Events feature field trials, trail rides, fishing tournaments, and Halloween As fall approaches, Kansas state park events begin to taper off, but several special events are on the calendar for October. Dog field trials, equestrian events, fishing tournaments, and Halloween entertainment highlight this October's events.For more information on st ... Read More

Migrating bird numbers above long-term averageKansas duck hunters are anxiously awaiting the opening of duck seasons; however, youth hunters will get the first shot. Duck season dates and zones include the following:
Youth Early Zone -- Oct. 4-5;
High Plains Zone -- Oct. 4-Dec. 30, and Jan. 17-Jan. 25, 2009;
Early Zone -- Oct.11-Dec.7, an ... Read More

Generous season and low hunting pressure provide high-quality opportunitiesFall turkey hunting is becoming increasingly popular. The season is long -- running Oct. 1-Dec. 2, Dec. 15-31, and Jan. 5-31, 2009. In addition, the fall season allows hunters to use dogs, much like upland game birds are hunted. (Use of dogs is not allowed during the spr ... Read More

"Clean, drain, dry" keys to prevention; online video demonstrates prevention techniquesLast summer, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Marion Reservoir. While the implications of this discovery are bad news for Marion, anglers and boaters need to be aware that the threat is no ... Read More

Kids hunt chukar, learn variety of hunting-related topics; registration deadline Oct. 13The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, in cooperation with Pheasant Runn and the Hunting Heritage Group, Inc., (HHG), will host the third annual youth upland hunt in memory of a former volunteer Darrell Brown. The event will be held 30 miles west of Ha ... Read More

Shotgun, layout blind, hunting knife, other raffle prizes offeredLast December, 18-year-old Beau Arndt, Americus, was shot and killed in a layout blind among a large spread of goose decoys. The lethal rifle shot was fired from a road 150 yards away, and a jury decided a Topeka man was responsible. Since then, Arndt has been honored with a schol ... Read More

Traditional equipment will feature rifles, pistols, knives, and tomahawksOn Oct. 24-26, Prairie Long Rifles, Inc., will conduct its 29th Anniversary Fall Shoot at Kanopolis State Park. Men, women, and youth will compete in rifle and pistol shooting competition, as well as knife and tomahawk throwing.All shooting events will be with traditional ... Read More

Survey results available on KDWP websiteCould the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) have convinced you to fish more in 2006? Could KDWP programs have made your experience more positive? Whether the answers were yes or no, the agency wanted to know what anglers thought about this and a wide range of other fishing-related topics. To ... Read More

Dry impoundments, late lake turnover may delay stocking at three sitesThe Kansas trout season opened Oct. 15 and runs through April 15. During this season, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) stocks rainbow trout in designated waters throughout the state. Some waters stocked with trout require a $12.50 trout permit for all angler ... Read More

Invasive species drying watercourses in southwest and spreading eastThe Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition (KGLC) is holding its annual fall tour on Friday, Oct. 17, in Meade and Clark counties. The tour will begin at 8:30 a.m. with registration at the Meade County USDA Service Center, 301 N. Post in Meade. Two sites are featured on the tour -- the ... Read More

Tree conservation and control covered; pre-registration due Oct. 9The 2008 Kansas Fall Forestry Field Day will be held Oct. 16 at the Greg Ellis Tree Farm, near Baldwin. The event includes a variety of outdoor educational sessions with natural resource experts. Topics covered include establishing forests with seed, top 10 tree diseases in Kansa ... Read More

Floatline fishing, 2009 fishing rules head evening public hearing agendaThe Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission will conduct a public meeting and hearing in Tonganoxie on Thursday, Oct. 2. The afternoon public meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Tonganoxie High School Auditorium, 404 East Hwy. 24-40.The afternoon session will include report ... Read More

Kansas deer-vehicle accident rate still lowest in MidwestSince 1998, the trend in deer-related vehicle accidents in Kansas has been stable or declining. Still, late October and November are when deer are most active. As a result, this is also the time when most deer-vehicle accidents occur. This is the mating season, called "rut," and ... Read More

Cabins, reduced prices, uncrowded conditions make parks attractive in fall and winterSummer is over, but for many outdoorsmen and women, that doesn't mean the end of Kansas state park visitation. Many hunters and anglers -- and even campers looking for a cool-season adventure -- take advantage of the "off-season" in Kansas state parks ... Read More

Big Blue River catch breaks 26-year-old mark for speciesA Blue Rapids angler has set a new Kansas record for freshwater drum. Bill Hull was fishing in the Big Blue River above Tuttle Creek Reservoir when he hooked the 31.5-pound fish on a trotline. The catch was 37 1/2 inches long with a girth of 25 inches.The previous record was a 31.25-pound ... Read More

Herington businessman to serve another four yearsGov. Kathleen Sebelius has announced the reappointment of Frank Meyer, of Herington, to the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission. Meyer recently completed a four-year term and will serve another four on the commission.In originally appointing Meyer, Gov. Sebelius said, “We need Kansans with exper ... Read More

Why people do or don't hunt, how to recruit highlighted by researchLast June, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) hosted the 2008 Shooting Sports Summit in Colorado Springs. The summit gathered leaders from throughout the shooting, hunting, and outdoor industry, as well as key leaders from fish and wildlife agencies and conservation ... Read More

Fifty-five animals on auction block this yearIn an effort to preserve a small bit of the past, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) maintains small herds of buffalo in the state. As these herds grow, the agency auctions surplus animals that cannot be supported by available habitat on refuges near Garden City and McPherson. People ... Read More

Rifles provided; application deadline Nov. 5; family banquet to follow huntsWestar Energy and its volunteer Green Team will offer first-time youth deer hunters a guided opportunity at Jeffrey Energy Center near St. Mary's during this year's firearms deer seasons, Dec. 3-14 and Jan. 1-4. Using enclosed blinds on small, bottomland fields, guides ... Read More

Stocking had been delayed; season opened Oct. 15The Kansas trout season began Oct. 15 and runs through April 15. In early October, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) announced that due to poor water conditions resulting from fall turnover, trout stocking would be delayed at the stilling basin below Cedar Bluff Reservoir. On Oct. ... Read More

Hunters asked to avoid standing crops; pheasant and quail seasons to change next yearThe 2008 Kansas pheasant season opens on Saturday, Nov. 1, marking the beginning of upland bird seasons.Upland game bird seasons for 2008 including the following:
pheasant season (statewide) -- Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, 2009;
quail season (statewide) -- Nov. 8 ... Read More

New fishing method will begin in summer of 2009 on eight Kansas reservoirsThe Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission has approved a pilot project to allow floatline fishing at eight reservoirs, beginning next summer. The Commission authorized the new fishing method at a public hearing in Tonganoxie Oct. 24.Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks ... Read More

Colder weather buttons down some facilities during winter; all parks openKansas state parks began their off-season on Oct. 1, and it runs through March 31. During this time, many state parks cut down on services although all parks remain open. Hours and services vary among individual parks. Most park offices are open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday ... Read More

Growing populations of snows and Canadas offer hunting opportunity through winterFor decades, the populations of both snow geese and Canada geese have been increasing in the Central Flyway. Accordingly, seasons of both species are long, and avid goose hunters are dusting off their decoys in anticipation.The 2008 goose seasons are as follows: ... Read More

Online identification test required before obtaining a crane permitThe sandhill crane hunting season opens Nov. 5, and hunters pursuing this large game bird should be aware that the endangered whooping crane may be present during the sandhill crane season. Whooping cranes use the same habitats as sandhill cranes, and Quivira National Wildlife R ... Read More

Light hunting pressure, solitude draw squirrel hunters out of fields and into woodsEarly November may find most Kansas hunters dreaming of grassy fields and pheasants, but for the die-hard hunter who prefers woodlands and solitude, cool weather means squirrel hunting. The leaves have mostly fallen, making the hunter more visible and the challen ... Read More