KANSAS: Governor Signs Pro-gun Hunting Bill into Law

[GreenStormCloud]

http://www.nraila.org/hunting/issues-and-alerts/2012/3/kansas-governor-brownback-signs-important-hunting-bill-into-law.aspx

Today, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed House Bill 2491 into law. This self-defense and hunting reform will allow hunters, fishermen, and fur harvesters to carry a handgun in the field. HB 2491 passed in the state Senate unanimously on March 15 and in the House by an overwhelming 113 to 8 vote in February.

HB 2491 is a commonsense bill that will allow an individual to carry a handgun for personal protection while hunting, fishing or trapping as long as that firearm is not used for the unauthorized taking of wildlife. This bill simply allows sportsmen the ability to adequately defend themselves from a variety potential threats posed by wildlife or criminals.

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Passed the Senate UNANIMOUSLY and passed the House 113-8. Please, may we have some more backlash like that?

[pipoman]

1. The overwhelming support

was at least partially caused by the growing number of wild hogs here. We were just talking about that here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/117225047#post6

[CAPHAVOC]

2. Same problem on the Big Island.

They used to tear up my backyard every night.

[pipoman]

10. Is the problem with feral hogs,

or some indigenous species? The problems here are with feral hogs..they are having a negative impact on the environment here.

[CAPHAVOC]

11. Hogs

Not native kine They would come at night and root up everything.

[dballance]

3. I Don't Really Have a Problem with this

Like the other poster said there are lots of wild boars that are very aggressive. I'm not entirely sure about the other fauna but are there bears and other animals a hunter would need to be worried about in KS woods?

As long as they didn't sneak some concealed carry anywhere crap into the bill it doesn't seem like a problem. Hunting is where guns belong if you're going to own them.

[PavePusher]

4. Really? How odd...

I don't see anything about hunting in the Constitution or any of the Amendments....

[dballance]

12. You are joking right? How do you think people put meat on the table back then?

Hunting was such an integral way of putting meat on the table for one's family I am not surprised it is not specifically enumerated in the Constitution. Perhaps the Founders made the assumption the 2nd Amendment covered it since that allows people to have guns - yes I know it says for a militia not hunting so don't waste your time trying to correct me in a reply.

You had to have a garden for vegetables and hunt for meat back then.

There were no supermarkets and most families were unlikely to have the funds to go to an open-air market in town to buy food when they could produce it so much cheaper on their own.

Not everything we are allowed is enumerated in the Constitution you know. Otherwise it would take up the whole Library of Congress.

Please don't be patronizing.

[PavePusher]

15. You missed the point. (And the snark.)

And no, it does not say "for a militia".

Please, don't be pedantic. (A sin I'm guilty of myself, on occasion...)

[oneshooter]

5. I believe that Kansas already has Concealed Carry.

So your small rant is too late.

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[NewMoonTherian]

6. As far as I can tell, Kansas has no preemption.

There are a lot pf varying local ordinances that make carrying a pain in the neck. Maybe he's referring to that?

(Please note my information is quite old, and the situation may have changed.)

[pipoman]

9. Yes there is no preemption

this bill, as I see it, doesn't require a CCW to carry in the field. Open carry is legal in most of Kansas. This law targets a previous provision in kansas hunting laws which prohibited the carrying of a handgun while hunting certain types of game and only allowed large calibers while hunting big came. It's been a while since I looked, but the old law specified the length and caliber of cartridges carried while hunting. The intent was to keep people from trying to hunt deer and other game with handgun calibers not suitable for taking the game being hunted. The law would, for instance, allow one to carry and hunt with a .45 Colt but not a .45 ACP, the casing of the cartridge didn't meet the length requirement.

[NewMoonTherian]

7. Thankfully, most people disagree with you.

We have concealed carry in 49 states. 38 are shall-issue.

[dballance]

13. That is Certainly Their Right. But...

I don't see anywhere in my post though that supports concealed carry if that is what you are implying. In fact I put in the caveat that I supported this if they DID NOT sneak in any additional concealed carry stuff.

I am not at all supportive of all the concealed carry laws. There is, to me, a huge difference between openly carrying a handgun while hunting and carrying a concealed weapon in a town or city.

Concealed handguns carried in around crowds of others in towns and cities are just a recipe for disaster. As my wise father always said, those are people guns. As we have seen lately with the horrible Trayvon Martin disaster.

[gejohnston]

14. what about handguns designed for hunting?

of course, they make poor CCW guns, regardless of Dirty Harry movies.

[NewMoonTherian]

16. I know what you were saying.

And I feel you're wrong. Concealed carry is widespread, and it isn't causing an increase in crime. One horrible incident does not discredit the practice. I can tell you about multiple cases where it has saved members of my own family. If there is a way to increase the number of honest people carrying guns, or the places and ways in which they can carry them, I'm in favor of it.

[dballance]

18. Thank You for your comment

I appreciate everyone weighing in whether or not they agree with me.

[NewMoonTherian]

22. I hope you stay with us here for a long time.

I'm so happy to see someone who's up for discussing divisive issues while still showing respect for where other people are coming from. Decorum is severely lacking here in the Gungeon, and I've played my part in that also. Sorry for being a little hotheaded in my previous post. I can't wait to discuss with you more!

[eqfan592]

17. Recipe for disaster?

Sorry, but the facts do not support your position at all, unless you have some statistical data that nobody has ever seen before to support such an assertion.

[dballance]

19. Great, Show me the stats

I appreciate everyone weighing in because I know I'm not just that smart on my own. If I can get people talking it makes me happy.

[GreenStormCloud]

21. Here you are for Texas.

Texas publishes the data every year. There is no reason to think that the Texas experience is greatly different from any other state with similar laws. Texas is a shall-issue CC state. BTW - Kansas went shall-issue CC several years ago.

[IMG][/IMG]

The blue bars are the conviction rate for the general population. The red bars are the conviction rate for CHL (Concealed Handgun License) holders.

[X_Digger]

25. Here's more data..

I've added in a few more years' worth of reports since I created that one.



2010 should be out shortly, I'll update that same URL when it is.

[pipoman]

8. No bears

however there are growing populations of cougars, there are rattlesnakes (some people carry a handgun with snake shot), coyotes, and occasional packs of aggressive wild dogs...but the feral hogs are different than most other wild animals, they aren't as afraid of man as most truly wild animals...and they are aggressive, illusive and territorial.

[shadowrider]

23. Elusive. Not that I'm being a spell checker or nothin..:)

[dballance]

20. Okay look everyone. Concealed carry permits don't kill people...

People with a gun in their hand kill people. They may or may not have a concealed carry permit. The possession of a concealed carry permit is SO IRRELEVANT to whether or not a person fires on and kills another person.

Let's not get off topic. If someone shoots another person they need to be examined regardless of their politics and permits.

I am not being unreasonable.

[pipoman]

24. True

and specifically, this change in the law has zero to do with concealed carry. Most of the state allows for open carry by anyone who is not a prohibited gun possessor, without a permit. The change has to do with hunting and fishing regulations and firearms on public grounds if I understand it. Previously there has been a prohibition on possession of firearms or certain types of firearms while hunting or fishing depending on the hunting season, species being hunted, and location of the hunt.

FIREARMS
Centerfire rifles and handguns that are not fully automatic and that fire a bullet larger than .23 inches in diameter and that use a cartridge case that is 1.280 inches or more in length (except that elk require a bullet larger than .25 inches in diameter a cartridge case length of 1.750 or longer), while using only hard-cast solid lead, soft point, hollow point, or other expanding bullets; shotguns 20-gauge (12-gauge for elk) or larger, using only slugs; and crossbows with draw weights of at least 125 pounds, with bolts at least 16 inches long equipped with broadhead points that cannot pass through a ring 3/4-inch in diameter. Non-broadhead bolts may be in possession while hunting. Range-finding devices and optical scopes or sights that project no visible light toward the target and do not electronically amplify visible or infrared light may be used. Any person who lawfully possesses a firearm suppressing device may use that device in conjunction with lawful hunting, fishing, and furharvesting.

http://www.kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/Hunting/Hunting-Regulations/Deer/Legal-Equipment

For instance, previously it would have been illegal to possess a handgun while hunting with archery. It would have been illegal to possess a .45 acp while deer hunting with a firearm because the dimensions of the ammo are not legal to hunt with. It would have been illegal to possess a handgun while turkey hunting because only a shotgun or archery are permitted to take a turkey, etc. My FIL was given a warning a few years ago for possessing a magazine of .17hmr while hunting deer on his own property, he could have received a citation at that time even though he didn't even have the .17hmr gun with him.