Pintails, Redheads and Mallards, Oh My
PRATT – The 2015 Kansas duck season is about to kick off – are you ready for the marsh madness? Before you throw on your waders and start unraveling decoys, there are a few things you need to know. iSportsman, the free and convenient electronic check-in system, is now offered at 23 locations throughout the state. If you have yet to create an account, consider signing up at kdwpt.isportsman.net. Federal Waterfowl Stamps, required of all waterfowl hunters age 16 and older, have increased in price and can be purchased for $26.50.
All hunters who are required to have a hunting license must also have a State Waterfowl Permit, $7, and a Kansas Harvest Information Program (HIP) Permit, $2.50, before hunting ducks, geese, or mergansers. Licenses, stamps and permits, except for Federal Waterfowl Stamps, may be obtained wherever licenses are sold and online at ksoutdoors.com. Apart from post offices, Federal Waterfowl Stamps may also be obtained online from www.duckstamp.com and www.usps.com.
Federal and state waterfowl permits are not required to hunt coots, doves, rails, snipe, woodcock, or sandhill cranes; however a HIP Permit is required.
2015 DUCK SEASONS
YOUTH WATERFOWL SEASONS
High Plains Unit: Oct. 3-4, 2015
Low Plains Early Zone: Oct. 3-4, 2015
Low Plains Late Zone: Oct. 24-25, 2015
Southeast Zone: Nov. 7-8, 2015
(Bag limits for the youth seasons are the same as during the regular seasons and include ducks, geese, coots and mergansers.)
HIGH PLAINS UNIT
Oct. 10, 2015-Jan. 4, 2016 and Jan. 23-31, 2016
LOW PLAINS EARLY ZONE
Oct. 10-Dec. 6, 2015 and Dec. 19, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016
LOW PLAINS LATE ZONE
Season: Oct. 31, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016 and Jan. 23-31, 2016
LOW PLAINS SOUTHEAST ZONE
Nov. 14, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016 and Jan. 9-31, 2016
Hunters may take six ducks daily, including no more than, 5 mallards, of which only 2 may be hens; 3 wood ducks; 3 scaup; 2 pintails; 2 redheads; and 2 canvasbacks. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.
Hunters taking mergansers may possess up to five a day, only two of which may be hooded mergansers. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.
For more information on Kansas duck hunting, visit ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting,” “Seasons and Limits,” then “Migratory Bird Seasons,” or pick up a copy of the 2015 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary wherever licenses are sold.
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