Hunting in Kansas

Jinga

Well-Known Member
Strange request for a UK group I know but I know that next year I will get to go to the US with work for 2 weeks and we get a weekend off to play.

Is there anywhere within a reasonable distance from Kansas that will have something fun to do in the June July (dates TBC) timeframe? No idea what the Kansas state speciality is but suspect this is a once in a lifetime chance, work pays the flights!

Clearly a round of golf would be a waste of time and so a day or so out chasing something different would be a real memory.

Cheers
 
Hi,

Whilst I have not specifically hunted in Kansas I have hunted in Alaska and Colorado and there are some hurdles that you will need to overcome that are common to most states

1) Hunting is controlled by the state, not the land owner, to hunt anything it must be in season AND you need a tag from the state - easily avaliable for most hunting shops - if you are out of state the tags can be expensive. Info on states, costs and seasons is reailly avaliable on the net, However.

2) To get a tag most states (all but 3 I think) need you to have completed a hunter education course - It very cheap, run by volenteers and very good. There is normally an online part, a day or two of class work followed by a multi choice question paper and then a quick blast down the range link hunter-ed.com: Get Your Hunter Education Certification with the Kansas Online Hunting Course If you are older than dirt you do not need to take it - varies from state to state.

3) Finally if you are over there for work you are classed as a non resident Alien and MUST NOT hold a gun unless you have a hunting tag - this is a federal offense as is trying to buy a gun. If you have the tags before you go over (they can be purchased over the net) you can then take your own gun over BUT you will need the hunter ed before you get the tag.

Best approach is find someone out there who hunts and see if they will take you out hunting. The above applies to all forms of hunting (gun and Bow) but you can stil fish :)

Sorry to be a bit of a downer but I have been through this before - I am happy to try to answer any other questions

good luck

VaP
 
Dear Jinga, what time of the year will you be there and whats your budget?
are you willing to travel?
Most ranches/guides etc will lend you a gun; no problem.
Kansas is more known for the usual deer and upland game. Not much variety and AFAIK, no exotics.
If you fancy clays, that that shoudnt be a problem either nor should be firing autos/semis/handguns at a range.
Lemme know what you seek.
 
Hello vapours,
Just to clear up some points
I have lived for 7 years in the states and have hunted in Kansas for pheasants on a pals farm.
1. Hunter ed training is not needed if you were born before a certain date that needs specific checking on the Kansas DNR website (also if you have a UK game license, it is seen as an out of state license so that covers you also)
2. Buy a Kansas hunting license on a credit card before travelling via the net, then apply to the ATF quoting this hunting license number (http://www.atf.gov/forms/download/atf-f-5330-3d.pdf) on form 6 for temporary importation permission "send it via fax to them" and they will send the stamped permit back to the same fax number within days (I have done it and it works fine). Then the fun starts about taking a firearm "on checked in only" luggage at UK airports.
There may be a chance in summer to hunt for Pronghorn Antilope in Wyoming (so you would need to organise a Wyoming non resident licence and get a tag issued before you ask for the ATF permission). or you could go for sniping groundhogs or coyotes as they are treated like UK foxes so no there is no closed seasons as I remember.
I did a Pronghorn hunt in New Mexico in the summer period of 1994 with a Contender pistol in .35 Remington at a measured 185 paces "I have the photos of the hunt and the shoulder mount is at my home". Great fun it was too.
Good luck.
It is a once in a lifetime chance.
Martin
 
Hello vapours,
Just to clear up some points
I have lived for 7 years in the states and have hunted in Kansas for pheasants on a pals farm.
1. Hunter ed training is not needed if you were born before a certain date that needs specific checking on the Kansas DNR website (also if you have a UK game license, it is seen as an out of state license so that covers you also)
2. Buy a Kansas hunting license on a credit card before travelling via the net, then apply to the ATF quoting this hunting license number (http://www.atf.gov/forms/download/atf-f-5330-3d.pdf) on form 6 for temporary importation permission "send it via fax to them" and they will send the stamped permit back to the same fax number within days (I have done it and it works fine). Then the fun starts about taking a firearm "on checked in only" luggage at UK airports.
There may be a chance in summer to hunt for Pronghorn Antilope in Wyoming (so you would need to organise a Wyoming non resident licence and get a tag issued before you ask for the ATF permission). or you could go for sniping groundhogs or coyotes as they are treated like UK foxes so no there is no closed seasons as I remember.
I did a Pronghorn hunt in New Mexico in the summer period of 1994 with a Contender pistol in .35 Remington at a measured 185 paces "I have the photos of the hunt and the shoulder mount is at my home". Great fun it
Good luck.
It is a once in a lifetime chance.
Martin

Hi Bavarianbrit

Thanks for the information

points as follows

1) yep agree looked it up and if born before 1957 so "older that dirt" :). There is I belive (stand to be corrected) no such thing as a uk game license - I tried using the conditions on my FAC but this failed also tried on a dsc1 but no joy.

2) Done that form many times and up are corerect the UK is paranoid (got a couple of good stories about opening up a sec 1 shot gun in the passenger bit of the airport in UK) BUT you cannot - at least for colorado or most states (can for Alaska) - buy the tag without the HE number. The DOW for kanas site seems to be down atm so I cannot check. Happy to be proved wrong on this one and would be interested to get your feebback

As you have lived there for some time the non res alien bit does not apply.

Personally I like the semi and full auto on the range idea.

Never hunted Pronehorn just Mulies and elk - bloody cold hunting and hauling out bull elk quarters nearly killed me - tasted good though - 7 hours slow cooked and smoked :)

Vap
 
Hi vapour,

After I finally returned from the states in 1995 I went back quite often to visit a now deceased pal in SC & do a bit of whitetail & Turkey stalking (no other word fits the effort needed).
I was in effect coming in as a non resident alien and the temporary importing of my guns never was a problem. "apart from an american Continental Airlines check-in clerk at Gatwick insisting that I prove my .45 was not loaded by me racking the slide" right next to 250 other folks waiting to check their bags in, " why I was not popped off from the upper gallery by a "trained marksman I will never know, phew".
I now show my old US hunting licenses and they accept that no problems but I am now 62yo.
Give it a try, I say.
Martin
 
Hi Martin,

We obviously had the same check in clerk (he'd moved to BA) I was made to rack the Sec 1 in the customer area - got to be honest I was more than a little worried. When I carried the same gun through a hotel in Alaska I was stopped (I thought here we go) and asked .... about the rate of fire, the cart size and could I demo it.

Never tried turkey hunting but would like to one day

Yep see you are over the limit, experianced enough, not to need the hunter ed part.

I was going hog huntin in Texas this year but looks like the american contact has to take wife away instead (10 days off a year).

Never tried to use the old hunting tags but I do keep them - mostly unfilled

Thanks

Vap
 
Thanks for the thoughts. I suspect it really will be a case of finding someone to take me out as i will only be there for the weekend and the "work" baggage allowance will not stretch to rifle and sticks!

What would be useful is any thoughts as to what is in season in June or July and what would be a different experience. Prob not too keen on turkeys (stand to be educated) but would prefer 4 legs deer or hogs.

Cheers
 
there is high fence hunting in Missouri, the neighboring state. It is not very sporting and would be somewhat expensive though. Missouri laws are similar to Texas laws. The guys who run these operations take care of the state hunting license for you and no additional permits would be needed. Again, not very sporting, in fact, not at all sporting.
 
It may be spring turkey season in kansas though. Missouri has a great feral pig population and all is required is a state hunting license and year round open season. A non-resident Missouri license would cost around $200. Depends on where in Kansas you were though
 
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