KANSAS ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY FALL MEETING

Members of the public are welcome to join in on the feathery fun

PRATT – The Kansas Ornithological Society (KOS) will hold its fall meeting October 3-5 in Salina. This informative and fun gathering is open to everyone and will include an informal, come-and-go reception at Lakewood Discovery Center on Friday from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. On Saturday a paper session and business meeting will run 9 a.m. - 4:40 p.m., followed by the annual banquet from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. On Sunday, all-day field trips will start at 7 a.m.

The paper session and business meeting will take place at the Sams Hall of Fine Arts on Kansas Wesleyan University campus, where students involved in bird research will have the opportunity to present their results. Time will also be allotted for non-professional birders wishing to share information on less-formal bird observations and research. Following lunch, participants can enjoy a Birdwatchers’ Hour where photographers of all skill levels can showcase their images of birds from Kansas and around the world. During the business meeting, KOS members will vote on new officers and board of directors for 2015, receive a fiscal update on KOS, and address any changes regarding bylaws or rules of operation, if necessary.

The annual banquet is scheduled at the Salina Country Club and will feature an awards ceremony and keynote speaker, Al Batt, a contributing columnist for Birdwatcher’s Digest.

Sunday will conclude the three-day event with all-day field trips led by local experts. Participants will depart from Lakewood Middle School (across from Lakewood Discovery Center) at 7 a.m. Destinations include: Salina, Ottawa State Fishing Lake, Kanopolis Reservoir, McPherson State Fishing Lake and Abilene. A list of species compiled for these areas and a lunch will be provided for all pre-paid participants.

For more information, or to register, visit www.ksbirds.org, or contact Mike Rader atmike.rader@ksoutdoors.com or (620) 672-0708.

HOW TO FIND A FISHING HOLE THIS SUMMER

Finding a fishing hot spot in Kansas this summer is easier than you think

PRATT ­– If you’ve ever been fishing, you know there are a multitude of questions that can

flutter through an angler’s mind – why were the fish biting yesterday and not today? Did I put the right line on? Should I use a chartreuse or white spinner bait? All of these are valid questions, but where to fish shouldn’t be one of them. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has several tools available to help make your day on the water as successful as possible.

By visiting ksoutdoors.com, and clicking “Fishing,” anglers can access four invaluable resources that will give any angler an edge this summer, including: the 2014 Fishing Forecast, 2014 Fishing Atlas, up-to-date fishing reports, and stocking records.

2014 FISHING FORECAST

The 2014 Fishing Forecast uses data gathered from sampling efforts of public waters during annual lake monitoring, and because of this, anglers can rest assured they are receiving the best possible information on where to fish and what to fish for. In addition to what species of fish can be caught at any given body of water, the forecast also includes tables with Density Ratings, Preferred Ratings, and Lunker Ratings, as well as information on the Biggest Fish sampled, Biologist’s Ratings, and a Three-Year Average of popular species.

2014 FISHING ATLAS

The 2014 Fishing Atlas is a 60-page compilation of detailed, easy-to-read maps, making it a must-have for any angler. In addition to maps of public waters, anglers can also find maps of Fishing Impoundment and Stream Habitats (F.I.S.H.) waters, Community Fisheries Assistance Program (CFAP) leased properties, and lakes deemed as Family Friendly Facilities (FFF).

FISHING REPORTS

If you’re looking for the most up-to-date information on a specific body of water, fishing reports are the way to go. Compiled and entered in by KDWPT field staff, each week these fishing reports share everything from fishing success and water temperature, to lake levels and other pertinent information for that specific location. Anglers can even find out what baits and lures are catching the most fish.

STOCKING RECORDS

To improve fishing opportunities in urban areas where the demand for fish exceeds the supply, the Department created an urban fish stocking program. Seventy-seven lakes currently are stocked with 3/4- to 1 1/2-pound channel catfish, hybrid sunfish, and wipers as often as every two weeks from April through September. If you live in Atchison, Butler, Douglas, Finney, Johnson, Leavenworth, Lyon , Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Reno, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, or Wyandotte county, you have an urban lake near you. These are great locations for a quick family fishing trip. Just throw the gear in the car and make the short drive to the nearest designated urban fishing lake. Click on the “Urban Fishing Program” link under “Special Fishing Programs For You” at ksoutdoors.com for stocking records and more information.

With a little time and research, anglers can experience truly one-of-a-kind public fishing on Kansas’ some 24 reservoirs, 40 state fishing lakes, 200 community lakes, and several streams and rivers – you just have to know where to look.

KDWPT SIGNING WALK-IN HUNTING CONTRACTS

May 10, 2012

Signup deadline July 15 for landowners; new counties eligible for incentive payments

PRATT — Landowners interested in the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) Walk-In Hunting Access Program (WIHA) — which pays landowners to allow public hunting access on their land — are reminded that the deadline for enrollment is July 15. The WIHA program, which began in 1995, has grown to include more than 1 million acres and nearly 3,000 contracts with Kansas landowners.

Almost anyone who owns, leases, or manages 80 contiguous acres of land with suitable wildlife habitat can qualify. A little more than half the land enrolled in WIHA is federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grass, but other lands are also considered, including native rangeland, weedy wheat stubble, milo stubble, and riparian and wetland areas.
After receiving applications, KDWPT biologists evaluate wildlife habitat on the applicants' land. Payment rates are based on the size and location of tracts and the number of months the landowner will open the land to hunting. A 50-percent additional incentive payment is offered for WIHA in the following urban counties: Butler, Coffey, Cowley, Douglas, Franklin, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lyon, Miami, Osage, Ottawa, Reno, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sumner, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte.

Counties that have had historically low or are declining in program participation are also eligible for the 50-percent additional incentive payment. The following counties are eligible under this criteria: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Elk, Ellsworth, Geary, Greenwood, Harper, Jewell, Labette, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Republic, Rice, Riley, Stafford, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson.
Once enrolled, the property is posted with signs indicating access dates, and a map of the tract will be included in a free atlas provided by KDWPT. Natural resource officers periodically patrol WIHA properties. In addition, state law provides protection to private individuals who lease their land to the state for recreational purposes from liability for damages or injuries resulting from ordinary negligence.

Lease options include open periods running Sept. 1-Jan. 31 and Nov. 1-Jan. 31, with the option to run through March 31 in areas where habitat and hunt opportunities are appropriate. A popular spin-off is the Spring Turkey WIHA Program, with lease dates from April 1- May 31. For more information, phone 620-672-5911.

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FREE FULL-LENGTH VIDEO LURES URBAN ANGLERS

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Program, free online video makes urban fishing a great escape
PRATT — Do you want to catch more fish? You can improve your angling success by watching the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) video, The Urban Fish Stocking Program. Watching the video is free through KDWPT’s website, ksoutdoors.com.

This video features KDWPT’s Urban Fish Stocking Program, which was established to improve fishing opportunities in urban lakes. Through the program, lakes are currently stocked with 3/4- to 1 1/2-pound channel catfish, hybrid sunfish, and wipers as often as every two weeks from April through September. All metropolitan areas that have a population of more than 40,000 and available public fishing waters are served by this program. Counties served include Atchison, Butler, Douglas, Finney, Johnson, Leavenworth, Lyon, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Reno, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Wyandotte.
But there’s more to the video than fish stocking in urban lakes. After a brief overview of the urban program, the video shows young anglers how to rig a line, set drag, set a hook, bait a hook, reel in fish, net fish, and much more. Learn how to fish for catfish, sunfish, and crappie, just a few favorites of beginning anglers. Most importantly, the video shows kids and novice anglers how to start fishing with minimal expense and preparation time. To watch, go online to ksoutdoors.com and click the “Watch It” link on the right-hand side of the page. Enjoy — it’s time to go fishing.
If you live in the above listed counties, you have an urban lake near you. These are great locations for a quick family fishing trip. Just throw the gear in the car and make the short drive to the nearest designated urban fishing lake.
For a complete list of individual lakes and a stocking schedule, just click “Fishing/Special Fishing Programs for You” at ksoutdoors.com.

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KDWP OFFERS LANDOWNERS WALK-IN HUNTING ACCESS CONTRACTS

Signup deadline July 15

PRATT — Landowners interested in the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ (KDWP) Walk-In Hunting Access Program (WIHA) — which pays landowners to allow public hunting access on their land — are reminded that the deadline for enrollment is July 15. The WIHA program, which began in 1995, has grown to include more than 1 million acres and nearly 3,000 contracts with Kansas landowners.

Almost anyone who owns, leases, or manages 80 contiguous acres of land with suitable wildlife habitat can qualify. A little more than half the land enrolled in WIHA is federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grass, but other lands are also considered,including native rangeland, weedy wheat stubble, milo stubble, and riparian and wetland areas.

After receiving applications, KDWP biologists evaluate wildlife habitat on the applicants' land. Payment rates are based on the size and location of tracts and the number of months the landowner will open the land to hunting. A 50-percent additional incentive payment is offered for WIHA in the following urban counties: Butler, Coffey, Cowley, Douglas, Franklin, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lyon, Miami, Osage, Ottawa, Reno, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sumner, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte.

Counties that have had historically low program participation are also eligible for the 50-percent additional incentive payment. The following counties are considered to have historically low program enrollment: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Elk, Ellsworth, Geary, Greenwood, Harper, Labette, Linn, Marion, McPherson, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rice, Riley, Stafford, Wilson, and Woodson.

Once enrolled, the property is posted with signs indicating access dates, and a map of the tract will be included in a free atlas provided by KDWP. Natural resource officers periodically patrol WIHA properties. In addition, state law provides protection to private individuals who lease their land to the state for recreational purposes from liability for damages or injuries resulting from ordinary negligence.

Lease options include open periods running Sept. 1-Jan. 31 and Nov. 1-Jan. 31, with the option to run through March 31 in areas where habitat and hunt opportunities are appropriate. A popular spin-off is the Spring Turkey WIHA Program, with lease dates from April 1- May 31. For more information, phone 620-672-5911.

STATE FISHING LAKES OFFER GREAT MEMORIAL DAY OUTINGS

Survey indicates highly-satisfied Memorial Day weekend visitors
PRATT — Looking for a peaceful, uncrowded Memorial Day weekend outdoor experience? Try a Kansas state fishing lake.

Last year, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) fisheries biologists and public lands managers conducted surveys at state fishing lakes during the Memorial Day weekend to determine if anglers felt crowded. A total of 337 interviews were completed at 24 state fishing lakes across Kansas.

The result? Most anglers reported low levels of crowding, high satisfaction, and sufficient access for shore and boat anglers. Three observations made it clear that state fishing lakes offered an uncrowded, user-friendly experience, even on the busiest weekends:

• minimal to no wait time to launch a boat;
• on average, only one-third of parking areas full; and
• anglers less crowded than they anticipated.

Anglers were highly satisfied with their experience, indicating that state fishing lakes are great alternatives for those seeking less crowded experiences during a traditionally busy fishing and camping holiday weekend.

In addition to fishing, picnicking and camping were popular activities at state fishing lakes. Some, such as Kingman, McPherson, Mined Land, and Ottawa offer modern, affordable cabins for those who prefer not to camp. Many state fishing lakes also have ADA-compliant facilities, such as accessible docks and piers.

You don’t need a boat to enjoy the state fishing lake angling experience because numerous piers, jetties, and accessible shoreline are available for easy access. In fact, last year’s survey indicated that nearly half of the interviewed anglers fished from shore, and they responded positively when asked if there was enough access to the lake without having a boat.

As the name suggests, most state fishing lakes are managed for anglers, so no pleasure boating, skiing, or swimming is allowed. (Because Crawford, Meade, and Scott are also state parks, they allow swimming, and Crawford and Scott allow some recreational boating and offer recreational facilities such as sand volleyball courts, bathhouses, and horseshoe pits. Chase State Fishing Lake also has a swimming beach.) Water-use restrictions may limit their appeal to some outdoor users, but for others, the limitation may be a peaceful plus.

“The bottom line is that anglers who chose to fish on Memorial Day weekend at state fishing lakes last year were very happy with their experience,” said Doug Nygren, KDWP Fisheries Section supervisor. “And most did not feel crowded, even on the busiest weekend of the year. These lakes are great alternatives to large federal reservoirs on Memorial Day. If you just want to enjoy nature, camp, and fish, you may be able to find a great family-friendly spot all to yourself at a state fishing lake this Memorial Day weekend.”