Kansas landowners could have more control over their property

In February 2017, House Bill HB2207 was introduced into the House and a Agriculture & Natural Resources committee hearing was held. HB2207 is a straight forward bill intended to protect the Kansas landowners from unwanted trespassing. Even if you have your land posted with purple paint or “No Hunting” signs, the current law under 32-1013 section C, allows a person to trespass onto your land without your permission to hunt, by simply claiming “they are pursuing wounded wildlife.” Over 97 percent of Kansas is owned by the Kansas citizen, yet only 3 percent of Kansans hunt deer. As landowners we need to ask the question, who is our current trespassing law written to protect, the landowner or the hunter? Also, when can the Kansas landowner be in control of their own property and have the right to keep unwanted trespassers off our lands?

We the landowners buy our land, pay property tax and insurance on our land, and we spend our time and money improving and maintaining our lands. Why then does the state assume to have the authority to allow trespassers to enter your land without first asking our permission. Apparently it is so they can sell more hunting licenses to increase their fiscal budget.

The ethical hunter will always do the right thing and ask for permission either before hunting, or to pursue a wounded animal if it crosses a property boundary. The unethical hunter will want to sneak onto your property for a variety of reasons. HB2207 is intended to protect you the landowner from these unwanted trespassers, buy requiring a hunter to first get your permission to enter your land for any reason.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism has announced they are opposed to this bill. While the bill is strongly supported by some representatives, other Kansas legislators have shown no interest to pass HB2207, or in reality, they have voted against your right to control trespassing on your privately owned land. If you feel the state has the authority to allow trespassers onto your land without your knowledge, then do nothing. However, if you feel this is a violation of your most basic rights as a landowner, contact your legislators and express your opinion to them. I encourage you to attend an open forum meeting hosted by your representatives and ask them to explain their view of this bill. Also, keep in mind that if they will not support the 97 percent who are the landowners, in November 2018, we can express our opinion at the voting booths.

—Tim Nedeau, Scranton, Kansas