Where do I buy a Kansas hunting license?

Kansas hunting licenses and tags are sold by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks through its official licensing site. Buy direct from the agency rather than a reseller, and complete hunter education first if your birth year requires it.

When is Kansas hunting season?

Seasons differ by species, weapon and zone, and the Kansas season dates change every year. Our Kansas deer guide summarizes the 2025-26 deer season structure; for every other species, check the current Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks regulations before you plan a hunt.

What can you hunt in Kansas?

Besides white-tailed deer, mule deer, our species guides single out Kansas for whitetail deer, wild turkey, ring-necked pheasant, northern bobwhite quail, mourning dove, sandhill crane, eastern cottontail rabbit, coyote. Each species guide explains tags, seasons and tactics.

Where is public hunting land in Kansas?

Good starting points include Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, Fort Riley (public hunting areas), Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. Confirm access rules, closures and special regulations with the managing agency before you go.

Hunting · State by State

Kansas Hunting Guide

What to hunt in Kansas, what it costs, the laws that matter and where the public land is — with the official Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks links.

A draw-only nonresident system protects Kansas's trophy whitetail units and its western mule deer country alike.

Eastern Kansas is rolling hardwood draws, river bottoms and crop edges that consistently produce heavy-bodied, big-antlered whitetails; western Kansas is High Plains and Smoky Hills country holding mule deer and prairie whitetails along river corridors.

Agency: Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
Region: Great Plains
Deer rank: #2 of 50
Species guides: 9

Kansas hunting license and tag costs

Deer license and tag prices as last reviewed. Other species' permits are listed in the agency fee schedule.

License / tag	Price
Nonresident hunting license (16+)	$127.50
Nonresident whitetail deer permit (16+)	$477.50 (includes $27.50 application fee)
Nonresident youth whitetail permit	$117.50
Resident deer permit (either-sex)	$40.00
Resident antlerless-only permit	$20.00

Kansas hunting laws to know

Rules that catch hunters out most often. Not a substitute for the regulations book.

Topic	Rule
Blaze orange	Hunter orange (cap plus outer garment) required during firearm deer season.
Baiting	Baiting is legal on private land in most of Kansas but prohibited on many public wildlife areas — check area-specific rules.
Crossbows	Legal for all hunters during archery season.
Sunday hunting	Allowed statewide.
Legal firearms	Centerfire rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader and straight-wall cartridge rifles are legal during firearm season.
Tagging/reporting	Deer must be tagged immediately (paper tag) or e-tagged through the Go Outdoors KS app, and harvest reported per permit instructions.
CWD carcass transport	Whole carcasses from CWD management zones and out-of-state may have transport restrictions; deboned meat, cleaned skulls/antlers and hides are generally exempt.
Hunter education	Required for anyone born on or after July 1, 1957.

Kansas deer season structure (2025-26)

Kansas dates are set annually and vary by unit and season type — always check the current KDWP deer regulations summary before you hunt.

Season	Weapon	Typical window
Youth & disabled season	Any legal method	Sept. 6–14, 2025
Muzzleloader-only	Muzzleloader	Sept. 15–28, 2025
Archery	Bow / crossbow	Sept. 15 – Dec. 31, 2025
Pre-rut whitetail antlerless-only	Firearm	Oct. 11–13, 2025 (extended Oct. 14–19 in Unit 12)
Regular firearm	Rifle / shotgun/ straight-wall	Dec. 3–14, 2025
Extended antlerless-only firearm	Firearm	Jan. 1 through early-to-late Jan. depending on unit

What you can hunt in Kansas

Deer — White-tailed deer, Mule deer
Elite · ranked #2 of 50 for deer.
Whitetail Deer
The best mature-buck genetics and age structure in the country
Access: Nonresident tags are limited draw — apply and build points
Wild Turkey
Dense Eastern subspecies population with generous public land
Access: Over-the-counter resident and nonresident tags
Ring-Necked Pheasant
Underrated wild-bird numbers in the northwest part of the state
Access: Over-the-counter; check walk-in hunting access (WIHA) maps
Northern Bobwhite Quail
Some of the best remaining wild bobwhite hunting on public and walk-in land
Access: Over-the-counter license with walk-in access programs
Mourning Dove
Strong Midwest dove numbers around harvested grain fields
Access: Over-the-counter license plus HIP; check public wildlife area field plantings
Sandhill Crane
Strong Central Flyway migration corridor with a straightforward permit process
Access: State-specific crane permit, typically easy to obtain
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
Good rabbit numbers on public walk-in access land
Access: Over-the-counter small-game license
Coyote
Open agricultural country with excellent visibility for calling setups
Access: Over-the-counter license, minimal restrictions

Public hunting land in Kansas

Kansas blends big public wildlife areas with thousands of acres of Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) land leased from private owners for public hunting.

Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area
WMA · Central Kansas
Large public wetland/upland complex with huntable deer numbers near the Arkansas River drainage.
Fort Riley (public hunting areas)
Military/public land · North-central Kansas
Large tract with managed public deer hunting access via permit.
Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts
Walk-in access · Statewide
Thousands of acres of private land leased for public hunting, concentrated in river-bottom crop country.
Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area
WMA · Eastern Kansas
Bottomland timber and marsh complex known for solid whitetail numbers.
Smoky Valley Ranch / Smoky Hills public tracts
Public land · Western Kansas
Mixed-grass prairie and draws holding mule deer and prairie whitetails.

Official Kansas links

Last reviewed 2026-09.

Nearby state hunting guides

Questions

Frequently asked

Where do I buy a Kansas hunting license?: Kansas hunting licenses and tags are sold by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks through its official licensing site. Buy direct from the agency rather than a reseller, and complete hunter education first if your birth year requires it.
When is Kansas hunting season?: Seasons differ by species, weapon and zone, and the Kansas season dates change every year. Our Kansas deer guide summarizes the 2025-26 deer season structure; for every other species, check the current Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks regulations before you plan a hunt.
What can you hunt in Kansas?: Besides white-tailed deer, mule deer, our species guides single out Kansas for whitetail deer, wild turkey, ring-necked pheasant, northern bobwhite quail, mourning dove, sandhill crane, eastern cottontail rabbit, coyote. Each species guide explains tags, seasons and tactics.
Where is public hunting land in Kansas?: Good starting points include Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, Fort Riley (public hunting areas), Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. Confirm access rules, closures and special regulations with the managing agency before you go.