be the greatest break in income tax return history, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has extended the 2006 income tax filing deadline to Tuesday, April 17, this year, giving taxpayers an extra two days to file their 2006 federal tax returns and pay ... Read More


Some waters require a permit whether fishing for trout or not A new fishing regulation that went into effect Jan. 1 mandates that, during the Oct. 15-April 15 trout season, some waters stocked with trout require a trout permit ($12.15) whether fishing for trout or not. Anglers fishing other trout-stocked waters are required to have a permit ... Read More


Hunts designed for youth and novice hunters On the weekends of April 7-8, 14-15, and 21-22, the Westar Energy Green Team will host first-time turkey hunters at its Jeffrey Energy Center west of Topeka. Assisted by experienced volunteer guides and hunting from stationary ground blinds, youngsters and their adult mentors will hunt in prime fie ... Read More


New bass fishing tournament system implemented at La Cygne Reservoir event Beginning in 2007, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) has implemented a new method for conducting bass fishing tournaments. A new "Bass Pass" ($12.15) allows participants in registered bass tournaments held between Sept. 1 and June 15 to keep ... Read More


Atlas listing all public and walk-in land available online; printed copies available at KDWP offices The Kansas youth spring turkey season runs April 6-8; the regular season opens April 11 and runs through May 31; and for the first time, archery hunters have their own spring season, running April 1-10. To help hunters find places to hunt tu ... Read More


Winfield resident Neil Smith receives 2006 statewide award The Advisory Committee to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Hunter Education Program has named Neil Smith, Winfield, the 2006 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. An instructor since 2001, Smith has taught and organized classes in Cowley and Sumner counties. &quo ... Read More


Seventeen accidents in 2006, down from 20 in 2005; none fatal The number of reported hunting accidents in Kansas dropped to 17 in 2006, down from 20 reported in 2005, according to a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Hunter Education Program report. None of the accidents were fatal. "Swinging on game" and its subset, &q ... Read More


Rewards offered for return of tags Crappie fishing will soon pick up across Kansas as the water warms and crappie prepare for their annual spawn. April through June is the time when more anglers fish and more crappie are caught than any other period during the year. Some of these crappie sport special tags that provide important harvest info ... Read More


New law reduces vehicle entrance fees; park users can save even more by purchasing permits by March 31 The cost of visiting Kansas state parks is going down in 2007. In a public hearing in Chanute last October, the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission approved changes in state park vehicle entrance fees, effective Jan. 1 of this year. The ... Read More


Expansion of Unit 3 reflects growth of state’s turkey populations The continued growth of Kansas’ wild turkey population has resulted in enhancement of hunting opportunities in 2007. At their March 15th public hearing in Topeka, Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission members approved expansion of Turkey Management Unit 3 for the 2007 fall hunt ... Read More


Illuminated nocks approved for use by turkey, big game hunters The Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission has approved the use of electronically illuminated nocks for turkey and big game bowhunters. The regulatory change was approved at a public hearing of the Commission in Topeka March 15th. Bowhunters had asked the commission to consider add ... Read More


Event held March 2-4; required of instructors every three years More than 180 certified Kansas hunter education instructors attended the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks' (KDWP) annual Hunter Education Instructor Academy March 2-4 at Rock Springs 4-H Camp, south of Junction City. The academy -- required every three years for KDWP-cert ... Read More


Move designed to protect spawning walleye; closure March 1 through April 8 Historically, when water is released into Lovewell Reservoir by the Bostwick Irrigation District, fish are attracted to the inlet area. This year, that release will coincide with the walleye spawning season. When this has occurred in the past, illegal snagging of wal ... Read More


April 7 hunt designed to get youth afield; application deadline March 16
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Clinton Lake, along with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the National Wild Turkey Federation, will host the second Youth Turkey Hunt at Clinton Reservoir on April 7.The Clinton Lake Youth Turkey Hunt allows hunters to be ... Read More


Program provides technical assistance and financial incentives to enhance wildlife habitat on private land in central and western Kansas Applications for participation in the Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) will be accepted from March 15 to Sept. 1. This year, the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks has received $500,000 in funding ... Read More