By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Some duck hunting seasons have ended and others will come to a close on Jan. 26. The lack of water at Cheyenne Bottoms meant fewer ducks this season. Wildlife manager Jason Wagner reported just 1,224 ducks were harvested this season, about 11 percent of the long-term average. While duck season is coming to a close, Wagner said night vision permit season for coyotes continues to grow.
"It's becoming really, really popular," he said. "It used to be that thermal and night vision scopes were very expensive. They've come down on price and they have so many different models. You can get it a lot cheaper than you used to be able to with entry-level equipment."
Coyote season runs year-round but night vision and thermal season is limited from Jan. 1 through March 31. A free permit is required but a small administrative fee is paid via an app so officials can track coyote numbers. Wagner said the wily coyotes have long known better than to charge at calls during daylight hours. They are now adjusting to night hunts and it has become more difficult to get them closer than a few hundred yards.
"You want to make sure you're making a good shot," said Wagner. "At night, you just have to be careful with which direction you're shooting and that type of stuff. You try to get them a little closer."
Wagner said some hunters are still able to harvest 10-15 coyotes a night. Kansas has seen a large uptick of coyote numbers since the 1980s. In 2021, populations were estimated at 150,000 with up to 300,000 animals during parts of the year. While they can be found in all Kansas counties, they are most populous in the eastern two-thirds of the state.