![](https://i0.wp.com/kofo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/kofonews.png?fit=432%2C288&ssl=1)
Buffalo and bison may not be as abundant as they once were, but can they still be hunted in the Sunflower State? The short answer is yes… but. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks website does not mention bison for the state’s big game hunting season, the animals are considered livestock, not a game species. Bison can often be found in private herds around the state, such as at the Flint Hills Bison Company in the Manhattan area. There are no wild bison in Kansas, so all bison are privately owned, as private herds. Any hunting would take place on private property.
One place offering private hunting is in Lyndon, Kansas. Trophy Outfitters stocks big game, like elk, whitetail deer and rams. However, owner John Isch says they don’t stock Bison anymore, as they are difficult to manage and have little fear of people. He got rid of his last bison early in 2024.
Bison have special significance in Kansas as they were made the state animal in 1955 and named the National Mammal of the U. S. in 2016. Once numbering in the millions in the plains, hunters shot them to near extinction in the late 1800’s; however, through conservation efforts, they are no longer threatened with extinction.