All the units follow the same general deer season dates and rules, with some having special seasons limiting the species and type of deer that can be harvested. For the special seasons, hunters must apply for them, and permits are awarded through a drawing. Nonresident hunters must also apply for permits to hunt deer in the state. Below we will discuss the various seasons, licenses, required permits, and regulations for hunting deer in Kansas. Of course, always check your local regulations, as some hunting regulations can change anytime.
Hunting Licenses and Other Requirements
All Kansas residents between the ages of 16 and 74 who would like to deer hunt must purchase a resident hunting license unless they have a specific exemption. There are licenses available that expire annually or are valid for five years. Residents ages 16-20 and 65-74 qualify for discounted youth and senior licenses. Seniors and youths also have multiyear license options. All nonresidents of Kansas, regardless of age, that would like to travel to Kansas to deer hunt must purchase a Kansas nonresident license. Combination licenses are available for residents and non-residents and include hunting and fishing privileges. Lifetime combination licenses are also available for residents. Licenses can also be purchased at any KDWP office or from license agents such as Walmart or other sporting goods retailers.
Permits for Deer Season
After purchasing a hunting license, hunters must also purchase a deer permit. In Kansas, multiple deer permits are available for residents and non-residents. Some are available at any time, and others are limited in number and are awarded through an application and drawing process. Each permit indicates which units, deer species, and deer sex they are valid for. Below is a summary of each permit: Resident Any-Season White-tailed Deer – This permit is available for residents only and can be purchased any time through December 31st. It is valid for any season to harvest one white-tailed doe, buck, or fawn. Hunters must use equipment that is legal during the season they are hunting in. Resident Firearm Either Species/Either Sex – This permit is available for residents and is only available through an application online and awarded by drawing. The application deadline for this permit is in early June. It is valid only in the East zone or West Zone units to harvest one whitetail or mule deer doe, buck, or fawn. You may also only use it during the firearm season. Of course, you must use weapons regulated to that season. Resident Muzzleloader Either Species/Either Sex – This permit is available for residents only and can be purchased any time through December 31st. It is valid only in the East zone or West Zone units during the regular firearms and muzzleloader-only season to harvest one mule or white-tailed deer doe, buck, or fawn using muzzleloading or archery equipment. Nonresident Muzzleloader White-tailed Deer Combo – This permit is available for nonresidents and is only available through an application online and awarded by drawing. The deadline to apply for this permit is late April. It is valid in the two units on the permit during the regular firearms and muzzleloader-only season to harvest one whitetail doe, buck, or fawn and one white-tailed antlerless deer. If this permit is awarded in certain units, nonresidents can also apply for a limited amount of Mule Deer Stamps. When permits are won, the permit transforms into a nonresident Muzzleloader. Either Species/Either Sex permit, which is valid for one mule or white-tailed deer doe, buck, or fawn in the two designated adjacent units on the permit. If the potential hunter picks a non-mule deer unit, the permit may only be used for white-tailed deer. Nonresident Archery White-tailed Deer Combo – This permit is similar to the Nonresident Muzzleloader White-tailed Deer Combo permit described above. However, this permit is valid during the Archery season using Archery equipment. Nonresident Firearm White-tailed Deer Combo – This permit is available for nonresidents and is only available through an application online and awarded by drawing. The deadline to apply for this permit is late April. It is valid in one of the units on the back of the permit and an adjacent unit. Using this permit, you can harvest one whitetail doe, buck, or fawn and one white-tailed antlerless deer during the firearm season. Hunt-Own Land – This permit is available for all seasons using legal equipment for that specific season only on land owned and operated for agricultural purposes. It is only available to hunters who are nonresident landowners, landowners, tenants, and family members residing with the tenant or landowner. You can use this permit for one whitetail or mule deer doe, buck, or fawn. Special Hunt-Own land – This permit is similar to the Hunt-Own land above, except the landowner’s siblings, lineal descendants, or their spouses are eligible. It is only valid on the lands operated by the owner or tenant and is limited to a single permit for every 80 acres of land. Whitetail Antlerless Only – This permit is available for both residents and nonresidents that have a permit allowing the taking of an antlered deer. It is available anytime, and you can purchase up to five. The first one purchased is valid in any unit except DMU 18. You can use this permit during any season. Youth Permits – This permit is available at a reduced price for youth hunters ages 15 and younger. It is valid for the season listed on the permit and the September Youth season. Hunters ages 16-17 may hunt during this season, but they are not eligible for this reduced-price youth permit.
Hunter Education Course Requirements
In Kansas, hunters born on or after July 1st, 1957, must have successfully completed a hunter education course before hunting. Hunters under 17 must carry a Kansas hunter education card while hunting. Youth hunters ages 12-15 that have completed the course may hunt without adult supervision except during the youth season when adult supervision is required. Youth hunters in this age group that have not completed the course may hunt with adult supervision. Anyone that is 16 or older that would like to try hunting and has not completed a hunter education course may purchase an apprentice hunting license. This license is valid for one year and allows the apprentice hunter to hunt if they are under the direct supervision of a licensed adult that is 18 or older. This license can only be purchased twice in the hunter’s lifetime. The hunter education course is available in Kansas to anyone 11 and older and is available in two formats. The traditional course is an in-person course taught by an instructor in a classroom setting. The Internet-assisted course is an online instruction course followed by an in-person field day.
Types of Deer Seasons
In Kansas, there are multiple deer seasons when different equipment can be used. There are three basic season types: archery, muzzleloader, and firearm. The seasons may also be for antlerless deer only and may only be open in certain units. The Youth/Disabled season opens on the first Saturday in September and is open for eight days. The Muzzleloader season opens the following day and is open for 14 days. Archery season also opens the day after the Youth/Disabled season until December 31st. A Pre-rut Whitetail Antlerless firearm Season opens on the second Saturday in October and is open for three days. The Regular Firearm Season opens on the last day of November and is open for 12 days. Several extended Firearm and Archery Whitetail Antlerless-only seasons are open in certain units in January.
Regulations for Different Seasons
The deer seasons each have specific equipment that may be used. Below is a summary of the legal weapons for each season, along with any other special rules that apply.
Archery Season
Archery equipment allowed during archery season includes longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and crossbows. Any electronic device that controls the flight of the arrow is not allowed. Arrows must be tipped with broadheads that are a minimum of ¾ of an inch in diameter when fully expanded. Arrows may not be tipped with any drug or chemical. Hunters may possess non-broadhead arrows while hunting; however, they must not be used to take deer. Other items allowed include lighted pin, dot, or holographic sights; illuminated nocks; rangefinders; video recording devices; radio-frequency location devices on arrows and draw-lock devices on bows. Firearms are not allowed to be used during the archery season.
Muzzleloader Season
Muzzleloading firearms are allowed during this season. Rifles, pistols, or muskets that allow bullets to be loaded through the front of the firing chamber are allowed. Modern firearms that fire cartridges are not allowed. Muzzleloaders must be at least .40 caliber and use hard-cast solid lead, conical lead, saboted, or tumble-on-impact bullets.
Firearm Season
Modern firearms such as rifles, handguns, and shotguns may be used during this season. Rifles and handguns must fire centerfire cartridges and use expanding, hard-cast solid lead, soft point, hollow point, or tumble-on-impact bullets. Firearms that are capable of automatic fire are not allowed. Any gauge of shotgun using slug ammunition may be used. Archery and muzzleloading firearms may be used during this season.
Youth/Disabled Season
This season is open to Youth hunters 17 and younger with valid deer permits. Legal equipment is specified on the permit and summarized above as archery, muzzleloader, or firearm. Youth hunters must be under the immediate supervision of an adult 18 or older. Hunters that have a disabled permit may also hunt during this season.
Extended Firearm Whitetail Antlerless Seasons
There are typically four seasons in January open for taking Antlerless whitetail deer only. Antlerless deer during this season may not have a visible antler protruding from its skull. The dates for these seasons vary depending on the unit and maybe a firearm or archery season. Since these seasons can vary yearly, check the latest dates and season types.
Other Important Regulations
While deer hunting in Kansas, there are key rules and regulations that hunters should understand and follow. This is an abbreviated list of some of the notable ones. Since this is not a full, comprehensive list, all the regulations should be reviewed by hunters for how they might apply to their situation. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. All hunters and anyone accompanying them must wear blaze orange when any firearm or muzzleloader season is open. A hat and a garment on the upper body that is at least 200 square inches of blaze orange are required. At least 100 square inches must be visible from the front, and 100 square inches must be from the back. Camouflage orange patterns are allowed if they meet the square-inch requirements. Hunting or shooting on private land is illegal without the landowner’s permission. You cannot hunt from Railroad rights-of-way requires permission from the railroad. Hunting is not allowed on state or federal highways. It is illegal to sell wild game meat. Pursuing or taking deer from a vehicle, airplane, motorboat, or any other type of motorized vehicle is not allowed unless the hunter has a valid handicapped hunting permit. The use of two-way radios or cell phones to pursue or hunt deer or to give information on the location of deer is not allowed. Using live decoys is not allowed. Using electronic calls to hunt deer is not allowed. You can also not use a spotlight or any artificial light on a roadway, field, grassland, or woodland to find or locate deer, while having any archery equipment or firearms in one’s possession is not allowed. Using a drone to locate or find deer while hunting is not allowed. Hunters must attempt to find any deer they may have crippled or killed. You must also harvest all edible meat. Wasting meat is against regulations.
Chronic Wasting Disease in Kansas
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological, contagious disease that affects the nervous system of deer, elk, moose, and other animals in the cervid family. It is caused by the clumping of prions (abnormal proteins) in the nervous system. This kills neurons, resulting in the damage to the brain. Symptoms of an infected deer include weight loss, strange behavior, increased salivation, and loss of normal bodily functions. Predators often kill these animals before hunters see them. Symptoms of CWD usually do not appear until years after infection, so most CWD-positive deer look normal when harvested by hunters. Deer are thought to become infected from direct contact with another infected deer or contact with the prions in the environment. Baiting and feeding deer result in concentrating them in one area, which could accelerate the disease’s spread. An infected deer sheds the prions in their urine, feces, and saliva. The prions are stable in the environment and could remain in an area indefinitely. CWD was first detected in Kansas in 2001, and positive cases have steadily increased. In 2021, there were 190 positive cases detected, mostly in the western areas of the state. The KDWP samples hunter-killed deer at least 1.5 years old in all areas of the state. Samples are obtained from taxidermists, road kill, and sick or suspect deer. Hunters that harvest a 1.5-year-old or older deer can have it tested for free through the KDWP CWD surveillance program. If a deer is harvested in an area where CWD has been detected, hunters are advised to bone out the meat to avoid transporting the prions to an uninfected area. There has been no evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans. However, it is recommended not to eat meat from an infected deer. The prions are very resilient and are not destroyed by cooking the meat. Do not handle a deer that may look sick or is acting strangely. When field dressing a deer, use rubber or latex gloves and handle the organs of the deer as little as possible, especially the brain and spinal cord. Do not use regular kitchen utensils for field dressing deer. Use dedicated tools. Strongly consider having your deer tested for CWD. If you have your deer commercially processed, ask to have it processed individually to avoid mixing the meat from multiple deer. Always wash your hands and tools thoroughly after handling or processing deer meat.
Tagging and Transporting
After taking a deer and before you move it from the harvest site, you must fill out your deer tag. For hunters that purchased a paper permit and tag, the permit must be signed before hunting to validate it. The tag must be signed, dated, and attached to the harvested deer in a visible location. To protect the paper tag from damage, place it in a plastic bag and attach it to the deer with a zip tie. After the tag is attached to the deer, it can be field dressed and transported. The tag must stay attached to the deer during transport and kept with the meat until it is consumed or disposed of. A voluntary harvest report can be completed online if you wish to bone out your deer’s meat in the field. For hunters that chose e-tags when they purchased their permit, the permit and tag are retained on the GoOutdoorsKS mobile app. After harvesting a deer, open the app and follow the instructions for the appropriate e-tag. At the end of the season, hunters may be asked to complete online harvest surveys. A random sample of hunters will be contacted, and completing the survey is required by state law.
Potential Fines and Other Punishments
Stealing a deer in Kansas can result in fines, loss of hunting privileges, and sometimes even jail time. Fines and restitution for a trophy buck’s unlawful taken are a minimum of $5000. This does not include any court costs or lawyer fees that may be added. In 2022, three people pled guilty to taking deer out of season and with firearms during archery. Some deer were also taken without permits. The first individual was ordered to pay $45,000 in fines and restitution and lost hunting privileges for ten years. The second individual was ordered to pay $750 in fines, $1,688 in court costs, and lost hunting privileges for two years. The third individual was ordered to pay $5,800 in fines and restitution, forfeited a firearm, and lost hunting privileges for one year. Violating wildlife laws in Kansas can have serious consequences. All hunters should read and understand the rules and regulations before each season.
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