HB2547

[westksbowhunter]

HB 2547 Requiring a valid upland game bird stamp prior to taking any upland game bird in this state, except on private land, establishing the upland game bird restoration fund and requiring the department of wildlife and parks to use moneys from such fund for the procurement and release of upland game birds.

Bill referred to House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources

Hearing: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 3:30 PM Room 112-N

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks took a neutral stance on this bill. Read KDWP's testimony here and view the 2025 Upland Bird Forecast here.

 

[BritChaser]

I'm a no

 

[birddude]

Typical. Treating the symptom and not the cause.

 

[Chestle]

So I guess Kansas will become like the other stocking states. Hunters will follow the delivery trucks around and jump in right away to shoot the flare nares.

Sounds like an admission that good habitat is never coming back

 

[westksbowhunter]

So I guess Kansas will become like the other stocking states. Hunters will follow the delivery trucks around and jump in right away to shoot the flare nares.

Sounds like an admission that good habitat is never coming back

It could come back if they would eliminate the WIHA program and start investing in landowners and habitat. Instead, their focus is revenue from NR hunting.

 

[matto]

I was a "yes" until the part requiring the state to release birds. What BS.

 

[matto]

Just read KDWP's testimony. The document clearly lists the department's position as "neutral", but this is the only remotely positive comment included:

While the intent and sentiment of the bill is understood and appreciated, the methods and the program outlined within the bill are unlikely to achieve the identified purpose.

That bill has one sponsor. I don't think it's going anywhere.

 

[gim]

Hunters will follow the delivery trucks around and jump in right away to shoot the flare nares.

Lol is this a thing? I feel like it would be comical in person.

 

[Bob Peters]

Lol is this a thing? I feel like it would be comical in person.

For sure. I heard a podcast about it in Wisconsin, retired guys blasting them before the truck pulled out of the lot. Kinda like opening day of stream trout after stocking rainbows, but worse.

 

[stinkbelly]

Does Kansas currently stock pheasant? I was driving around 2-3 years ago the day before the opener and I saw roosters all over the dirt roads. It seemed like someone dropped them off. That was the only time I have seen that.

 

[matto]

The state does not stock any pheasants. But there are plenty of preserves in the state that stock a lot of pheasants. This past season we drove through a 2 mile stretch that ran next to/between several fields used one of the bigger operators. We saw probably 15+ birds on the road, in the ditch, and in one of the plum thickets.

 

[Powderhorn Jim]

Kansas does stock pheasants for their "governor's hunt", and a lot of them. A number of years ago that hunt was conducted south of Goodland, Kansas on and around the State wildlife area down there. For days after that there were literally herds of pheasants running back and forth across the county roads, mostly onto private, posted lands, but that is another story. Their governor's hunt is apparently a fund raiser for wildlife management operations and activities.

 

[gim]

For sure. I heard a podcast about it in Wisconsin, retired guys blasting them before the truck pulled out of the lot. Kinda like opening day of stream trout after stocking rainbows, but worse.

Not a whole lot of sport or challenge involved with that