Heading up to an outfitter in Unit 14 for the rifle season in December. Any advice for a guy who has hunted South Texas his whole life and only has Chippewas and a Columbia camo shirt to wear? Not really sure what to expect.

Drawings for permits are not done till May.

Yeah, I'm putting in for my tag on April 1 and operating on the very likely assumption that I will get drawn.

Rifle odds are not nearly as good as archery. They drew 529 NR permits for rifle WT last year in Unit 14. Not sure how many applied. http://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Applications-and-Fees/Deer/Quotas-and-Draw-Stats
I have put in for Unit 1&2 for 4 yrs now for muzzleloader for WT or MD. Drew a either species ML permit the first two years and then the last 2 yrs only WT.

1&2 are in more demand and have less supply, although 14 has high demand but much more allocated supply. I think everyone who applied for a whitetail permit in 14 last year got one. In 1 & 2, however, there were some who did not get their tags or similar limitations such as what you mentioned.

Not a lot of demand in comparison to other units since there are very limited permits in the west except for MD permits which are hard to come by. They only drew 6 or so ML NR each year. I think they only draw 40 firearm NR MD permits per year in each zone. That is what I am after. Not much cover to bow hunt out in those zones either, so they also have limited archery NR permits. I have drawn a WT permit every year and only seen 3-4 worth shooting. Two were really good WT. I have to draw a WT permit to get entered in the MD drawing. Seen several really nice MD when I did not have a permit the last 2 yrs. First 2 yrs it was a bad drought and MD quality was way off. WT numbers are rebounding the past 2 yrs after the die off from the drought but are still way down. Never been any over the counter permits in my 4 yrs of applying. I like applying for ML since if I don't kill in late Sept then I can go back and hunt with my ML in the firearms season. Those deer get pretty wild by the first day or two of rifle season from all the local pressure on them in the wide open country.

I know out where I hunt the bucks are broken up pretty bad by rifle season due to the rut starting in early Nov and is mostly over by rifle season. A positive will be that grain/bean harvest will be over. Wheat or harvest corn fields will still hold deer. I have not seen much alfalfa out where I hunt. It rains a lot less than in the unit you are hunting. Good think is you can pic two units to hunt in just make sure you keep 14 in each choice you make. I would make the second unit the one with the best odds and most rifle permits for you to get drawn in also.

Yeah if I could do it differently I would bow hunt, but I'm taking my father who is rifle hunt only. We are hunting first week of rifle season, assuming we get tag.

Not going in with tons of expectation, but it would be nice if I could put dad on about a 160 WT. Dad is interested in MD too, but may try for that another year - like you said, hard to get a tag.

I've been told that Its much better when it is cold during rifle season because the deer will go to the soybean and wheat fields in unit 14. Otherwise, food sources are scattered and deer have strange patterns.

Don't think that there are 160 or better type deer on every property or you will be sorely disappointed. Those large bodied deer fool you on score also. In my 4 yrs of hunting I have only seen 2 WT over 160 and both of them were 170 or better. Seen 2 more that might have made 150 the last 2 yrs also. Seen way more 1 and 2 yr old bucks than older deer and handful of the 120-130 class bucks. You might think about applying for ML since you can hunt both seasons.

It does get very cold in the rifle season and can get downright nasty/bitter cold. There is always a strong wind blowing it seems also. Out west food is key late season but the wheat is usually struggling due to lack of rain it seems every year. A lot of the area I hunt is dryland corn/milo with very little beans. Most of the beans are under pivot along with corn. Most of the pivots are down south more in Unit 2 and 17 or up north in 1. Lot of dryland wheat planted but just does not get the rains in the areas I hunt to have enough to hold deer in rifle season. You should have better hunting on wheat since it rains more to the east.
It is still fun hunting. Trying to find a deer on land you can hunt then trying to figure out how to get to him in that open country is the best part. Lot of WIHA areas also that hold some really good deer, just the locals hunt them really hard also.

Thanks I will look into ML.

Yes I'm definitely worried about scoring the deer on the hoof since I have only hunted TX whitetail.

I'm going in with the expectation that I won't kill a deer. If I see one worth shooting, then it was meant to be. We are going to pheasant hunt too. It's going to be a hell of a trip. The outfit we hunt with has good returns on bucks. Avg Buck is 150-160. Of course not everyone gets a kill every year. Several taken in rifle season that were 190+

I have hunted 14 for 6 or 7 years now. I bow hunt it though.

Don't expect the deer to act like they do in Texas. From my experience, they don't react like our deer, don't run like our deer, don't travel like our deer, don't stick to cover like our deer, etc. When I first hunted up there, I hunted the woods and the deer were all in the fields. Most will pick a straight line from point A to point B.

During the drought years, it seemed to throw the rut later than normal. Think it was 3 years ago, the rut had really just kicked off Thanksgiving and the first weekend rifle hunters slaughtered some great bucks.

Late season, finding them on the feeding patterns (if the rut is done) is your best bet. Don't neglect the open fields and grass lands. The bigger bucks tend to move out of the low lands and like to be alone.

If you see one, more than likely you will get a shot at it. With a rifle in that part of Kansas, it is more about finding them. They tend to stick to their core areas more late season and they aren't as flighty as the deer I have hunted in Texas. Every mature deer that I have seen was killable with a rifle...I just had a stick and string in my hand

The population in most of Area 14 is higher than where STX hunts. You can typically find some concentrations of deer and will see plenty to keep you occupied.

As far as scoring on the hoof, my guess is you will be low. On camera and with the few I have shot, I was on average 10" short with my guesses. Good problem to have.

Area 14 is pretty big. Do you know the general area you will be hunting?

Good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks for the tips!

I will be hunting tracts of leased land around Harveyville

Good advice here already.

I've hunted the southern end of Unit 14 off and on for 10 years (bow, ML, and rifle seasons) and have killed a couple of dandy bucks. The thing about the rifle season is the mature bucks begin to go back underground by Thanksgiving. To give you an idea, on the property I hunt and during the rifle seasons, I guess we average about one buck over 130" about every three years, while that same piece of property will produce just about 100% opportunity at 160"+ every year during the rut/bow season.

I think you're going in with solid expectations, but just to add, despite what the outdoor Channel will have you to believe, there's not a Booner behind every tree in Kansas.

Finally, come prepared to hunt in some nasty weather with lots of layers, warm boots, and I use a lot of air-activated hand (and toe) warmers. It seems we always get the first snow storm of the year during the first week of the rifle season. But it could also be 70 degrees in the afternoons. Just be prepared for anything, I guess.

Opening day of the rifle season will be your best bet. Good luck and if you have any other questions, fire away.