Due to social distancing measures, the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KWPT) Commission conducted a video conference for its April 23 public meeting. During the Public Hearing portion of the meeting, the Commission voted on several items, including 2020-2021 waterfowl and big game hunting season dates. The Commission also approved staff recommendations to maintain current duck hunting zone boundaries, and to split the current sandhill crane management unit into two separate zones – a central zone and a western zone – in an effort to create early-season hunting opportunities across western Kansas. With the new regulation in place, the sandhill crane hunting season will run Oct. 17 to Dec. 13, 2020, in the Western Zone and Nov. 11, 2020 to Jan. 7, 2021, in the Central Zone.

Other items voted on and approved by the Commission include:

• A provision that allows big game animals taken with an antlerless-only permit to be quartered in the field as long as sex organs remain naturally attached for proof of an animal’s sex during transport

• Draw-lock devices as legal archery equipment

• Expansion of Urban Deer Management Unit 19

• Including veterans and active military personnel in the early youth waterfowl seasons

Hunting season dates approved at the April 23 meeting are as follows:

Waterfowl

(Youth, Veteran and Active Military)

High Plains Unit: Oct. 3-4, 2020

Low Plains Early Zone: Oct. 3-4, 2020

Low Plains Late Zone: Oct. 24-25, 2020

Low Plains Southeast Zone: Nov. 7-8, 2020

Teal

High Plains Unit: Sept. 19-27, 2020

Low Plains Zones: Sept. 12-27, 2020

Duck

High Plains Unit: Oct. 10, 2020 to Jan. 3, 2021 and Jan. 22-31, 2021

Low Plains Early Zone: Oct. 10 to Dec. 6, 2020 and Dec. 19, 2020 to Jan. 3, 2021

Low Plains Late Zone: Oct. 31, 2020 to Jan. 3, 2021 and Jan. 23-31, 2021

Low Plains Southeast Zone: Nov. 14, 2020 to Jan. 3, 2021 and Jan. 9-31, 2021

Goose

White-fronted geese: Oct. 31, 2020 to Jan. 3, 2021 and Jan. 23 to Feb. 14, 2021

Dark geese (Canada geese or other dark goose species, except white-fronted geese): Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2020 and Nov. 4, 2020 to Feb. 14, 2021

Light geese (Snow and Ross’s geese): Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2020 and Nov. 4, 2020 to Feb. 14, 2021

Light Goose Conservation Order: Feb. 15 to Apr. 30, 2021

Daily bag limit for ducks: Six ducks, including no more than five mallards (only two may be females), three wood ducks, two redheads, two canvasbacks and one scaup. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.

Daily bag limit for geese: Canada geese – six (possession limit – 18); white-fronted geese – two (possession limit six); and light geese – 50, (no possession limit).

Extended Falconry Season

Low Plains Unit: Feb. 24 to Mar. 10, 2021

Antelope

Archery—Sept. 19-27, 2020, and Oct. 10-31, 2020

Muzzleloader—Sept. 28 to Oct. 5, 2020

Firearm—Oct. 2-5, 2020

Elk

(Outside of Fort Riley)

Muzzleloader—Sept. 1-30, 2020

Archery—Sept. 14 to Dec. 31, 2020

Firearm—August 1-31, 2020, Dec. 2-13, 2020, and Jan. 1 to March 15, 2021

Deer

Youth and Hunters with Disabilities—Sept. 5-13, 2020

Muzzleloader—Sept. 14-27, 2020

Archery—Sept. 14 to Dec. 31, 2020

Pre-rut Whitetail Antlerless-only —Oct. 10-12, 2020

Firearm—Dec. 2-13, 2020

Extended Whitetail Antlerless-only Firearm

Units 6, 8, 9, 10, and 17—Jan. 1-10, 2021

Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 14, and 16—Jan. 1-17, 2021

Units 10A, 12, 13, 15, and 19— Jan. 1-24, 2021

Extended Archery

Unit 19—Jan. 25-31, 2021