| While the archery deer hunter may scout more than any other hunter, he is one that actually hunts the fewest farms.
It is very common for an archery deer hunter to hunt two different farms even if having covered a couple of thousand acres while scouting. Those hunting leases he does hunt he also frequently waits until the last read of the weather forecast before deciding where to go hunting. That same bow hunter should he break from the pattern of hunting one or two farms, it is after that trophy he was after failed to come to fruition or did, and it did not go well. The above bow hunter stereotype is just that, an averaging of those that spend the most time in the field during spring turkey season and fall deer hunting. The challenge with Kansas deer hunting is the competitive draw tag system that will prevent all deer hunters from their choice of Kansas deer tag each season. This then results in a secondary approach to Kansas deer hunting in spite of a continuation of the spring turkey hunts. What most deer hunters plan for each deer hunting season is to hunt Missouri as well as either Kansas or Iowa as determined by tag draw success rates. As it is most deer hunters will fall deer hunt two our our three states on most years. The previous spring turkey hunts are the means to keep tabs on those states most likely to be deer hunted that fall dependent on previous deer tag draw success history as a predictor of where the next draw deer tag will result from. As it stands over the recent several years is that most deer hunters will draw a Kansas deer tag before that of Iowa and more Kansas deer tags than Iowa. Iowa's non draw year point preference system is strictly enforced by Iowa State and it is that as long as any deer hunter continues to apply for an Iowa deer tag he will eventually get his hunting tag of choice. Given the increased likelihood of Kansas deer tags, the preference point system in Iowa and that Missouri deer tags may be purchased over the counter most spring turkey hunters find it easy where to spend a spring turkey hunting and combination deer scouting effort. That result is that most deer/turkey hunters always spring turkey hunt in Missouri, very frequently in Kansas and least of all in Iowa. An Iowa deer tag is typically every second to third year for archery, two years for shotgun and every year for the muzzleloader deer hunter. That is the current frequency of expectations for the respective (hunt method) Iowa deer tags. For those going on a Kansas deer hunt there does exist more potential adventure not just for trophy deer hunting, but also that Kansas offers a range of habitat and hunting skills distinction greater than that of Iowa or Missouri. Kansas deer hunting includes Mule Deer as well as Whitetail Deer, habitat ranging from tree stand capable wood lots to the big open where individual trees can be landmarks. And uniquely, large acreage of tall prairie grass that will confound the woods only deer hunter and frustrate may with much eyes on trophy deer without chance for shot. It is the case of the grasslands deer hunting that the upland bird hunter has more success at finding and harvesting this open ground deer than many experienced deer only hunters. Perhaps what Kansas deer hunting does best is give the deer hunter the opportunity for variety to his deer hunts. Two examples would be first the early muzzleloader season in September giving the chance to hunt pre-rut bachelor group bucks with behavior patterns completely devoid of any breeding behavior. The second example would be a western Kansas deer hunt where putting on a good pair of walking boots, carry good binoculars and a capability to shoot 300 yards plus brings great variety to Kansas' archery peak rut hunt in mid November. In this latter example the archery deer hunter could peak rut hunt in Iowa in November before the gun season spending endless hours over the entire trip in deer stand and then later return for the Kansas firearms season walking the big open of western Kansas for an entirely different type of deer hunt. What this deer hunting variety may do best is recharge interest in the total deer hunt experience not limited to a specific method. How many of us after the fifth day in stand could use a recharge of the mental stamina battery that looking forward to a different lease or hunt method/technique provides? Even the most dedicated deer stand hunter, if honest, will admit that even by the third continuous day in stand a break to regroup some motivation is often a better idea that pushing through for a contiguous seven day, 12 hour day stand hunt.
When it comes to do it yourself hunts this article does not train anyone on wildlife regulations or techniques, it simply offers a picture into some of the options available to the Mid-America Hunting Association members. For a more detailed discussion advance to our Kansas deer hunting section.
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