By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Recent bouts of extreme cold have made the spring seem miles away. Hunting season for many bird types will come to a close by the end of January. Spring turkey season begins in April. Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Manager Jason Wagner reminds hunters who may have friends coming in from out of state about new regulations for 2024.
"This year we changed the regulations," he said. "This spring, for non-residents, they have to draw a turkey tag to hunt in the spring. They have to apply ahead of time, and that turkey permit is only good for one unit."
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks made the change due to low turkey numbers around Kansas. A reduction of 25 percent of non-resident hunters will help boost turkey populations in Kansas. Wagner said the new lottery system will be similar to that used by deer hunters.
"If you put in one year and don't get drawn, you get a preference point," he said. "The next year, the people with one preference point are the first priority to get drawn. So those people will get drawn first, then the people without a preference point will have a second opportunity to get drawn."
Because this is the first year for the turkey lottery, all hunters will have an equal chance to be drawn. The application period for non-resident hunters began Jan. 9 and runs through Feb. 9. A $10 application fee will apply.
Resident hunters may obtain a permit valid for only one turkey with a visible beard in five of the state's six hunting units, including two and five that makeup Barton County. Unit 4 in the southwest corner of the state is by lottery only for resident hunters and unavailable for non-resident hunters. Game tags for a second turkey will be unavailable in 2024 for resident and non-resident hunters.
CLICK HERE for more information about the upcoming turkey season.