Stations provide harvest information, chronic wasting disease screening Hunters taking deer during the Kansas firearms season (Nov. 30-Dec. 11) in deer management units 1, 2, 3, 16, 17, and 18 must take their deer to a check station within 48 hours after they kill the deer. Data will be collected from the hunter, and a seal will be attached ... Read More

More hunters die from drowning and the effects of hypothermia than from gunshot wounds. Most of the accident reports from waterborne hunting fatalities are not dramatic stories. The hunter didn't succumb in an "Outdoor Life and Death" struggle with a twenty-foot python or enrage a hippopotamus that attacked his boat. Rather, the acci ... Read More

The Kansas Ornithological Society's annual Kansas Christmas Bird Counts will last a full month this winter, running Dec. 14-Jan. 14, 2006. This series of events helps biologists glean information on bird population trends and gives wildlife enthusiasts a chance to spot their favorite bird or discover ones they've never seen. The event is co-s ... Read More

Application deadline Jan. 6; seven permits available to qualifying organizations Nonprofit organizations devoted to wildlife conservation have a new fund-raising opportunity, thanks to action taken by the 2005 Kansas Legislature and the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission. The legislature approved provisions for annual issuance of a limited ... Read More

On December 11, 2005 Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks volunteer hunter education instructors will conduct a Canada goose hunting seminar in Haysville. This is a hands-on, beginner’s course covering waterfowl identification, goose decoy spreads, calling and flagging, and concealment. This is one of a series of advanced hunter education c ... Read More

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has completed its yearly stocking of fish raised in state hatcheries at Farlington , Meade , Milford , and Pratt . The results are impressive. Approximately 64.5 million predaceous fish -- including intermediate (5-8 inches), fingerling (1 1/2 inches), and fry (newly-hatched) -- were stocked in t ... Read More

The Kansas firearms deer season begins Nov. 30 this year and runs through Dec. 11. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks reminds deer hunters that safety is the first order of business when hunting with high-powered rifles. Several changes in laws and regulations are also important.
Among safety issues is one required by law: all deer h ... Read More

Weather made shooting tough, but happy hunters found plenty of birds during the opening weekend of the 2005 Kansas pheasant season. Opening day results almost mirrored the predictions of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) upland bird forecast , with plenty of birds seen in much of the state but the most taken in the central, no ... Read More

Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving Day holiday, all Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks offices will be closed to business Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25th in observance of the holiday. Read More

Hunters reminded not to shoot chickens on pheasant opener PRATT -- In previous years in all but the southwest part of Kansas, prairie chicken season has opened on the first Saturday in November, and the pheasant season has opened the second Saturday in November, making both species legal on the pheasant opener. This year, however, prairie c ... Read More

Trespassers bag stiff fines, damage landowner-hunter relations In Kansas, it is illegal to hunt, fish, shoot, or trap on private land without the owner's permission. Hunting from public roads and railroads requires permission of landowners on both sides of the road or railway. Railroad rights-of-way also require permission from the railroad. ... Read More

For some hunters, part of the preparation for fall hunting seasons is replacing a lost or destroyed hunter education certificate. The basic fee for a duplicate certificate is $11 and there are four ways for a hunter to obtain a duplicate certificate. A duplicate can be obtained online, or by writing or telephoning the Kansas Department of ... Read More

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks website has a new face. The website offers current news items on the entry pages in an effort to bring relevant stories before the public. The news stories will cover a wide range of activities around the state. Other improvements include a quick links area on the right side of the webpage to provide ... Read More

Modern cabins have been added to the recreational offerings at Cross Timbers and Milford state parks. With heat, air conditioning, full bathroom and shower facilities, and kitchens, the cabins offer an alternative to pitching a tent or hauling a trailer to the park. Contact these parks or Cedar Bluff , Cheney , Eisenhower , El Dorado , Lovewel ... Read More

Purchase online, via toll-free call, or from one of 600-plus state license outlets With the firearms deer season just ahead, hunters are encouraged to buy their hunting licenses and deer permits early to avoid the long lines which can occur with last-minute purchases of those items. More than 630 license vendors in the state are now using th ... Read More

More than 100,000 hunters will be afield opening day PRATT—The 2005 pheasant season will open statewide on Saturday, November 12. Quail season in the eastern two-thirds of the state will also open on Saturday. In the Western Quail Zone of the state, see quail map in the Hunting and Furharvesting Summary , quail season will open Nov. 19. The ... Read More

Although "boating season" is generally thought of as the time between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, many boaters find that fall and winter are great times to enjoy area lakes. Lakes are less crowded this time of year, and mild temperatures make for pleasant days on the water for hunters, fishermen, and recreational boa ... Read More

Eight-month leases offered; those signing three-year contracts get ponds stocked free PRATT -- Landowners interested in making some extra money by enrolling their pond or stream in the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Fishing Impoundments & Stream Habitats (F.I.S.H.) program are reminded that the deadline to enroll is Dec. ... Read More

Entertaining, informative test mandatory in 2006 Whooping cranes use the same habitats as sandhill cranes, and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area are two of their favorite stops in the Central Flyway. Sandhill crane hunters -- and all migratory bird hunters, especially in central Kansas -- should expect to se ... Read More

Department of Wildlife and Parks now stocking The Kansas trout season began Oct. 15 and runs through April 15. During this cool period of the year, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) stocks rainbow trout in designated waters throughout the state. Anyone fishing for trout in these waters must purchase a $12.15 trout permit, wh ... Read More

Avian Influenza or Bird Flu caused by the virus strain H5N1 has not been detected in wild or domestic birds in North America. It has been found in domestic poultry and nearly 60 species of wild birds, including waterfowl and shorebirds, in Asia and Europe. As of August 2005, H5N1 has caused illness in more than 100 persons in Europe and Asia, ... Read More