Citizen Portal
Sign In

KDWP begins scoping for 2025–26 waterfowl seasons; changes to duck-zone process highlighted

2626662 · February 12, 2025

Loading...

AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

KDWP staff briefed the commission on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service frameworks for the 2025–26 waterfowl season cycle (noting reduced available September days and a new pintail bag strategy) and opened a five-year review of Kansas duck-zone boundaries; staff will return with formal recommendations in March.

Tom Bedrowski of KDWP briefed the commission on the federal frameworks that guide state waterfowl season dates, bag and possession limits for the 2025–26 regulatory cycle and outlined a five-year review of Kansas duck-hunting zone boundaries.

Bedrowski said two framework changes matter for 2025–26: the federal reduction of allowable September season days from 16 to nine (driven by a 2024 blue‑winged teal breeding-population index below the 4.7 million threshold), and an increase in the daily pintail bag from one to three under an interim harvest strategy designed to better understand pintail population responses.

"These frameworks establish the maximum bag and possession limits, season lengths, and the earliest and latest closing dates," Bedrowski told the commission, adding that states must operate within those federal limits when setting state-specific seasons.

KDWP also opened the required five-year review of duck-zone boundaries. Bedrowski explained that Kansas currently uses a High Plains / Low Plains split along U.S. Highway 283, and within the Low Plains has three duck zones (early, late, southeast) that allow splits or segments so season structure can match habitat and migration chronology. He noted that zone boundaries must be contiguous and are set for five-year periods; seasonal dates are still set annually. KDWP will take public input and present staff recommendations at upcoming meetings; any new configuration must be adopted before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deadline on Aug. 1 to take effect for the 2025–26 season.

Ending: KDWP will solicit input, complete internal analyses and present formal season and zone recommendations at the March commission meeting so the commission can act prior to federal deadlines.