State Of Kansas

Hunter's Calendar & Laws

General Regulations

Hunting Licenses

All Kansas hunters age 16 to 65 must have a resident hunting license. All nonresident hunters, regardless of age, must purchase a non-resident hunting license.
Any person who has not been a legal resident of the state for 60 days is considered a non resident. Proof that you are a legal Kansas resident includes voter registration cards, income tax receipts, or driver's licenses. Lifetime license holders are considered Kansas residents in regard to all hunting permits and tags, even if they no longer live in Kansas.
Military personnel hunting or furharvesting while on leave or furlough are required to have hunting or furharvesting licenses, even if they joined the service while residents of Kansas. Non resident military personnel not stationed in Kansas must have a non-resident license. Those who were Kansas residents immediately prior to enlistment may purchase a resident license.
Non-residents may purchase a special license that is valid only while hunting on controlled shooting areas.

Furharvester License

A furharvester license is required to hunt, trap, or pursue (run) furbearers, or to sell their pelts. A furharvester license is required to trap coyotes, and a hunting license is required to hunt them. The same license required to take coyotes is required to sell their pelts.
Up to two unlicensed, nonparticipating observers may accompany a licensed furharvester, but only to observe dogs with intent to purchase them.
Persons under 16 years of age may purchase a furharvester license at half price. Persons under 14 years of age who are accompanying a licensed furharvester are not required to purchase the license.

License exemptions

Kansas hunting and/or furharvesting licenses are not required for the following:

1. 1) owners of land or tenants of land leased or rented for agriculture, and their immediate families living with them, while hunting or furharvesting on this land;
2. 2) legally-defined Native Americans (must apply for free license);
3. 3) active-duty military personnel stationed in Kansas may hunt or furharvest with a resident hunting or furharvesting license, if they carry evidence identifying them as active-duty military personnel;
4. 4) non-residents who are full-time secondary, post-secondary or vocational school students in Kansas may obtain resident hunting licenses but must carry evidence of their status as a Kansas student; and
5. 5) non-residents using field trial permits issued by Wildlife and Parks

Handicapped

Persons certified by a physician as having a permanent disability may be eligible for special permits allowing them to hunt from a vehicle or hunt deer with a crossbow. For more information on these permits, contact the Department of Wildlife and Parks, Law Enforcement Division, 512 SE 25th Ave., Pratt, KS 67124. (Migratory game birds cannot be hunted from a vehicle, even with a disability permit.)

Hunter Education Certification

Anyone born on or after July 1, 1957 must successfully complete a certified hunter education course in order to purchase a hunting license or hunt, except on lands they own or operate. Resident hunters under 16 years of age are not required to purchase a hunting license but must carry a Hunter Education Certificate (unless hunting on own land), showing they have completed the course.
Anyone under 27 years old must carry an approved hunter education certificate while hunting in Kansas. Duplicate cards are available for $5.50 from the Pratt office.

Furharvester Education Certification

Persons born on or after July 1, 1966 must successfully complete a furharvester education course approved by Wildlife and Parks to purchase a furharvester license or hunt, run, or trap furbearers or trap coyotes on lands other than their own.

Trespass

Without the owner's permission, it is illegal to hunt, shoot, pursue, or trap any animal on private land, or any traveled public road or railroad right-of-way adjoining private land.
Written permission is required to enter land posted "Hunting by Written Permission Only," "Trapping by Written Permission Only," or "Hunting and Trapping by Permission Only."

Illegal Pursuit

No game animal, furbearer, or game bird may be shot at, killed, or pursued from a motorboat, aircraft, motor car, or other vehicle.
It is also illegal to locate or give information concerning the location of game animals by radio or other mechanical means.
No wild gamebird (except wild turkey) may be shot at or killed unless that bird is in flight. (Wild turkeys may be shot on the ground or in flight.)

Migratory Game Birds

Migratory game birds may be taken only with bow and arrow, falconry, or shotgun no larger than 10-gauge. Shotguns capable of holding more than three shells must be plugged (with plug inserted for no more than one shell in the chamber and two in the magazine). Migratory game birds may be taken only within season dates, hours and limits specified. Migratory game birds may not be taken by any of the following methods: from a sink box; by use of live decoys; by the aid of baiting (the use of any grain or feed to attract migratory birds to an area - unharvested crops are not considered bait); by use of records or tapes of migratory bird calls; by driving, rallying or chasing birds with any motorized conveyance or sailboat to put them in range of hunters. No person shall possess more than one daily bag limit in the field, or when returning from the field to one's car, hunting camp, motel, etc. All migratory game birds shot shall be retrieved, if possible, and crippled birds must be killed immediately.
Note: One fully feathered wing and/or head must remain attached to migratory game birds (except doves) while being transported from the field to the personal abode of the possessor or commercial preservation facility.
No person shall take migratory game birds by means of motorboat or other craft with motor attached, or sailboat, unless the motor is completely shut off and/or sails furled, and its progress is ceased. A hunter may retrieve dead or crippled birds from a craft under power, but crippled birds may not be shot from such craft under power.

REGARDLESS OF AGE, anyone hunting on U.S. Army land, including Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth, must have completed a certified hunter education course. For more information on hunting Army land, phone (785) 239-6211 or e-mail at beauforc@riley.army.mil

For more State Law and Kansas Information.  Click the logo below.