Kansas..public land deer
 

Im thinking about going out to Kansas next year to try some deer hunting on public land...but the problem is, there is so much public land out there and I wouldnt know where to start on picking a zone to put in for. What do yall think are some better counties for public land hunting? Anybody had any luck with private land hunting out there?

RE: Kansas..public land deer
 

Private land is about 98% out of the question unless you are related to someone. Also most public land looks like a pumpkin patch during gun season with all the orange scattered throughout.

RE: Kansas..public land deer
 

I don't know if this will help much, but I live in Chicago and went to the University of Kansas and hunted about 30 minutes outside Lawrence, KS (and hour and 20 from KC)at a place called Clinton Lake. I was there mainly for school and chase girls:D:D, but got out to do adecent amount of hunting while I was there. I'll tell you what, there are some BIG bucks out there. Unfortunately, I found them when I was rabbit and bird hunting and not with a rifle. There are thousands of acres there to hunt and it is all situated along Clinton Lakes shoreline. There are pockets here and there that hold a lot of deer. Prozac is right, there are a decent amount of Deer hunters opening day, but the majority of them are hunting the corn and bean fields. If you get into the woods a decent ways, you'll find the deer and hopefully some bucks. Those public deer know when deer season starts and sit in the woods and thick stuff til just about dark. You get back into the stuff a mile off the road, I think you'll getan opportunity at a deer.They are there though, I pretty much half assed it during gun season, only making it out twice due to midterms and papers and still managed to get a large doe in about 4 hours of hunting of sitting with myback to a tree. I wasn't looking for much more, just some tasty Venison;) If I would have put time into a blind and scouting im sure I couldhave gotten one of the many 8 and 10 points I saw during upland game season.Good luck, they have some big deer out there, the ones you see on TV are no joke!!

RE: Kansas..public land deer
 

bedfordtn,

I had the same thought.You thinking about driving or flying. Need another to help cut down on costs?

RE: Kansas..public land deer
 

Get a hold of the KS F&WD... They'll send you a KS WIHA (Walk In Hunting Areas) book... it lists and maps the land available and what game is on each tract, how many acres, etc.

I find in KS the farther West you go the pressure goes down on the public lands.

Haven't hunted deer there (YET), we go after birds out by Dodge City.

RE: Kansas..public land deer
 

What are you going to hunt with and where are you from?

RE: Kansas..public land deer
 

Strangely enough.... If you come from out of state you'll find that Public land is not as well used here in Kansas as you'd expect.... I unt public and only have problems with other folks every once in a while...
The other thing you can take note on is that most people that hunt property here really don't know what they are doing.... so if you have a clue and hunt hard... you'll probably have good success...

RE: Kansas..public land deer
 

The clinton lake area is in what is called Deer Management Unit 19,(somewhat suburban) asare a lotpublic lake areas from the east state line to Topeka area. They have a special early season.
In Southeast KS there is a lot of reclaimed strip pit mined land.
Lots of deer and solitudeif you don't mind rough, thorny, brushy, hunting.
I still think you could get permission from private landowners in that area too.

RE: Kansas..public land deer
 

Is there a particular region of Kansas that tends to have a higher harvest level of mature bucks, or is it all good?

RE: Kansas..public land deer
 

I'm not sure about buck harvest numbers. But the most and biggest bucks I've seen have been during bow season.
But, the southeast part has more trees and woods, and whitetail deer.
The farther you get west it is more open farm fields, and some muleys.
Alot of areas in DMU 19 are probably easier to get permission with a bow than a rifle.