Do You Need a Draw Permit to Hunt Deer as a Nonresident in Kansas?
November 6, 2026
Deer hunting season in Kansas 2026-27 runs for almost four months of archery hunting and a tight 12-day firearm window, so timing matters. The season opened with the youth and disability hunt on September 5, and the regular firearm season is still ahead on December 2.
This article gives you the dates, units, permits, limits and field rules in the order you will use them. Most of the schedule comes from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), which publishes the official season calendar.
Deer Hunting Season Dates in Kansas 2026-27
As of November 2026, KDWP lists these dates for the 2026 deer seasons. The regular firearm season starts the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, which puts it at December 2 this year.
| Season | 2026-27 Dates |
|---|---|
| Youth and Disability | September 5-13, 2026 |
| Muzzleloader | September 14-27, 2026 |
| Archery | September 14-December 31, 2026 |
| Pre-Rut Whitetail Antlerless Firearm | October 10-12, 2026 |
| Extended Pre-Rut Whitetail Antlerless (Unit 12) | October 13-18, 2026 |
| Regular Firearm | December 2-13, 2026 |
| Extended Whitetail Antlerless Firearm | January 1-24, 2027 (varies by unit) |
Those dates match the KDWP When to Hunt page. Confirm your unit’s extended-season window on that page before you plan a January hunt.
Archery and Crossbow Deer Season in Kansas
Archery is the longest season. It runs September 14 through December 31, 2026, and it covers the pre-rut and the November rut, which makes it the best stretch for patient hunters.
Archery equipment is legal during the muzzleloader season, and archery permits are also valid in those dates in the units printed on your permit. Check the KDWP deer information page for which permits allow archery or muzzleloader equipment.
Kansas also runs an extended archery whitetail antlerless-only season in Unit 19, listed by KDWP as January 25-31, 2027 in planning guides. For equipment rules, including crossbows, read our Kansas bow hunting laws article.
Muzzleloader Deer Season in Kansas
The early muzzleloader season runs September 14-27, 2026. It starts on the second Monday after the first Saturday in September and lasts 14 days.
A resident or nonresident muzzleloader either-species/either-sex permit works in this season. So do the any-season whitetail permit, hunt-own-land permits and antlerless permits, in the units specified on each permit and with muzzleloader or archery equipment.
Firearm Deer Season in Kansas (Rifle and Shotgun)
The regular firearm season is December 2-13, 2026, 12 days that start the Wednesday following Thanksgiving. Rifles and shotguns are both legal under the equipment listed on your permit.
Archery season stays open through December 31, but archery-only permits do not allow firearm hunting. Your permit’s printed equipment restriction controls what you can carry, and KDWP states that equipment restrictions designated on permits apply.
Pro Tip: Opening weekend pressure is heaviest on public ground. If you hunt a Walk-In Hunting Access parcel, scout it before December 2 and have a backup parcel marked.
Youth and Disabled Hunter Deer Seasons in Kansas
The youth and disability season ran September 5-13, 2026, and it is open statewide. KDWP sets it as the first Saturday of September for a total of nine days, so next year’s dates are September 4-12, 2027.
Youth hunters 15 and younger can buy a lower-priced permit. Resident youth and disabled hunters should confirm which license and permit apply to them in their KDWP deer permit listing.
Antlerless, Late and Holiday Deer Seasons in Kansas
Kansas stacks several antlerless-only windows around the main seasons. The pre-rut whitetail antlerless firearm season is October 10-12, 2026, with an extension for Unit 12 from October 13-18.
After the regular firearm season closes, extended whitetail antlerless firearm seasons start January 1, 2027. They end on January 10 in Unit 3, January 17 in Units 4 through 10 and 16, and January 24 in Units 11 through 15 and 19, according to a season summary of KDWP dates.
The December 14-31 stretch is archery-only for most hunters, so holiday deer hunting in Kansas means a bow in hand. A separate Fort Riley archery season runs September 14-December 31, with its own extended firearm antlerless season from January 1-17, 2027.
Kansas Deer Hunting Zones, Units and Counties
Kansas manages deer by Deer Management Unit (DMU), numbered 1 through 19. Your permit is valid only in the unit or units printed on it, so check the DMU map before you buy.
The units that matter most for permit rules include Units 1, 2, 17 and 18, where nonresident mule deer stamps can be drawn. Western units also see more mule deer, while the eastern half of the state is whitetail country.
KDWP publishes the Deer Management Unit map alongside its permit page. Use it to match your county to a unit number.
Deer Bag Limits in Kansas
The basic limit is one antlered deer per hunter per year. You can add antlerless deer only if you hold valid antlerless permits, and the number depends on the permits you hold.
- One antlered deer per year across all seasons
- Additional antlerless deer require valid antlerless permits
- Permits are tied to a unit, season and equipment type
Antlerless permits are cheap by comparison. KDWP lists the nonresident whitetail antlerless-only permit at $52.50, and it requires you to hold an antlered permit first in most cases.
Antler Point Restrictions and Buck Rules in Kansas
Kansas does not set a statewide minimum antler point rule for general whitetail permits. What matters is the sex and species your permit allows. A whitetail antlerless-only permit covers any white-tailed deer without a visible antler.
The mule deer rules are tighter. Nonresidents cannot take mule deer with a standard whitetail permit, and the mule deer stamp upgrades a whitetail permit to either-species, either-sex in Units 1, 2, 17 and 18. Nonresidents cannot rifle hunt mule deer under that setup, according to GOHUNT’s state profile.
Deer Hunting License, Tag and Permit Requirements in Kansas
You need two things: a hunting license and a deer permit. KDWP requires residents ages 16 through 74 to hold a resident hunting license unless Kansas law exempts them, and all nonresidents must hold a nonresident license regardless of age.
Buy and manage everything through Go Outdoors Kansas. The KDWP deer permits page lists each permit type, and the big game deer page shows leftover permit status.
| Permit | Who Qualifies | Price (2026 KDWP) |
|---|---|---|
| Nonresident White-tailed Deer Permit | Age 16 and older | $477.50, including $27.50 application fee |
| Nonresident Youth White-tailed Deer Permit | Age 15 and younger | $117.50 |
| Nonresident Hunt-Own-Land Deer Permit | Qualifying nonresident landowners | $87.50 |
| Nonresident Whitetail Antlerless-Only Permit | Nonresident hunters | $52.50 |
| Nonresident Mule Deer Stamp | Drawn in April with a whitetail application | $150 |
These figures come from KDWP’s April 2026 news release and its permit listing.
Nonresident Deer Hunting in Kansas
Yes, you need a draw permit. Nonresident deer permits in Kansas are issued through a limited draw system, and nonresidents must hold a valid nonresident hunting license when they apply.
KDWP’s 2026 application window ran through April 24, 2026. A nonresident hunting license cost $125 for adults and $40 for youth, plus a $25 application fee, on top of processing and agent fees.
- Buy a nonresident hunting license before you apply.
- Apply under “Limited Draw Applications” and choose the nonresident whitetail deer application.
- Add the mule deer stamp application in April if you want a shot at either-species.
- Check for leftover permits after the draw.
Applicants who are unsuccessful in the draw automatically receive a preference point. Landowners and tenants have separate nonresident permit paths under K.S.A. 32-937.
Pro Tip: The nonresident license and application fee are nonrefundable, so confirm your unit and equipment choice before you submit.
Where to Hunt Deer in Kansas: Public and Private Land
Kansas is more than 95 percent private land, so access is the real challenge. KDWP’s Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) program leases private parcels for public hunting, and the state also manages wildlife areas and some federal ground.
Nonresidents with a valid license and archery deer permit can hunt enrolled WIHA parcels during the open access period, according to ProHunt’s draw guide. Read each WIHA atlas page for deer-specific closures, since some parcels restrict access during firearm seasons.
On private land you must have permission before you hunt. For other Kansas species you can pair with deer, see our guides to pheasant hunting season in Kansas and turkey hunting season in Kansas.
Hunting Deer on Your Own Property in Kansas
Qualifying landowners and tenants can buy hunt-own-land deer permits. Under K.S.A. 32-937, KDWP offers these to landowners and to tenants, including family members living with the tenant.
Nonresident landowners pay $87.50 for the nonresident hunt-own-land permit. The hunter must first hold a nonresident permit that allows an antlered deer, unless purchasing after the date listed by KDWP.
Permit transfers are not a loophole. Each permit is issued to the person named on it.
Blaze Orange, Shooting Hours and Legal Methods in Kansas
Kansas legal methods depend on your season and permit. Archery gear, muzzleloaders and firearms each have their own season and equipment rule, and the permit lists the restriction.
Kansas also has a night vision season for some species, with segments running September 1-4, 2026, September 28-December 1, 2026 and December 14, 2026-March 31, 2027. That schedule is a furbearer and predator season, not a deer season, so do not use night vision gear on deer.
For blaze orange requirements and legal shooting hours, read the current KDWP deer regulations before the firearm opener. Wear orange during firearm seasons regardless, since other hunters share the field.
Sunday Deer Hunting in Kansas
Kansas does not have a general ban on hunting deer on Sundays. The firearm season of December 2-13 includes Sunday, December 6 and Sunday, December 13, and archery season covers every Sunday from September 14 to December 31.
The restriction that applies is access. Some public wildlife areas and WIHA parcels set their own rules, so read the posted regulations for the specific property.
Chronic Wasting Disease Rules for Deer Hunters in Kansas
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a neurological disease that affects deer, and Kansas has detected it in parts of the state. KDWP maintains separate CWD regulations for residents and nonresidents, linked from its deer information page.
If you hunt in another state or bring a carcass back from one, the rules on moving whole carcasses and high-risk parts matter. KDWP’s CWD page covers what you can bring into Kansas and what you must leave behind.
Do not eat meat from a deer that looks sick. Hunters can also submit samples for testing through KDWP.
Deer Harvest Reporting, Tagging and Transport in Kansas
Attach your permit to the deer as the permit requires, and keep it with the carcass during transport. Kansas permits are tied to a species, sex and unit, so a deer taken outside your permit terms is a violation.
Harvest reporting is handled through KDWP’s Go Outdoors Kansas system and permit instructions. Check the instructions printed with your permit for exact reporting steps and timing.
When you move a carcass across state lines, apply the CWD import restrictions above. Our Kansas dove hunting season page covers the license basics that apply to every game species in the state.
Best Time to Hunt Deer in Kansas
For bowhunters, the rut is the target. Local trail-camera guides place the rut peak around mid-November, inside archery season and before the firearm opener on December 2.
For firearm hunters, the first three days of the December season see the most movement. The early muzzleloader season in September is quieter and gives you less pressure but warmer weather.
- Early October: pre-rut antlerless firearm weekend (October 10-12)
- Mid-November: rut peak for archery hunters
- December 2-6: opening days of the firearm season
- Late December: archery-only, low pressure, cold-weather feeding patterns
Plan your trip around the rut and the December 2 opener, and have a backup unit selected before you go.