Kansas Hunting Guide Hunting In Kansas unting in Kansas can be described with one word: Hvariety. From east to west, REGION 1 REGION 2 north to south, Kansas has a rich and diverse array of habitat and game species. The hunting heritage runs deep in Kansas, and hunting is important to the quality of life and REGION 3 REGION 4 REGION 5 rural economies. Unique hunting opportunities wait on the eastern and western borders, and the cen- tral region provides a blend. The physiographic regions of the state, distinguished by climatic, topographic and vegetative differ- ences, allow such variety. Generally, Kansas’ climate is wetter In the northcentral part of the state, The far northeastern corner of the in the east than the west. In fact, the the Smoky Hills follow the Smoky state is the Glaciated Region. This southeast region may receive 40 Hill River to the east. The Smoky Hills region features gently rolling plains inches of rain per year, whereas the region is characterized by vast areas with broad stream valleys. It is char- southwest region may receive less of rolling grassland and some dra- acterized by heavily timbered, rocky than 15. Being familiar with the matic topography. The land is farmed hillsides and small irregular crop- physiographic regions can help a along the river bottoms, and this com- lands. This region provides excellent hunter select an area of the state to bination of permanent native cover deer and turkey hunting, as well as correspond with the preferred type and agriculture provides pheasant, bobwhite quail, rabbit, and squirrel of game, as well as the style of quail, prairie chicken, turkey, and opportunities. hunting desired. deer hunting opportunities. High Plains Chautauqua Hills Arkansas River Lowlands Smoky Hills Flint Hills Osage Questas Cherokee Lowlands Glaciated Region Red Hills Ozark Plateau Wellington / McPherson Lowlands 16 Hills. Much of the region is inten- turkey hunting. Quail hunting can sively farmed. The combination of also be very good on the grass- wetland, prairie, and croplands pro- lands and at the edges of timber, The High Plains, the western vides a variety of game species for grass, and small crop fields. one-third of the state, is the largest hunters, from upland birds to deer, At the southern reaches of the and driest region. Originally short- turkey, and small game. And grass prairie and nearly treeless, during wet years, the wetlands and most of the High Plains has seen flooded croplands attract untold dramatic changes due to settlement numbers of waterfowl. and agriculture. Many areas of the In the southwest, the Arkansas High Plains are intensively farmed, and this combination of native grass southeastern quarter are the and agriculture makes this region Chautauqua Hills. Rolling tall- ideal for ring-necked pheasants. The grass prairie is dotted with thickly High Plains are wide open and vast. timbered bottoms and draws. Where untilled, native shortgrasses, River Lowlands follow the river Underlying sandstone protects the yucca, sagebrush and other arid-cli- from the Colorado border, east to grasslands, and the croplands are mate vegetation support lesser Wichita, then south to Oklahoma. restricted to streambottoms. The prairie chickens. Antelope still Sand and sediment carried by the region provides excellent deer, inhabit the far western reaches of river have formed sandhill grass- turkey and quail hunting. this region and provide limited lands along this corridor, and this The Cherokee Lowlands distin- hunting opportunities. Mule deer area provides ideal lesser prairie thrive in the region, although you chicken habitat. This midgrass also find whitetails. The prairie is dotted with sandhill plum Conservation Reserve Program has thickets and eastern redcedars, and returned thousands of acres in this provides good quail, pheasant, deer region to native grasses. and turkey hunting. guish the southeastern corner with The north-south strip of grass- In the southcentral region, the thick brush and timber, and rich coal resources. In recent years, thousands of acres, once strip mined for coal, have been reclaimed to native vegetation. The Mined Land Wildlife area was land through the east-central por- beautiful Red Hills bring topo- donated to the department for tion of the state is known as the graphic relief to the land. The Red public use. The area provides deer, Flint Hills. Much of this region Hills are largely native grassland quail, squirrel, rabbit and turkey remains in native grass because a with bluffs, buttes and steep draws hunting, as well as fishing in the layer of rock just beneath the soil’s and canyons filled with cedars, hundreds of strip mine lakes. surface prevents tillage. Vast areas sumac and sandhill plum thickets. In the far southeast lies the of unbroken tallgrass prairie with Timbered areas follow the many timbered, brushy draws and stream- spring-fed creeks and streams bottoms make this unique area ideal throughout the region. This area is for quail, deer, and turkey, and it known for bobwhite quail, turkey remains the nation’s stronghold for and deer hunting. the greater prairie chicken. The Osage Cuestas dominate Ozark Plateau. This is the wettest In the center of the state are the region of the state, receiving more than 40 inches of rain annually. Heavy timber, dissected by streams and broken with small cropfields, make this area ideal for the southeastern one-quarter of the deer, turkey, squirrel, and rabbit Wellington and McPherson state. Rolling grasslands, limestone hunting. Bobwhite quail are found Lowlands. These regions are char- bluffs, and heavily timbered bot- on the edge areas between timber, acterized by several wetlands and tomlands mark this region. The grass, and croplands. salt marshes and form the transition hardwood timber provides excel- zone between the west and the Flint lent deer, squirrel, and eastern 17 Hunting Ring-necked pheasant Arguably Kansas’ top draw, the ring-necked pheasant was intro- duced in the state in 1906. Since then, it has become a symbol of upland bird hunting in Kansas. Annual pheasant harvests are usu- ally within the top three states in the nation. Pheasants are found in all parts of the state except the southeast. Traditionally, the best hunting is found in the northcen- tral and northwest regions, with the southwest coming in a close third. Other regions can have locally good pheasant numbers, and often provide good pheasant and quail combination hunting opportunities. Bobwhite quail Number Two on the upland bird draw is the bobwhite quail. And Kansas generally ranks within the top three states in quail harvest. While quail can be found statewide, populations are gener- ally better in the east. The south- east region of the state is usually the top quail producer. And the grain fields which provide high- of the state, primarily on the High northeast generally runs a close protein food in winter. A special Plains, Smoky Hills, and Red Hills second. Numbers can be good early season, opening in mid- regions. As you travel west to east, locally in the northcentral, south- September, allows hunters to hunt mule deer are less abundant, and central and southwest regions, greater chickens over dogs, before whitetail numbers increase. White- where good pheasant/quail hunts the winter flocks form and the tailed deer numbers have increased are an attraction. During years of birds become unapproachable. The dramatically in the last 20 years, favorable weather, the Red Hills traditional opener on the first and they can be found virtually region can provide very good quail Saturday in November finds statewide wherever suitable habitat hunting amid a beautiful setting. In hunters stationed around the grain exists. Highest whitetail densities the far southwestern corner of the fields, waiting for birds to fly in are in the eastern one-third of the state, scaled, or blue, quail are from the surrounding grasslands. state. Whitetails have adapted well found in in addition to bobwhites. The lesser prairie chicken is found to Kansas’ modern landscape, mostly south and west of the finding cover in natural wood- Prairie chicken Arkansas River Lowland. The lands, shelterbelts, old homesteads Kansas is home to two species of lesser thrives in mid- and short- and grasslands, and abundant food this prairie grouse; the greater and grass grassland. Numbers of lessers in cropfields. The selective man- the lesser prairie chickens. Greater have decreased as the prairie has agement program has created a prairie chickens are found in most been fragmented by land use. healthy deer herd, with excellent abundance in the Flint Hills. potential for trophy-sized bucks in Greaters are found in smaller num- Deer all regions. bers in the northcentral part of the Two deer species thrive in Turkey state. These birds thrive in large Kansas: the mule deer and the Wild turkeys were reintroduced areas of native grass, but have white-tailed deer. Mule deer are into Kansas in the 1960s, and the adapted to benefit from the small restricted to the western one-third program has been a great success. 18 Today, huntable populations of hunters, and hunting pressure is have permission, whether that land turkeys exist in nearly every light. Excellent hunting opportuni- is posted or not. For those who county. The Rio Grande subspecies ties are available for both species. have the time to scout, contact dominates the western two-thirds landowners, and get acquainted, of the state. Low numbers in the Other permission to hunt can be southwest provide only limited Dove hunting can be excellent obtained. For those who don’t have hunting. Hybrid Rio when warm, dry weather condi- that luxury, the department has ini- Grande/Eastern birds are found in tions continue into September. tiated the Walk-in Hunting Area the northcentral region. The Good shooting can be found over (WIHA) program.