ARCHERY IN THE SCHOOLS SECOND STATE MEET BIGGER, BETTER

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Almost 250 students compete in program’s second state championship
HAYS — The second annual Kansas State Archery In the Schools (AIS) Championship meet was held at Fort Hays State University on March 12, and participation revealed that the program is growing dramatically in popularity. Six participating school districts (Anthony, Clearwater, Ell-Saline, Healy, Jackson Heights, and Rose Hill) entered 246 youngsters, including 47 high school, 123 middle school, and 76 elementary school students. This compares to 78 total participants in the inaugural event last year.

The focus of the AIS program is to provide international style target archery training in grades 4-12 physical education classes. The Kansas Archery in the Schools Program operates under the umbrella of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) and the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP).

Started in Kentucky 12 years ago, Archery In the Schools came to Kansas in 2006. Gary Keehn, Holton, serves as coordinator of the state program. Keehn helps organize events, recruit instructors, set up ranges, and conduct certification workshops for instructors, many of whom are physical education teachers in elementary and secondary Kansas schools. Instructors are trained primarily through summer workshops.

Working under Mike Rader, KDWP wildlife education coordinator, Keehn helps schools and other organizations start programs and obtain equipment. With support from the archery industry, a $5,000 program equipment kit can be purchased by schools for about $3,000. Any teacher who completes a training session receives assistance towards the purchase of a kit from KDWP. Schools that host a basic instructor training workshop receive additional assistance. The Kansas program currently has about 150 schools involved.

Fort Hays State was the first university to establish a program, under the direction of Dr. Joyce Ellis, assistant professor in the school's Department of Health and Human Performance. For the second year in a row, Ellis has also been the driving force behind the state championship meet.

Because archery is not sanctioned by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, some schools restrict money used to establish programs or pay travel expenses for competitions. Schools with the program hold fund raisers with the help of supporters, students, local businesses, and community volunteers. Partial funding for equipment comes from KDWP and NASP. And this year, support came from Genesis Bows, Morrell Targets, Bass Pro Shops, the Kansas Bowhunters Association, and Cabela’s.

Using stock, unmodified Genesis bows (their own or ones provided by the tournament), students shot one practice round of five arrows and three scoring rounds of five arrows each from both 10 meters and 15 meters — a total of 30 scoring shots. Scoring rings on the target provided points from 10 to zero. Team scores were the total of the team's highest 12 individual scores, with at least five archers of each gender per team.

Each participant received a medal. The overall highest male and female scorers and the third place overall winner each received a new Genesis bow, two donated by NASP and the other donated by the Kansas Bowhunters Association. The fourth and fifth place winners received $50 gift certificates from Cabela’s. Plaques donated by KDWP were awarded to the top three teams in each division. The top two teams and the top three individuals are eligible to participate in the NASP National Championships in Kentucky.

The top scoring individual participants included the following, and each received a Genesis bow:

• Top Male Overall — Jordan Serpan, 8th-grader from Clearwater Middle School Blue;
• Top Female Overall — Micaela Keehn — 10th-grader from Jackson Heights High School; and
• Next High Score (male or female) — Jon Varney, 12th-grader from Jackson Heights High School.

Jackson Heights High School dominated the individual high school competition, taking home all of the top three plaques in the high school division:

• First Place — Micaela Keehn, 10th grade;
• Second Place — Jon Varney, 12th grade; and
• Third Place — Trent Henry, 11th grade.

Domination continued in the middle school individual competition, but this time Clearwater Middle School Blue nabbed the top three plaques:

• First Place — Jordan Serpan, 8th grade;
• Second Place — Luke Sipp, 7th grade; and
• Third Place — Brandon William, 8th grade.

Individual elementary school plaques went to the following participants:

• First Place — Lexi Cotham, 6th-grader from Clearwater Elementary Blue;
• Second Place — Lillian Keehn, 5th-grader from Jackson Heights Elementary; and
• Third Place — Parker Patterson, 6th-grader from Anthony Runners 5&6.

The top three teams in each division also won plaques:

High School

• First Place —Jackson Heights A-Team;
• Second Place — Ellsworth-Saline; and
• Third Place — Jackson Heights B-Team.

Middle School

• First Place — Clearwater Middle School Blue;
• Second Place — Anthony Junior Runners 7&8; and
• Third Place — Rose Hill Middle School A-Team.

Elementary School

• First Place — Clearwater Elementary Blue;
• Second Place — Anthony Runners 5&6;
• Third Place — Clearwater Elementary White.

For more information on the Kansas Archery In the Schools program, phone Mike Rader at 620-672-5911.

FISHING INFORMATION

2011 SPRING TURKEY ATLAS NOW AVAILABLE

Publication shows all land open to spring turkey hunting; online version also available
PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) has announced that the 2011 Kansas Spring Turkey Atlas will be available March 28 at KDWP offices and license vendors around the state. An online version is currently available on the agency's website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us. To view or download the atlas from the KDWP website, click Hunting/Where To Hunt In Kansas/2011 Spring Turkey Atlas. View or print all or portions of the atlas.

This is an indispensible tool for anyone looking for a new place hunt, or for those who don’t yet have a place to go. The atlas pinpoints access to all land in Kansas open to public spring turkey hunting, including Walk-In Hunting Access land, which is private land leased by KDWP. This spring, more than 174,000 acres of Walk-In land are available, in addition to state and federal wildlife areas.

The 2011 spring youth/disabled and archery turkey seasons run April 1-12. The regular spring season runs April 13-May 31. Turkey permits allow hunters to use a shotgun, crossbow, or bow throughout the regular season.

Turkey permits valid in units 1, 2, and 3 may be purchased online from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) website,www.kdwp.state.ks.us, or over the counter at any license vendor. A regulations summary may be downloaded from the KDWP website and printed or obtained at KDWP offices and license vendors. The brochure can be used only for general regulations regarding the 2011 Kansas spring turkey hunting season.

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Summer Jobs in America’s Great Outdoors

Image via WikipediaThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the country’s 553
national wildlife refuges, hopes to hire more than 2,000 young people this
year, as it did in 2010. Apply now for a job this summer on a national
wildlife refuge or other public land. A commitment to youth hiring is part
of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.

Go to the Refuge System web site to find 2011 youth job opportunities in
the National Wildlife Refuge System. Scroll down and click on “Student
Employment Opportunities” to learn about jobs through program partners
such as the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and AmeriCorps. You can
apply directly for some openings on partner web sites. For other
opportunities on refuges, such as those through the Youth Conservation
Corps (YCC), contact your local refuge (use the “Find Your Refuge” feature
on the Refuge System homepage).

Learn about other 2011 conservation job opportunities with the Department
of the Interior (DOI) at a new web site, http://www.youthgo.gov/ and e
xplore the Department of the Interior's Youth in the Great Outdoors
program. Listings are for both permanent and temporary jobs. DOI manages
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and several
other technical bureaus.

Youth jobs on national wildlife refuges can change lives and career
pathways. They also stimulate learning and personal growth, say those with
firsthand experience:

       Tylar Greene, from the Bronx, felt “culture shock” on arriving for
an internship in summer 2010 at Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge in
New Hampshire, she recounts in a video. But she loved the work and the
moral support she got from refuge staff.


       Lexxs Sutton, a 2010 YCCer who helped build a boardwalk, maintain
trails and pull invasive plants at William L. Finley National Wildlife
Refuge in Oregon, called the work hard. Even so, she says, “I learned a
lot, and it was probably the most fun job I will ever have.”
       
       For further evidence of challenging and fun youth jobs on refuges,
see a video made by a 2010 YCC crew at Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge in
Alaska.

      See photos of young people at work on national wildlife refuges. Read
about youth hiring in the Northeast.

      Youth job candidates are considered without regard to race, color,
religion, sex or national origin. Most internships include a stipend, and
others are volunteer positions.

      The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others
to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats
for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader
and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our
scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources,
dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more
information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit
www.fws.gov.












Fishing, Hunting, and Camping Information

KANSAS ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT SPRING TURKEY HUNT

Grounds near Parsons offer excellent opportunity; application deadline March 21
PARSONS — The 13,727-acre property formerly known as the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant is now owned in part by the Great Plains Development Authority, the U.S. Army, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). All three entities are working together to provide spring turkey hunting opportunities on the property, located 3 miles east of Parsons.

This spring, two hunts will be offered: an archery-only and youth shotgun hunt will take place April 7 through April 10, and a shotgun hunt will be held April 13 through April 17. Youth and archery hunters may apply for either hunt, but not both. Hunters may each harvest one bird.

Twenty hunters will be drawn for each hunt, and applicants are required to apply and hunt in pairs. Each pair of hunters will choose a designated tract to hunt based on drawing order. Each pair of hunters must have at least one partner 21 years or older.

Applicants must send their full name, drivers license number, social security number, birth date, address, phone number, and email address on a 3x5 index card in an envelope to KDWP, Turkey Hunt, 507 E 560th Ave, Pittsburg, KS 66762. Hunting pairs must submit information for both hunters on the same index card.

Applications must be postmarked March 21 or earlier. Only one application will be accepted per pair of hunters. The information provided will be used to conduct a mandatory background check for successfully drawn applicants. Incomplete or incorrect entries will not be accepted.

Hunters who were successful in the area’s fall 2010 deer hunts are not eligible.

Successful applicants will be notified by mail or email by March 25. All participants must attend a safety/security briefing. Briefings will be held April 6 at 6 p.m. for the first hunt and April 12 at 6 p.m. for the second hunt. All hunt rules and questions will be addressed at that time.

Hunts may be cancelled at any time due to heightened security. For more information, phone 620-231-3173 or 620-421-7447.

Hunting Tips

KANSAS GOVERNOR’S ONE-SHOT TURKEY HUNT APRIL 14-16

Annual event first for new Governor Brownback
EL DORADO — The 25th annual Kansas Governor’s One Shot Turkey Hunt will be held April 14-16 in El Dorado. Hunters from across Kansas and many states have committed to participate this year’s event, the first turkey hunt for new Kansas Governor Sam Brownback.

“I look forward to taking part in my first turkey hunt,” says Brownback. “And this event is a great way to promote not only our state’s natural resources but also economic growth in Kansas.”

Former Kansas Governor Mike Hayden, who established the event with former El Dorado Chamber of Commerce president Marv McCown in 1987, also will attend. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Secretary Robin Jennison and seven youth from Kansas also will also take part, and music fans will welcome country star Bryan White, who will hunt and play a few tunes.

Activities this year include a Thursday get-acquainted social, the Big Tom Hog Roast social on Friday, and the Saturday One-Shot Banquet. These dinners will be held for the first time at the new Butler Community College Welcome Center in the Clifford Stone Room.

The hunt is directed by El Dorado Chamber CEO Becky Wolfe, with headquarters at 200 S. Main in El Dorado. For more information, phone Wolfe at 316-321-3835 or visit the One-Shot website, www.ksgovsturkeyhunt.com.

Missouri Public Lands Hunting Information

MARCH 31 LAST DAY FOR PARK FEE BARGAINS

Park users can save by purchasing permits before April 1
PRATT — Visitors to Kansas state parks can save money by purchasing many permits before the prime park season begins on April 1. Permits purchased in the off-season — Oct. 1-March 31 — are valid for the remainder of the calendar year, and they are cheaper if purchased during this period.

For 2011, state park vehicle entrance permit fees include the following:

Off-Season (through March 31)

• Annual camping permit — $202.50
• 14-night camping permit —$87.50
• Annual vehicle permit — $19.70 (senior/disabled: $11.10)
• Additional annual vehicle permit — $12.20 (senior/disabled: $7.35)

Prime Season (April 1-Sept. 30)

• Annual camping permit — $252.50
• 14-night camping permit —$101.50
• Annual vehicle permit — $24.70 (senior/disabled: $13.60)
• Additional annual vehicle permit — $14.70 (senior/disabled: $8.60)

Costs listed include applicable service fees, except online purchase convenience fee. Annual permits are valid for the remainder of the calendar year whether purchased in the off-season or the prime season.

KDWP's Parks Division operates a system of 25 parks and the Prairie Spirit Rail-Trail. Most state parks provide utility and primitive camping, as well as cabins, and are located adjacent to lakes or reservoirs. Most camping and utility fees remain unchanged, but daily and 14-day camping permits are cheaper if purchased in the off-season. In addition to camping facilities, parks offer boat ramps, courtesy docks, shelter houses, swimming beaches, trails, and a variety of other amenities. Parks also host numerous special events, such as concerts and festivals, throughout the year.

More information on state parks is also available at the KDWP website,www.kdwp.state.ks.us. To reserve a cabin, click "Cabin Reservations" in the upper right-hand corner of the KDWP website.

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BIOLOGISTS ANGLING FOR WALLEYE FISHERMEN

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Early spring walleye spawning attracts anglers, fisheries biologists
PRATT — In late March and early April, walleye migrate to rocky shallows in Kansas reservoirs to spawn. At this time, anglers gather along rip-rapped dams hoping to catch large walleye by casting jigs, rattle traps, crank baits, and stick baits from shore. Some even wade to cast parallel with the shore. But anglers aren’t the only ones interested in this activity although their interests are at stake. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) fisheries biologists take advantage of the spawn to harvest walleye eggs, which are then taken to agency hatcheries where increased hatching success means more fish for anglers in years to come.

This year, three reservoirs will provide KDWP with walleye eggs. Egg-taking will begin on March 21 at Cedar Bluff Reservoir, March 21 at Hillsdale Reservoir, and March 28 at Milford Reservoir. Nets will be placed to catch spawning females that provide eggs both walleye and saugeye hatching programs. Fall test netting revealed large populations of big walleye in these three lakes.

Infestations of zebra mussels, white perch, and other aquatic nuisance species (ANS) in several Kansas reservoirs require special care during egg-taking to prevent the spread of these potentially-destructive species. All sperm and egg collection will take place on each lake and the fish returned to that lake immediately. Eggs will be fertilized at the lake, as well, so no fish will be moved.

On March 14, KDWP biologists began catching male sauger and milking them for milt (sperm) for the saugeye hatching program. (The saugeye is a walleye/sauger hybrid.) Milt is preserved in vials that are taken to Milford Reservoir to fertilize walleye eggs.

Biologists will work for the next few weeks collecting and fertilizing eggs, transporting them to KDWP's hatcheries at Farlington, Milford, and Pratt, and eventually stocking fish throughout the state. Some fry are stocked in hatchery ponds to be raised to fingerling size and stocked later in late May and early June. Others are stocked directly into lakes as fry.

In addition to walleye, the Milford Hatchery will produce the saugeye. Saugeye grow faster and larger than sauger and are thought to be less prone to wash-out high flow-through reservoirs than the walleye. To prevent production of fertile saugeye that have the potential to breed with walleye already in a lake — and potentially diluting that walleye population's genetics — a "triploid induction" process is used on some of the saugeye produced. Triploid induction is a technique that allows genetic manipulation of a chromosome number to create a potentially faster-growing, but sterile, saugeye.

KDWP's statewide harvest goal for 2011 is 77 million eggs, with a production goal of 37 million walleye, 8 million saugeye, and 1.2 million sauger. Because fewer than 5 percent of eggs hatch in the wild, artificial spawning and hatching is used to increase egg survival rates as much as 40-50 percent. When hatchery-bound eggs reach their destination, biologists monitor incubation closely. Water flows are checked to ensure constant but controlled movement. Water temperatures and oxygen content are also routinely checked. Dead eggs rise to the top of the jars and are siphoned off each day. With a water temperature of 60 degrees, hatching generally occurs on the eighth or ninth day of incubation. As the fry break out of their egg cases, they are carried upward by the water into large circular holding tanks where they are held for two to four days. Then they are ready for stocking.

All this activity may not be high-profile, but it makes Kansas walleye fishing much more productive. And as waters warm and days grow longer in late March and early April, many anglers take their cue from fisheries biologists and enjoy the opportunity to take walleye from the shore.

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