KDWP proposes waterfowl season dates and zone structure for 2025; September teal season shortened under federal framework
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Summary
Agency staff presented the department’s recommendations for 2025 waterfowl seasons, including adopting federal bag/possession frameworks, shortening September teal seasons where the federal pintail index reduced days, and opening consideration of zone reconfiguration windows that states may request every five years.
Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks staff on March 27 reviewed proposed 2025 waterfowl season dates, bag and possession limits and described a window to request zone‑structure changes under federal frameworks.
Tom Podrowski, migratory game bird program manager, told the commission the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service sets national frameworks that determine maximum season lengths, earliest openings and latest closing dates; states set specific dates within those limits. For 2025, staff recommended Kansas adopt federal frameworks for daily bag and possession limits and shooting hours and recommended season dates that staff said would maximize participation for Kansas hunters while remaining consistent with migration, habitat and hunter‑preference data.
Staff noted the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reduced the number of days available for September teal seasons in some areas from 16 to 9 days because the 2024 blue‑winged teal breeding population index fell below the threshold used for a longer season. Podrowski recommended the Low Plains teal season run Sept. 13–21 and the High Plains Sept. 20–28 under the shortened allotment. Hunting-hours and daily bag recommendations were to follow federal maximums.
Podrowski also briefed the commission on the five‑year process for changing duck hunting zone boundaries and split‑season structures. Kansas currently uses a five‑zone structure (High Plains + Low Plains divided into early, late and southeast zones, each with two segments/splits). Staff said zoning increases opportunity for hunters who travel between zones and helps match season timing to local habitat and migration chronology; any reconfiguration requests must be submitted by Aug. 1 and would apply for a five‑year block if approved by the Fish & Wildlife Service.
Staff recommended adopting federal daily bag and possession limits for geese (including consideration of raising the daily bag for Canada geese from six to eight in line with Flyway survey preference), holding two consecutive special‑use days for youth and veterans (scheduled in advance of the general duck season), and retaining a 15‑day falconry season in the Low Plains unit. The commission will consider final season selections at its April meeting.
