January 2004

30 Jan

If anyone is emailing us and we do not respond it is due to your email address being on our block sender list that is now over 2,000 names large. With the recent email virus surge the internet has experienced and with our email address on the website should you not get a response from us it is due to your previous emails being virus laden and our software automatically places those addresses on the block sender list. Give us a call if we do not respond to your email.

Also Gary Carty sent us this email:

Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 1:43 PM
To: Carty, Gary - Eastman
Subject: Re: Landowner tag transfer

Dear Gary,
The proposed legislation action passed to be applied to the 2004 deer season is as follows:  Nonresident transferable permits shall be limited to a designated county and one additional county where the landowner's or tenant's lands are located.  Permits will be drawn within the unit allocations but will only be valid in the designated counties.  The sunset clause for this regulation (H.B. 2078) will be 2007. Thank you. Commissioner Hall

Searching the Kansas State legislation page we found this information.

SESSION OF 2003, SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2078

As Amended by Senate Committee of the Whole, Brief

HB 2078 would make several modifications and additions to the laws dealing with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP).

Big Game Permits. The bill would, for the years 2003 and thereafter, increase the number of nonresident firearm and deer archery permits issued by KDWP by 2 percent each year.

The bill would require that a nonresident deer permit obtained by a landowner or tenant would only be valid within a designated county and one adjacent county where the qualifying landowner's or tenant's lands are located. This provision would expire on June 30, 2008. 

28 Jan

Dan (left) sent in a picture from a day when he was done and working to help out his hunting buddies. Thanks Dan you show us the potential.

From Joshua (right), a hunter from Texas, that finds pleasure in more than just harvest photos for his album.

Thank you Joshua for thinking of us. We have posted a larger version of this well composed picture and the others you sent in the website. Those that see such value are the hunters we prefer.

26 Jan

Derrol H., has been a member for just two years and he has provided us with a photo and text description of the highlights for the second year running. See how real hunters can have success with having seen only as much of the land as can be hunted in two seasons. Thank you Derrol for the two seasons review, we are looking forward to many more years of your updates.

23 Jan

Alan does it again with another fine bow harvest. Thank you Allan for showing a history of success.

21 Jan

Wayne brings in a nice one.

What it is all about, getting on game.

19 Jan

A member emailed that perhaps the Association should form a membership committee to hammer out issues such as the guest pass regulation. This idea would probably work for an evolving organization consisting of multiple issues, however MAHA has been around long enough that the regulations that establish the relationship between the hunters and the Association have been hammered out through time and repeatedly tested and if required subsequently refined. We essentially do not have many issues at all and this is the only one for the past year. Our focus is land acquisition and that is where it will remain given that we reject about 70% of the land we survey each year. Besides all the Baptists out there will attest that the best committee is one composed of three where two don't show up for the meetings. For the non-Baptists out there understand that in the Southern Baptist Conference all decisions are by committee and no one is ever satisfied with the outcome.

Don B., and Yankee showing the results of a quick upland bird hunt with three pheasant and two quail.

Chris R., on a late season goose hunt in the rain.

Several members have made comment to us that if they ever harvest anything worth taking a picture of they would send it in for website publication. The two photos above show the other side of that viewpoint in that almost every hunt has a moment where a picture captures the memory. The one on the right is of only two geese, but the story it tells is much greater. Late winter, unseasonably warm, hunting in the rain. A day when they were through far earlier than anticipated. The one on the left seems simple enough and the memory it captures is each mental image of Yankee putting up a bird and making a straight line retrieve. We appreciate each and every picture regardless of how simple it may appear to some folks, real hunters can reflect on the story behind the photo.

Feedback on the guest pass issue (16 Jan update) was immediate, continuing and numerous. Those that want to retain the current system hold a slight lead in the voting. Those that voted for retention were also the most articulate with their explanations. Some excerpts of that feedback include: 

"... you have to want to take a guest pretty bad to put up with all that [current Association restrictions] ... I have tried to use mine to convince friends to join the assoc. I'm of the opinion you should be able to test drive before you buy, guest passes allow for that without anyone getting a free ride....The only way I would end the pass policy is if you are trying to limit/close paying membership."

"I vote to DELETE the guest pass system. I’m sure it’s just another headache that distracts you guys from acquiring and maintaining leases.  Also, a non-member with four guest passes could potentially harvest the same amount of game I pay an entire season’s worth of dues for. Thanks for Asking for My Input."

"I recently had the opportunity to take advantage of our guest pass policy and believe it is a good thing. I do understand the comment that our Association should be for the benefit of our members, but we should keep in mind, that for some members, the ability to invite friends, guests to hunt alongside us is also a benefit. I do believe the guest policy should be monitored so it does not become a problem, but for now it seems like an additional benefit in membership...."

"My vote is to keep some limited guest passes. All of my friends that have joined the club were guests at one time, liked what they saw and joined the club. I suspect that is true with a lot of other members as well."

Thank you to all that have emailed their viewpoints and as it has been a lot of feedback any one else that wants to weigh in on this topic should do so soon as a decision may be sooner than we had anticipated.

Jerry sent in a second letter and photo now covering his current and last season quail hunting success. A chance to read a different perspective on our hunting. This hunter is now 60 years old and continues to bird hunt, a role model for all of us!

16 Jan

As folks begin their spring turkey hunt planning past experience indicates the earlier in the season hunted the more likely toms will be on the hens and difficult to attract away with decoy and call. Not all youth seasons are open to non-residents (Missouri). While Missouri and Kansas have a two tom limit in the spring and Kansas allows the harvesting of two toms in one day, Missouri limits only one tom for for the opening week. Missouri and Kansas have an overlapping period within their seasons. Deer scouting will be prohibited on prime turkey leases during the spring season.

For those that have friends they are considering for sponsorship into the Association be aware that last year's lease contracting is forcing a membership price increase that will be determined in March. Having your friends enter into the Association before the price increase will save them some money this year and for the next couple of seasons as well.

Concerning the Association guest pass regulation there has always been an undercurrent within the Association to delete guest passes in total (currently for upland and waterfowl only). This issued raised itself a couple of years ago and the passes were reduced from 6 to 4 with restrictions from the Monday after Thanksgiving and use ending by January 15. Again this year several have raised the guest pass issue again with the idea of eliminating them in total. The general argument is that the Association's fully paid member has the right to the lease access and that guests only apply additional pressure to the land to the detriment of the overall membership. Before any decision to sustain or delete the guest passes is made membership feedback is requested. Email any feedback, votes for or against keeping or deleting the guest passes, or any other comment on this subject.

Anyone hunting late season geese must be careful of the ice on the ponds, streams and lakes. While ice formation occurs each season, warm periods common each winter will make for thin ice for both the hunter and dog. Floatation devices are the only way to hunt around ice and are also available for dogs at the local sporting goods stores. We strongly advise all hunters to use life jacket on the wetlands and when in their boats or canoes while hunting or fishing Association leases. Safety always comes first. Few of us would consider using a tree stand without a safety harness, the same should be for life jackets around water.

15 Jan

Grady H. with his first archery deer. Grady hunted for two years and let many small bucks pass looking for one for the wall. His efforts paid off with this nice 150 class whitetail.

14 Jan

For those that thought our duck season was average and not much to be thankful for our friends in Arkansas called (The same ones from before Christmas) and said they are still waiting for the ducks to show up with less than two weeks left of their season. As happened before those of us that are local forget just how good we have it in Missouri.

With the last push for end of season upland hunting underway we have been receiving mixed reports from just about every where in Kansas. Some are finding birds stating they either bagged a limit or should have and others saying the land is worn out.
 

We have been through this before and attribute a lot of the negative feedback to the rush of hunters we allocated Association memberships to that interpreted the favorable pre-season bird reports meaning the levels were back to where they were during the middle 90's. They have not returned to those levels yet and after our two dry springs seem on the verge of regaining the glory days when everyone shot limits and all thought they had the best bird dogs around.
For those that want to hunt and work their dogs they are finding the hunting as it should be, working for every point. Those expecting to find birds without walking every fence line, drain or draw are out for a ride in the country.

Good luck to all and even an average field day is better than watching TV.

12 Jan

Reminder no guests after 15 January for upland or waterfowl. We have several landowners and hired hands in several locations that will be carding all hunters. Everyone must have on their person their membership ID and a government issued ID card.

11 Jan

Steve Galusky from West Virginia set out a game camera during his hunt and captured these bucks on film at the same crossing. Thanks Steve good luck next season.

Bruce Johnson with a nicely composed picture from his last quail hunt.

Thank you, Bruce we agree you should be happy about a relaxing walk in the field and a limit early in the day.
10 Jan

First hunt after a layoff for the stitches to heal.

The dogs pictured (right) are pointing singles from a seven bird covey that was pointed and flushed on 1-7-04, but not fired upon.
As coveys shrink in size through the season, some members don't shoot at coveys made up of less than ten birds. Five of the seven singles from this covey were pointed, pictures were taken, but no birds were shot. By leaving "seed" for next season, we help insure that there will always be quail at our favorite spots. There are still plenty of coveys with healthy numbers, let's focus on those in the late season. Thanks to this member for conserving the resource! 

9 Jan

A picture from Duke Hamm for the discerning eye. Dog and hunter, not much else for equipment and still ducks were had on a November hunt. Thanks Duke, for one of those pictures that says a lot.

Congratulations to Sean on his first hunt in his Association. Sean also wrote a great account of the hunt highlighting some of he intangible aspects of the Association that may be more important than just the land. Thank you Sean for bring to the attention of others what some may never realize.

7 Jan

Pictured left is Andrew, a refreshing example that not all attorneys are liberals, with his dog, Payton, from a recent hunt.

Grady and crew, right, with an excellent example of how hunters may hunt the way they want to hunt with their own equipment. Success on their own!

Shown right are Majors Kenneth Rosson, USAF and Al Stahl, USA representing the 25 or so active duty military members within their Association. Kenneth writes: "It was a great hunt on a farm pond. All of the mallard shooting was done in 2 1/2 hours, from about 1300 to 1530. It was one of those once in a season hunts.  Great dog work, but wore him out!"

We are particularly proud of the recent success of our Military hunters to include the earlier highlighted Majors Doug Baker and Rhett Thompson, USA, both on active duty.

Thanks to you all for some great photos and good luck with the remainder of the season.

Recent duck reports tell the late season hunters had a good time of it with the earlier cold weather pushing the ducks down from the north. The pictures above represent what we have been told by others, essentially when the duck are in our wetlands produce.

Daryl, 169 5/8 green.

Captured on film before the hunt!

Thank you Daryl for such a unique opportunity to see before and after of the same deer, congratulations!

5 Jan

Greenhead only days, limits or not, while this is not the case every day they are frequent enough for most seasoned duck hunters. These are the type of hunters that enjoy the Association, those that enjoy the hunt rather than count numbers.

TJ Bass, right, with his first ever quail, and with a .410! Congratulations TJ! Great picture that will last a lifetime of that one special moment. Thanks TJ Bass Sr., for sharing the picture.

The first double off a first season pup is always worth a picture. A true double where the gun never left the shoulder, a step not taken and the dog on point till the first shot fired (by training) then held up to be steady to wing of the second bird (by training). Kansas pheasant hunt showing 1/2 bag limit, first day of the trip, the second field hunted, on a warm windy day in January 2004. The dog is a King Llewellin, one year old. Thanks to MAHA for giving me the chance to have such a memory and another picture for the album. Harry.

Thanks Harry for the pictures, we certainly enjoyed the series on this pup you sent in this season.