Tough Hunt in Kansas This Year

twopointdn · Dec 13, 2022

It was a tough hunt in Kansas this year. We hunted the entire rifle season and seen very few deer. The bucks were broken up like they usually are. I got luck and found this mostly unbroken buck half way through the hunt. Fun hunt with my friends. I am not sure when I will be back but hopefully the deer recover some over the next few years.

Snoopdogg · Dec 13, 2022

But you got a good one, albeit broken.

twopointdn · Dec 13, 2022

I am happy with my buck. More lifetime memories. Already dreaming of the next time.

Joe2Kool · Dec 13, 2022

Nice one 2Point! Congrats!

Bigwiffy · Dec 13, 2022

What part of Kansas? Nice buck!

twopointdn · Dec 13, 2022

Bigwiffy said:
What part of Kansas? Nice buck!

Southwest in the wide open plains.

12pointer · Dec 14, 2022

That's a gooder, Congrats.
How far was the shot and what cartridge?

RuttCrazed · Dec 14, 2022

The drought hit the state hard this year! Very little rain after a wet spring dried up a lot of water sources and cut the feed/vegetation in half.

twopointdn · Dec 14, 2022

12pointer said:
That's a gooder, Congrats.
How far was the shot and what cartridge?

My first shot was 100 yards and I hit him good my follow up shot was 56 yards. I took him with my 300 RUM and I got my doe with a 270 WSM. I take two rifles on the trip so I have options for different set ups our situation. It has worked out for me.

twopointdn · Dec 14, 2022

RuttCrazed said:
The drought hit the state hard this year! Very little rain after a wet spring dried up a lot of water sources and cut the feed/vegetation in half.

It was super dry and you are correct… the CRP was shorter than in years past at most locations. Very little fat on the post rut bucks. In the local cafes the ranchers were talking about the drought and it sounded like they were extremely concerned with their crops future. I hope they get the moisture they need and the deer recover as well. Do you know if the Southwest corner has had any disease outbreaks in the whitetail over the last few years or is it just struggling due to the drought?

RuttCrazed · Dec 15, 2022

twopointdn said:
It was super dry and you are correct… the CRP was shorter than in years past at most locations. Very little fat on the post rut bucks. In the local cafes the ranchers were talking about the drought and it sounded like they were extremely concerned with their crops future. I hope they get the moisture they need and the deer recover as well. Do you know if the Southwest corner has had any disease outbreaks in the whitetail over the last few years or is it just struggling due to the drought?

I live on the eastern side of the state, but hunt he NW. I have not heard of any recent outbreaks of CWD or Blue tongue down there, but it is possible. We got hit about a decade ago and lost 50% of the herd in some areas.

twdjr · Dec 15, 2022

Congrats

Hatrick · Dec 17, 2022

Kansas was tough this year for us as well. Passed a few 130s. Could have shot several doe. But when we dont see many the last thing we wanna do is shoot a doe!

whitetailrick · Dec 27, 2022

Unit 1, 3 last few years around Norton disease has gotten to the herd. Did not hunt Kansas this year after 26 years going.

Skykarp · Dec 29, 2022

Congrats on sticking it out and putting one on the ground! It was my first year hunting Kansas and it was amazing the number of people I heard that couldn’t believe the breakage rate.

twopointdn · Dec 31, 2022

In the last four years we have not had a year that they are not all broken up. We are starting to believe that it is the norm for the area we hunt post rut rather than the exception. Some bucks don’t even have horns left on their heads. Maybe they have figured out that it is a good way to not get shot if they break them off. ? I know it has save more than a few bucks lives with our group passing on broken bucks. 2020 I ate my tag because the only mature buck I had a opportunity at had to many broken points. It is crazy but this is really the only area I have hunted whitetail so I don’t have any experience outside of the whitetail in this area. I see a lot of pictures of clean unbroken whitetail rakes every year and so others areas must not have the same problem we have in our area. We are still learning the area after four years so we will likely not start over in a new area just because of broken points/rakes in this area. Whitetail are fun to hunt and I hope to do a whitetail hunt about every other year as time and money permit.

Skregear · Jan 24, 2023

We were in Southeast Kansas for the rut during November and it was hot with South winds blowing for the first 2 weeks of November. Not ideal... Little movement, i'm guessing it was all at night with the warm temps.

twopointdn · Jan 24, 2023

Skregear said:
We were in Southeast Kansas for the rut during November and it was hot with South winds blowing for the first 2 weeks of November. Not ideal... Little movement, i'm guessing it was all at night with the warm temps.

Did you have any success? I have not tried the archery hunt in Kansas but maybe someday I will give it a try.

Skregear · Feb 1, 2023

twopointdn said:
Did you have any success? I have not tried the archery hunt in Kansas but maybe someday I will give it a try.

We didn't have any success this year. We have the past couple of years. I definitely recommend applying for Kansas tags sooner than later. With the large increase in hunters applying for Kansas tags to hunt public, it has become a little harder to get a tag every year.