Courtesy of KDWP

Cabins, reduced prices, uncrowded conditions make parks attractive in fall and winter
PRATT — Summer is over, but for many outdoorsmen and women, that doesn’t mean the end of Kansas state park visitation. Many hunters and anglers — and even campers looking for a cool-season adventure — take advantage of the “off-season” in Kansas state parks. Lower prices during the off-season — Oct. 1-March 31 — make trips even more attractive.

Hunters and anglers probably use parks more than other visitors, and the growing number of cabins in parks makes stays more inviting. Cabins provide all the amenities of home and proximity to popular outdoor activities. Cabin rental fees vary depending on size, days of the week, and time of year.

Standard off-season state park permit fees are as follow:

• Daily Vehicle permit — $3.70 (senior/disabled, $2.60);
• Annual Vehicle permit — $19.70 (senior/disabled, $11.10);
• additional Annual Vehicle permit — $12.20 (senior/disabled, $7.35):
• Daily Camping permit — $7.50; and
• 14-Day Camping permit — $87.50.

Costs listed include applicable service fees, except online purchase convenience fee. Annual permits purchased in either the off-season or the prime season are valid for the remainder of the calendar year. 2009 permits go on sale Dec. 15.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ (KDWP) Parks Division operates a system of 25 parks and the Prairie Spirit Rail-Trail. In addition to cabins, most state parks provide utilities and primitive camping and are located adjacent to lakes or reservoirs. Utility fees remain unchanged although some camping fees are cheaper if purchased in the off-season.

In addition to camping facilities, parks offer boat ramps, courtesy docks, shelter houses, 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 park fees is available at the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us.

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Courtesy of NSSF

NEWTOWN, Conn. — For many hunters, that 300-mile drive to deer camp may be put on hold this year. Unwilling — or unable — to spend more on gasoline than licenses and lodging, many hunters are checking out their options closer to home.

Recent surveys have shown that this is a national trend among American hunters. According to research conducted by Southwick Associates’ HunterSurvey.com, “40 percent of hunters indicated that rising gas prices will cause them to reduce their outdoor activities or reduce their travel distance.”

Realizing that gaining access to both public and private land can be one of a hunter’s most daunting challenges, some state fish and game departments have developed innovative programs to address the problem.

Pennsylvania, for example, provides the public with detailed maps that show areas accessible by local hunters. These include state game, forest and park lands, and national forest property, totaling over 3.5 million acres. Through a “landowner cooperator” program, an additional two million acres of private property have also been opened up to the state’s hunters.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) recently unveiled a state-of-the-art mapping program using Google Maps. It’s a user-friendly service especially valuable for those new to hunting or new to the state. “Every hunter knows scouting is key to success, and these Google Maps make it easy to start scouting at home,” said Matthew Keenan, ODFW’s Access and Habitat Program Coordinator. The map features state wildlife areas, national wildlife refuges and private lands open to hunting through the state’s Access and Habitat and Upland Cooperative Access programs. Each area even has a descriptive bubble that provides information about the principal species hunted, size of the area, access periods and special regulations.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), working with sportsmen and landowners, provides sportsmen access to private land and through private land to public lands with a program called “Access Yes!”

“The ‘Access Yes!’ program is an exciting opportunity to get sportsmen and landowners together to improve habitat, increase hunting access and benefit private landowners. An additional benefit is that landowners and sportsmen get to know and respect each other,” commented Jim Unsworth, deputy director for IDFG.

In 2008 IDFG has made 444,735 private acres accessible to sportsmen and access to an additional 381,310 acres of public ground by working with private landowners. “We are doing our part to keep our hunters hunting at home in Idaho,” said Unsworth.

These programs, and similar ones in other states, have received significant funding from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, through its Hunting Heritage Partnership Program.

The NSSF helps sportsmen and women locate places to hunt at www.huntandshoot.org.

Courtesy of Kansas Wildlife and Parks

Printed copies of the 2008 Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary will be available at Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) offices and license vendors around the state soon, but hunters can view or download the summary now from the KDWP website.

This year’s booklet contains several changes, in both format and new regulations. A few of the more significant new regulations include the following:

• Annual hunting and fishing licenses are available at no cost to honorably discharged resident veterans with certified service-related disabilities of 30 percent or more, effective Jan.1, 2009.
• A season for Eurasian collared and ringed turtle doves will run Nov.20 through Feb.28.
• Resident Any-Season Whitetail permits will be valid statewide during any season with equipment legal for that season.
• Resident Either-species/Either-sex Archery permits will be valid statewide.
• No big game permit may be transferred to another person.
• Big game or turkey permits for residents younger than 16 are half-price.
• Special Hunt-Own-Land deer permits may be issued to a landowner’s or tenant’s siblings and lineal family members and spouses, regardless of residency.
• Nonresident deer hunters are restricted to two adjacent deer management units.
• Nonresident hunters are required to select one season (archery, muzzleloader, or firearms) at the time of application.
• Scopes are allowed for early muzzleloader deer season.
• Knapped broad heads allowed during the archery deer season.
• Crossbows are allowed for deer hunting in the firearm season.

The most significant change in format this year involves the way the public hunting areas section is presented. Each KDWP-owned or operated property is listed, including size, directions to the area, and special regulations that apply to that area.

As always, most season dates have changed to some degree, and other regulations are covered in this indispensable booklet. Printed copies of the 2008 Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary will be available in September at department offices and license vendors around the state.

Sierra Sportsmen Network is holding a fishing and hunting photo contest in celebration of the launch of its new website, www.sierrasportsmen.org. Winners will receive a $500 gift certificate to Patagonia or Bass Pro Shops. The contest will be judged by prominent representatives of Boone & Club, Field & Stream Magazine, National Geographic, Sierra Club, the Orion Institute, the National Wildlife Federation, Save our Wild Salmon, and the Federation of Fly Fishers.

Sierra Club is trying to reach out to more anglers and hunters. Sportsmen have been involved in conservation efforts since the Club was founded more than one hundred years ago. With 20% of Sierra Club members fishing and hunting, they realize that conservation has a big role to play in terms of maintaining wildlife populations and habitat. Sierra Sportsmen’s hope is that the new site will serve as a hub for hunters and anglers, allowing them to reach across state lines, transcend geographical barriers and connect with each other, find out about conservation issues that affect them, help pass on outdoor traditions to the next generation, restore local streams, protect game habitat, and fight global warming.

The site includes interviews with prominent figures in the outdoor movement such as President Lowell Baier of the Boone & Crockett Club, as well as conservation updates, and opportunities for sportsmen to take action on issues that affect us all. Members of the Sierra Sportsmen Network can stay updated on the latest in outdoor news through Schwedler’s “Greenneck” blog. So sign up and enjoy all the benefits Sierra Sportsmen has to offer.

PHOTOGRAPHY RULES

Got a great fishing or hunting photo? Time to cash it in for a $500 gift certificate to Bass Pro Shops or Patagonia! We’re looking for photos that capture your passion and respect for the people, places, and critters we love to share our outdoor experiences with!

Here are the categories:

1. Best Kid’s Fishing ($500 Bass Pro Shop prize)
2. Best Kid’s Hunting ($500 Patagonia prize)
3. Best Adult’s Fishing ($500 Bass Pro Shop prize)
4. Best Adult’s Hunting ($500 Patagonia prize)

HOW TO ENTER: To submit a photo for the contest, go to www.flickr.com, upload your photo, and tag it with “sierrasportsmencontest”. Your photo will then be placed into a gallery of other submitted photos. Final day to submit photos is May 31, 2008.

Contest winners will be determined in a two-step process:

1. A group of prominent sportsmen will judge your photo, and pass their 12 favorites along to the finalists category.
2. Members of the Sierra Sportsmen Network will vote for the winners among 12 finalists June 9th-13th, 2008.

Photo contest winners will be announced online and through email June 16, 2008.

HOW TO VOTE: To sign-up to vote, join the Sierra Sportsmen Network. Only members of the Sierra Sportsmen Network will be able to vote for a contest winner (you may vote for yourself!)– so make sure you sign-up!