Everybody knows there's no such thing as a free lunch, right? Yet there are some folks in the Kansas legislature who think that you don't understand that fact. They think that offering you free deer tags will pull the wool over your eyes and hide what they are actually trying to do. A bill introduced in the Kansas Legislature this session (HB 2079) offers a lot of folks free deer tags, but it has nothing to do with deer tags in the long term. The real goal of that bill is to change hunting in Kansas forever. Free deer tags are simply the bait being dangled in front of you. Don't take it! They want to take ownership of the wildlife away from ALL citizens and place it in the hands of a few, very influential, people. And those few people care only about their wallets, not our great Kansas hunting traditions.
While a few might initially benefit from free tags, Kansas citizens overall would greatly suffer through a defunded Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks. This bill would financially hamstring our professional state fish and wildlife managers, thus limiting the ability to effectively manage wildlife populations, provide access to publicly accessible lands and keep the lights on at our KDWP offices.
Let's follow the ideals of our Founding Fathers and our United States Constitution and keep ownership of the wildlife in the hands of ALL the citizens. Not just the rich, the influential and the huge landowners. Let's keep the lights on for our KDWP folks. Let's NOT refuse money dedicated to game management and access to public hunting and fishing. Find out who your legislators currently are by clicking HERE and tell them to oppose House Bill 2079 with all their might.
For a deeper understanding of this issue, Kansas BHA urges you to listen to a short podcast episode that was released prior to this legislation being introduced. Listen Here
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About Kansas BHA
Kansas BHA members value the freedom to hunt, fish, watch birds, trap, hike, camp, and engage in other outdoor pursuits. Our mission is to protect and preserve the few public lands and waters we have within our borders and open access to new public lands.