Big game, upland birds affected; crane ID test required; Department of Animal Health bans hog hunting
PRATT -- Several new regulations and statutes will affect the 2006 Kansas hunting seasons. Hunters should be aware of these, as well as all other hunting regulations, which may be found in the 2006 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary, available Sept. 1.

The following is a list hunting of rules that are new in 2006:
Big game

• after Dec. 30, deer hunters may purchase Antlerless Only Deer game tags valid during the January season without having first purchased an antlered deer permit;
• unlimited archery antelope permits are now available to nonresidents (firearms and muzzleloader permits still restricted to residents only); and
• the elk unit has been expanded to include the entire state of Kansas except Morton county.

Upland birds

• pheasant season opens the first Saturday in November;
• quail season opens the second Saturday in November;
• quail units have been eliminated;
• quail season ends the third Sunday in January 2007; and
• prairie chicken season opens the third Saturday in November, as it did last year.

Sandhill cranes

• all sandhill crane hunters must take an online crane identification test before obtaining a sandhill crane permit. The test may be found at online at https://secure.ksfishandwildlife.org/crane/.

Hogs

• a new Department of Animal Health statute states that “no person shall engage in, sponsor, instigate, assist, or profit from the release, killing, wounding or attempted killing or wounding of feral swine for the purpose of sport, pleasure, amusement, or production of a trophy"; and
• "owners or legal occupants of land, the employees of such owners or legal occupants or persons designated by such owners or legal occupants may kill any feral swine when found on their premises or when destroying property. Such designees shall have a permit issued by the livestock commissioner in their possession at the time of the killing of the feral swine."

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