Just when I thought the confusing Kansas deer hunting regulations had been
streamlined to help end most confusion, I looked at the dates for the upcoming
extended antlerless-only season to find there are three different sets of dates
depending on the deer management unit in which you live. I’m not complaining
though because I feel like the varied deer populations in the state were seriously
considered this year when setting these dates.

As in years past, there is an extended deer firearms season across the state for
antlerless whitetail deer only, where any unfilled deer permit from a regular
season is valid. An antlerless deer is defined in the regulations as “a deer without
a visible antler plainly protruding from the skull.” Before you read any further, I
suggest you go to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism website,
or open a copy of the printed Kansas Hunting regulations and become familiar
with the nineteen deer management units around the state, and where they are.

The boundaries for all these units are major highways across the state, NOT
county lines, so different parts of different counties are in different management
units. All extended antlerless only seasons begin on January 1, but run for
different lengths of time, ending on different dates.

In deer management units 6, 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17, the extended antlerless season
runs for 3 days, from January 1 thru January 3.

In management units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 14 the extended antlerless
season runs for 10 days, January 1 thru January 10.

Finally, in an effort to thin the deer herd in the Topeka to Kansas City corridor, the
extended antlerless season in units 10A, 15 and 19 runs for 17 days, from January
1 thru January 17. Unit 10A is Fort Leavenworth and is open only to active and
retired military personnel. Unit 19 is the metropolitan area from Topeka to Kansas
City and takes in Topeka, Lawrence, Olathe and Kansas City. Management unit 15
is in south central Kansas.

Deer management unit 18 in extreme south western Kansas has no extended antlerless season this year.

Unfilled deer permits are valid statewide, so if you have not yet filled your tag for
this year, you can hunt in the upcoming Kansas extended antlerless deer season
anywhere in Kansas except in unit 18 which has no extended season this year; just
be aware of which management unit you are hunting in and know the dates for
that unit. And remember, only antlerless whitetails can be taken. My wife
harvested a nice buck the second day of firearms season, but I have yet to fill my
tag, so I’m excited and ready to get a nice doe. As our second deer this year, it will
be the one I get to make a little jerky and summer sausage from…Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].