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The pheasant, and quail hunting season kicked off in the state of Kansas last weekend and while there were no fatalities or injuries reported, game wardens throughout the state had their hands full issuing citations for various legal infractions.
The state’s game wardens checked just over 700 hunters between 7pm on Friday evening and 11:59pm on Sunday evening. Of those hunters checked, 343 of them harvested pheasants and 50 of them harvested quail.
The wardens worked in conjunction with troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol to set up check points across the state to check driver’s licenses and wildlife harvests.
In Ottawa County along US Highway 81 on Sunday evening, troopers and wardens checked 53 vehicles carrying just over 100 hunters. Of those vehicles, six were transporting deer, 111 were transporting pheasants, and 25 were transporting quail, with one citation issued for failure to properly tag a deer.
A man was arrested in Rice Country for trapping fur-bearing animals out of season in early November. The man also did not have a fur harvester license and was using untagged traps as well as being in felony possession of a handgun. Wardens were also tipped off to three individuals who are suspected of committing a number of deer hunting violations. The deer hunting season does not officially begin in Kansas until December 3rd.
Another man was arrested by game wardens in Osage County for allegedly stealing diesel fuel from a tractor that was parked on private property. Additionally, a group of individuals were arrested for hunting illegally with an artificial light at night, for failing to carry hunting licenses, and for transporting open alcohol containers.
All told, there were nearly 40 citations issued throughout the state as well as a number of arrests including several for non-hunting related crimes, and a number of warnings issued.