Pheasants Forever to Host Youth Instructional Shooting Clinic

HAYS ­– The Smoky Hill Chapter of Pheasants Forever, in partnership with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, invite youth of all ages to attend a free instructional shooting clinic on Saturday, August 8. The clinic will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Hays City Sportsmen’s Club and all equipment will be provided.

Participants will receive instruction with shotguns and pellet rifles in a controlled, safe, live-fire environment guided by experienced instructors. Participants do not need to preregister and lunch will be provided.

For additional information, contact Smoky Hill Pheasants Forever Chapter member Luke Winge at (785) 726-1600.

This event is part of the Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever No Child Left Indoors (NCLI) initiative, which encourages chapters to collaborate with conservation partners and provide youth and their families opportunities to learn about our outdoor traditions and conservation ethic.

Nationwide, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters hold more than 1,000 youth events a year, connecting more than 50,000 youth to the outdoors. They reach out in their communities to sponsor youth mentor hunts, outdoor conservation days, shooting sports, conservation camps, fishing tournaments, outdoor expos, hunter education classes, habitat projects and much more.

To find a chapter near you, visit www.pheasantsforever.org and www.quailforever.org.

Antelope Hunting Information

Applications accepted online through June 13

PRATT — Applications for resident-only antelope firearm and muzzleloader permits are being accepted now through June 13.  Only online applications are accepted and are available ksoutdoors.com. Click "License/Permits" in the upper right-hand corner of the page to begin the process. For more information, call 620-672-0728.

through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) website,

Open to Kansas residents only, more than 1,000 applications are expected for the 140 firearm and 40 muzzleloader permits available this year. Hunters who are unsuccessful in the drawing receive a preference point. It may require six or more preference points for a general resident to draw a firearm permit, or three or four preference points to draw a muzzleloader permit, depending on the number of applicants. Half the permits allocated in each unit are set aside for landowner/tenant applicants. Those who do not want to apply for a permit and want to purchase a preference point only may select "preference point only" online for $7.69. Only one preference point may be obtained per year.

Archery antelope permits are unlimited, and both resident and nonresident hunters can purchase permits over the counter. The open archery unit comprises the same area as the three firearm units combined. Archery antelope permits will be available over the counter from Aug. 1 through Oct. 30.

2014 antelope season dates:

• firearm season — Oct. 3-6;
• muzzleloader season — Sept. 29-Oct. 6; and
• archery season — Sept. 20-28 and Oct. 11-31.

Shooting hours for all seasons are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

For more information on antelope hunting, unit maps, and regulations go to www.ksoutdoors.com, click on “Hunting,” “Big Game Information,” and “Antelope.”

The first modern-day antelope (properly called "pronghorn") hunting season in Kansas was held in 1974. Nearly 500 hunters applied for 80 permits, and 70 animals were harvested. Today, hunting is restricted to three management units that include parts or all of Sherman, Thomas, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Ness, Hamilton, Kearny, Finney, Gray, Hodgeman, Ford, Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Morton, Stevens, Seward, Meade and Clark counties.

Related articles

• Firearm Antelope Application Deadline June 14 (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• 2012 Kansas Nonresident Deer Application Deadline April 27 (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Deer Hunting News - Kansas (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Kansas Nonresident Deer Drawing Complete (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Kdwpt Commission Approves Big Game and Turkey Regulations (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Firearm Deer Season Opens December 4 (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)

FIREARM DEER SEASON OPENS DECEMBER 4

Hunters can register deer online atksoutdoors.com

PRATT ­– Dec. 4 marks the first day of firearm deer season this year and with new regulations giving hunters greater flexibility than ever before, the season offers something for anyone Dec. 4-15, hunters will have the opportunity to hunt deer with any centerfire rifle and handgun; any gauge shotgun using slugs; and any legal muzzleloading rifle, musket, or pistol .40 caliber or larger. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

willing to weather the cold. From

For those who possess a valid deer permit, but have yet to fill a tag, time isn’t up yet as any unfilled permit is valid during the firearm season; however, either-species, nonresident and some antlerless permits are restricted to the deer management units listed on the permit. In addition to their deer permit, all hunters, unless exempt by law, must also have a Kansas hunting license. Hunters with archery permits must use archery equipment and hunters with muzzleloader permits must use muzzleloaders, crossbows are archery equipment.

During the firearm season, all hunters must wear hunter orange clothing consisting of an orange hat and an orange vest that shows 100 square inches from the front and 100 square inches from the back. Camouflage orange clothing is legal if the number of square inches of orange is visible.

If you are a resident hunter and have yet to purchase a permit, you may do so wherever licenses are sold and online. Permits aren’t valid until the next calendar day after purchase. Hunters must possess a permit that allows the harvest of a buck before they are eligible to purchase antlerless permits.

Hunters should remember that all deer must be tagged before moving the carcass from the kill site. Certain permits, such as an antlerless whitetail permit, require that the head remain attached to the carcass during transport for sex identification. However, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism offers a voluntary option that allows hunters to register their deer through the Internet, using photos taken at the harvest site. Once registered, the hunter may then transport the carcass without the head attached. If Internet access is unavailable at the kill site, the hunter can retain the photographs while in transit and a registration number can be obtained later. To access the electronic deer check-in, go online to the KDWPT website, www.ksoutdoors.com, and click “Hunting/Big Game/Deer/Deer Check-in.”

To ensure everyone enjoys a safe deer hunt, hunters must remember basic firearm safety rules including knowing their target and what lies beyond it and always wearing the required hunter orange. Hunters must have permission to hunt on any private land, whether it is posted or not. The 2012 Kansas Hunting Atlas features maps showing all public and Walk-In Hunting Access areas is available wherever licenses are sold and online at www.ksoutdoors.com.

Related articles

• Indiana Deer Bundle (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Opening-weekend deer harvest blown away (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Wisconsin - Preliminary opening weekend results show enthusiasm is high, though temperatures as well as harvest numbers came in low (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• New Antlerless Deer Muzzleloader Season a Success for Ohio Hunters (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Michigan Firearm deer season starts soon - helpful reminders (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Iowa Deer Hunters Having Another Good Season (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Youngsters check 18,676 deer during early hunt (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Deer muzzleloader season to offer first firearms opportunity for adult deer hunters in Oklahoma (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)

FIREARM ANTELOPE APPLICATION DEADLINE JUNE 14

The antelope, also called pronghorn, is a species unique to North America and considered one of the

Applications accepted only online;
archery permits available over
 the counter beginning July 30

fastest mammals on the continent. Numerous in the western two-thirds of Kansas prior to settlement, today a small, sustainable population of antelope thrive in the western third of the state. A limited firearm hunting season draws hundreds of applications for the highly prized permits.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) is accepting applications for the resident firearm and muzzleloader antelope permit drawing. Applications must be submitted online through the KDWPT website, ksoutdoors.com. Click "License/Permits" in the upper right-hand corner of the page to begin the process. Paper applications are not available. For more information, call (620) 672-0728.

Open to Kansas residents only, nearly 1,000 applications are expected for the 142 firearm and 42 muzzleloader permits available this year. A hunter who is unsuccessful in the drawing will receive a preference point, which will give the hunter priority in a future drawing over applicants with fewer or no preference points. It may require six or more preference points for a general resident to draw a firearm permit, or three or four preference points to draw a muzzleloader permit, depending on the number of applicants. Half of the permits allocated in each unit are set aside for landowner/tenant applicants. Those who do not want to apply for a permit and want to purchase a preference point only may select "preference point only" online for $6.50. Only one preference point may be obtained per year.

Archery antelope permits are unlimited, and both resident and nonresident hunters can purchase permits over the counter. One open archery unit comprises the same area as the three firearm units combined. On average, fewer than 200 archery permits are sold each year. Archery antelope permits will be available over the counter from July 30 through Oct. 30.

2013 antelope season dates:

• firearm season: Oct. 4-7
• muzzleloader season: Sept. 30-Oct. 7
• archery season: Sept. 21-29 and Oct. 12-31

Shooting hours for all seasons are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

Firearm and muzzleloader antelope general resident permits $47.50, landowner/tenant permits are $27.50 and youth permits are $27.50. General resident archery antelope permits are $42.50, landowner/tenant archery permits are $22.50, and youth permits are $22.50. Nonresident archery permits are $202.50. (Internet and processing fees apply.) Unless exempt, all permit holders must possess a Kansas hunting license.

Antelope were extirpated from Kansas by the turn of the century and remained absent until wild antelope trapped in other states were released in suitable habitat in the early 1960s. Kansas’ first modern-day antelope hunting season was held in 1974 when early 500 hunters applied for 80 permits and harvested 70 animals. Today, hunting is restricted to three management units that include parts or all of Sherman, Thomas, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Ness, Hamilton, Kearny, Finney, Gray, Hodgeman, Ford, Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Morton, Stevens, Seward, Meade and Clark counties.

For more information on hunting antelope in Kansas, go to Hunting/Big Game/Antelope on the KDWPT website.

Related articles

• North Dakota's 2013 deer season is set, Apply soon (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• 2013-14 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Seasons (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• Adjustments Proposed to Ohio Deer Hunting Opportunities for 2013-2014 Season (midwestdeerhunting.blogspot.com)
• South Dakota Elk Seasons Finalized (family-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Kansas Youth Right on Target (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)

FIREARM DEER SEASON OPENS NOVEMBER 28

Twelve-day season provides opportunities for hunters to put venison in the freezer
PRATT—Kansas deer hunters will hit the field on Nov. 28 with hopes of putting venison in the freezer or getting a chance at a trophy-size buck. The regular firearm season runs through Dec. 9. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Any unfilled permit is valid during the firearm season; however, either-species, nonresident and some antlerless permits are restricted to the deer management units listed on the permit. In addition to their deer permit, all hunters, unless exempt by law, must also have a Kansas hunting license.

Resident permits may be purchased wherever licenses are sold and online. Hunters must possess a permit that allows the harvest of a buck before they are eligible to purchase antlerless permits. Nonresident deer permits are limited and awarded through a lottery draw, which was held in May. Permits left over after the drawing were available on a first-come, first-served basis, and those were sold out.
All legal equipment types are allowed during the firearm season; however, hunters with archery permits must use archery equipment and hunters with muzzleloader permits must use muzzleloaders, crossbows are archery equipment. All hunters hunting deer during the firearm season must wear hunter orange clothing consisting of an orange hat and an orange vest that shows 100 square inches from the front and 100 square inches from the back. Camouflage orange clothing is legal if the number of square inches of orange is visible.
Hunters should remember that all deer must be tagged before moving the carcass from the kill site. Certain permits, such as an antlerless whitetail permit, require that the head remain attached to the carcass during transport for sex identification. However, KDWPT offers a voluntary option that allows hunters to register their deer through the Internet, using photos taken at the harvest site. Once registered, the hunter may then transport the carcass without the head attached. If Internet access is unavailable at the kill site, the hunter can retain the photographs while in transit and a registration number can be obtained later. To access the electronic deer check-in, go online to the KDWPT website, www.ksoutdoors.com, and click “Hunting/Big Game/Deer/Deer Check-in.”
To ensure everyone enjoys a safe deer hunt, hunters must remember basic firearm safety rules including knowing their target and what lies beyond it and always wearing the required hunter orange. Hunters must have permission to hunt on any private land, whether it is posted or not. The 2012 Kansas Hunting Atlas features maps showing all public and Walk-In Hunting Access areas is available wherever licenses are sold and online at www.ksoutdoors.com.

Related articles

• Electronic Registration of Deer Available (kansas-outdoors.blogspot.com)
• Young hunters check 19,277 deer (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

FIREARM ANTELOPE APPLICATION DEADLINE JUNE 8

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Applications accepted only online; archery permits over the counter July 25
PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) is accepting applications for the resident firearm and muzzleloader antelope permit drawing. Applications may be submitted online through the KDWPT website, ksoutdoors.com. Click "License/Permits" in the upper right-hand corner of the page to begin the process. Paper applications are not available. For more information, phone 620-672-0728.
Open to Kansas residents only, more than 1,000 applications are expected for the 150 firearm and 46 muzzleloader permits available this year. Hunters who are unsuccessful in the drawing receive a preference point. It may require six or more preference points for a general resident to draw a firearm permit, or three or four preference points to draw a muzzleloader permit, depending on the number of applicants. Half the permits allocated in each unit are set aside for landowner/tenant applicants. Those who do not want to apply for a permit and want to purchase a preference point only may select "preference point only" online for $6.50. Only one preference point may be obtained per year.
Archery antelope permits are unlimited, and both resident and nonresident hunters can purchase permits over the counter. One open archery unit comprises the same area as the three firearm units combined. On average, fewer than 200 archery permits are sold each year. Archery antelope permits will be available over the counter from July 25 through Oct. 30.
2012 antelope season dates:

• firearm season — Oct. 5-8;
• muzzleloader season — Oct. 1-8; and
• archery season — Sept. 22-30 and Oct. 15-31.

Shooting hours for all seasons are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
Firearm and muzzleloader antelope general resident permits are $47.50, and resident landowner/tenant permits are $27.50. General resident archery antelope permits are $42.50; landowner/tenant archery permits are $22.50; and nonresident archery permits are $202.50. (Internet and processing fees also apply.) Unless exempt, all permit holders must also possess a Kansas hunting license.
The first modern-day antelope (properly called "pronghorn") hunting season in Kansas was held in 1974. Nearly 500 hunters applied for 80 permits, and 70 animals were harvested. Today, hunting is restricted to three management units that include parts or all of Sherman, Thomas, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Ness, Hamilton, Kearny, Finney, Gray, Hodgeman, Ford, Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Morton, Stevens, Seward, Meade and Clark counties.
For more information on hunting antelope in Kansas, go to Hunting/Big Game/Antelope on the KDWPT website.

Related articles

• Kansas Nonresident Deer Drawing Complete

  ---

• Kdwpt Commission Approves Big Game and Turkey Regulations

  ---

• 2012 Kansas Nonresident Deer Application Deadline April 27

  ---

• South Dakota Hunting Seasons Proposed

  ---

• North Dakota's Deer Season Set, Online Apps Available May 9

  ---

KDWPT COMMISSION APPROVES BIG GAME AND TURKEY REGULATIONS

Seasons set for antelope, elk
WICHITA — The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission met at the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita on Thursday, April 26. During the Public Hearing portion of the meeting, the commission approved recommended changes to the management units for fall turkey hunting season. The recommendation adds two units for a total of six, and will allow biologists to adapt hunting regulations and bag limits to better manage the state’s turkey populations.
In other action, the commission approved recommendations for the season dates and permit allocations for the 2012 antelope seasons. Archery season for antelope is Sept. 22-30, and Oct. 15-31. Archery permits are sold over-the-counter to residents and nonresidents, and all antelope management units are open to archery hunting.
The muzzleloader-only antelope season is set for Oct. 1-8, and is open to residents only. Twenty-six muzzleloader-only permits are authorized for Unit 2; 12 permits are authorized for Unit 17; and eight permits are authorized for Unit 18.
The 2012 firearm antelope season is set for Oct. 5-8 and is open to residents only. One hundred firearm antelope permits are authorized for Unit 2; 40 are authorized for Unit 17; and 10 are authorized for Unit 18.
The application period for resident antelope muzzleloader and firearm permits is May 8-June 8. All applications must be submitted online through the KDWPT website, www.ksoutdoors.com.
In final public hearing action, commissioners approved recommendations for the 2012-2013 elk hunting season. Archery season: Unit 3 (statewide except Fort Riley and Morton County) — Sept. 17-Dec. 31; Unit 2a (Fort Riley) — Sept. 1-30. Firearm Season: Unit 3 — Nov. 28-Dec. 9, and Jan. 1, 2013-March 15, 2013; Unit 2a, either-sex holders — Oct. 1-Dec. 31; antlerless-only permit holders – Oct. 1-31, Nov. 1-30 and Dec. 1-31 (one-third of the permits valid in each season segment). Muzzleloader season: Unit 2 and Unit 3 – Sept. 1-30.
Ten either-sex elk permits and 15 antlerless-only elk permits are authorized for Unit 2. Only residents are eligible for elk permits, and applications for limited-quota permits must be submitted online by July 13, 2012. An unlimited number of antlerless-only and either-sex hunt-own-land permits are authorized for Units 2 and 3. An unlimited number of the antlerless-only and either-sex elk permits are authorized for Unit 3.
The KDWPT Commission’s next meeting is scheduled for June 21 in Kansas City.

Related articles

• 2012 Kansas Nonresident Deer Application Deadline April 27
• South Dakota: GFP Commission Sets Pheasant, Other Hunting Seasons
• Oklahoma: Slate of hunting and fishing regulation changes approved for 2012
• Iowa Commission Approves Changes to Fall Hunting Seasons
• Minnesota deer harvest declines 7 percent in 2011

FURBEARER RUNNING SEASON BEGINS MARCH 1

Season runs through Nov. 1; firearms may not be possessed
PRATT — Although beaver trapping season runs through March 31, all other Kansas trapping seasons and furbearer hunting seasons are over for the winter. However, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) reminds hound enthusiasts that the furbearer running season begins March 1. This is the time for furbearer hunters and their dogs to hone skills necessary during the furbearer hunting seasons.
During the running season, no furbearer may be legally killed or taken. In addition, it is illegal for runners to possess any firearm or other weapon while pursuing furbearers during the running season. Legal hours for running furbearers are 24 hours daily, and a furharvester license is required. The running season is open through Nov. 1.
Furbearers may also be run during the open furbearer hunting seasons, which coincide with trapping seasons.
KDWP also reminds furbearer trappers and hunters that bobcats and swift foxes must be pelt tagged within seven days of season’s end, which was Feb. 15. Tags should be kept with mounted specimens.

KANSAS FIREARMS DEER SEASON OPENS DEC. 1

Image via Wikipedia

PRATT — The 2010 Kansas firearm deer season runs Wednesday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 12, and hunters are sighting in their rifles and practicing their shooting skills in anticipation of one of the state's favorite hunting seasons. Deer are plentiful, and a good season is expected.

In 2009, KDWP issued more than 80,000 Any-Season White-tailed Either-Sex Deer permits Kansas to residents. In addition, more than 27,000 Nonresident White-tailed Either-Sex Deer permits were issued. Combined with the number of Antlerless-Only Deer game tags issued, more than 174,000 permits and game tags to take deer were issued in Kansas last year, and hunters took approximately 87,000 deer. Kansas firearms deer hunters enjoy a phenomenal success rate of more than 50 percent, and a similar harvest is expected this year.

All deer hunters must have a deer permit to hunt deer in Kansas. Resident hunters 16 to 65 years old must also possess a hunting license, unless exempt by law. Nonresident hunters must apply for a nonresident deer permit in April, and the drawing is held in May. A nonresident hunting license is also required. Hunters must purchase a permit that allows the harvest of an antlered deer before they can purchase a Antlerless-Only White-tailed Deer permit, until after Dec. 30.

Other upcoming deer seasons include a Jan. 1-9, 2011, Extended Firearm Season (antlerless whitetails only) open statewide; a Jan. 10-31 Extended Archery Season (Unit 19, antlerless whitetails only); and a Jan. 10-16 Special Extended Firearm Season (units 7, 8, and 15, antlerless whitetails only). Archery season runs through Dec. 31 (hunter orange required during firearms season).

Resident whitetail deer permits are available online or at license vendors throughout the state. Hunters are reminded that landowner permission is required to hunt any private land, whether that land is posted or not.

The first Kansas deer season in modern times was held in 1965, and less than half of the state was open. Biologists estimated state deer numbers at about 30,000. Thirty-nine hundred permits were issued, and firearms hunters took approximately 1,340 deer. Today, deer can be found throughout the state. Many upland bird hunters are afield at this time, as well, and while they are always urged to wear hunter orange, it is especially important at this time.