"The first good news I have to pass along is, the outfitter problem in this state is finally beginning to right itself, as witness the fact that some high-quality whitetail and mule deer bucks have already been taken this year as of late November. For example, outfitter Jim Aller of Wolf River Outfitters, who hunts Unit 10 in the northeastern corner of the state, had good success for early-season bow hunters (October 1 to December 2) and muzzleloader hunters (September 20 to 28), with plenty of bucks in the 140 to 160 range. Also, John Doty of Shadow Oaks, who hunts Chautauqua County in Unit 12, produced an impressive number of Pope & Young-class whitetails for his early-season bowhunters.
The outlook in 1998 looks good for non-residents to be able to draw buck whitetail tags in 14 of the state's 18 hunt units next year. That's because there were leftover resident tags in these units this year, which gives the state a rationale to open up hunting there to non-residents next year. One of the units where non-residents will likely receive more permits for both gun and bow is Unit 14, a huge area that encompasses the legendary Flint Hills. The tallgrass prairie unit is noted for producing a lot of bucks in the 150 to 160 or better range. I'll follow up with a report on reputable outfitters before the May application period for permits. As regards mule deer, three clients with United States Outfitters easily took bucks in the 27 to 29-inch range during the September muzzleloader season in western Kansas' Unit 2. This was the first year that........(continued)
