Central Kansas Public Ground
Kansas
Contributors to this thread:
Hey everyone I'm fairly new to bowhunting and new to this site. I've hunted deer with rifle but I'm looking to get serious with bowhunting this year. Any tips on good public hunting around the Newton area? I've been to Fall River and really like it, just seeing if there's anything closer. Also curious if there's any public 3D ranges in the area too.
Thanks!
Marion is a good place to go. Look at some of the Wiha tracts North of Durham. If you Google earth Durham area you can find the trails rather easy. Also do not forget about the areas around Mac. Good luck in your new adventure.
What Matte said. There's a good hanging target range at El Dorado State Park. Kind of pricey to find a public 3-D course. I'm not sure what Diamond Archery in Wichita has on their grounds.
Lot's of great stuff in the WIHA atlas or on-line, don't overlook the very small pieces. I'd ask around at work/church/C-store etc...betting there's some access to be had within your "circle".
Good luck and have fun!
Marion is well within your reach. I hunt there often driving from Bel Aire. You are 20 minutes closer so that should be perfect.
Pressure is not too bad especially if you hunt during the week. Weekend you'll likely run into other hunters. I always go somewhere else if a vehicle is parked in my chosen area.
I've scouted alot of ground there over the years, and opportunity is there if you put the time in. Tons of land up there to choose from. Any of it can be good hunting and hold deer. Time on stand, sat maps, and boots on the ground will zero you in on prime spots.
sitO has it right when he said do not over look small pieces. Some as small as 10-20 acres can be very good. I have found a couple WIHA as small as 20 acres hold some big bucks. Shawn
There are 3D ranges at Hutchison(Salthawk Archers), Clearwater(Ninnescah Bowhunters), Wichita(Wichita Archers) ,but all are membership clubs. I believe most are around $40 dollars a year membership,but you get access to year around use.'Discount member rates at 3D shoots, but can also shoot at non-member rates without joining club. Can't help with public land hunting as have no personal experience with it yet.
Deerman406, can you show me a couple 10 - 20a wiha properties in any of unit 3 where you have been hunting? Property #ids?? I cant seem to find them.
Look at the maps, the property may be 540 acres but broken up into small parcels that others guys avoid. There are tons of them. None are actually 10-20 acres listed on the maps. Also public spots to hunt that are not even listed by Kansas as state lands. Shawn
You hunted public ground 1 week right Shawn? If I remember correctly you were in the extreme NW part of the state as well? I don't think you ever shot a deer on public either.
Jake, I hunt Eldorado at very specific times during the rut. It is about 40 min from where you live. Send me a PM when it gets closer to Nov.
z hunter's Link
Ive searched google to no end...cant find one unlisted kansas public hunting area..im sure they exist..just maybe in NY
This link is most of the public land which i am familiar with..in November.
Very good article. I too can find nice ones on public- on my cameras in the dark. I live very close to Eldorado WA and it took me ten years to figure out the few days that big ones visit in the early morning light. Even then, it is a very small corner of public where the bucks chase the does back onto private land. Anyway you can put that on the Nat'l Forum?
Jake check your pm's please
Hey Thorton on the DSP thread you posted- "Ive seriously thought about putting a similar fence on the north side of my property to keep the idiot that hunts on my fence out". Then on this thread you post about hunting the "corners" of public that border the private land, maybe they should install Tall fences to keep "idiots" from shooting their deer as well. If I were in your position i'd be Happy with my Private land an not mess with the public.
Thanks for your opinion, but I didn't ask for it. I only own 80 acres. If my neighbor to the south lets his kids shoot, or he decides to build on his shop, I don't see deer. And yes, anybody that knows my situation would agree me placing a tall fence on my north side would help matters. You see, I have a senile old man taking me to court because he states the fence we share in common is insufficient and will not hold cattle out. He let that fence deteriorate over the last 60 years. He wants to doze my hedge and place a fence on the line. Funny thing is, he has crops on the other side and not cattle. A judge will decide in Nov. He also lets people hunt my fence line. I've already found two dead they have shot and didn't have the nerve to come find them on me. If I put a tall fence up, it would take care of several issues. Never mind yourself where I decide to hunt, I shot my biggest on public anyway.
So why not compromise with the old man?
You want a fence, he wants a fence.
Just agree to make it a 10 foot one.
I have hunted public about 7 weeks in Kansas, killed 2 on private and one on public. 2 were in NW Kansas the other was SE Kansas and that was killed on public which there was not much of public. I have spent a total of 51 days hunting both public, WIHA and private in Kansas. That is all I have needed to figure out the properties I have hunted. Come hunt the northeast and see how ya do Thornton!! People can say what they want but the deer in most of the midwest and plain states are just easier to figure out. Shawn
Here we go again, There is a wilful stupidity, a studied misconstruction of hyperbole to most of your statements deerman406,..
About 7 weeks of hunting public (your words, not mine) is 49 days! Which leaves you with 2 days of private land hunting to kill two bucks for a total of 51 days.
Shawn, deerman, scooby doo, whatever. 51 days is more time than many spend deer hunting in a combined 3 or 4 seasons. Truth is, you just spent too much time and finally got lucky. Around here, a large buck will often visit and be gone in 3 days or less. When I was younger and had many permissions, there were some properties I was able to get a shot or shoot a decent one in a day or two. A rule of thumb I came to realize for stalking with a bow was, the first day on a property was usually the best.
Shawn....you've killed 3 KS deer and two of those were "bucks" off private ground.
However, please clarify (1) "buck" or "doe" off public ground?
Say what ya want and think what ya want. I will just keep coming and killing good bucks in Kansas. You guys have it easy and sorry but I never got lucky in Kansas, don;t have to get lucky to figure out deer there, pretty easy as a matter of fact. I hunted all those days to find a deer I actually wanted to shoot.. I am not ashamed to admit I have blown it in a few good bucks there as well but that was my mistake and not my scouting or being able to find them. I have seen more P&Y bucks on one sit in Kansas then I have seen hunting a couple seasons in NY and yes even on public land in Kansas. Shawn
Must of been a doe on public. Nothing wrong with that.
Jesus.... Jake if ya log back to check this thread please find the PM and call me. I'll get ya set up. Sadly there can't be a simple thread on this page that doesn't turn to crap by grumpy dudes with issues. I'd love to help ya out. 620-382-6730
It's a shame a simple thread with a direct question ( whom a few tried to offer legit help) has to, as always, turn into BS self serving crap. Wtf is wrong with some of you guys. Damn.
"Wtf is wrong with some of you guys. Damn." If you are a young man, then that is a legitimate question, and you wouldn't understand how wonderful bow hunting Kansas use to be. If you are older and been bow hunting for more than 15/20 years, then I would guess you are not paying to much attention to the way the fish and game and legislators have screwed the resident deer hunter over.
Chief this fall will mark my 21 bow season in KS. I am very aware of things. None of which has a single thing to do with the OPs questions. Yet as always the simplest of threads here has to get derailed by a select few who wanna fight about the same stuff. Why not make a new thread to debate and allow the OP to have his questions answered in his thread?
Too bad Shawn isn't hunting Kansas this year--he'd get my vote for KBA Bowhunter of the Year. He actually kills stuff, unlike Sito.
I thought the thread was fine. Nothing wrong with conversation. Shawn gets a lot flack because he has hunted here for 2 seasons and comes off as the "KS Expert" opposed to those who have been walking these woods and plains since the 60's and 70's.
Tacklebox -- a couple of good, accurate observations. With all we have going on in the world....
I don't kill many with a bow anymore either. I think the last time I hunted with Sito, he and I passed on a combined 5 bucks. Its got to be big or old for me to draw on it.
I havent killed a buck with my bow since 2012, no bucks with a rifle since 2004.
People can kill bucks with rifles? Really? :-)
The only rifle I have ever shot was a 22 believe it or not. And that was at targets as a kid. With a road every mile in Kansas I don't know why we need a rifle season. Were it up to me, it would be muzzle loader and shotgun only. And throw the Xguns in there with them. Not stirring turds, just how I feel.
Oh, I shoot a lot of rifles, and have no problems shooting one to five does a year from afar. Fun, it no rush as per a bow.
Just not a weapon that ever turned me on.
I've never had a weapon "turn me on."
Heck guns are just as fun as bows if you get proficient with them. Is shooting my compound fun at 20 yards? No not really I like to shoot at targets upto 90 yards and that is fun. Just like shooting a .308 out to 8-900 yards or the .50 cal out to a mile. Always fun to hit a target. Love my shotguns as well. Really want to try my luck with a Stevens. 28 gauge on dove in a few weeks. When it comes to hunting I love getting close on an unwary adversary.
I view everything as a tool. I hate to lose a deer, and I hate to see anything suffer. A well placed shot with a rifle will often give instant death as with my last three bucks. I love all 40 or 50 of my guns and each has a special memory or two of a good hunt or tournament with it. Seems I am more attached to my longbow and recurves though. However, If I don't get my big one with a muzzleloader, I will happily carry my new Bowtech to the woods. Matte, I like my smallbore shotguns as well. I have to work all night on Sept 1st so I will probably take my competition Beretta 12 gauge out just to get my limit in a hurry so I can sleep all afternoon.