Jan. 19, 2012
Regular season April 11-May 31; youth/disabled, archery seasons April 1-10

PRATT — So far, it’s been a mild winter in Kansas, but avid turkey hunters are still itching for spring, when wild turkeys gobble and the hunt for long beards is on. The Kansas spring turkey hunting season runs April 1-10 for archery-only and youth/disabled hunters and April 11-May 31 for everyone. Turkey hunters must possess a hunting license, unless exempt, and a spring turkey permit. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) makes early preparation easier by offering spring turkey permits online in January.

Legal equipment for spring turkey hunting includes 20-gauge or larger shotguns, bows, and crossbows although hunters not qualified as youth or disabled may use only archery equipment April 1-10. The state is divided into four turkey management units. Unit 4, southwest Kansas, is limited to 500 resident-only permits available through a lottery draw with an application deadline of Feb. 10. Youth permits (16 and younger) are half-price and valid statewide, including Unit 4.

Turkey permits for units 1, 2, and 3 may be purchased online from the Kansas KDWPT website, www.kdwpt.state.ks.us, or from license vendors across the state. (A permit purchased for Unit 1, 2, or 3 is valid in all three units.) In addition, any individual with a spring turkey permit may purchase one game tag valid only in Units 2 and 3. A turkey permit/game tag combination is available through March 31 at a reduced price. By purchasing the combination early, hunters save $7.50 over the cost of purchasing each separately.

Huntable populations of wild turkeys exist in nearly every Kansas county. The Rio Grande subspecies dominates the western two-thirds of the state, and the eastern subspecies is common in the eastern regions. Hybrid Rio Grande/eastern birds may be found where the two ranges converge.

Spring turkey permit and game tags fees are as follow:

• Resident General permit — $22.50;
• Resident Combo permit/game tag (available through March 31) — $27.50;
• Resident Youth permit — $12.50;
• Resident Youth Combo permit/game tag (available through March 31) — $17.50;
• Resident game tag — $12.50;
• Landowner/Tenant permit — $12.50;
• Landowner/Tenant Combo permit/game tag — $17.50 (available through March 31);
• Nonresident General permit — $32.50;
• Nonresident Combo permit/game tag (available through March 31) — $47.50;
• Nonresident game tag­ — $22.50;
• Unit 4 Resident General permit­ — $27.50;
• Unit 4 Resident Landowner/Tenant Permit — $17.50; and
• Unit 4 Preference Point — $6.50.

A Spring Turkey Atlas showing all public hunting lands and spring Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) lands will be available at KDWP offices and the KDWP website in late March.
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