Advice for planning hunt in Kansas 2014?
 

Hi folks,
I've been lurking and enjoying the forum, but decided to join up as I need some advice as we try to plan a hunt in Kansas for 2014. What we are looking to do is more of the "do it yourself" type of hunt but find a private land/ranch to try to get us each a nice buck. Doesn't have to be a world beater...just better than we can manage in our part of Arkansas.

We like to take our LQ horse trailer or a tent and arrange with a landowner or guide company to hunt a private area (rifle hunt). It's just two of us, and we like to do most things ourselves. (we process our own deer etc)

We have never been to Kansas and really want to give that a try. The fully guided, full service hunts look great...but just not what we are looking for this year. Does anyone have any advice or contacts?

Thanks so much.

:sign0016: I can sure help you out. Lived here in the SE corner of Kansas for the last 25 or so years and I also have a place in NW Arkansas. I harvested a nice 11 point droptine buck on public land just 2 miles from my house. Here is a video if your interested
I also process all the deer for the out of State hunters that come in. I am friends with outfitter Joe Hartley who is from Hamburg Ar he leases 10 to 20 thousand acres in this area. I am well connected and have multiple farms you can hunt and camp. DIY'ers dream. Big deer abound!
Please feel free to PM me and I will answer any questions you may have and we will get you guys set up. :) Doug

Thanks Doug.

I was nervous to join and post...but I have learned a good bit by lurking and reading. You all seem like a good bunch :party0005:

PM sent.

-Kimberly

KSwild, were you the one that was starting a small outfitting business and posting sheds and such a couple years back? Curious if that was you. They looked like spectacular bucks.

Won't they need some NR Preference Points to hunt Kansas?

Negative not me. ...But we have some Bucks that are just Top Notch :)

Top most out of State hunters use the non resident Leftover deer permits that are not drawn in April.
These are permits that were not taken in the April nonresident application period. They are Whitetail Either-Sex permits (hunter designates equipment/season choice, as well as one adjacent unit, at time of purchase) and will be sold, first come, first served, to any nonresident who does not possess a permit.

Thanks Kim! Sent you a PM as well

kswild---That is one heck of a buck alright!!! I guess maybe I was thinking about mule deer, as I think you need PPs for them or am I wrong on that too?

PP are only for the whitetailed non resident draw. You can buy 1 but not necessary. Per the KDWPT "Preference Point – $24.09. A nonresident hunter who doesn’t want to hunt in 2011 has the option of purchasing a preference point that will count toward a Nonresident White-tailed Deer permit in a future drawing."

Keep an eye on permit draws. and deadlines.

I wouldn't myself rely on left over permits. Over in Missouri, deer numbers are down due to EHD. There's talk there of lesser numbers of permits, doe tags, etc. over there.

We had some EHD here in Kansas and some of the same talk is surfacing. That might impact permit availability and draws.

Good advice...and thank you.

I believe we are going to take kswild's suggestion and make a bit of a camping and recon/scout trip this summer. It will be a fun way to see the lay of the land and get a better idea of what we want to do for our hunting trip in the fall.

I grew up in Northeastern CO and have spent a lot of time in KS. I've seen both whitetails and mulies that will make you stop and stare in KS. The same can be said for NE as well. If I didn't have access to some good places to hunt in CO and I wanted a big buck, KS and NE would both be states I'd check out.

I went to school at U of Kansas and as an out of stater I was able to buy resident tags since I was enrolled in school. I think if I was as big a hunter then as I am now, I would have flunked out of school! It would have made Novembers a lot more fun (Well, after the alcohol and girls! :) )