The Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission has approved a change in the opening date of pheasant season, moving it to the second Saturday in November, effective in 2009. This year’s pheasant opening date will be the first Saturday in November, as it has been since 2006, since many hunters already have made lodging and vacation plans for this fall. The pheasant season runs through Jan. 31, 2009.

As the last weekend in June approaches, some state parks in the eastern portions of Kansas are struggling with flooded facilities. Activities at these parks may be limited the weekend of June 28-29, but hopes are high for July -- and Independence Day weekend -- as reservoir water is lowered and parks begin to dry out. All depends on the weather, and if summer rains subside, conditions will continue to improve.

Each year, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) offers a number of special hunts on KDWP land. Hunters looking for a high-quality hunting experience are encouraged to apply for these special hunts. Dozens of specially-planned, limited-draw hunts for upland birds, doves, waterfowl, and deer are available by application only. There is no charge for the hunts. This year’s application deadline is July 15, and applications may conveniently be submitted online.

Deaths resulting from recreational boating accidents fell in 2007, according to figures recently released by the United States Coast Guard. Nationally, the total dropped from 710 in 2006 to 688 in 2007, the lowest figure since 2004 and third lowest since the Coast Guard began collecting statistics specifically related to recreational boating.

For outdoorsmen and women who don't fish or just want more varied outdoor experiences in the Sunflower State, Kansas offers exciting hunting opportunities throughout the summer. Squirrel season provides that opportunity. The season opened June 1 and runs through Feb. 28. The daily bag limit is five, and the possession limit is 20.

The Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition (KGLC) is hosting two range schools in August -- one for eastern Kansas at White Memorial Camp in Morris County and one for western Kansas at Camp Aldrich in Barton County. The eastern school is set for August 12-14 and the western school for August 19-21. “Principles of Rangeland Management and Grass and Animal Ecology in Kansas" is this year's theme.

Each spring, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) conducts a survey of pheasants throughout their statewide range. As the mating season approaches, roosters increase crowing, and KDWP staff drive routes, stop at established stations, and listen for birds. Data from this survey, combined with the summer brood count survey in August, helps determine the outlook for the fall pheasant crop. A windy spring made surveying difficult this year, but last year's production combined with good winter carry-over appears to reveal an increased number of breeding pheasants over last year.

Kansas summer temperatures frequently reach more than 100 degrees, and many Kansans prefer the comfort of air conditioning to the outdoors. Others, however, relish the freedom of summer nights, when shorts and a T-shirt are all that's needed to cool off in the water and pursue their favorite quarry -- the bullfrog.

Free fishing, hunting licenses for disabled veterans among new laws enacted in 2008 TOPEKA – The 2008 Kansas Legislature and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius have approved several new laws affecting outdoor recreation in Kansas. Bills passed into law this year include the following:

PRATT -- Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) stream survey crews will survey streams and rivers throughout Kansas this summer, adding information to a database that helps assess and monitor the overall conditions of these waterways. These assessments are annual undertakings, but the surveys have expanded their scope this year.

PRATT -- The Kansas handfishing season -- often referred to as "noodling" -- opens June 15, and die-hard outdoorsmen are looking forward to the opportunity to take flathead catfish using this unconventional method. Although such anglers may be few, the season offers a special outdoor opportunity for the most intrepid outdoorsmen and women. In addition to a limited season, there are a number of special restrictions during the handfishing season. Only flathead catfish may be taken; legal handfishing hours are sunrise to sunset; and the season runs June 15 through Aug. 31 at only two locations: the Arkansas River from the John Mack Bridge on Broadway Street in Wichita downstream to the Kansas-Oklahoma border and the Kansas River from its origin downstream to its confluence with the Missouri River.

PRATT -- Landowners interested in the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ (KDWP) Walk-In Hunting Access Program (WIHA) -- which pays landowners to allow hunting access on their land -- are reminded that the deadline for enrollment is July 1. The WIHA program, which began in 1995, grew to more than one million acres in 2007, including almost 3,000 contracts.

PRATT -- A new Kansas state record largemouth bass was caught in a private strip pit in Cherokee County on May 3 and has been certified by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). Fourteen-year-old Tyson Hallam, of Scammon, took the trophy fish during the West Mineral Eagles Fishing Tournament using a jig and pig. The monster largemouth weighed 11-pounds, 12.8-ounces, edging the 31-year-old state record of 11 pounds, 12 ounces caught in 1977 by Kenneth Bingham of Topeka. The fish was weighed on a certified scale and witnessed by Mined Land Wildlife Area manager David Jenkins, along with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks fisheries biologist Rob Friggeri, who confirmed the species and measured the fish at 28 inches long and 19 1/8 inches in girth.

It's the boating season, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) wants all boaters to have fun. However, staff want to ensure that boaters protect the resource they enjoy from dangerous aliens -- commonly called aquatic nuisance species (ANS).

Of all Kansas outdoor recreation opportunities, crappie fishing is one of the most popular. These tasty fish bite year-round, but spring brings them close to shore, where they spawn in shallow water. This makes great fishing for anyone with a hook and line.

Kansas outdoorsmen and women are seeing more deer fawns lately, and there's good reason: May and June are the primary deer fawning months in the Sunflower State.

The majority of fawns are born in late May and early June, following a gestation period of about 200 days. This indicates that the most does are bred from mid- to late November. However, some whitetail does younger than one year may breed for the first time in late winter, so many newborn fawns may be seen as late as July or even August. Whitetail does that breed before they are one year old usually give birth to a single fawn. After that, twins are the norm, and triplets are not uncommon.

It's May, and many outdoorsmen and women have turned from hunting turkeys to pursuit of spawning crappie or other popular sportfish. However, the avid hunter knows that there's still time to bag a big gobbler, and late in the season may be one of the best times. By May, most hens have been bred and are on the nest. This leaves lonely gobblers with fewer hens to mate, making toms as vulnerable to a well-placed hen decoy and call as he might have been when the breeding season began.

The 12th Annual Governor’s Golf and Fishing Classic will be held June 13-14 at Rolling Meadows Golf Course and Milford Reservoir, near Junction City. Participants may enjoy a round of golf at Rolling Meadows Golf Course on Friday, June 13. On Saturday morning, anglers will compete for the Governor’s Cup, which will be presented at lunch following the event. Fishing Classic participants must attend a brief meeting at 5:30 Friday evening to pair guides and contestants. A barbecue dinner and auction will follow the meeting.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After nearly four months of extensions, House and Senate Farm Bill conferees have reached an agreement on the main elements of the 2008 Farm Bill. If passed, the bill would provide an additional $4 billion in new funding for conservation programs.

WICHITA -- Ever been face to face with a 25-pound channel catfish?

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks invites Wichita Riverfest visitors to take a closeup look at an impressive assortment of Kansas fish. The fish will be on display in the department’s 3,200-gallon mobile aquarium May 15 – 17. Situated near the intersection of First and Waco during the final three days of Riverfest, the 40-foot-long mobile aquarium will be filled with a variety of fish collected from lakes around the region.