Kansas Elk Hunting
Kansas is a well-known whitetail deer destination, with elk receiving little attention. Elk were once found throughout Kansas but were extirpated around the turn of the century. Conservation groups raised elk on a 2,200-acre high-fenced area before releasing them in the Cimarron National Grasslands. As of 2009, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation estimated the Kansas elk population at 250. Even though Kansas has a small elk population and issues fewer than 30 tags, it still provides excellent elk hunting.
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Significance
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When the conserved elk were released to range freely in 1987, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) opened an elk hunting season. The season was enacted to control the elk population and to minimize the damage to agriculture and crops. By 1990, another season was opened in Fort Riley--a military base in northeast Kansas between Junction City and Manhattan--to control the population.
Seasons
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Kansas offers several options for elk hunting seasons that are divided among weapons and outside or inside Fort Riley. For the 2010 hunting seasons outside of Fort Riley, the muzzleloader season is September 1 through October 3, the archery season September 20 to December 31 and the firearm season is December 1 to 12 and January 1 to March 15. The seasons inside of Fort Riley take place between September 1 and October 3 for muzzleloader and the firearms season is split into three segments: from October 1 to 31, November 1 to 30 and December 1 to 31.
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Permits
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Kansas has a resident-only and military personnel elk permit system. Any military personnel stationed in Kansas or Kansas resident, regardless of age, may apply for a permit and hunt elk. For the 2008 season, the KDWP received about 900 applications for the 20 permits that were issued. The application for the 2010 season is July 9. Permit fees are $252.50 for a general resident permit for any elk or $102.50 for an antlerless general resident permit.
Geography
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KDWP has elk units throughout the state, but the concentration of the elk is primarily around Fort Riley. As a result, most hunters focus their efforts on or around Fort Riley. Hunting is allowed in any county except Morton County, found in the southwest corner. A free-ranging herd is still found in the Cimarron National Grasslands, located in southwest Kansas in Morton County.
Regulations
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Elk hunting is highly regulated by the KDWP. Residents and military personnel are limited to a once-in-a-lifetime bull-only or any-elk permit. During the hunt, you must possess the carcass tag and insert the tag through the leg after the harvest. You must contact the KDWP within two days of the harvest so it can collect tissue samples to study chronic wasting disease.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit bull elk image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com
