By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The fall and winter hunting seasons are in the not-so-distant future. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is currently accepting applications for 402 special hunts available for the upcoming seasons. Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Manager Jason Wagner said the hunts can be a good way to gain access to more restricted hunting areas.
"Some of the refuges, the deer numbers build up so much that there needs to be some pressure in there to take some of the deer out," he said. "Some of them are upland game bird hunts. There are waterfowl hunts on some of our small public wildlife areas so they don't get overpressured."
The Kansas Special Hunt Program comes at no cost to applicants. Some hunts are restricted to state residents only, and some allow non-resident applicants. There are four types of special hunts: open for hunters of all ages or experience level; youth hunts where age is a limiting factor and adults may not hunt; mentor hunts open to youth or inexperienced hunters and an adult mentor, and disabled hunts. The various hunting opportunities are available statewide by application.
"That applies to all species," Wagner said said. "If you're hunting doves, deer, upland birds, waterfowl, whatever, it applies to that. If you do a little bit of looking, most of those the wildlife areas provide a certain area that is youth-mentor hunt area. Some of them also do handicapped, too."
The application period for the special hunts began on July 1 and the hunts will be drawn on July 29. Special hunts provide only access to the properties, and valid licenses, permits, tags, stamps, and hunter education are still required unless exempt.
CLICK HERE to access the list of special hunt opportunities in Kansas this year.
CLICK HERE to apply for a special hunt.