The Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission has approved a series of changes to hunting regulations and Kansas State Park fees, including new restrictions on nonresident waterfowl hunting and the return of a fall turkey season for Kansas residents.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks said the commission approved the changes during its meeting Thursday, Aug. 27, in Pittsburg.
Among the changes are increased fees for Kansas State Park vehicle permits, overnight camping and utilities. The commission also eliminated the annual camping permit. Those fee changes are scheduled to take effect Nov. 1, 2026.
The commission also approved new hunting-hour restrictions for nonresidents pursuing waterfowl, coot, rail or snipe on KDWP-managed public lands and waters.
Beginning with the fall 2026 hunting season, nonresidents will be required to stop hunting those species before noon and leave department-managed lands by 1 p.m.
The restrictions will not apply during the September teal season or to light goose hunting conducted under the light goose conservation order.
KDWP said the new limits also do not apply to Walk-In Hunting Access, or WIHA and iWIHA, areas. They also will not apply when nonresidents are hunting other species on department lands or participating in KDWP Special Hunts programs and events.
In another change, the commission reestablished a fall turkey hunting season for Kansas residents. Permits will be valid for the harvest of one bearded, or male, turkey.
The fall turkey season will run from Oct. 31 through Jan. 31, with a 12-day closure beginning on the Wednesday following Thanksgiving. Permits are expected to go on sale in early October ahead of the Oct. 31 season opener.
The commission also established a repeatable season-date structure for deer hunting in Deer Management Units located on military properties.
The approved hunting regulations will now move through the final administrative process, including publication by the Kansas Secretary of State in an upcoming edition of the Kansas Register.
With the exception of the State Park fee changes, the regulations will take effect 15 days after publication. The State Park fee changes are scheduled to take effect Nov. 1, 2026.
KDWP Secretary Christopher Kennedy said the agency recognizes that many wildlife and park-management decisions require balancing competing interests.
“Many of the issues we face don’t come with a single right or wrong answer,” Kennedy said. “They require judgment, balance, and collaboration.”
Kennedy said the department takes public feedback into consideration while working with the commission to manage Kansas’ fish and wildlife populations, parks and public lands.
“We take the public’s input seriously as we navigate complex situations,” he said. “And we do this work in close partnership with the Commission because we have a shared responsibility to steward fish and wildlife populations and manage our parks and public lands in ways that meet Kansans expectations.”
