On November 14, the Kansas Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus gathered at Ravenwood Lodge outside of Topeka, Kansas, for their annual pheasant hunt and luncheon.
“The Caucus looks forward to this hunt every year,” said Caucus Co-Chair Representative Ken Corbet. “It’s a chance to have a little fun and remind ourselves how important hunting and wildlife are to our state’s economy and conservation funding.”
This event brought together local industry representatives; staff from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism; and conservation group members with the Caucus. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach also was present. Attendees participated in a European-style pheasant hunt followed by a BBQ luncheon at the clubhouse.
“Kansas is one of the nation’s top states for pheasant hunting. Over the weekend, hunters from all over the country came to our state for the pheasant season opener,” said Secretary Kobach. “I saw hunters traveling in from Oregon, Colorado, Missouri, and Tennessee. These men and women help support our communities and contribute through license dollar sales to conserving and enhancing our natural resources.”
The “12-gauge” (highest tier) sponsors for this event were: Federal Premium Ammunition; Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever; and Ravenwood Lodge. The “16-gauge” (middle tier) sponsors were: Ducks Unlimited; Hodgdon Powder Company; The Kansas Chamber; and Sunflower Health Plan. The “20-gauge” (third tier) sponsors included: Ash Grove Cement; Capitol Strategies; Century Link; Capitol Advantage LLC; Enhanced Capitol; the Kansas Contractors Association; the Kansas Association of Insurance Agents; Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.; the Kansas Livestock Association; the National Rifle Association; National Wild Turkey Federation; Strathman Sales; TriStar Arms; and Whitney B. Damron P.A.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
