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Now I want to hunt Mule Deer

AlabamaSwamper said:
Got a feeling the locals hunt out of mobile stands. Ride the ranch roads until they drive close enough.
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that is what western hunting when you can... cover lots of ground... ride all day in the truck till you find something especially on private land and large holdings. Hunted multiple large cattle operations out west and we always drove the roads - 2-track and spotted... then would stalk closer and get a shot.
 
AlabamaSwamper said:
Got a feeling the locals hunt out of mobile stands. Ride the ranch roads until they drive close enough.
Click to expand...
Well the distances here are SO long! Unless you are a stud you aren't going to walk enough to find a deer. I am lucky because two of my in laws have premium properties that I can hunt. Otherwise I would likely cruise and glass the Kansas Walk In hunting areas. I have seen Mule Deer in all of the ones I have been bye in this county.
 
BSK said:
Back in the early 80s, I spent some time in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska. I was amazed at how laser-focused the locals were on the mule deer in the area. They didn't give a flip about the whitetails, even though local whitetails grew pretty big. I never understood why a small muley was so much more coveted than a big whitetail. Maybe things have changed since then with all the focus in trophy whitetails, but I haven't been back, so don't know.
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Anymore, OOS hunters in Nebraska are out of luck when it comes to mule deer tags—gotta have the landowner tag.

Whitetails have simply overtaken most places mule deer used to dominate since the 2007 blue tongue breakout. Even coulees adjoining creek bottoms are loaded with whitetails instead of muleys, which means you need your buddy to drive them out instead of relying on the stupidity of a mule deer buck to flush himself, then conveniently turn broadside at 70 yards to get a nice look at you. 🤣
 
AlabamaSwamper said:
Got a feeling the locals hunt out of mobile stands. Ride the ranch roads until they drive close enough.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, you have to hurry up and wait in creek bottoms to see quality deer and numbers. A point where the creek bottom forks, and you have a Ponderosa pine to naturally blind you in is absolute money.
 
Not to rain on your parade but to educate yourself you should call the Kansas Department of Game & Parks. Ignorance of the law will not get you out of a ticket for a violation. Their number is 620-672-5911 but I would call this number, 785-628-8614. I take it you reside in TN so you are a non-resident of Kansas. Kansas does not allow mule deer to be harvested by non-residents with rifles. Kansas ONLY allows harvest by non-residents to take mule deer with archery tackle and muzzleloaders. The draw success is approximately 12% but, this is a big but, you have to apply for a whitetail tag first. Like most states that contain mule deer, the mule deer population is under immense pressure from drought, CWD, fawn recruitment from predators and of course over-harvest. Kansas will be cutting mule deer tags for residents as well.
 
Like Dean mentioned, call G&F. Last time I hunted KS I interpreted the NR regs completely different than what is posted in this thread.
 
You are a lucky man. As many have mentioned, .308 is sufficient as long as you become proficient at long distances. Get the best glass (binocs and/or spotting scope) you can afford and you're in business!
 
Good luck, and like mentioned call the state to find out what the regs are. A .308 will work fine if you are allowed to hunt them with rifle there. We used a .270 for mule deer in Wyoming.
 
To error on the safe side, as a normal non-resident who doesn't qualify as a landowner, here is the short;
A non-resident who successfully draws an archery or muzzleloader whitetail deer permit in units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 17, or 18 and has applied for the Mule Deer Stamp will be entered into a draw for one of a limited number of Mule Deer Stamps. If drawn, the applicant's whitetail deer archery or muzzleloader permit converts to an either-species/either-sex archery or muzzleloader permit.
 

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