My boyfriend and I have been homeless for three years, ever since I lost my lifelong home to a reverse mortgage on the coldest day of the year. We have been homeless with little money and are very poor, bouncing around from place to place with no security or stability. For the past six months, we have been living in a metal storage shed that we own and that is situated in my cousin's yard. We chose this because we have no place else to go. The big house is up for sale and is condemned as well and has no running water. Living this way is illegal, demoralizing and dehumanizing, but, again, we have no choice right now.
What species has the most rules to follow? For this area, waterfowl is the easy answer. And with the Big Duck opener always falling this time of year I will try to address some of the common issues. First let’s start with tags and licenses you need to be legal to hunt. If you are over 16 years of age you will need to have completed Hunter Education and purchased a Kansas Hunting License, state waterfowl stamp, federal waterfowl stamp, and a HIP stamp. For equipment, you will need to make sure you only have nontoxic shot in your possession while hunting and always check your shotgun to see it has the plug in it before heading afield. I always tell people to have a copy of the hunting regulations we give away with them so cover all basis. Waterfowl seasons and limits change every year, so it is something you need to refresh on annually. Kansas also has different duck zones that one must be mindful of, and it just so happens that we live in an area that is split into two different zones. We are in the low plains early and the low plains late zones. While this can get people into trouble from time to time it actually gives us more days to hunt. You see, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service set how many days we can have duck season. Then it is up to KDWP to optimize those days to allow the hunters the best opportunities. So, when you look at our zone map, do not look at it like someone randomly drew lines on a map of Kansas. Look close at the reservoirs and marshes. What has happened is the marshes are in the early zone because they typically have waterfowl early in the year and freeze up first. Then the waterfowl move to the reservoirs which are in the late zone. This gives us waterfowl hunters the best chances of having a successful season. If you would like to read the regulations pertaining to this, they are in our hunting regulation booklet in the migratory bird section. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: landen.cleveland@ks.gov
P.O. Box 309, Concordia, Ks. 66901
Phone: 785-738-3537