[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6346368,"mediaKeyId","2246969-0e60951dbda3a4367a07a2101acb3498","parentId",2246969,"title","KDWP keeps night-vision coyote season under review after experts, law enforcement and public raise conflicting evidence and concerns","audioSeconds",3352,"startMs",2558000,"endMs",5910000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2246969-0e60951dbda3a4367a07a2101acb3498&start=2558&end=5910","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2246969-0e60951dbda3a4367a07a2101acb3498/thumbnail_2558000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6346368/Kansas/KDWP-keeps-night-vision-coyote-season-under-review-after-experts-law-enforcement-and-public-raise-conflicting-evidence-and-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346368-ece4c6974a4029620d46631fcffce4ef/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132166&Signature=Aur4UyeL59V3cWvSfz4vrEdKULG6JzYu5G1KXLC3Orcxc5-3iI4b1xNM09fJ8z2qRLlaCua3TgxTVDb1h3W5jQbFJRwVQejnPZhyQH-FZ4l-oA0tR~r7o2gb8KAQFB1yQ~0lxCbnAPludr1AEa5cd-E8iQtJBmxd06YZISSXC80E1ARmf8F7MWAtCQS7I5~hh7dc2~M7zob04VAOuwdJnU-rfXMM~p8PueLvtUfrrnOKXNOUGNFpudn7PES7RGeLQKIsYZaLAnTF3~rlOM1VY3lDOqKxmy0c~ZCvStZKsDLhUZ4YeTwesk0Gcn40HrJKpUmwQJXYhKyYSqRaHmunvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Department of Wildlife & Parks","date","2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","article","The Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks provided a multi-part, informational briefing and public discussion on the department’s recreational night-vision (thermal) coyote hunting season.

John Beckman, the department’s newly named wildlife assistant director for research and surveys, summarized the biology and scientific literature on predator control. Beckman said coyotes are a native, widespread mid-latitude carnivore and that predator–prey dynamics are complex: removal of predators can produce variable responses in prey populations depending on scale, habitat and timing. He cited recent meta-analyses and long-term studies demonstrating that predator removal sometimes yields limited or temporary prey increases except in small, localized or endangered-population contexts. Beckman told commissioners the department’s near-term position is to continue monitoring biological metrics and social input and to take no immediate regulatory action.

Law enforcement colonel Greg Kaiser described enforcement difficulties when hunters operate at night with thermal optics and suppressors. He told the commission that night operations and tournaments present a particular challenge for wardens because thermal-equipped hunters are very difficult to detect and inspect in the field; wardens reported rising numbers of organized events and, according to Kaiser, several recent investigations into alleged criminal activity involving thermal scopes and suppressed rifles (Kaiser said details were under investigation and not yet adjudicated). He said these enforcement challenges are a primary reason law enforcement is cautious about expanding the season.

Beckman and Kaiser said the department is selling thousands of night-vision permits annually; Beckman estimated 6,000 permits sold in prior years and projected 7,100–7,200 permit-holders this season if current trends continue. Beckman said the department is running concurrent research: statewide turkey and quail projects and a planned mule deer/pronghorn study that will monitor recruitment and survival.

Public commenters gave a wide range of views: some said night-vision hunting is an effective tool that increases coyote harvest efficiency and can help reduce local predator pressure on fawns, turkey poults and quail; others warned it undermines fair-chase norms, increases risks of illegal taking (including bobcat harvest) and raises public safety concerns about nighttime gunfire and silencers. Several commenters said thermal tournaments require additional oversight; organizers said they submit video evidence for tournament claims.

Dr. Nathan Roberts, who has published peer-reviewed research on coyote survivorship and mortality, called in by video and summarized recent empirical and meta-analytic studies that show coyotes can sustain high human-caused mortality — in his telemetry-based field study survival was roughly 53% annual survival and most losses were human-caused — and that localized predator control can sometimes increase prey survival but results are variable and depend on scale and implementation.

After extensive discussion the department recommended no immediate expansion or change to the season; Beckman said staff will continue to gather biological data from ongoing research, collect public input and monitor law enforcement reports before proposing regulatory changes. The commission did not vote to alter the season at this meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","KDWP Commission Meeting - Thursday, January 30, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","KDWP biologists and law enforcement told commissioners that scientific evidence on predator removal is mixed and enforcement of a broader night-vision coyote season poses practical challenges; the department said it will continue to monitor results and public input before changing regulations.","taxTitle","Department of Wildlife & Parks, State Agencies, Organizations, Executive, Kansas","taxId",24794,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6346373,"Kansas agency defends ban on trail cameras on public lands; users, landowners remain split",474,2613000,3087000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2246969-0e60951dbda3a4367a07a2101acb3498&start=2613&end=3087","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2246969-0e60951dbda3a4367a07a2101acb3498/thumbnail_2613000.jpg","/articles/6346373/Kansas/Kansas-agency-defends-ban-on-trail-cameras-on-public-lands-users-landowners-remain-split","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346373-ca241e04b6021beb231d5b88de924464/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132166&Signature=UF32WFB07QMhDADlEWWhC-dxiN2zbIFoTebnMCoDPZuJgQSDQiG2tHUJKpbovxr43AedYma6mcner5VKbIsqmFoRw5ZzDVQL4dtYj0PTbItmOiAZoGSLu5yw3bO0pP48cvrrGlaQ1PqwMGsutfjxYgimHcAdBqZlEguhyiQaT3puw03ZeibtRLJ~zTCVydtgFVI~pFGNCgET00cRWpuFzkvm7Nt39CNxXy5MYzUyQwoF0Gao3rw725jm5X1KRVq397fSflqUqnKoU6IA4Rjh45GVChVKQZqXgd8S0fmzG7xQbnnT8h13-pmOree3k15XNZ~u9-iPKY2Q7i8AoufweA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ryan Stuckey, the department’s public lands director, briefed the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission on the implementation and effects of a regulation that took effect April 6, 2023, prohibiting placement or use of trail/game cameras on Department lands and walk-in hunting areas (WEHA/IWEHA). Stuckey read the regulation text to commissioners and summarized why the department proposed the rule: theft of cameras, privacy concerns, perceived monopolization of locations, and increased user conflicts and traffic on limited public acreage.

Stuckey told the commission the regulation bars placement of remote motion-activated or infrared trail cameras on Department lands, prohibits use of images (including location/time/date) from such cameras to aid in taking wildlife on department lands, and exempts cameras owned by the department for research or operations. He said staff collected concerns from landowners and field staff dating back to the pre-COVID era and that commercialization of camera images and increasing real-time-capable cameras amplified problems.

After two primary or winter hunting seasons under the rule, department law enforcement, public-land managers and wildlife biologists reported to Stuckey that user conflicts and landowner complaints have decreased and that enforcement and privacy issues are easier to manage. Based on that feedback, the department is not recommending changes to the camera rule at this time.

Public commenters and several commissioners raised counterarguments. Longtime public commenter Sean Miller said the ban removed an important year-round engagement tool for many hunters and wildlife photographers and asked the commission to consider intermediate options such as mandatory camera labeling with contact information so law enforcement or land managers can locate owners when a problem arises. Miller told commissioners he checks cameras only monthly and that some states require identification on cameras instead of an outright ban.

Commissioners and the public debated tradeoffs: supporters of the ban emphasized landowner privacy and reduced conflict on limited public acres; opponents said existing stalk-and-stand conflicts predate cameras and that labeling or time limits might address problems without a blanket prohibition. Commissioner comments recorded at the meeting included concerns about overregulation and about department capacity for enforcement; Commissioner Delia Lister emphasized deference to law enforcement reports and staff assessments.

No regulatory changes were proposed at the meeting; the department said it will continue monitoring user complaints and enforcement impacts and to evaluate practices that other states have adopted.","The Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks reported the 2023 regulation banning use of trail or game cameras on department-managed lands has reduced theft and some landowner complaints but remains controversial among hunters; department recommends no change after two seasons.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6346378,"Kansas wildlife researchers find low eye-worm infection rates in quail and pheasants, urge habitat focus",982,1315000,2297000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2246969-0e60951dbda3a4367a07a2101acb3498&start=1315&end=2297","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2246969-0e60951dbda3a4367a07a2101acb3498/thumbnail_1315000.jpg","/articles/6346378/Kansas/Kansas-wildlife-researchers-find-low-eye-worm-infection-rates-in-quail-and-pheasants-urge-habitat-focus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346378-8cbbc0ba199413eaf5ef481f618ba65e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132166&Signature=R5PGmYqkLxy~wo47-Qa2Rqn5Tx5hop9e~1ZAfC5MEEX-wvpeEJgSKlgjxW79hx10e2APV4PV2RkZ8zQCjVgY9qbM06amOZKMNbejY844knLuWaveDHuqAtCpkfxs6ztfB2oZLVaLY4phlUFPoymqqYIZgLwwqjcps-KDK2WFjLQzHb90LEds2W4vlDmMo-6q3dgb1ao84UW9xQvCkUnwGCy28qNpGpzvdL~QIpkH6BNHKIykcR6KzaOMnAXEznZvQeEuQ-SIkT9rBrrdAS~FKWCkukeQY0oqJtC3q6R-jvh19DxVAhktR85yF24c4uMDE1l4VOOyaxfjOmbsOydfRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jeff Prendergast, a staff presenter, told the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission that samples collected from hunter-harvested birds indicate relatively low infection rates of Oxyspirura (commonly called “eye worms”) across Kansas. The department collected and lab-processed hundreds of bobwhite and pheasant heads in 2018 and found 4.2% positive among 283 bobwhites and 12.5% positive among 213 pheasants, with most infected birds carrying only a single parasite, Prendergast said.

Prendergast said the eye worm lifecycle involves eggs passed in feces, insect intermediate hosts and then ingestion by birds; the species detected is an avian specialist and “humans aren’t at risk,” he told commissioners. He said the researchers found an even geographic distribution of low-intensity infections, and only one bobwhite had a very high intensity (28 worms).

Interest in treating eye-worm infections increased after a Texas research team obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for a medicated feed that uses fenbendazole. Prendergast said the manufacturer recommends placing medicated feed in dedicated feeders, with a 21-day treatment period and about one feeder per 200 acres, and two treatment periods per year (spring and fall). But he cautioned that there is no strong evidence that treating eye worms increases individual fitness or produces population-level gains for wild game bird populations.

Prendergast urged caution about non-target exposure and behavioral effects. “If you think you can put feed out and come up with the answer, people tend to be more likely to do that than the work it takes to create and maintain habitat over the long term,” he said. He noted research from other regions that shows concentrating birds at feeders can raise predation risk and that medicated feed may break down quickly in the environment, creating potential exposure of rodents or other animals.

Commissioners and staff asked for the slides and lab details; Prendergast said he would provide them for the public briefing and minutes. Department staff recommended continuing monitoring and prioritizing ‘‘Habitat First’’ investments — habitat work and landscape-scale conservation that produce multi-year benefits — rather than relying on feeder-based treatments as a primary management tool.

Prendergast and commissioners said the department will keep the sample baseline and revisit the question as further research and monitoring data become available. The commission did not take a vote on a policy change; the presentation was informational.

The department said slides and the briefing will be posted with the meeting minutes.","Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks staff reported low prevalence and low intensity of avian ‘‘eye worm’’ infections in samples collected statewide, cautioned that medicated feed is not a substitute for habitat work and recommended continued monitoring and research before wide-scale treatments.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6346364,"Commission accepts minutes; conservation groups win seven 'big game' permits in department fundraiser drawing",6208,504000,6712000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2246969-0e60951dbda3a4367a07a2101acb3498&start=504&end=6712","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2246969-0e60951dbda3a4367a07a2101acb3498/thumbnail_504000.jpg","/articles/6346364/Kansas/Commission-accepts-minutes-conservation-groups-win-seven-big-game-permits-in-department-fundraiser-drawing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346364-d8aa349f6937e9873f4d2347209290e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132166&Signature=L5dr0pD--JAffEE3LU9KL8JJCy5i0UKsdLzP1QrEwzGeoONfGw9Pcf2tmUGY8Ie5VzPRYNlVtvzG5npzkqC4He~PntNYTABj9RjkQxXRlANUxIcwIJp~ib6XpYvPz3CG5yzgMqihAu0kpjEV-vx7uiHnBmDcOt3N7SPrlqrmzEI7eFrgAAXlXSAla3Qai0cGyUo2u81wOkVAjQjVQ5UXVj4Do8gcj6EsStLkVc~XaP7kD4~OINNdc7EBVJ4dxXdgY~PUVY2UC5OfpCLsATWAFLIwb9~O6fWt-dWyFGxXrzi6ZZ-ao3-UDi-Lk9vuqyQjtgabBM72Np4zqwmq8THacQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The commission opened routine business by approving minutes from its November meeting. A motion to approve the minutes was made and seconded; the commission recorded unanimous assent and accepted the minutes.

The commission also carried out the annual commissioner big-game permit drawing (authorized under K.S.A. 32-970). The drawing allocates up to seven transferable big-game permits to qualifying conservation organizations that may then auction or sell the permits and return the majority of proceeds (85%) for an approved conservation project. The department reported that the seven permits brought record proceeds in the prior year and that the program has raised substantial conservation funding since its inception.

Commissioners drew the seven winning applicant numbers during the meeting; the department staff will now contact the winning organizations to complete project proposals and transfer procedures. The winners announced were: Ducks Unlimited (chapter, number 78), Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (Kansas chapter, number 19), Kansas Bow Hunters Association (number 87), Ducks Unlimited (Kansas University chapter, number 69), Pheasants Forever (Southwest Kansas group, number 97), Pheasants Forever (Osborne County, number 49), and NWTF Salty Spurs chapter (Hutchinson, number 33). The department will post final project proposals and payment details once the organizations submit them and the commission reviews proposals.","The Kansas Wildlife & Parks Commission accepted the November meeting minutes and conducted the annual commissioner big-game permit drawing; seven nonprofit and chapter winners were named and will submit conservation project proposals to receive proceeds.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

KDWP keeps night-vision coyote season under review after experts, law enforcement and public raise conflicting evidence and concerns

Kansas agency defends ban on trail cameras on public lands; users, landowners remain split

Kansas wildlife researchers find low eye-worm infection rates in quail and pheasants, urge habitat focus

Commission accepts minutes; conservation groups win seven 'big game' permits in department fundraiser drawing