Deer recommendations presented to Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission; next step, Kansas Legislature

In January 2007, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Deer Task Force presented the Kansas Legislature draft recommendations to simplify and condense deer-related statutes. The recommendations also addressed many other deer permitting issues and could affect many different constituencies, so the Task Force requested a year to solicit input from the public before making final recommendations. After conducting surveys and public meetings throughout the past year, the 10-member Task Force has assembled a final set of recommendations that will be presented to the legislature this month.

The overall goals of the Task Force are similar to those listed a year ago:

• Reduce and simplify deer-related statutes to allow changes and continuing adjustments necessary for permitting and resource management to be made through the regulatory process
• Through regulation, establish a permitting system that distributes permits fairly while conserving the deer resource and hunting traditions.
• Simplify the permitting process while increasing and improving deer hunting opportunities for residents hunters.
• Develop a formula/model to establish nonresident deer permit numbers that satisfy desires of resident landowners and protect resident hunting opportunities.

Resident Deer Permit recommendations:

• Establish resident, statewide, whitetail either sex, any season permit
• Establish resident statewide archery either species, either sex permit
• Establish two units for use of limited either species, either sex firearms and muzzleloader permits.
• Maintain 19 Deer Management Units for use of whitetail antlerless only permits
• Eliminate whitetail antlerless only game tags – instead establish one type of whitetail antlerless only permit, the first one purchased is valid on public or private land statewide. Up to four additional permits can be purchased and are valid only in specific units and on private land and designated public lands.
• Eliminate transferable Hunt-Own-Land permit – instead allow lineal family members, two generations up or down from landowner to qualify for HOL, regardless of residency – one per 80 acres.

Nonresident Deer Permit recommendations:

• Eliminate the landowner/transferable nonresident permit – establish nonresident permit quotas based on demand, landowner tolerance and resource biology. An adjustment number will be determined using seven factors: Population trends, deer-related vehicle accidents, age structure, deer damage, landowner desire for NR deer permits, and general public desires, health and habitat (professional judgment). The adjustment factor will be used to determine 2008 permit numbers based on an average of NR demand from the previous 6 years, however, we recommend not less than a 10 percent increase per DMU and not more than 50 percent increase per unit (Unit 16 is the exception).
• Maintain 18 Deer Management Units for all nonresident hunting
• Establish “Hunter Designate” permit application process – setting quotas of whitetail deer permits and allowing applicants to designate season/hunt type – either archery, muzzleloader or rifle.
• Establish a mule deer stamp. When a nonresident applies for an archery or muzzleloader whitetail either sex permit in DMU 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 16, 17, and 18, they will have an option of applying for a limited number of mule deer stamps that, if they are drawn, will convert their muzzleloader or archery whitetail either sex permit to an either species permit. Stamp cost -- $100.

Seasons:

• Open youth and persons with disabilities season on the Friday before the second to last full weekend in September, running it through Sunday.
• Open the muzzleloader and archery seasons on the following Monday. Run the muzzleloader season through two full weekends and the archery season through Dec. 31.
• Maintain season structure for all other seasons.

Permits:

• Establish half-price permits for youth

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