PRATT – At its April 25 meeting in Colby, the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KWPT) Commission voted on a number of amendments to current regulations, a few of which will benefit furharvesters.

• In a 6-0 vote, Commissioners voted in favor of amending current furbearer regulations to clarify how to measure the jaw spread on body-gripping and foothold traps.

• Commissioners approved an amendment to current furbearer regulations eliminating the requirement that furharvesters permanently surrender the lower canine teeth of an otter when presenting it to the department for tagging.

• Commissioners approved amendments to current bobcat trapping regulations, removing outdated provisions related to tagging and effective dates on nonresident bobcat hunting permits.

• Passing 6-0, Commissioners voted to accept an amendment to current fur dealer regulations that will allow the sale of swift fox pelts from states that don’t have tagging requirements for swift foxes.

Other items voted on and approved during the public hearing portion of the meeting include:

• A series of amendments to regulations which establish hunting, fishing and furharvesting restrictions on department-managed lands. Current restrictions can be viewed on ksoutdoors.com by clicking “Laws, Regulations and Enforcement,” “Law and Regulations,” then “All Regulations.” See K.A.R. 115-8-1.

• Amendments that will simplify the application process for field trial permits, removing extensive event mapping requirements.

• An amendment to current dove hunting regulations that will remove pellet guns as a legal method of take.

Commissioners also approved 2019-2020 waterfowl seasons as follows:

Youth

High Plains Unit: Oct. 5-6, 2019

Low Plains Early Zone: Oct. 5-6, 2019

Low Plains Late Zone: Oct. 19-20, 2019

Low Plains Southeast Zone: Nov. 2-3, 2019

Teal

High Plains Unit: Sept. 21-29, 2019

Low Plains Zones: Sept. 14-29, 2019

Duck

High Plains Unit: Oct. 12, 2019 - Jan. 05, 2020 and Jan. 17-26, 2020

Low Plains Early Zone: Oct. 12-Dec. 8, 2019 and Dec. 14-29, 2019

Low Plains Late Zone: Oct. 26-Dec. 29, 2019 and Jan. 18-26, 2020

Low Plains Southeast Zone: Nov. 9, 2019 - Jan. 5, 2020 and Jan. 11-26, 2020

Goose

White-fronted geese: Oct. 26-Dec. 29, 2019 and Jan. 25-Feb. 16, 2020

Dark/Light geese: Oct. 26-27 and Nov. 6, 2019 - Feb. 16, 2020

Light Goose Conservation Order: Feb. 17 - April 30, 2020

The next KWPT Commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 13, 2019 at the Rolling Hills Zoo, 625 N. Hedville Road, in Salina.

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