Kansas wildlife commission directs staff to draft rule expanding night-vision coyote season to Feb. 1–June 30 for public review

The Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks Commission on March 27 asked department staff to prepare a draft regulation to extend the state’s night-vision coyote hunting season from the current Jan. 1–March 31 window to Feb. 1–June 30, and to begin the formal promulgation process that will include public notice and hearings.

The move followed a multi-part staff briefing on public input and biological considerations for night-vision coyote hunting. Secretary Christopher Kennedy summarized survey results and public meetings that showed strong support for year‑round expansion among night-vision permit holders and meeting attendees, with more mixed responses from landowners and traditional coyote hunters. Kennedy told the commission the department’s preferred option would be to begin a season on Feb. 1 and extend it through June 30, and he asked commissioners for an informal vote to…