Photos: Chasing Velvet Bucks in Kansas

If you're not a bowhunter, the odds of adding a velvet buck to your trophy collection aren't great. In most states, it's essentially impossible. Kansas is not one of those states. With an early muzzleloader season—beginning as early as the second week of September—those of us who aren't archers are given a rare opportunity to set our sights on bucks that still have a little something extra on their antlers. Even then, though, it's not a sure thing—a lot of bucks are already going hard horn as August wanes. So with high hopes and tempered expectations, I journeyed to eastern Kansas to join Federal Premium for a little warm-weather deer hunting. Check out the gallery embedded above to get a look at how I fared.