Kansas pheasant and quail hunting will again be some of the nation’s best. But hunters must remember key regulations to keep their hunts safe, enjoyable, and within the laws.

Below are some of the main rules and regulations on Quail and Pheasant Hunting in Kansas:

• Resident hunters 16 to 75 must have a hunting license, unless exempt by law. All non-resident hunters, regardless of age, must have a hunting license. Even if unarmed, any person helping hunters to take the game must also be licensed unless exempt.

• All hunters born on or after July 1, 1957, must have passed an accredited hunter education program. Those from other states are accepted in Kansas. For up to two years, hunters without hunter education can purchase an apprentice hunting license and legally hunt under the direct supervision of a properly licensed adult.

• Kansas has over 1.5 million acres of land open to hunters this year. Still, many hunters will be near or on private lands. Permission is always needed to hunt private property in Kansas, so posted or not. It’s the sportsman’s responsibility to contact the appropriate landowner. Lands marked with patches of purple paint means the hunter must have written permission to access those lands to hunt. It is also the responsibility of hunters to keep their dogs off private lands to those that do not have permission.

• Hunters are encouraged to do everything possible, so the game they shoot does not fall on private lands where they do not have permission. All efforts should be made to contact the landowner to get permission to retrieve such a game. If the landowner can’t be located, hunters can access that land for the sole purpose of retrieving that animal. If the landowner arrives and asks the hunter to leave, the hunter must do so immediately, with or without the game.

• Ditches of county roads are considered private property owned by the adjoining landowner in Kansas and will require permission from the adjoining landowner to be hunted. No part of federal or state roads or ditches may be hunted.

• Proof of sex must remain attached to pheasants until the bird is at the residence where it will be eaten or stored permanently. Proof can include one wing, a leg with visible, spur or head and neck. A signed slip with the name of the hunter, all contact information and the hunting license number must accompany the game given from the original hunter to another person.

• The use of “hunter orange,” or other bright garments is not required for pheasant or quail hunting in Kansas but is highly recommended.

Sportsmen are important assets to all kinds of law enforcement in Kansas. Hunters who see wildlife-based violations are encouraged to call and report as many details as possible.

Operation Game Thief – 877-426-3843.

For more information on the rules and regulations of hunting in Kansas, go to https://www.ksoutdoors.com/Hunting.