2019-20 Kansas Deer Harvest Survey Supplementary Material - Hunter Comments This document contains all the comments received as part of the 2019 Deer Harvest Survey. The comments are provided as they were written by the respondent, except that personal identifying information (e.g. names, phone numbers, etc.) are redacted and vulgarities have been removed. There were 16,968 responses to the Deer Harvest Survey and 3,823 of the respondents provided comments. Comments are in the order they were received. Hunter Comment 1 Largest deer I have shot in my life so far Hunted private land. Saw lots of activity. I identified a particular buck I wanted. Saw him 3 2 times but couldn’t get him inside of 50 yards. Saw numerous small bucks and does. Activity always gets your blood pumping! 3 Too many hunters in Unit 2 I was only able to stop and hunt about 2 hours near Cedar Bluff and did not see anything that 4 morning. 5 my fault - didn't have good time to scout and didn't spend enough time in the field. Dramatic drop in deer population over the last 5-7 years in my hunting region. Some of this was likely due to disease 3-4 years ago, but out of state hunting services are increasing and 6 pressuring local numbers. Also, poaching is perennially a moderately severe issue with VERY limited fish and game surveillance. 7 Due to illness I was unable to hunt deer I own land in KS, I have relatives that own land in KS, and I have friends that own land in KS; I hunt where I find opportunity at the given time even on public state and federal lands or walk-in areas. I prefer to pick up copies of regulations, maps, walk-in area brochures, etc. and have 8 them in my vehicle so I do not have to rely on electronics, batteries, cell towers, or KDWPT check-in systems--they tend to create issues and more questions which I find difficult to get answered. Too many doe deer The cost for a doe tag for nonresident is not reasonable Maybe 25$ but 50$ 9 is too much Plus landowners should get a doe permit along with their tag 10 Get Crossbows out of November and out of archery Turkey season!!!!!!! Total number of days To hunt start to finish isn’t very clear on website. I tend to rely more on word of mouth then website. By the time I get a straight answer I get few days to hunt. I am not 11 an avid sport hunter. Just an average working class man that likes to harvest and process my own to put food on the table for my family. No deer for me this year. I didn't get to hunt much, and I think the population may be down in 12 the area where I hunt. But, I had a good time anyway. I think KDWPT has done an excellent job of managing the deer herd. Please keep us posted on CWD. I would like to see the KDWP do an extensive study on the impact of baiting and feeders on the state's deer population. I have watched a drastic change in the behavior of our deer over the years 13 as feeding them has become more popular. I strongly disagree with the practice. Interfering with nature is usually not a great idea.... I did not get to hunt as much this year as I usually do. I usually get into the field at least 5 to 7 14 days each year 15 To busy with college and work to get to hunt as much as I would have liked. 16 The amount of outfitters and land competition for locals is frustrating I"m a rifle hunter and the rut was done as usual. Did not see many bucks, saw a lot of deer but 17 no big bucks. Just scouted the properties that I can hunt. Did not observe anything of a higher quality to justify hunting. I do firmly believe through observation over the years that the department better realize 18 that baiting needs to cease for the betterment of the herd!!! Let's get back to hunting and not just killing! And especially killing for money! It is all getting out of control!! 19 I just got into hunting couple years ago, not and experienced hunter. 20 Enjoy the outdoors 21 This is 3 years in a roll I have completed this survey. Hope this helps your department gosls. I would like a statewide either species/either sex permit available, so I can hunt mulies or WT 22 without being limited to where I can hunt. Kansas should implement the same law missouri has requiring 4 visible points for bucks but 23 offer special cull tags landowners and youth. I have had taking a Muley Buck as my first hunting priority for the last several years; so I was disappointed when I did not draw an either sex either species gun permit for 2019 (I had had one 24 in 2018, but was not successful in the 2017 draw). I thought landowners, like me, had a priority in that draw so that they were to be successful in that draw and get that permit two consecutive years out of three I have been hunting kansas for 10-12 years and would really like to have the opportunity to 25 harvest a mule deer. Hunted with my youngest son-in-law who had not hunted deer before and he harvested a deer so 26 it was a successful season for me. I hunted and harvested a number of deer over the years with my father over th years when he was alive and those are some of the best memories I have. 27 Our age structure is off here. Too many young deer taken I harvested a 10 point during rifle season. What made my season excellent was my 12 year old 28 son harvested a 12 point that was close to 170 total inches, he doesn't know how lucky he is. 29 Need to have deer seasons that work for the youth. Saw alot of deer, but not any mature trophy bucks. It seems like there are more out of state 30 hunters every year. While I live out of state, I grew up in Kansas and own over 700 acres. I think Kansas needs to start a more selective drawing for out of state hunters. the early muzzleoader season starts too early. It should be end of September or beginning of 31 October. Weather is too hot for any deer movement was there at a bad time. a lot of standing crop around my hunting location made for a hard hunt 32 without seeing much activity. It's real easy. Split licenses up. Public only and private only non res tags. If a guy from Texas has 33 a $10,000 lease, you get a guaranteed $1000 private land only either sex plus antlerless. Then drastically reduce the public only tags that do NOT come with the extra antlerless tag. 34 Passed on several yearling bucks. Spent more time trying to get my son's a deer this year I lost my first deer due to a bad range est. during the finial light of day and a low hit.I 35 hope to never make that mistake again. Thanks for the time and efforts you continue to put in to ensure we all have the best chance to take the deer of a lifetime. 36 Deer tags are getting to expensive. 37 Saw significantly less deer this year. I have private ground in Unit 3 that has been in my family for many years. I have given up on even trying to hunt it as the deer numbers continue to decline. I don't know why they continue to decline but it's been frustrating to see the numbers to continue to drop and still the number of 38 tags being issued. There needs to be more regulation on the number of tags issued deer hunting used to be something I looked forward to but I have considered not hunting all together and just start hunting out of state. To offset the lower number of tags increase the out of state and in state tag cost. Love to come to Kansas and hunt, great wildlife program Website is getting more difficult and 39 keeps changing. non resident Cost keep rising It was a solid season. Theres always room for improvement. Populations over all continue to be 40 down. I shot a deer that had possible chronic wasting disease. I tried to contact a wildlife officer to no avail. I sent an email including photos and area location. I contacted the KDWP office in Johnson County and they asked me to go back to the site and gather a lymph gland in the deer's 41 neck and pay the postage to mail it to a research facility. Drive 250 miles roundtrip, then pay the postage and testing fee. Not happening. I'm not going back to the area. I don't want to risk making my family sick eating diseased venison. 42 didn't see any bucks. 43 Deer tested positive for CWD. Tossed entire deer. 44 i love that we are able to enjoy the outdoors and all of these magnificent animals. First year going deer hunting. Had an opportunity to shoot a few smaller bucks and multiple doe. 45 Passed on all of them and enjoyed being in the outdoors.