Setting Duck Season Becoming Difficult Issue
Associated Press - Mon 08:36 AM 08/20/2012
Hunters in the northern part of the southeast zone want the Nov. 3 opening, while those farther south want a mid-November opener
The state wildlife department will set dates for this year's duck season this week, which has become a contentious issue in southeast Kansas.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism commission will meet Thursday in Great Bend. Duck hunters say the birds arrive later in southeast Kansas than in other parts of the state, where the season opens in late October.
The department is suggesting opening the season Nov. 3. But commissioners Don Budd, of Kansas City, and Robert Wilson, of Pittsburg, think it should open one or two weeks later.
That way, the 74-day season could last longer into January. Duck hunters in the northern part of the southeast zone want the Nov. 3 opening, while those farther south want a mid-November opener.
--- Associated Press Information from: The Wichita Eagle
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troy
Monday 20 August 2012 18:16 Report this comment
It's better than it used to be. A few years back one could shoot mallards (hens only) on this side of the road and pintails, teal & wood ducks on the other side of the road (but not until next week). Widgeons could only be taken on Tuesdays, drake mallards on Thursdays, and mud ducks anytime after the 3rd monday in January. Then they came up with the point system. 100 points and your day is over. A hen mallard was 100 points while a drake mallard was 20 points. Basically it was a confusing joke. Throw in steel shot which couldn't kill anything beyond 30 yards, bismuth shot was $40.00 a box, tungsten was even more expensive and finally thousands and thousands of hunters gave up the sport. The result was an explosion in the numbers of ducks and geese which caused flight 1549 to end up in the Hudson and countless thousands of bird strikes a year. Bring back lead shot, 15 bird limit, season for ALL waterfowl opens on Sept 15th, and ends on March 31st. Simple fix.
duckhntr
Tuesday 21 August 2012 09:26 Report this comment
I'm not sure why this is such a difficult issue. Simply put, there won't much of a duck season this year. Cheyenne Bottoms is dry. Quivira NWR is dry. Most farm ponds are dry. Not much incentive for ducks to stop in our part of the state this year.