ELLINWOOD — The hunters who will descend on Kansas for this weekend's opening of pheasant and quail season are expected to leave something important behind: money.
A U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife study estimates that upland bird season alone generates $155 million in retail sales in Kansas.
Hunters also flock to the state to pursue deer, turkey and waterfowl. Combined, the hunting industry in Kansas generated more than $488 million in retail sales, salaries and state and federal income tax, according to the federal agency's study.
But as lucrative as hunting already is for Kansas, outdoor enthusiasts say the sport could generate even more revenue if the state did more to promote it.
Ken Corbet, a Kansas Sport Hunting Assn. board member, calls the state "a hidden treasure" for outdoor sportsmen.
"I tell everyone, hunting could be for Kansas what Pike's Peak is for Colorado," he said. "It is renewable. It is every year, and for more people who are in the business, we enjoy seeing the people come.
One of the biggest attractions is the Kansas Walk-In Hunting program, which allows public access to about 1 million acres of state-leased private property in fall and winter, said LeAnn Schmitt, special assistant to former Gov. Mike Hayden, who now serves as secretary of wildlife and parks.
The state does some promotion of hunting and fishing and works a little with the Kansas Department of Commerce. And wildlife officials said the importance of word-of-mouth promotion can't be underestimated.
"There is a general awareness among bird hunters nationwide that Kansas is a good place to go," said Bob Mathews, chief of information and education for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. "And with this coming season, word will travels fast -- from South Carolina to Washington state."
But Schmitt said there hadn't been a full-fledged marketing effort to bring more hunters to the state.
"We haven't targeted pheasant hunting," she said.
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