I’m looking to book a Kansas hunt next season for rifle, anyone have any good guides to book with? Hate just picking one off google search. Looking for under $5000.

What units are you going to apply for a draw permit to hunt in?

I figured that more depends on the guide just saying that cause on most the guide pages they have the units to put in for and “help” somehow or seem to have better success rates than most I’m not sure I haven’t messed with draws other than our public land draws in Texas.

Rifle draw permits for NR are not as easy as archery. Some units are harder to draw than others. If you put in for muzzleloader early season then if unsuccessful your permit will be good for the rifle season(you can only use the muzzleloader). You put in for two adjoining units...so if you want to hunt unit 8 then you put in for another unit joining 8 and you can then hunt both units with your permit. IIIRC you can put in for 5 combos. This is all from the last time I hunted there 6 yrs ago now. Research number of tags on: https://ksoutdoors.com/License-Permits

Jeremys with Sagebrush Outfitters has great hunts in Kansas

Ok I’ll do some research on that I just assumed the guide kinda set that up and if you got drawn great if not they just moved your deposit and date to the next year. Haven’t got that far into it yet

You might be able to look at each unit and see how many NR tags are available versus the number of applicants from this past year. The draw is usually the month of April and results around end of June. I have hunted in units 6,15, and 16 with Call of the Wild Outfitters. Find outfitters in your price range and talk to their references. Once you find the one you want to go with, apply for the unit(s) that you need in April. If you find the draw process confusing, just call the Pratt office and they will walk you thru it.

I just got back from western Kansas Friday and I can tell you that the Whitetail population is down dramatically. We saw less that half the amount this year than we have over the past 10 years. Made finding them even harder.

Thanks for the update on numbers.

Where did you in western kansas

Just got back from KS. In the 2 week rifle season they ran a 80-90% success rate. I didn’t harvest a buck. But was after a world class 8pt and passed on deer anywhere from 130-150’s. I’ve managed to take 2 deer over 170 in the 4 years I’ve hunted there with archery equipment.

Check out KNS Outfitters. Tell em CP Wade sent ya.

Just got back from Western Kansas. It was difficult hunting, and like others have said - only 50-60% of the normal deer population. I talked to a lot of local friends who are farmers and ranchers, several Game Wardens and a biologist, and hunters in general. CWD is starting to have a noticeable impact, and in several locations they had localized blue tongue from the drought causing low warm water and lots of midges. I never saw or heard of a true trophy WT deer in Unit 1. They even put in print in their Hunting Guide "to expect a decrease of trophy quality deer for the next decade or two" because of CWD.

Here's a little help for tag numbers and applicants this year:

https://ksoutdoors.com/content/download/14487/99514/file

It's been many years but I hunted at Lil Toledo Lodge in Eastern Kansas.
Good folks and saw some nice bucks, I didn't take a big buck but did get one with my rifle.

These folks took care of a few hunters that got taken by a booking agent, me included. He took all our money and left Colorado for Texas if you can believe it. The lodge honored our hunts even though they did not get paid by the booking agent.
Some outfitters he scammed didn't honor hunts and some were left out on elk hunts in Colorado, Lil Toledo steeped up and let us hunt for what we paid the booking agent.
They hunt river bottom areas and had some good leases too.