Kansas - Another Domino About To Fall In the Push to Reduce Non-Residents in Favor of Residents

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

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Kansas is the next state to limit non-residents. The below Wildfowl article and meeting notes from a recent Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks discuss the issue at length.

Non-Resident Waterfowl Hunters Bearing the Brunt of Bad News - Wildfowl (wildfowlmag.com)

Bonner Springs - WY County Historical Museum - April 27, 2023 / 2023 / Archived Meetings / Upcoming & Archived Meeting Information / Commission / KDWP Info / KDWP - KDWP (ksoutdoors.com) Page 33 of briefing book.

I'm shooting from the hip here because I just learned of this proposal and haven't had a chance to digest the accompanying material, but the proposed regs nearly wipe out those travelling further than an adjacent state. Perhaps this is by design to prevent all out game reg wars with neighboring states like what nearly happened in the deep south in the 80s over deer hunting. The hunt time, Sun-Tue isn't sufficient to warrant a long-distance trip, IMHO. I don't know the state distribution frequency for non-residents duck hunting Kansas, but clearly the non-resident hunters close by will be less affected than those who travel greater distances, and in my observation that is a significant number. I foresee a DRASTIC DECREASE in non-residents duck hunting Kansas.

Folks, duck hunting is racing full speed into territorialism. As hunters look to the next destination state you can bet that state will regulate non-residents out of the picture to protect their own. I can see no way for this resulting in anything but overall loss in duck hunter numbers and the resources that come with them.


Eric
 
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I agree. Can't say I blame them. If I lived in a state that had ducks I'd want to keep them all to myself and control non resident competition. SC boys are going to come unhinged over this ruling. .
 
Eric,

I thought the number of hunters was decreasing? With increases in registration fees and restrictions it seems like hunting will become a rich persons sport. But then the growing wildlife populations will lead to professional hunts like they have for deer to reduce numbers in the northeast.

Rick Lathrop
 
D. Hinton, I believe the changes are in the review stage. If you read the Wildfowl article there are additional changes under consideration beyond the Sun-Tue only non-resident days. Tom Bidrowski, Kansas state waterfowl biologist heading this effort up is a sometimes contributor here. Maybe he'll pick up on the thread and provide status on the proposed changes.

Richard, my personal thoughts are a reduction in hunters will not lead to increased game numbers. At least not beyond any short-term temporary gains. This is my take. North American waterfowl populations are a success story in game management that few other wildlife populations share across the globe. The basis for the success is the large population of duck and goose hunters that impact wetland policy and provide substantial economic resources for habitat preservation. When you disenfranchise hunters by denying access and complicating the pursuit with excessive regulations, they will choose alternative forms of recreation. The average hunter moves on to activities that are less aggravating, simpler, or with greater appeal. The wealthy may have the luxury to continue to hunt, but the populous middle-class hunters leave and with them goes the bulk of gov. collected revenues and political influence that waterfowl desperately need. These provide research, preserve habitat, affect policy, and result in good management. Not to mention the careers and commerce created. I'm concerned that is the path we are on and loss of access is at the top of the list that really bothers me.

This is purely anecdotal, but I had a recent conversation with Thomas about duck hunting and his generation. He tells me that looking at the classes behind him there are very few duck hunters. In his high school graduating class and the several before him duck hunting was a popular activity and I know many of those boys to be hard-core and probably life-long hunters. The classes behind him he tells me there are literally no duck hunters. Through his fraternity and rush experiences he says he'd seek out younger guys trying to find common ground but with little success with respect to hunting. Simply put the next generation of duck hunters, in his words, just aren't there.

This is what concerns me and why I've been posting about Manitoba and Kansas as of late. There will be more. As one state closes its borders hunters will move to another, and those states will do the same. The dominos are falling.

Eric
 
Rick

Absolutely. If a father doesn't teach his son and his son's friends to hunt, they probably will never be hunters.

Eric
 
Eric Patterson said:
Rick

Absolutely. If a father doesn't teach his son and his son's friends to hunt, they probably will never be hunters.

Eric
Click to expand...

I am an example to the contrary, but it is uncommon, I agree (especially 20-30 years ago). There are a good number of what is called "adult onset" hunters being recruited by social media. MeatEater is an example that a lot of new hunters cite, I know a number of people that are not hunters that watch him.

As for the levels of pressure, I believe that hunter numbers are down, but hunters (and everyone else) have more free time and more ability to travel to hunt which screws with pressure.
 
Ted,

Good point, I never considered hunter migration to match wildfowl migration. I always thought the hunters were static to a given area.

Rick Lathrop
 
Technology has changed pressure as well. With Google Earth and mud motors, there are no more secret or not easily accessible/ inaccessible spots. Large shallow areas that 30 years ago took serious poling/rowing effort to reach and had little pressure can be reached in minutes by any one with a single surface drive.
This pressure has changed the distribution of birds during the season.
 
Ted

I'm not familiar with MeatEater. I think I found him on IG but it sounds like he has a TV show or perhaps a YT channel. I think you are correct in the cause of increased pressure. I'd be very interested to see what studies show on that topic. Simply put are the man-hours spent duck hunting up, and with it the miles traversed in the marsh as well? Is the activity on the landscape really greater than it was in 1970 with twice the duck hunters? Or is it hotspots like Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, and Arkansas that make it seem that way and perhaps distort our view of the issues.

Eric
 
Carl

I have witnessed the same thing. Easy access to areas that previously took considerable effort to get to.

Eric
 
Richard Lathrop said:
Eric,

Alternative forms of leisure time and lack of hunting as a family tradition probably play a role.

Rick
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Or just the sheer amount of "events" people have their kids scheduled for. Two of my coworkers....they each have kids that love to fish but they don't get to do that much because they are in year round sports, afterschool activities and summer camps on top of going to school. Who has the time to take a kid fishing, much less hunting, when their and their kids schedules are so dang busy? Heck, who has "leisure time" when the kids are being carted off from one stop to another from the time they wake up until basically when they go to bed?


Carl,

add in airboats that are constantly going, and it is no wonder why the ducks don't choose to hang out down here.
 
Dani

I've heard having kids on a tight schedule moving from one organized activity to another was on the downtrend. I don't know. My kids are beyond that point, and I've not really paid that much attention.

Eric
 
Too many people with too much time and too much money. Gotta do something to protect the residents. If people don't like it, they can move there!
 
It's crazy, but it seems like it is happening all over. This has been discussed here in New Jersey. So far the members of the migratory bird council, myself included, have not given it much traction. However if these restrictions become the norm that take May need re-evaluation.
 
I guess it's a good thing I live in NW Penna.. There are not tons of people from out of state wanting to hunt in Pa.. Gee I wonder why?
 
jode hillman said:
It's crazy, but it seems like it is happening all over. This has been discussed here in New Jersey. So far the members of the migratory bird council, myself included, have not given it much traction. However if these restrictions become the norm that take May need re-evaluation.
Click to expand...

Jode

I see this like a bunch of dominos lined up. Once a state's residents feel like they have given too much away to non-resident duck hunters they pass regulations greatly reducing access to non-residents. Those folks then move elsewhere, or throw in the towel, and the pressure increases in the new destination resulting in a similar response, that being kick out the non-residents because it's what the other states do to deal with non-resident competition. This plays out until the waterfowl rich states resident's control most of the waterfowl hunting, on their terms. The hunters from states with lower waterfowl populations (which is a very substantial number of people) activity falls off as they are locked out and forced to pay much higher amounts and travel greater distances for quality hunting. The overall population of duck hunters declines, substantially, and the financial support they provide which is needed for policy, habitat preservation, and management declines precipitously. The end result being drastic reduction in waterfowl populations and wetlands preservation which benefits tremendous biological diversity.

This is how I see it playing out....

Eric
 
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Eric Patterson said:
jode hillman said:
It's crazy, but it seems like it is happening all over. This has been discussed here in New Jersey. So far the members of the migratory bird council, myself included, have not given it much traction. However if these restrictions become the norm that take May need re-evaluation.
Click to expand...

Jode

I see this like a bunch of dominos lined up. Once a state's residents feel like they have given too much away to non-resident duck hunters they pass regulations greatly reducing access to non-residents. Those folks then move elsewhere, or throw in the towel, and the pressure increases in the new destination resulting in a similar response, that being kick out the non-residents because it's what the other states do to deal with non-resident competition. This plays out until the waterfowl rich states resident's control most of the waterfowl hunting, on their terms. The hunters from states with lower waterfowl populations (which is a very substantial number of people) activity falls off as they are locked out and forced to pay much higher amounts and travel greater distances for quality hunting. The overall population of duck hunters declines, substantially, and the financial support they provide which is needed for policy, habitat preservation, and management declines precipitously. The end result being drastic reduction in waterfowl populations and wetlands preservation which benefits tremendous biological diversity.

This is how I see it playing out....

Eric
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Eric, I agree. That has always been my take. As much as non-residence can be annoying they do play a larger role in the purchase of ammunition, stamps gear etc.

New Jersey has seen a large influx of new duck hunters the past few years, many who were never schooled in any etiquette or traditions that many of us were. New Jersey Duck hunting this is about as good as it gets for access. First come first serve on thousands of acres of public land. You can see the coming conflict, especially in areas where birds concentrate along the coast during prime wintering seasons. Hence the backlash from Many long time waterfowlers.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
 
Jode

Who are these new hunters? NJ residents or from neighboring states? Are they mostly young or are you seeing older folks, say 30+, getting involved for the first time?

Eric
 
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