I am going to be making a trip to Kansas in the Fall of '09 to bowhunt whitetails and I have no idea where to even start. I have never been to Kansas and was wondering if anyone has some suggestions on productive pieces of state gound to hunt. I would like to avoid people as much as possible and have a quality experience. I was also wondering what time frame in the fall might be the best for encountering good buck activity. Thanks in advance for the help it is greatly appreciated!
You lucky dog...
Never been there, so TTT.
What part of Kansas are you visiting, Let's go from there :archer:
Tracy
As far as avoiding other hunters, get in line, every other guy here is looking for less pressured deer. I have been going out west for the last 10 years on public and this year there were some guys from Wisconsin that were leaving a tract of public they said was too crowded. Now, if I had to guess, these gentlemen are used to heavy pressure back home. This was the 3rd week in Nov. and the deer were moving good, it was just to get on private ground. My advice would be to beat the rush, and get here last week in Oct. as I think I am going to do. Good Luck
K.S. Trapper,
I have no clue which part of Kansas I should be going. I have not been there yet but am planning a couple of scouting trips in the next few months. I have a cousin who hunts extensively with the Wensels and he said to start in the Norteast part of the state but I have also not been seeing a lot of public ground opportunities there. Is it still possible to knock on doors and get permission being from out of state and all? I don't have a lot o money to throw at a lease either, which some have lead me to believe is the only way find good hunting. What are you opinions and thoughts...any suggestions on some state ground with few people and decent deer...
Sweet!!! Good Luck!
No suggestions there JonJon?
Sorry to say, but no such thing anymore. Any part of the state can produce a brusier. NE Kansas is not very wooded and locked up pretty tight as far as leases.
I would get a Walk in Hunting Atlas and hunt some of those places. All the larger tracts WILL have plenty of hunters. Twenty acres in the right spot is all you need. I would seriously avoid the bigger areas. If your hunting central KS I would try to hunt b4 the pheasant opener which has been the 1st weekend of Nov. though I here they may move it back to the 2nd weekend.
Everybody and their brother wants to hunt the chase phase or the peak. I know its not as glamorous, but I would seriously think about late December. The last week in particular. The deer have calmed down from the gun season and are starting to move alittle more. The winters have been rough by our standards the last couple of years. When it gets brutally cold bucks gotta eat. The best part about it is you wont see hardly anybody hunting either. I personally would try Iowa.
Daniel, There are plenty of public places to hunt. I live in east central and every reservoir around has lots of public land hunting. I have never had any trouble nocking on doors either. Yes, Leasing is growing around here but not as bad as out west.
Here are a few places to start looking, Hillsdale lake,Clinton lake,Melvern lake, John Redmond, Perry lake, Pomona lake, Tuttle creek, Most of thease lakes are with in a 1 hour drive from my house and have tons of public hunting.
Start looking there, Plenty to look at and shoot me any questions you may have. As far as the best dates for us, Nov 1st thru the 15th is pretty hard to beat as far as the bucks running around.
Good luck :)
Tracy
Hey Tracy, sorry to tell ya, all the deer around Clinton have up and moved. Must have migrated south to Redmond. Strangest thing I've ever seen. No use in even going there!! LOL. Tripper
Thanks for the help guys...where can I find those atlas' that you are talking about?
IronCreekArcher, you have a P.M. Tripper
December would be a time where you probably wouldn't see a bunch of other hunters, it can be cold, but you all are used to that up there. I have hunted most of the places KS Trapper listed, and they can be good if you walk farther than the next guy.
If I was a deer and I new Tripper was in the woods with a bow and arrows I would leave the county too :archer: That guy's a killer :goldtooth:
Bryan's right, You just have to work a little harder than the next guy and a little luck never hurt ;)
Tracy
A couple of couple of good lakes in north central ar Marion res. and Milford. Both have some public hunting that will get you into good bucks but you have to hunt it before pheasant season starts. Glenn
is kansas over the counter tags?
Scott, Kansas is an over the counter state for archery atleast. Tripper
Nonresidents still have to draw Scott. Though I dont think anyone got refused last year. You have to have a buck tag b4 you can buy a doe tag.
Like the last few years Im sure it will be totally diffrent next year. Our DNR blows.
Sorry for the bad info, I was buying my tags last year and met a couple fella's from georgia who just flew up here and bought tags at Wal-Mart. My bad. Tripper
There is a lake called Cedar Bluff Lake, south of Hwy 70, west of Hays, and south on Hwy 147. It has a lot of public hunting and has some brusiers. I have hunted it several times during Oct and early Nov when the rut is usually going with archery gear. I took a nice 8 pnt in Nov 2002 with my longbow. Almost every year I put in for the draw and get a tag and now if you don't draw you can buy a over the counter doe tag and hunting lic. and hunt. There are several flocks of turkeys in that area also and you can hunt them in archery season also with a tag.
That is the only public land I have hunted. I usually hunt private ground that I have acquired by nocking on doors and hanging at the local cafe. Most farmers in that area hate deer and usually tell you to go for it if they haven't already been approached by outfitters. Especially if you visit with them and tell them you are hunting with a bow you made.
Good luck.
Mike
You cant buy a doe tag until you have drawn a buck tag.
Whats the hunting pressure like at Cedar Bluff? Are there lots of people?
Not sure about the pressure. That lake as well as others in western KS was very low for several years. The extra cover resulted in a whitetail population boom. Last I heard you could use the game tags their which normally can only be used on private land. Im sure that brought a few xtra hunters around.
We hunted around Norton a couple of years ago. I figured being that far out thier wouldnt be many bow hunters. Their was a minimum of 2-3 cars at every parking acess. If you hunt any of the lakes you will have plenty of company during the rut.
Hillsdale gets pounded, I would hate to see you come here to hunt that. Waste of valuable vacay time. Maris Des Cygne had more gun hunters on it this year than I have ever seen. Perry is really starting to get overcrowded. I would probably stick w/ the walk-in though you will have to spend more time looking for a good spot.
I would center my hunting on the spots from Topeka westward that open on Nov 1. Im not exactly sure where the Muleys start, but you will always find white tails along the creeks and rivers.
Any public ground in Kansas west of Hwy 75, clear to the Colorado line, is going to be crowded after the first of November....with bird hunters... :bigsmyl:
We used to go to Cedar Bluff, until it got too crowded, so we started going to the Norton area,and well, that was the spot I described in my first post. So, now I think we are headed down south to give it a go on some private ground. The pheasant hunters don't bother some of it, but a lot of it the deer finally just go bed on private ground. If you plan for it the pheasant hunters can push them to you though.
Do any of these public areas in late December season hold mulies and if so, can a mulie be legally taken?
Thanx folks
Z, a nonresident must draw a tag in one of nine management areas that HAVE mule deer hunting, and then enter a drawing for a Mule Deer Stamp.
Some of the Walk-In areas in the west have mulies behind every tree....you'll understand the humor in that once you see the country.... :bigsmyl:
The KDWP website has a quicklink to 2008 Hunting Atlas; be advised that these areas change year-to-year, so don't base firm plans on this year's maps....
Good luck
:archer: