In this newsletter

The Battle over Black-footed Ferrets heats up. AOK is working to protect the rarest mammal in North America

Nearly two decades ago, a war between wildlife exterminators and conservationists waged in the shortgrass prairie of Logan County and in Kansas courthouses. The conservationists won that battle, but now a new battle is brewing. That battle focuses on the rarest mammal of North America: The Black-footed Ferret. Let me tell you a little ferret biology and history, the battle that waged decades ago, and the new battle. 

First, Black-footed Ferret biology and conservation:

Ferrets are dependent on prairie dogs as a food source and to provide shelter for raising offspring. They cannot exist in the absence of prairie dogs. Ferrets were first documented by John James Audubon along the Platte River in Nebraska. In the late 1800s, there were estimated to be 500,000-1 million ferrets. By the 1950s, they were presumed extinct. Agricultural expansion and prairie dog eradication contributed to their decline. Prairie dogs have been blamed for eating cattle forage, creating holes which break cattle’s legs, and for spreading plague.

A population of ferrets was rediscovered in 1964, and captive breeding was attempted. Those efforts ended in failure when the wild population died out in 1974 and the last captive ferret died in 1979. Ferrets were presumed extinct a second time. 

In 1981, ‘Shep,’ a farm dog in Wyoming, brought home a strange mammal as a gift for the owners. The owners took the mammal to a taxidermist. That taxidermist identified it as a Black-footed Ferret and reported the sighting. Another captive breeding program was established with 17 ferrets, and this time, it is successful. Almost two dozen ferret populations have been re-established in the wild from captive populations, one population of which is in Kansas.

Second, the ferret/prairie dog battle nearly two decades ago:

Kansas has a law from 1901 that has been modified through the years and is still enforced today that calls for the eradication of prairie dogs. It enables County representatives to enter private land, poison prairie dogs, and then charge the landowner for the ‘service.’ If the landowner does not pay, a lien can be placed on the property. It does not matter if the landowner wants the prairie dogs or not, the county can kill them. 

Larry Haverfield, Gordon Barnhardt, and Maxine Blank had prairie dogs on 26,000 acres, and in 2005, asked the US Fish and Wildlife Service to consider their property for Black-footed Ferret reintroduction. After detailed surveys, the ‘Butte’ landowners, as they are called, was the best reintroduction site with prairie dogs present on 6,400 acres. Plans were being made to reintroduce the ferret for the fall of 2007. Then, the battle began…

The first assault started at 6 p.m. on the Friday evening of the Labor Day weekend in 2007 when an exterminator hired by Logan County entered the property and spent the weekend dropping poison in burrows, then blocking them with plastic sandbags to prevent any animals from escaping. The poison used kills all life within the burrows. Attorney Randall K. Rathbun was able to halt that operation in Shawnee District Court the following week. Logan County appealed the limitations on their poisoning prowess. A trial was held on November 20, 2007, Larry Haverfield’s 70th Birthday. Following the first trial, the Honorable Charles E. Andrews entered a restraining order limiting the extermination activities by Logan County on the ranch complex. Following additional litigation activity, Senior Judge Jack L. Lively determined that the injunction shall become permanent, and the defendant’s (Logan County Commission) request to exterminate prairie dogs on the complex pursuant to Kansas Statutes 80-121 et seq., was denied. Later, a Kansas Court of Appeals panel affirmed the earlier decision by Senior Judge Jack Lively, which permanently enjoined Logan County from eradicating prairie dogs on approximately 10,000 acres of ranchland owned by Larry and Bette Haverfield, Gordon Barnhardt and Maxine Blank.

On December 18, 2007, a week before Christmas, 24 Black-footed Ferrets were released in prairie-dog colonies, 50 years since the last verified occurrence of the species in Kansas. 

Lastly, the current battle:

On September 16, 2024, the Logan County Commissioners and 11 landowners filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). They are claiming that notification procedures have not been followed regarding the reintroduction of ferrets on a second site in Logan County. AOK is concerned that the Department of the Interior and the USFWS will bend to the County’s demands. We are currently gathering information in the case, extending our support to the ferret-friendly landowners, and developing ways to combat the negative rhetoric directed to ferrets and prairie dogs. Audubon of Kansas will be ready to act when necessary. 

Text by Jackie Augustine. Photo of Black-footed Ferret by Bob Gress.

Opportunity to comment on Kansas's State Wildlife Action Plan

The Kansas State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is currently undergoing its 10-year comprehensive revision and your expertise, experience, and input are needed. The Kansas SWAP is a statewide plan for conserving and managing Kansas’ s most at-risk fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats.

For those that are not as familiar with SWAPs; Congress created the State Wildlife Grant Programs in 2000 to provide critical funding to state fish and wildlife agencies to conserve at-risk fish and wildlife. The use of State Wildlife Grant Program funding is guided by SWAPs. In 2005, our first Wildlife Action Plan was submitted to the Service for approval. The SWAP is required to address eight planning elements and must be reviewed and revised at least once every ten years. A key component of each plan is the identification of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN).

Eight Required Elements:

1. Distribution & abundance of wildlife

2. Condition of key habitats

3. Threats or data gaps

4. Needed conservation actions

5. Monitoring needs

6. Plan revision schedule

7. Partner coordination

8. Public involvement

In 2015, Kansas underwent its first comprehensive revision, updating the SGCN list, incorporating climate change and analyzing a subset of SGCN to assess their vulnerability to climate change. We also developed a map of physical geographical landscapes where conservation actions can be applied for maximum benefit to wildlife, called Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs).

In 2022, we underwent a minor revision focusing primarily on the SGCN list. Plants were added to the list for the first time in KS SWAP history, as well as more invertebrate species with a strong focus on pollinators. Other additions to the SWAP were sections highlighting law enforcement and policy related to nongame wildlife, and wildlife outreach and education.

In this 2025 comprehensive revision, we want to consider many of the changes that Kansas and its wildlife have experienced since the 2015 plan. To help ensure the Plan is balanced and is able to leverage the resources and capacity of the public and private sectors, we want the planning process to be informed by citizens, experts from universities, and state, federal and local governments agencies. We want to gather input from wildlife and outdoor recreation enthusiasts, farmers and ranchers, business owners and others.

We will be holding regional meetings throughout the state this summer to collaborate with you, our partners, to ensure the inclusion of emerging challenges, and include the conservation issues and actions that are priorities for you.

External Partners meeting from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  

9/18 – Pratt Office, Downstairs conference room

        512 SE 25th Ave

        Pratt, KS 67124

10/3 – Emporia, Dynamic Conference Room

        3601 W 6th

        Emporia, KS

10/9 – Topeka Region 2 Office, conference room

        300 SW Wanamaker Rd

        Topeka, KS 66606

10/16 – Garden City/Lee Richardson Zoo Finnup Center

        312 Finnup Drive

        Garden City, KS 67846

If you are interested in contributing to this process we hope to see you at one of these meetings. If you cannot attend a meeting, you can submit written comments to Daren Riedle and Megan Rohweder.

The current draft of the 2025 SWAP working draft can be found here at the bottom of the page: https://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Kansas-SWAP

Photo: Henslow's Sparrow by David Rintoul.

AOK Events

October 3-7

Work Fun! Week at Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, Bassett, NE

(see below)

October 6

Open House at Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, Bassett, NE

(see below)

November 1-2

Celebration of Cranes at Sterling/Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

December

Registration opens for Kansas Lek Treks Prairie-Chicken Festival

April 10-13, 2025

Kansas Lek Treks Prairie-Chicken Festival, Hays, KS

Visit the one-of-a-kind Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary for a little work or a whole lot of fun

BASSETT, Nebr. – The public is welcome to the Open House event at the Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary on Sunday, October 6th from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. with a guided driving tour of the ranch departing at 2:30 p.m.

Visitors are invited to learn more about the nearly 5,000-acre ranch that was gifted by Harold and Lucille Hutton to the Audubon of Kansas to be managed in perpetuity as a wildlife sanctuary, educational facility, and working ranch. Located on the Niobrara National Scenic River north of Bassett, the property includes a guest house and museum that highlights the life and legacy of the couple, including numerous photographs, artifacts and art gallery.

Harold Hutton was a writer and historian, best-known for his research and publications on area history including books about the Niobrara River and local outlaw Doc Middleton. This year highlights the 50th anniversary of the publication of his book, Doc Middleton: Life and Legends of the Notorious Plains Outlaw. Hutton spent 19 years researching and writing the work published in 1974 by Swallow Press. A special display will showcase Hutton’s research documents, photographs and published works.

The guided driving tour will include a demonstration of cedar management, a tour of the wetland easement area, breath-taking views of the Niobrara River, and exploration of the ‘Hutton Homestead’. This house was used by the Hutton’s after they were wed. We will carpool in 4WD vehicles for this tour.

In conjunction with the open house event, the Audubon of Kansas invites volunteers to participate in “work week” activities at the Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary from October 2-7. Volunteer work is available for all skill levels. Participants can come for a day or stay for the week with lodging and evening meals provided for volunteers (reservations required).

To learn more about volunteer opportunities or to RSVP, contact Amy Meyer, Sanctuaries Manager, at amy@audubonofkansas.org or call/text #: (402) 382-5538.

Both events are free and open to the public.

AOK Nature Spot Recommendations:

Antioch Park in Merriam (Kansas City area) is a great place for beginning birders

This location was recommended by board member Lucia Johnson from Mission, KS: Antioch Park (6501 Antioch Rd, Merriam, KS 66202) is a quick and easy place to bird. It is especially nice for beginners as it is small has paved trails. The terrain is such that it is easy for older and some handicapped individuals to use. Antioch is an urban park that is easily accessed by those living in NE Johnson County. In the spring, I have seen Wilson, Magnolia, and Blackburian Warblers and Blue-headed Vireos. The usual NE KS regulars are also seen including Red-headed Woodpeckers.

According to eBird, Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Brown Creepers return in October to spend their winters in this park. Carolina Wrens and American Robins can be found year-round.

Text by Lucia and Jackie. Bird information from eBird. Photo from Johnson County Park and Recreation District's website.