Eligible nonprofit organizations have until December 26
to enter the drawing
TOPEKA – Kansas-based chapters of nonprofit organizations focused on wildlife conservation or promoting hunting and fishing have a special fundraising opportunity thanks to the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission. Through the Commission’s Big Game Permit program, administered by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), eligible organizations can enter a random drawing for one of seven special big game hunting permits, which may then be sold to raise money funds for conservation projects. Applications are due by December 26, 2025.
Each year, the program offers up to seven Commission Big Game permits (no more than one elk and one antelope, and up to seven deer permits), depending on the applicants’ preferences. Deer permits are either-species/either-sex and are valid statewide during any season with the legal equipment for that season; and they do not count against other big game permits the license holder may obtain.
To apply:
- Visit https://ksoutdoors.gov/KDWP-
Info/Commission/Commission- Big-Game-Permits. - Download the 2026 Commission Big Game Permit Application and review the guidelines.
- Return the completed application by mail or email to the addresses listed on the application.
“Organizations that win a Commission Big Game Permit typically raffle or auction it, which does two important things,” said Sarah Navarro, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ chief of licensing. “It helps them raise funds for its mission, and it generates dedicated dollars for a mutually agreed-upon conservation project that KDWP and the organization approve together.”
Winning organizations keep 15 percent of their sale price of the Commission Big Game Permit to support their missions. The remaining 85 percent is held by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks until a mutually agreed-upon conservation project is approved. (If Kansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry is drawn, they may keep 85 percent of their sale price in order to offset donated deer processing fees.) Organizations may not win a Commission Big Game Permit more than once in a three-year period.
The 2025 winners were Ducks Unlimited Wyandotte Chapter, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Kansas Chapter, Kansas Bowhunters Association, Ducks Unlimited Kansas University Chapters, Pheasants Forever Southwest Kansas Ringnecks Chapter, Pheasants Forever Osborne Chapter, and National Wild Turkey Foundation Salty Spurs Chapter.
For more information about the Commission Big Game Permits, contact Sarah Navarro, KDWP Chief of Licensing, at [email protected] .
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The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of Kansas’s natural resources for the benefit of both current and future generations. KDWP manages 29 state parks, 177 lakes and wildlife areas, more than 300 public waterbodies, and 5 nature centers. Other services include management of threatened, endangered, and at-risk species, law enforcement, and wildlife habitat programs. For more information about KDWP, visit ksoutdoors.gov.
The seven-member, bi-partisan Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission serves in an advisory capacity in formulating policies and plans for KDWP. The commission facilitates public hearings on rules and regulations proposed by the Secretary of KDWP, ultimately voting to approve, modify, or reject those proposed rules and regulations.
