Photo by Kenny Bahr.

Forgive the cliché -- but the truth about the 2007 Great Plains deer season is: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

From north to south -- across the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas -- hunters enjoyed outstanding seasons in 2006 with record or near-record harvest numbers. That fact notwithstanding, biologists from all four states indicate that deer populations are continuing to grow, and that the need for more antlerless harvest to help keep those populations in check will increase right along with them.

No matter where in the Great Plains you live or plan to hunt, it's the case that managing the region's collective deer herd for overall health and hunting opportunity is our wildlife agencies' primary goal -- and while that state of affairs is no different than it's ever been, more people seem more keenly aware of it than ever before.

If you don't believe that's significant, think again. Because hunters and landowners are more in tune with the professionals' tested methods for managing deer, the overall health of the Great Plains herd appears to be quite sound and continues to improve. Age structures, according to the biologists, are in at least decent shape.

Biologists know that when habitat adequate to sustain a given deer population so that it's healthy is available, reproduction in the herd becomes very efficient. No matter how healthy it is, a young doe will quite often bear only one fawn during its first breeding season, but in succeeding years, twins are frequently produced, and triplets aren't unheard of. Thus, even during good years, and even in places whose deer populations don't seem out of whack, hunters and managers have to pay attention to controlling numbers through antlerless harvest.

What follows is a state-by-state look at general prospects for the 2007 firearms season. Next month, we'll look at the prospects each state will offer for an encounter with the buck of a lifetime.

KANSAS
The Sunflower State's deer herd appears to be in excellent shape, according to big-game biologist Lloyd Fox of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. As the 2007 firearms season unfolds, hunters around Kansas should expect to find plenty of opportunities to fill a tag.

What follows is my take on Fox's comments, not his observation. But the data he provided suggest that Kansas is becoming more like the rest of the country when it comes to the overall hunting experience.

Consider this from Fox: "The deer population is increasing in recent years. Hunters are happier because they are seeing more deer, and hunting competition among hunters has stabilized.

"There were more opportunities to hunt deer in recent years than there were in the past. While competition among hunters for a place to hunt has increased and hunting pressure has caused deer to be more elusive than they were 10 to 15 years ago, hunters are adapting."

Sound familiar? Throughout the whitetail's current range in the U.S., many of the elements Fox just described already exist, and have for some time. That doesn't mean Kansas' reputation as a big-buck destination is diminishing; in fact, it has nothing to do with big bucks. What it does have to do with are the robust health throughout most of its range of Kansas' deer herd and the consequent highly promising prospects for those looking to fill their tags and put some venison in their freezers this season.

You won't find any significant regulation changes for 2007. Fox stated that the modern firearms season is expected to open on Nov. 28 and run through Dec. 9.

Tag availability for residents is open (no lottery); Fox speculated that about 53,000 permits will be sold. He reported that 10,626 non-resident tags (whitetail, either-sex) were available by drawing, and that 50 percent of them go to residents who may transfer them.

In the table accompanying this story, you'll see that deer management units nos. 2 and 17 are among Fox's top picks for hunters more interested in filling a tag than in filling out a trophy measurement form. He emphasized that both of these units encompass areas of Kansas with low deer densities. The bottom line, then, is simple: If you're able to find the deer and gain permission to hunt them, you'll stand an outstanding chance of filling your tag.

Fox pointed out that last winter was among the most severe in many decades throughout western Kansas, and that though winter mortality there was lower than might have been the case farther north in the Great Plains, it still challenged the deer herd in that part of the state. He also emphasized that vast regions of western Kansas might have overall deer densities of only a couple of deer per square mile. Out west, Kansas whitetails tend to bunch into large social groups. To be successful on what is one of the most challenging of Great Plains deer hunts, you'll have to invest the scouting time necessary to locate the herds.

NEBRASKA
If you ever wanted to go after deer in Nebraska, here's hoping you have a 2007 tag and are ready for the firearms season -- because information provided by state biologist Kit Hams makes it clear that, for Cornhusker deer hunters, these are the good ol' days.