Open prairies and river bottoms in Kansas house a huge number of deer, both mule deer and whitetails, and Kansas has a reputation of a second-to-none destination for trophy whitetail hunting. Even DIY hunters can score a record book class buck in Kansas, although, of course, using the services of a reliable outfitter greatly improves the chances of a non-resident hunter. In fact, Kansas is often described as having “too many deer”. As one of the measures to reduce the population, the state allows harvest of only one antlered deer per year, with multiple antlerless deer permits available. While a lot of private land in Kansas is leased to outfitters and hunting clubs, the state encourages landowners to allow hunting on their lands. Many landowners register their land for the state’s Walk-In-Hunting Program, and the appropriately posted plots can be hunted on without having to ask for permission. The downside of the state’s reputation is that there’s a very high number of applications from out-of-state hunters, and with a limited quota, drawing a deer permit in Kansas becomes more and more problematic. Other big-game hunting opportunities in Kansas include elk and antelope. Elk hunting, however, is limited to only twenty permits drawn annually between the state’s residents and military personnel. Pronghorn permits for the muzzleloader and rifle seasons are available only to residents, on a limited draw basis, but archery tags are sold over-the-counter, to both residents and non-residents. Located on the Central Flyway for the migratory waterfowl, Kansas offers excellent guck and geese hunting opportunities as well, with Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area recognized as one of the hottest waterfowl spots in North America. Last but not the least, Kansas is a great turkey hunting destination, and one of the states you should go to if you want to complete your Turkey Slam in one year, as Kansas has two subspecies: Eastern and Rio Grande Turkey. Surviving mixed grassland prairies in Kansas make it one of the few states where you can still pursue the original American upland gamebird: the prairie chicken. Only greater prairie chicken are legal to hunt, and only in the north-east of the state, though. Overall, grasslands intermixed with wheat fields make a near-perfect habitat for all upland birds, and Kansas is listed as one of the top three pheasant and bobwhite quail states in the US. Hundreds of thousands of non-resident hunters flock each year to enjoy the outdoor opportunities of Kansas, most of them in pursuit of pheasant and deer, and contribute millions of dollars to the state economy annually. They have at their service dozens if not hundreds of guides, outfitters, lodges, leases and preserves, that can cater to any wish and wallet.