Kansas early season muzzleloader?(Updated)
 

Anyone here have any experience huntin Kansas during the early muzzleloader season? I've been invited to travel from Alabama with a friend to hunt on private land of his family. The land is located in the north central part of the state around Concordia. I have no idea of what to expect so I'm just trying to get a little info? What are the temps generally this time of year (late Sep.), what type of terrain, how's deer movement, ect. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

If you don't/can't go, let me be the first to volunteer to take your place.

You are going to a very good part of the state. I have never hunted up there but i hear the deer up there are really nice. As for weather chances are it will be warm 80's-90's but then again it could be in the 60's.

They'll move late in the day. I killed a 164" 15 point during the early muzzleloader season 2 years ago. The bucks were stilled bunched up and the one I shot was with 14 other bucks. Talk about fun!

Oh......and watch the uncut milo fields....they're usually into that during that time of year.

Im about 30 minutes from concordia. I do a little bit of outfitting in my area. I dont have too many muzzle loader hunts because the weather is so unpredictable. About the only time to catch them is in the evenings, unless theres a weather change. But the best thing is to have somebody like the landowner pattern them and let you guys know where to be looking for them. Good luck

I hunt within 30 minutes of Concordia,and this should be a really good year. Lots of 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old bucks last year. The best part about Muzzelloader season is that if you're unsuccessful,you can come back in December for the regular gun season. Only catch is..... you have to use your muzzleloader. BTW,scopes are now legal on your front loader....Best of luck!

I'm 15 min. NorthWest of Concordia and can tell you that its usually 90 degrees. The last few years we have had a rain during the early muzzleloader season cooling things off into the 70's for a day or so, but back up to the 90's before season is over. This time of year, you should concentrate on soybean fields early and late in the day and water sources and shady areas in the middle of the day. What direction from Con are you hunting? The Republican river running Northwest tends to hold a bunch of deer and has a lot of crop ground on either side. Bring a cooler as its too hot to hang the deer unless you can get it to Duis meat processing quickly after harvest. I butcher my own, so that time of year I immediately quarter the deer and pack in ice. Hope this helps. CJ

Thanks for the advice so far guys! Actually the property we will be hunting is a few miles south-southeast of the town of Glasco. From the looks of it on Google Earth it looks to be large agricultural fields divided by small woodlots along the creeks. I've never hunted an area with so little timber so this should be a challenge! Any advice for hunting this type of terrain will be helpful I am kind of discouraged about the temps? I have access to private ground in Northern Missouri , and we usually make a trip there for an archery hunt about the 2nd week of October. We've never had temps in the 90's. Last year the first day was warm but only in the upper 70's. After that we got a strong cold front and the temps dropped into the upper 30's at night with highs in the upper 50's to low 60's. But even with the warm temps the first day I took a 145" 10 pt so I guess I shouldn't be too discouraged. However, there is a big difference between 75-80 and 90 degrees! Once again, thanks for the help and any more advice will be greatly appreciated!

I am 30 minutes from Glasco. Early muzzle can difficult because of the heat. Bring a Thermacell. My trail cam pics on a camera I have next to a creek crossing I am getting a lot of does come through around noon. No bucks though. They are still pretty nocturnal right now. Like the guy said earlier a lot of them are probably in corn and milo fields. If you can find some double crop beans you might catch them feeding in them. Good luck. There is a steak house in the town of Clifton with cheap drinks and good steaks. They have some pretty impressive mounts on the wall that are fun to look at.

I'm about 100 miles east of your hunting area but used to hunt birds in that area. Heat maybe an issue then again may not be, bugs are a given, you can set up near food plots milo, winter wheat in morning and evenings. Glassing cover during the day can produce some fun spot and stalk situations. I'm hoping to hunt the ssame season. Youth hunt runs 9 for days just before muzzleloader season so some may have been hunted (spooked) before you hunt.
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Once again thanks for the advice guys. It's getting close to time and I'm getting excited! Looking at the long range forecast looks like the early part of next week will be in the low 70's with lows around 50. Not too bad I guess. Sure beats 90! Maybe a cool front will come cruisin in mid week? Anymore advice? I'm not used to hunting an area with so little timber and vast cropland so any help will be very helpul. Thanks!

Well we're here and I gotta tell you, this is way more difficult than I expected! For some reason I can't seem to figure these deer out! All of the land we're allowed to hunt is drainages around creeks in between large agricultural fields. These areas are littered with well worn trails but the deer don't seem to be traveling them during the day? Where do these deer hide? There are very few trees yet you can ride roads for hours and not see an animal? In three days we've saw a couple of small bucks and a few does. Any Northern Kansas guys have any suggestions? I'm almost ready to tuck my taill and head back south!

Keep at it. I'm east of there and it's been tough hunting, too. Seen very few deer. Keep looking for the active food sources.

Drives can be very effective in Kansas because the cover tends to be long and narrrow.

I am about 100 east of Concordia and have been hunting hard when I can. The thing I found it the deer are really traveling long distant to feed. Evening hunting has been better that morning have been busted by crows, turkeys, and even deer in the mornings. Evening hunts have been trying as well wind betrayed me two times. Hope tomorrow will be better (fighting sinus infection).

Well? What happened?