To clarify a few points brought up in this thread, I am the individual that attempted to get KDWP to see the wisdom of allowing night hunting of coyotes with artificial light. I was unsuccessful for no other reason than the fact that they can't see past unfounded concerns about issues that other states that allow night hunting simply have not seen become reality.
A few for the original poster here.
First, the only time artificial light (AL) can be used on a coyote or furbearer in KS is when that animal has been treed or bayed by hounds, or the animal is restrained in a trap or snare. You cannot call coyotes or other furbearers using artificial light at night in this state under any circumstances. The example offered where the guy used the light only to illuminate the eyes, then shut the light off for the shot is nothing more than a weak attempt to thwart the law for its intended purpose. If caught, the burden of proving that you didn't use the light for the shot is yours and I can't imagine a judge ruling in your favor for that.
Second, if you were born after 1966 and you want to call furbearers, you need furharvester education and a furharvesting license. Coyotes are NOT furbearers in Kansas and require only a hunting license. Bobcats, foxes and coons are furbearers. Knowing and understanding the laws is your responsibility. It appears that this young man is making a good effort to do just that and I commend him.
Third, John is a good friend of mine, but I must correct him on this one. It is perfectly legal to hunt furbearers and coyotes after dark in Kansas as long as you do NOT use AL. I hunt them on the snow at night every chance I get. When done correctly, it is highly effective and I am able to drop a number of coyotes in areas that, during the daytime, are much more difficult to call.
As far as the night hunting provision, it failed this time around, but I consider it to be a work in progress and all your support would be a big help. Matt Peeks did make the proposal but the powers that be felt the concerns from law enforcement about enforceability issues and, of course, that danged poaching. These concerns are no more valid in real world circumstances than the fears that the streets will run with the blood of the innocent where you allow people to carry concealed weapons. Allow me to explain.
In the run up to this proposal, I consulted with a number of people in light-law states, including PM's own Randy Buker. Randy provided me with a wonderfully done 15-minute DVD presentation which IMO debunked the myths about night hunting.
For instance, poaching concerns. On the surface, it would appear that poaching would run rampant if people were allowed to "shine" with a gun. In truth, time and experience has demonstrated this to be totally false. In both TX and CO, which allow night hunting, their law enforcement people admit that night callers have provided them with details that resulted in numerous arrests and convictions because the night callers were out there and heard shots/ saw activity that got their attention. More importantly, I know of no state where night hunting provisions have led to a documented increase in deer poaching. Poachers will poach whether someone else is allowed to hunt that period of the day or not.
In Minnesota, which just passed a light law in the past few years, no instance of poaching has been documented by night callers. Period.
Next, safety issues. In Kansas, every farm house seems to have a mercury or quarts vapor light in the yard. Whereas you may not be able to see that farm in the daytime because of a creek or hedgerow, those lights are very evident at night. I've discovered houses at night while calling because of those lights that I had never realized were there while hunting only during the day.
Target ID - this takes the willingness to not get all trigger happy when you see something on the snow. My rule is that I have to see the entire animal. No exceptions. At that point, I survey the head and the tail. If those say "coyote", I aim for center mass and let 'er rip. When you take your time and shoot responsibly, it is really very easy to make out a coyote on snow at night. My best night shot to date is 185 yards, with 100-140 being very common.
Game wardens will be inundated with calls. Well, that's what they're paid to do, but I have only seen my truck checked one time while parked when I was hunting, and that was by a Sheriff's Deputy. I have never been checked by a Game Warden at night (or in the day for that matter) and I typically hunt anywhere from 3-10 nights each winter. Furthermore, a rifle shot or shotgun blast at night doesn't carry like it does during the day, so you shooting isn't going to roll people out of their beds at 2 in the morning. If that's a concern, do like I do, and let your landowners know that you hunt coyotes at night, too. Despite concerns by the fear mongers that landowners don't want night hunting, mine are eager to see me employ whatever means is necessary to control their coyote numbers. Not a one has told me he doesn't like the idea.
Under my proposal, it would have been legal to call and shoot coyotes (and only coyotes) using artificial light in Kansas during a period from January 1 to March 31. While night calling with AL, neither the hunter, the light, or the power source for the light could be attached to, in on, upon, or in any way in contact with a motor vehicle of any sort, and no calling or shooting would be allowed from any traveled roadway or its immediate right of way.
My reasoning was this: The opening and closing dates restricting when you could night hunt coincide with early calving time and coyote breeding/ denning periods when depredation issues are most likely. Moreover, during this same period, deer are losing their antlers so the poaching issue becomes less and less of an issue. This period also provides nuisance control hunters a very valuable tool for working over coyotes at a time of the year when they're increasingly susceptible to howling and other more advanced calling techniques.
The vehicle and road clauses are also intended to address the issue of poaching since most poachers operate from roads and trucks so they can shoot, leave and come back later for their deer. Under this proposal, it would be illegal to call, shine or shoot from a car or truck on the road, regardless of whether you were legitimate and only after coyotes. In other words, let's say that you're calling from the road and using a light when the game warden pulls up. A lot of poachers would say "We're hunting coyotes." Well, too bad. That won't be an "out" in this proposal. The penalty and fine should still be the same.
Why did I offer this proposal? Because I'm a coyote hunter. It's what I do. And because nighttime is when coyotes are active. Making me hunt coyotes only during the day means they should make pheasant hunters hunt them only at night. Makes about as much sense to me.
In truth, this proposal was a hybrid of the best points of a number of different night hunting state laws around the country, but old fears still got in the way.
If people are truly interested in pursuing this, I see no reason why we cannot work collectively and repropose it next year, and the next, and the next, until we get it passed.
Kbaroehunter, I'm in Abilene, but have kin in McPherson. Do you know any Currans down there?
