Kankakee Sands: hunting and access
Kankakee Sands is 6,734 acres open to public hunting in Newton County, 3 miles from Lake Village, managed by the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves. Hunters took 1,166 deer in Newton County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's DNR property open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Indiana DNR deer reports, 2021 to 2025.
Properties open to public hunting (DNR map)Other DNR landLand trusts and other open landKankakee SandsCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 6,734 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Newton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Newton County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Waterfowl, Turkey, Quail, Pheasant, Dove and Deer |
| Managed by | the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves |
| DNR contact | Willow Slough FWA 219-285-2704 |
| Hunter check-in (DNR) | Required: Check-in at Willow Slough FWA |
| Nearest towns | Lake Village (3 mi), Sumava Resorts (5 mi) and Morocco (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Kankakee Sands?
In the DNR's words: Waterfowl, turkey, quail, pheasant,dove, deer.
What are the rules on Kankakee Sands?
Part of the property is marked restricted access on the DNR's map.
Hunters must check in at the property; the DNR's property page says how.
Indiana's statewide bag limit is 1 antlered and 6 antlerless deer, within each county's antlerless limit (DNR).
How many deer are taken around Kankakee Sands?
Kankakee Sands lies in Newton County. Hunters took 1,166 deer in Newton County in 2025, against 1,144 in 2024.
| County | Kankakee Sands acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton County | 6,734 | 1,166 | 1,144 | 945 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the property alone: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4).
How do you get to Kankakee Sands?
Nearest towns: Lake Village (3 miles), Sumava Resorts (5 miles), Morocco (6 miles) and Schneider (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 41.
What other public land is near Kankakee Sands?
Properties open to public hunting within 10 miles:
- Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area: 9,923 acres, next to it
- Conrad Savanna: 447 acres, 0.5 miles away
- LaSalle Fish and Wildlife Area: 4,550 acres, 3.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Kankakee Sands
Counting Kankakee Sands itself, 14,624 of the 60,818 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (24%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Properties open to public hunting (DNR map) | 12,252 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,528 |
| Other DNR land | 844 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Kankakee Sands?
In Newton County, 3 miles from Lake Village.
What can you hunt on Kankakee Sands?
The DNR lists: Waterfowl, turkey, quail, pheasant,dove, deer.
How much public land is around Kankakee Sands?
14,624 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Kankakee Sands included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. The closest other public hunting property is Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area (next to it).
Get a Indiana hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Indiana are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Indiana included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: Indiana DNR properties with public hunting (managed lands layer).
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
- Deer harvest: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4).
FilledTag is not part of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.