Lakes may freeze in January, but anglers should approach ice cautiously

Courtesy of KDWP

– December in Kansas is an unpredictable month; the weather is usually cold, with most days warming into the 40s, but occasionally, Mother Nature blasts an arctic front into the Sunflower State, pounding daytime highs into the low teens and nighttime temperatures into single digits. When this happens, die-hard anglers begin thinking “ice.”

This year, Kansas has already experienced two arctic fronts with the possibility of another, and ice anglers are getting the itch to fish. This may be one of those winters.

While ice fishing can be a productive way to put fish in the freezer, anglers should be patient and cautious. Because Kansas weather is so variable, cold spells can be followed by warm days, making even thick ice treacherous. Wait for at least 4 inches of clear, hard ice, which can require several weeks of very cold temperatures.

Anglers should tread with care, making test holes near shore before venturing out. Never go near open water or on rivers with even the smallest trickle of current. Also be wary of lakes that harbor large numbers of waterfowl that may keep parts of the lake open most of the winter.

Ice opens a reservoir to all anglers, and fishing can be very good. If the weather cooperates, sleds will replace bass boats as fishermen trudge across lakes and huddle on stools and buckets, staring intently at small holes in the ice. Their patience is often rewarded with catches of crappie and white bass.

Proper equipment is the key to successful ice fishing. The wise ice fisherman always brings more clothing than he thinks he’ll need. For safety, a change of clothes is advisable, as is a throwable cushion, a length of rope and ice spikes. Never ice fish alone. An ice auger is the handiest way to cut holes, which can’t be larger than 12 inches in diameter. A ladle will help clear ice chips from the hole.

Most anglers build or modify sleds to pull their gear over the ice, and proper fishing equipment is also essential. In cold water, many hits may go undetected with heavy tackle, so a light, sensitive rod works best. A reel with a good drag system is a must for larger species such as white bass and stripers. Jigging spoons, jigs, and live bait work well under the ice.

Caution is always the first rule of thumb in winter, but continued frigid temperatures could produce ice fishing this year. Watch the weather, watch the ice, and watch your step.
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Future big game regulations, Free Park Entrance and Free Fishing days on agenda

Courtesy of KDWP — The Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission will conduct a public meeting and hearing in Emporia on Jan. 8. The public is invited to attend all sessions of the meeting, which will be conducted at the Best Western Hospitality House, 3021 W. Highway 50 in Emporia. The afternoon session will begin at 1:30 p.m. and recess at 5 p.m. The evening public hearing will begin at 7 p.m.

Action and discussion items scheduled for the afternoon session include the following:

• department-related action anticipated in the 2009 session of the Kansas Legislature;

• Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) revenue and budget initiatives;

• drawing of 2009 Commissioner Big Game permits;

• KDWP cabin summit update;

• Kansas Coalition for Children in Nature;

• public lands regulations;

• KDWP fishing participation marketing program;

• new Meade Hatchery bass propagation facility; and

• state threatened and endangered species status.

The commission will recess at 5 p.m., then reconvene at the same location at 7 p.m. for the public hearing portion of the agenda. Proposals for future regulation include the following workshop items:

• KAR 115-25-5 — fall turkey season, bag limit, and permits;

• KAR 115-25-7 — antelope season, bag limit, and permits;

• KAR 115-25-8 — elk season, bag limit, and permits;

• KAR 115-25-9 — deer season, bag limit, and permits; and

• big game permanent regulations.

Following the workshop session, the commission will hold a public hearing to announce 2009 Free Park Entrance Days and Free Fishing Days.

Time will be set aside in both the afternoon and evening sessions for public comment on topics that are not on the agenda. If necessary, the commission will recess on Jan. 8 and reconvene Jan. 9 to complete any unfinished business.

If notified in advance, the department will have an interpreter available for the hearing impaired. To request an interpreter, call the Kansas Commission of Deaf and Hard of Hearing at 1-800-432-0698. Any individual with a disability may request other accommodations by contacting the commission secretary at 620-672-5911.

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Federal grant program offers as much as $400,000 for large conservation projects
Courtesy of KDWP

Application materials for the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) are now available from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). The SWG is a federal grant program funded in part by CFDA 15.634 Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, and administered in Kansas by KDWP. The priority of this program is to fund projects that benefit nongame fish and wildlife and their associated habitats. Federal regulations require that projects benefit “species of greatest conservation need,” which may include listed federal and state endangered and threatened species.

KDWP will distribute as much as $400,000 of SWG funds through competitive sub-grants. Eligible applicants include local governments, nonprofit corporations, and educational institutions. Federal regulations require that a minimum of 50 percent of project costs be matched with non-federal funds.

To be eligible, proposals must address issues and strategies identified in Kansas’ Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (CWCP), entitled “A Future for Kansas Wildlife” (FKW), which may be found online here. Higher priority consideration will be given to research proposals that specifically address the following:

• distribution, population dynamics, habitat requirements, and life history characteristics that further define specific habitat correlations with broadhead skink (Eumeces laticeps), smooth earth snake (Virginia valeriae), redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata), delta hydrobe (Probythinella emarginata), or spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius);

• the impacts of wind energy production and transmission in priority habitats as designated in the CWCP. Special consideration will be given to projects that quantify the impacts of habitat fragmentation and/or large vertical structures (e.g., powerlines, turbines) on nesting dynamics of grassland birds or the behavior of migration/resident birds and/or bats; or

• the impacts of in-stream obstructions (impoundments, low-water crossings, enclosed culverts, and diversions) on aquatic organism passage (AOP) in priority aquatic habitats as designated in the CWCP. Special consideration will be given to projects that evaluate the effectiveness of different engineering designs toward mitigating the impact of current in-stream obstructions on AOP, river and stream continuity, and wildlife passage.

Potential applicants have the option of submitting preliminary applications for review by March 27, 2009. The deadline for final applications is April 24, 2009. For more information concerning this program or to request application materials, write the Office of Federal Aid, KDWP, 1020 SW Kansas, Room 200, Topeka, KS 66612, or phone 785-296-2281. Persons with special communication needs may use the Kansas Relay Center, 1-800-766-3777.
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January events organized to educate participants about national symbol

Courtesy of KDWP

When bald eagles visit Kansas in the winter, avid and novice bird watchers are in hot pursuit. Bald eagles typically overwinter in the Sunflower State during January and February, providing an opportunity to observe one of the nation’s most spectacular birds. To improve opportunities to view bald eagles, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) — in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and local Audubon chapters — has scheduled a number of “Eagle Days” across the state.

Bald eagles may be observed in their native habitat at Tuttle Creek Reservoir, where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled an Eagle Day for Saturday, Jan. 3, beginning at 9 a.m. The event will start at the Manhattan Fire Station, 2000 Denison Avenue in Manhattan. The program is free to the public. Dan Mulhern, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will offer a short presentation on the nesting habits of bald eagles in Kansas. Pat Silovsky, director of KDWP’s Milford Nature Center near Junction City, will then show a live bald eagle and discuss eagles and other raptors.

Following these presentations, members of the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society will lead a bus tour through areas downstream of Tuttle Creek Dam to view eagles in the wild. All participants should dress for cold weather, and everyone should bring binoculars, spotting scopes, and cameras.

For more information on Tuttle Creek Eagle Days, contact the Corps of Engineers office, 785-539-8511.

Similar Eagle Days events are scheduled at the following locations:

• F.L. Schlagle Library on Wyandotte Lake on Jan. 17, phone 913-299-2384;

• Milford Reservoir on Jan. 17-18, phone 785-238-5714;

• Lawrence Free State High School, 4700 Overland Drive in Lawrence, on Jan. 25, phone 785-843-7665; and

• Chaplin Nature Center, 27814 27th Drive in Arkansas City, phone 316-442-4233.

Other Eagle Days may be scheduled in the near future. For more information, contact the nearest office of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
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