By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Temperatures in the 80s this week are foreshadowing cooler things to come. As the temperatures drop each summer, that means hunting season is just around the corner. Dove season opens statewide on Sept. 1, and Cheyenne Bottoms Area Wildlife Manager Jason Wagner said dry conditions could make for a successful hunt.
"I've seen more and more dove," he said. "I've seen a pretty good hatch of them. It's going to be pretty prime this year for western Kansas dove hunting if we don't get a cold front or a bunch of rain between now and Sept. 1. It looks really promising for at least dove season."
Teal season begins east of Highway 283, including the Bottoms, on Sept. 10 and runs through Sept. 25. The high plains season west of 283 will be a week shorter from Sept. 17-25. Given the ducks' proclivity for water, they might be a little harder to find this season.
"Teal season is normally the big one we like to talk about at the Bottoms, but it's going to be pretty tough," Wagner said. "You might have to bring your own water."
Deer season for the youth and disabled begins on Sept. 3, and the archery season runs from Sept. 12 through the end of 2022. Fall turkey season begins Oct. 1.
Wagner said hunting maps are available online but regulation books have not been printed yet due to some late decisions on regulations in August. He also said printed hunting licenses will still be available, but this year the licenses will be printed on standard paper and not the green specialized paper as in past years. Licenses may also be purchased through gooutdoorskansas.com.
"Get familiar with the GooutdoorsKansas app," Wagner said. "That's also the check-in and out system. If you were to hunt at Cheyenne Bottoms, or any of the public wildlife areas, you have to check in and out through the Kansas outdoors app. It's almost identical to what iSportsman was, it's just all together in an app."