What’s up with Kansas?

[OmenHonkey]

I drew Kansas this year, however, i have not received my tag in the mail yet. Has anyone got the tags in the mail yet?

They should be there soon. Just don't throw them away thinking it's junk mail. IT WILL NOT SAY KANSAS DNR ON THE ENVELOPE.

 

[Bud Man]

I've never applied for mid west hunting but would be curious as to the age groups of the applicants and see if it has anything to do with more applicants. Read lots of younger generations are not expressing the interests in hunting as the older majority hunters like myself are retiring and fulfilling their bucket list items . Good luck to all that get to go.

 

[Ihunt]

I wish our state would start limiting out of state hunters. We have too many folks coming up from Florida and down from NC driving up lease prices. We have 10 million residents now; we have enough people. My dad and brother got Kansas tags this year.

You want our tags limited but in the same breath mention you are going out of state again. Interesting

 

[Rich M]

You want our tags limited but in the same breath mention you are going out of state again. Interesting

LOL!

 

[Buckman18]

You want our tags limited but in the same breath mention you are going out of state again. Interesting

Where did I say I’m going out of state? Put your glasses on and read again.

 

[Ihunt]

Where did I say I’m going out of state? Put your glasses on and read again.

Sorry. You’re family members

 

[Throwback]

When almost literally every time I turn on the tv and the tv shows are all hitting Kansas at some point......

 

[hancock husler]

It is most definitely the best sun rise you will ever see. The cedars and cottonwood trees ad to the back drop, then the deer come out and they are bigger than Georgia deer. The does start to filter through and you start to shake in anticipation of what is behind them and it uncontrollable! You calm yourself and it’s a small buck and the looks behind him and takes off, then you lose it. That’s Kansas for me and anyone of you should try it if the opportunity comes

 

[Jim Thompson]

It is most definitely the best sun rise you will ever see. The cedars and cottonwood trees ad to the back drop, then the deer come out and they are bigger than Georgia deer. The does start to filter through and you start to shake in anticipation of what is behind them and it uncontrollable! You calm yourself and it’s a small buck and the looks behind him and takes off, then you lose it. That’s Kansas for me and anyone of you should try it if the opportunity comes

THIS!

Here's a few of those gorgeous views from my favorite whitetail state.

 

[hancock husler]

Just watch out for the hedge apples

 

[goshenmountainman]

I am pretty sure Illinois OOS license sales are on the decline.

I have seen more farms available this year than ever before.

You are right, though, they are not gonna turn away any revenue.

A lot of places in illinois the deer herd is not what it used to be either, I think that is part of the reason for all the farms that are up for lease.

 

[livetohunt]

A lot of places in illinois the deer herd is not what it used to be either, I think that is part of the reason for all the farms that are up for lease.

I personally have not seen a decline in the number of hunters in Illinois where I hunt. I would say 99% of the farms are leased to out of state hunters or the landowner hunts it. This is one of the reasons Illinois is not as good as it was in the hayday. Too many young bucks get shot by hunters who say "I paid $500 for my tag, I'm shooting something." The locals say in the early 2000s the hunting was unbelievable. Then Illinois gained popularity among out of state hunters(including myself), and the number of mature bucks dropped way off.

 

[Jim Thompson]

I personally have not seen a decline in the number of hunters in Illinois where I hunt. I would say 99% of the farms are leased to out of state hunters or the landowner hunts it. This is one of the reasons Illinois is not as good as it was in the hayday. Too many young bucks get shot by hunters who say "I paid $500 for my tag, I'm shooting something." The locals say in the early 2000s the hunting was unbelievable. Then Illinois gained popularity among out of state hunters(including myself), and the number of mature bucks dropped way off.

Southern IL is almost impossible to lease. Especially Gallatin and White. Part of the issue is the popularity and then also the fact that there's only a handful of landowners and the majority of their families are hunters. I've been up here for 10 years now and although I can almost always get small tracts to hunt it's very tough. Funny how often I get invited to come hunt by farmers and they tell me their grand sons wont mind sharing and me being there

 

[oppthepop]

I have been going to Illinois for 8-9 years now and I have never been treated with anything but kindness and open arms.

Some landowners were all about the money but no sin there. Some basically are more interested in the relationship than the money and that has been very rewarding.

When I say kindness and open arms - it has been from from the landowners down to everyone else: the general public, restaurant staff, store clerks, adjacent landowners - you name it.

I believe if you look for good, you will find it. I also believe if you look for something bad, you can find that, too.

Same here Jim - great folks up there.

 

[oppthepop]

Hunted up in Mankato one time many years back. Saw one really good buck but couldn't get a shot, and saw a giant mule deer buck. Probably never go back to Kansas as I don't have any contacts there. I would rather go to Nebraska, personally, but lost a great place there several years ago.
My Novembers are filled with one good 6-10 day hunt in Illinois and then back home to Meriwether county.

 

[BeerThirty]

Hunted there the past 2 seasons and had success both times. I don’t know if the deer are necessarily better I just think the lay of the land naturally funnels deer for a deer hunting show. Literally a tiny finger of timber in open country and can just visibly see more deer which I guess odds wise eventually heightens your chance seeing a big buck. In south ga or even parts of Kentucky/ Ohio/Missouri there are large timber blocks that hold big deer, they just may not be as visible to you. Since the lay of the land in Kansas is so open and pinched down to wooded creek fingers- you see a lot more of those deer you wouldn’t see in a big timber block. It just makes for an exciting hunt

That's my observation as well. I lived in KS for 4-yrs and my last year I was granted permission to hunt an 400-acre 50/50 milo farm/cattle pasture. There was literally only a 15-acre Y-shaped chunk of woods in the middle of all that with a creek. I had scouted the area maybe 8 times in late summer, and several times you could watch the deer coming down the fingers of woods from a long distance. Never got to hunt it because I was forced to move for my job, boy was I bummed!