Hunting in Kansas

UPLAND BIRD HUNTING

On the broad side, the hunting season for most birds (migratory birds and upland birds) range from October to January. The most common birds being hunted today are the pheasant, prairie chicken, turkey, doves, rails, snipe, crows, standand hill crane, woodcock, bob white quail, and rock doves or rock pigeons. Rock doves, or Eurasian Doves, or rock pigeons are considered a pest and can be shot year round. Looking to provide a feast for Thanksgiving Dinner? Well, in Kansas Turkey can be found, and many hunters scour the woods for a set up to harvest a wild turkey.

WATERFOWL HUNTING

Ducks, Canadian Geese and Snow Geese are common in most of the state, but the main flyaway is on the Missouri-Kansas Border or far west along the Colorado Border.  Seasons run through fall past the new year, and Snow Geese have a long season into early spring.

BIG GAME HUNTING

Big game hunting season ranges from October to the end of December. Kansas has a variety of big game animals which include white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and pronghorn antelope. White-tailed deer can be found throughout the state, while mule deer stick to the far western boundaries of the state along bluffs and canyons bordering farm ground and river bottoms. Pronghorn antelope can only be found in the far western counties of Kansas where natural prairies are still preserved.  Be on the look out for the scarce Elk which can only be hunted through limited permits in the Southwest part of the state.

SMALL GAME HUNTING

The hunting season for fur bearers roughly lasts from November to February. The most common animals hunted are squirrel, rabbit, prairie dogs, coyote, bobcat, badger, mink, muskrat, opposum, raccoon, swift fox, red fox, gray fox, striped skunk, and weasel. Seaching for that large Bobcat? Well, they are at their highest density in southeastern Kansas, and are still scarcely seen. Keep those eyes peeled for the fox who are primarily found in the eastern third of the state. Looking for an easy shoot? The coyote can be found almost anywhere in Kansas. Coyotes are actually not considered game and are not protected by the hunting seasons because of their potential harmfulness to livestock and their large population. The scarce mink resides in western Kansas because they primarily inhabit wetlands and areas near or surrounded by water.