Kansas Firearms Deer Hunting
Kansas Firearms Deer Country
Open lands deer sign.
Kansas open lands deer hunting where the ability to see almost everywhere leaves the deer hunter thinking there are not any deer anywhere. Deer sign and scouting is different than the canalize terrain of watershed farm country giving the dedicated deer hunter one more adventure through changing conditions to advance his deer hunting skills.
The payoff, grasslands bucks like the one shown below.
Kansas firearms deer hunting is by modern rifle and muzzleloader with split seasons and draw tags to specific deer management units for both Mule and Whitetail Deer.
Kansas firearms deer hunting permeations that must be identified within any conversation to include if discussing: Mule Deer or Whitetail Deer; type of firearms tag i.e. "any deer" a term many find unique to Kansas, either sex, whitetail only, muzzleloader only or firearms inclusive of muzzleloader and modern rifle resident purchase, resident draw or nonresident draw tag. In short the Kansas firearms deer hunting system is complex and best handled at the individual level rather than attempt an all inclusive article. We will assist all Association hunters to insure they apply for the deer tag they want.
Deciphering through all these permeations is part of the service we provide to our members a sort of friendly point of contact to ensure all make an informed decision.
The most significant aspect of the Kansas firearms deer tag application is that each hunter may apply for up to four deer management units. with Mid-America Hunting Association having lease land in 8 firearms units for each member that places one of our 8 coverage units as one of his four choices if drawn he will have a place to hunt.
Another unusual requirement is that all deer tag holders must also possess a general (small game) Kansas hunting license as well during all hunts.
What we have observed over the years concerning Kansas firearms hunting is the combination of long range optics and firearms may reach out as far as the hunter's eye can see and that is frequently greater than the hunter has the ability to shoot. The most common error is that our open lands make judging range more difficult and use of a range finder even with the latest improved technology typically not quick enough to make for a shot.
For those that plan to rifle hunt Kansas being able to practice on full deer body targets out to 300 yards is a minimum. Anything less will leave most with eyes on a quality buck and probably undershooting due to miss-judging range. Muzzleloader hunters should be able to, with shooting stick, reach out to 200 yards.
Kansas firearms deer hunting does offer two attractive aspects to deer hunting. The first is a pre-rut September muzzleloader season. The second is rifle hunting allows entry into the open land hunting of western Kansas of terrain similar to western cowboy and indian movies.
The first attraction of being able to hunt a pre-rut deer behavior motivated by food and survival rather than reproduction allows for more deer hunting skill of understanding and stalking than the greater luck requirement of reproduction motivate deer movement. This brings into deer hunting a bit more adventure of practicing more demanding hunting skills greater than standing in stand of endless hours hoping a hot doe will bring a trophy whitetail by that spot. In pre-rut hunts a tree stand is a secondary effort rather than primary technique.
The second aspect of Kansas firearms deer hunting allow entry into the big open of western Kansas is the adventure of vastly different deer hunting terrain than what most expertise in woodlots. Western Kansas allows for greater observation over more directions and longer distances than most deer hunters can sustain. Eye strain of constant scanning for movement along seemingly invisible rolls and folds of the land in grass so short that it appears a deer would stand out easily seen is more often seen as a tail running away due to the hunter's unwise movements. We have seen that few hunters that hunt the big open lands actually return for subsequent hunts. those that do seem to gain that level of enthusiasm for deer hunting that we all had early in our hunting careers. A special enjoyment that should be tried before dismissed for the more well known woodlots.
