By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Social media is great at promoting falsehoods. Even with deer season wrapping up around central Kansas in mid-January, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Manager Jason Wagner said certain rules still apply. That's not always what he sees in conversations on social media.
"What a lot of people are saying, they're going on Walk-In Hunting and collecting shed antlers," he said. "That is not allowed on Walk-In Hunting. Walk-In Hunting is for the sole purpose of actively hunting."
The Walk-In Hunting Access program began in 1995 to increase the hunting experience by giving hunters access to certain private lands. But that land is still private and specifically used for active hunting, not collecting antlers, morel mushrooms, or even fishing. Permission from the landowners is still required for all non-Walk-In Hunting activities.
Another misconception pertains to treestands used during deer season. Regulation says all treestands must be removed within 14 days of the final day of deer season. The rule helps ensure all hunters have access to a given spot each year, and it's also a safety issue as squirrels or other animals may chew through the straps. Fallen stands are often left for someone else to pick up. Wagner emphasized this regulation applies to all stands, even with game besides deer still in season.
"The regulation says all treestands," he said. "It doesn't say all deer stands, it says treestands must be removed within 14 days of the close of deer season."
With the 14 days now passed, Wagner encourages hunters who wish to keep their property to remove their treestands. Those found or reported will be removed or destroyed by KWDP staff.