Junction City resident first to be honored Ed Augustine of Junction City has become the first inductee into the Kansas Hunter Education Instructor Hall Of Fame, sponsored by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) and the Kansas Hunter Education Instructors Association. The honor is given to "Kansas instructors who have been ... Read More

Fish and Wildlife Service order allows hunting through April 30 In 1999, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued a "special conservation order" to allow hunting of snow geese after the regular season through April 30. The move was made to address an ecological crisis caused by an explosion in mid-continent populations of ... Read More

Public meeting set for March 9 in Scott City to discuss plans SCOTT STATE PARK -- Wind, rain, and age are taking their toll on one of Kansas' most significant historic sites, but three state organizations have joined forces to protect it. The Kansas Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Kansas State Historical Societ ... Read More

Lab testing on 51 deer indicates low prevalence of disease ST. FRANCIS – None of the 51 deer collected in follow-up sampling for chronic wasting disease (CWD) tested positive for the disease. Kansas State University lab analysis was completed Monday, Feb. 20th. “This suggests that the presence of CWD in this part of the country is a relative ... Read More

Kansas state parks face a significant challenge: Funding. The first state park – Kanopolis – was authorized by the Kansas Legislature in 1955. Since that time, 23 more state parks have been created across the state. Historically, park user fees have been supplemented by the State General Fund (taxpayer dollars). From 1958 through 1963, the par ... Read More

Public preferences sought to help guide search for long-term solution Extensive media coverage in recent weeks has described the funding challenges confronting Kansas state parks. Faced with a variety of important funding needs, Kansas citizens, legislators and state government officials must often make difficult decisions in allocating limi ... Read More

Claflin resident Ray Fischer receives top award The Advisory Committee to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Hunter Education Program has named Ray Fischer, Claflin, as the 2005 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year. An instructor for more than 10 years, Fischer has taught and organized classes in Barton, Ellsworth, and Sal ... Read More

Additional samples taken to monitor chronic wasting disease prevalence ST. FRANCIS – Kansas Department Wildlife and Parks staff collected a total of 51 deer in Cheyenne County this week, in follow-up sampling after chronic wasting disease was detected in a whitetail doe taken during the 2005 firearms deer season. The 51 deer – 29 mule deer a ... Read More

In anticipation of the warm summer months, many people are thinking about buying, selling, or trading boats. Among the first questions new boat owners have are, "Do I have to register my boat?” and “”How do I register my boat?" Kansas law requires that all mechanically-powered vessels (including personal watercraft) and all sailboats ... Read More

Two-way communications with constituents enhanced with new web log site The development of web logs, or blogs, has created a useful communications tool for organizations and individuals around the world. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks wants to use that tool to assist two-way communication between the department and its stakehold ... Read More

Horse-friendly facilities join growing list of recreational opportunities MILFORD STATE PARK – Last fall, Milford State Park staff began construction of a 21-site equestrian campground, using a National Recreational Trails grant. Ten of those sites have been completed; the remainder are under construction. The campground sites are equipped w ... Read More

Group requests public input before final deer recommendations are made. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks presented a report on deer-related statute review to the Kansas Legislature Feb. 1 and 2. During the legislature’s 2005 session, the House Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Committee requested that the department review statutes and ... Read More

Free dates vary, allowing multiple park visitation opportunities Kansas state parks offer a variety of scenic landscapes, from the Ozarkian forests of Crawford State Park in eastern Kansas to the rugged High Plains oasis known as Scott State Park in the west. Free Park Entrance Days offer Kansans an opportunity to sample that variety and sav ... Read More

North Carolina men often shot bucks on Antlerless Only tags; crossed state lines Eight hunters from North Carolina will pay more than $36,000 in fines and fees after pleading guilty to illegally shooting trophy deer in Kansas and taking them across state lines. The poachers were caught shooting 11 bucks out of season -- one mule deer and 10 ... Read More

KDWP to collect deer in vicinity of state’s first chronic wasting disease occurrence ST. FRANCIS – Kansas Department Wildlife and Parks staff will conduct additional sampling of deer in Cheyenne County this month, in response to the recent confirmation of the state’s first occurrence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a wild deer. A total o ... Read More