Application season is in full swing right now. Utah and Wyoming are done (although you can still get a point in Wyoming) and Colorado and New Mexico are up next.

Colorado’s deadline is April 5th for all species. Even if you don’t intend to hunt Colorado this year I would suggest you buy the preference points. Most quality elk hunts and all quality mule deer hunts will require you to have some points to draw. You can apply online and the cost is reasonable.

New Mexico’s deadline is April 6th for all species. New Mexico doesn’t do preference points so apply only for the tags you want, and understand that most of the tags you want have very slim draw odds.

The last two years Kansas has given resident and non-resident hunters the chance to buy their turkey tags early at a discount. This year to get the savings you have to puchase your combo permit by March 31st. If you haven’t already bought it, you’re running out of time! They can be found online here.

Just a quick reminder that the Wyoming leftover licenses are on sale now. Also you can now buy your preference points there. I suggest you do so if you think you will be hunting Wyoming before you die.
Check here.

Also, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has the early portion of the Special Hunts Application available. Everyone should apply. It’s free and there are some wonderful opportunities available.
Check here for more details.

Rumor has it that Montana wants to allow as many as three times the number of wolf tags in 2010 as they had last year. Hunters killed just over 70 last year and this year they are hoping for around 200. Big game numbers in the wolf recovery area have been crushed in recent years. There is talk of closing some moose units and even some of Montana’s elk areas. When elk tags are cut you know you will motivate hunters and conservationists. The question is whether or not the Parks and Wildlife Commission will approve the recommendations, and if the federal government will object. Remember that Wyoming lost its own wolf hunt last year because they refused to operate within what the federal government considers reasonable.

More here.

The Kansas general turkey season is still several weeks away, starting April 14th. The archery season will open April 1st and continue until the general season starts. So what’s the rush? Well, if you buy your tags before April 1st you can buy both tags for $27.50 (Resident) or $47.50 (Non-Resident) which saves you a nice little bit of cash. You can buy them online here. Remember that you need to have a valid hunting license too!

I got an email today from the Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife with a nice little press release letting us know that Terrell Royalty has killed a new state record elk measuring 372 6/8ths B&C non-typical. It also reminds us that you must apply for the Kentucky elk draw by April 30th. I’ve applied each of the last two years but alas, no luck. I encourage you to try as well. It costs only $10.00 and is very simple.

Here’s the press release.

In the Kansas City area one place is synonymous with dove hunting. James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area will host several hundred hunters on opening day. They have some hunter-to-acre ratio that allows them to pack in a bunch of guys over quality habitat. The result is that on opening day alone they will often kill several thousand doves.

I’ve tried it twice, once each of the last two years. Once I had one of the best shoots of my life, once I felt like the area had been shot out. Both years it was the second day of the season. Like most public areas, if you don’t get to them in the first few days you’re wasting your time. To get a prime spot for noon on opening day people start arriving at 2:30 am!

Anyway, the Kansas City Star had an article in today’s paper saying that the kill was way down because of the weather. 620 hunters and only 1900 doves is not the type of kill they are used to. I sure didn’t notice lower numbers 100 miles to the west on my opening day… The article can be found here.

Last year a couple of guys got my email address off a comment I made over at The Outdoor Smorgasbord offering to help if dihardhunter had any questions before he came to Kansas to deer hunt. I admit I was somewhat surprised that my comment even showed up, much less the #3 hit on Google for Kansas Unit 11!

But I had a great time working with a group of guys from Florida and another group from Wisconsin. I offered my thoughts where I had hunted in the past and where I might try now, mostly on public ground. It was also fun to hear from these guys when they returned with pictures and stories to share.

So now I’m extending the offer again… If you’re looking for ideas on hunting Unit 11 or 19 in Kansas drop me a line at dukkillr@hotmail.com

Still not convinced? I shot this buck after he walked off of Unit 11 public ground a few years back…

So hw many of you actually applied for a Kansas Special Hunt like I advised you to do here and here?

Well maybe not enough of you did apply because I drew my first choice upland hunt. That marks the first time in the history of the program that I’ve drawn anything, and only 12 applicants were drawn! Now if I could have chosen to focus my luck perhaps I’d have an Arizona elk tag but beggers can’t be choosers.

It always seems like the last few weeks of August just crawl by, but this year is worse than normal. I’ve now got 3 dove openers, the teal opener, a Colorado elk bowhunt, and the arrival of my first child all scheduled to occur in the next 5 weeks!

6 Ducks
No more than:
4 Mallards (2 Hens)
3 Wood ducks
2 Scaup
2 Hooded Mergansers
2 Red head
1 Each of pintail, black duck, and canvasback

From here.