Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) The Nature Conservancy (TNC) are joining forces to provide young Kansas hunters and supervising adults with opportunities to hunt white-tailed deer during the regular firearm deer season, which opens on December 2nd and runs through the 13th. For the youth deer hunt, more than 4,500 acres of the Smoky Valley Ranch property owned by TNC are being opened to a limited number of deer hunters during the season through KDWP’s Special Hunts on Private Lands program.
All youth 16 years old and younger and an accompanying mentor will be permitted to harvest one whitetail antlerless deer each during their assigned access period. All appropriate hunting licenses and tags are required, and participating youth who are 16 must also possess a valid hunting license. Six hunts are available, each allowing access to one youth-mentor pair. Hunts will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested hunters should contact KDWP’s Fisheries and Wildlife Division at 620-672-0791 to register. This is a great opportunity for a high-quality youth hunt in Kansas!