A giant buck is the dream in Kansas. On the right Walk-In Hunting Access property, at the right time, pressure or pursuit of does can make it a reality. (Shutterstock)
November 15, 2024
By Darron McDougal
The buck, silhouetted on the previously empty skyline, stole my breath. I froze until he dropped out of view into the draw below me, then I raced ahead of him and hunkered down with an arrow nocked. Growing impatient, I rose up and saw his antlers through a cedar. I slumped back down and got ready for what looked like a 40-yard shot in the making. However, the buck didn’t appear.
Moments later, he finally popped up out of a small cut that I hadn’t seen 15 yards away—much closer than I anticipated. He turned away from me and walked up out of the cut before turning broadside at an estimated 22 yards. Already at full draw, I aimed and shot. My arrow slammed into the buck’s far shoulder and he bolted down into the main draw, stopped and collapsed. It had been warm, but as soon as my buck expired, a bone-chilling squall swept across the Kansas Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) area I was on.
Kansas has more than 1 million acres of private land open to public hunting via its WIHA program. And, while many WIHA parcels are easy to access and get hit hard by both deer and pheasant hunters, the steadfast whitetail hunter can find success on the right WIHA parcel on the right day.
GETTING A TAG We’ll discuss hunting strategies, but first things first. As a nonresident, deer hunting in Kansas isn’t as simple as buying a tag at Walmart. Each April, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism holds an application period during which applicants can apply either for specific hunting zones or merely a preference point (to boost your odds for drawing a tag the following year). Tags used to be nearly guaranteed, but the influx of nonresident hunting interest has steepened the draw odds. I know plenty of hunters who didn’t draw this season. A reasonable expectation is that you can pull a tag every other year. Popularity, tag numbers and deer diseases could make the odds steeper yet in the future, but time will tell.
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HABITATS AND DENSITIES Kansas is an eco-diverse state. If you like hunting timber, eastern Kansas has lots of it. Riparian areas can be found throughout the state for those who like a mixture of open habitat and wooded bottoms. If you prefer wide-open plains, there’s plenty of that in central and especially western Kansas. Within those same areas, you’ll find gentle rolling prairies, too. Even in the more arid reaches of the state, farming practices are prevalent, meaning deer have ample nutrition to grow trophy antlers. In a few spots, big, brushy canyons serve as hiding places for monster bucks.
While conventional treestand hunting is limited on many Kansas WIHA areas, some have rivers or creeks with wooded bottoms. (Shutterstock) As far as WIHA densities, Elk and Marshall counties rank highest. Brown, Jewell and Washington counties also have ample WIHA opportunities. On ksoutdoors.com, the “Top 20 Deer” page lists the 20 biggest whitetail and mule deer bucks for the following categories: archery typical, archery non-typical, firearms typical and firearms non-typical. Also noted are the hunters who killed the bucks, antler scores and counties of harvest. Interestingly, the 80 whitetail bucks listed were taken in 50 different counties.
When making your hunting plans, utilize the Hunting Atlas at ksoutdoors.com and click on each parcel to ensure it’s open for deer hunting. Some parcels open at different times than others, and some are only open for certain species.
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BIG BUCKS and CHALLENGES Kansas, much like Iowa and Illinois, is noted as being a “land of giants.” Yes, huge bucks roam the Sunflower State’s prairies, hardwoods and riparian habitat. However, for those hunting on lands open to public hunting, you shouldn’t expect that you’ll have your pick of numerous monster bucks. It’s not uncommon to see many deer and pheasant hunters pounding the same areas that you’ve chosen to hunt, which can be discouraging.
As you head west within the state, deer densities become fairly low; if you see a few deer in a day, you’re doing great. Conversely, deer densities are stronger in eastern Kansas, which has more timber and agriculture. Of course, those same characteristics attract more hunters, especially given the proximity to population centers such as Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita, and Tulsa, Okla.
Another challenge is that many excellent hunting locations on Kansas’ WIHA parcels exist in habitats non-conducive to conventional treestand hunting. If there are any trees present, they’re often too small or too crooked for a suitable treestand setup. This necessitates either a stationary, on-the-ground ambush or a spot-and-stalk approach, which is not always for the faint of heart considering the harsh and often hot sun and lack of cover to disguise your approach.
In places where several WIHA properties are nearby, hunters can observe each from afar before choosing one to dive into. (Darron McDougal) The difficulties don’t end there. Kansas has many remote areas, and I’m not talking about wilderness-type settings. Rather, the distances between cities with amenities can be vast. If you bounce around a dozen or more WIHA parcels in a day, you could end up a long way from your camp or motel and filling stations. I’ve known nomadic Kansas hunters who’ve driven 300 miles or more in a day while glassing WIHA parcels, and that amount of time in a vehicle can drive a person nuts, especially on the state’s many washboard dirt roads. Oh, and choose your dirt roads carefully after a rain, because some become absolute quagmires. Even four-wheel-drive vehicles aren’t exempt from getting stuck on them.
RIGHT PARCEL, RIGHT DAY If I didn’t lose you with all those challenges, now it’s time to look at the brighter side. The beauty of Kansas’ WIHA parcels is that there are lots of them. So, if you struggle to sit still like I do and enjoy picking apart a parcel at a time, then the playing field is large.
Because many WIHA parcels are relatively small in acreage, and because most of them get hit hard by deer and pheasant hunters, don’t expect premium-looking habitat to produce top-notch hunting every day. However, two things can make any given WIHA parcel the place to be at any given moment in time. First, during the rut, Kansas bucks log many miles running across open country from one doe bedding area to the next, often crossing WIHAs in the process. Secondly, pheasant hunters constantly bump bucks and get them moving. This means that giant bucks that have lived primarily on low-pressure private lands can and do end up on land where they’re fair game to any licensed hunter. The question is, will you be there to capitalize?
The author crossed paths with this great buck on Kansas WIHA ground and used the rolling terrain to get within bow range. (Photo courtesy of Brodie Swisher) Knowing that, I’d like to offer two schools of thought relative to hunting strategies. During the rut, you could buckle down on the downwind edge of a doe bedding area and hunt there a few days straight, hoping that the rut and hunting pressure will move a monster to you. Or, you can assume the far more active approach of glassing open parcels from a vehicle and hopping out on the properties with topography conducive to hiking and glassing. Both tactics require some mental toughness and grit, but again, the steadfast whitetail hunter can usually expect to at least see a very special buck during a five-day hunt using one of these two strategies.
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED Kansas isn’t an easy place to kill a big buck. The challenges I outlined here, along with several I did not, create tough hunting for the DIY hunter. However, the playing field is large, and those who stay dedicated through the difficulties can find success. Also, temper your trophy expectations. Not all big Kansas bucks wear 180-class antlers, though such bucks do exist. Sometimes, the old bucks top out in the 140- to 150-class or have wacky non-typical antlers. To that end, a DIY hunter, especially a bowhunter, can and should be satisfied with any mature Kansas Walk-In whitetail buck.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Expect highly variable weather when hunting in Kansas. Bring a layering system that will enable you to remain comfortable in all conditions. (Darron McDougal) Advice for planning a DIY whitetail hunt on Kansas’ walk-in areas.
Many small Kansas towns have basic motel lodging. If you’d like to camp, you can find reservable sites with excellent facilities on ksoutdoors.com. Some state wildlife areas also offer camping in the parking areas, but check regulations before pitching a tent.
Temps can vary greatly in Kansas. September can be in the 80s to 100s. October and November temps can range anywhere from 80 degrees to well below freezing. Have a layering system that allows you to dress accordingly.
As for other gear, a decoy can be beneficial to bowhunters in some instances, and a grunt call and rattling antlers should be carried, as Kansas bucks can be very responsive to calling. Of course, a good mapping app (I like HuntStand Pro Whitetail) can help you map out huntable Walk-In Hunting Access parcels both before and during your hunt.
This article was featured in the Month Year issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
