Kansas Deer Management Unit 1: deer harvest, public land and walk-in access
Kansas's Deer Management Unit 1 covers 6,321 square miles across Rawlins, Cheyenne, Sheridan, Decatur, Thomas and Sherman counties. 0.2% of it is public land by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps, mostly KDWP land, and KDWP's 2026-27 WIHA map adds 170,924 acres of private walk-in land on 453 tracts. KDWP's harvest table shows 1,830 deer taken here in 2021: 775 white-tailed bucks, 384 antlerless whitetails, 632 mule deer bucks and 39 antlerless mule deer.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: KDWP's table by unit, 2017 to 2021. Seasons: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary. Land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 and agency area maps. Walk-in: KDWP, 2026-27.
KDWP landState park or recreation areaOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Unit 1Wildlife areaNeighboring unitsLakeHighway
| Size | 4,045,402 acres (6,321 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Rawlins, Cheyenne, Sheridan, Decatur, Thomas, Sherman, Graham and Norton and 2 more |
| Public land | 0.2% (7,662 acres) |
| Walk-in land (WIHA, 2026-27) | 170,924 acres on 453 tracts (4.2% of the unit) |
| Deer harvested, 2021 | 1,830 (1,407 bucks) |
| Nonresident whitetail permits, 2026 | 389 (decreased by 62 from 451 in 2025) |
| Wildlife areas with a page | Norton Wildlife Area, South Fork Wildlife Area, St. Francis Wildlife Area, Sheridan Wildlife Area and Sheridan State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area |
| Towns in it | Goodland, Colby, Bird City, Oberlin, Norton and WaKeeney |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 1?
KDWP's table counts 1,830 deer in 2021, down 45% from 3,329 in 2017. White-tailed deer were 63.3% of the 2021 harvest, and nonresident hunters took 558 of the 1,830 deer (30.5%).
| Year | Total deer | White-tailed bucks | Antlerless whitetails | Mule deer bucks | Antlerless mule deer | Taken by residents | Taken by nonresidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,830 | 775 | 384 | 632 | 39 | 1,272 | 558 |
| 2020 | 2,451 | 859 | 647 | 826 | 119 | 1,732 | 719 |
| 2019 | 2,866 | 857 | 1,215 | 755 | 39 | 1,645 | 1,221 |
| 2018 | 2,815 | 1,016 | 951 | 728 | 120 | 2,049 | 766 |
| 2017 | 3,329 | 1,141 | 1,273 | 852 | 63 | 2,226 | 1,103 |
Source: KDWP deer harvest by unit (2017 to 2021). KDWP's newer harvest reports give statewide totals only, so 2021 is the latest year by unit. Antlerless means does and fawns, as KDWP's table counts them.
How much public land is in Unit 1?
0.2% of the unit is public land: 7,662 of its 4,045,402 acres, led by KDWP land at 7,662 acres. Wildlife areas with a page of their own: Norton Wildlife Area, South Fork Wildlife Area, St. Francis Wildlife Area, Sheridan Wildlife Area and Sheridan State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 7,662 | 0.2% |
| Other public (not counted as hunting land) | 908 | under 0.1% |
| State park or recreation area (not counted as hunting land) | 22 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside KDWP's unit boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee and designation lands with open or restricted public access) and KDWP wildlife areas; the water of the larger reservoirs is left out.
How much walk-in hunting land is in Unit 1?
KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access layer maps 170,924 acres on 453 tracts inside the unit, 4.2% of its ground. WIHA land is private land KDWP leases for walk-in hunting during the lease period on its sign. County totals for the counties the unit touches:
| County | Share of the county in this unit | WIHA acres in the county | WIHA tracts in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rawlins County | 100% | 37,681 | 96 |
| Cheyenne County | 100% | 45,054 | 82 |
| Sheridan County | 100% | 19,325 | 63 |
| Decatur County | 100% | 22,913 | 41 |
| Thomas County | 63% | 32,327 | 98 |
| Sherman County | 55% | 19,535 | 49 |
| Graham County | 55.8% | 29,209 | 111 |
| Norton County | 53.5% | 14,404 | 52 |
| Trego County | 12.6% | 23,735 | 93 |
| Gove County | 8.9% | 23,266 | 58 |
Walk-in acres inside the unit measured by FilledTag from KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts; county acres and tract counts are KDWP's own figures for each tract.
When is deer season in Unit 1 in 2026?
The statewide seasons apply here, with no extended January firearm season in this unit. Whitetail Antlerless-only permits are not valid in this unit. Unit 1 is one of the four units where a nonresident drawn for archery or muzzleloader can apply for a Mule Deer Stamp.
| Season, 2026-27 | Dates |
|---|---|
| Youth (17 and younger) and disabled | Sept. 5-13, 2026 |
| Muzzleloader | Sept. 14-27, 2026 |
| Archery | Sept. 14-Dec. 31, 2026 |
| Pre-rut whitetail antlerless firearm | Oct. 10-12, 2026 |
| Regular firearm | Dec. 2-13, 2026 |
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 30; Whitetail Antlerless-only permits, page 33.
How many nonresident deer permits does Unit 1 get?
KDWP authorized 389 nonresident whitetail either-sex permits for Unit 1 in 2026 (decreased by 62 from 451 in 2025). 748 hunters picked the unit as their first choice, and 53 permits went to applicants with no preference points. KDWP also issued 19 Mule Deer Stamps for the unit, from 164 first-choice applications.
| Draw | Permits | First-choice applications | Second choice | Permits to 0-point applicants | Permits to 1-point applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 389 | 748 | 318 | 53 | 296 |
| 2025 | 451 | 916 | 410 | 119 | 300 |
Source: KDWP deer quotas and draw statistics. Nonresident permits are drawn for one unit plus one adjacent unit (KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 32). Residents buy whitetail permits over the counter; resident either-species firearm permits are drawn by zone.
Is there elk or pronghorn hunting in Unit 1?
KDWP's elk unit map overlaps it: elk unit 3. No pronghorn unit overlaps it. Elk and pronghorn permits are for residents, except pronghorn archery permits, which nonresidents can buy too.
Units: KDWP elk units; KDWP pronghorn firearm units. Rules: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 36 to 38.
Which deer units border Unit 1?
Unit 1 touches 2 other units. Their public land, walk-in acres and 2021 harvest, for comparison:
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Kansas deer Unit 1?
7,662 acres, 0.2% of the unit, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps; the largest share is KDWP land (7,662 acres). KDWP's walk-in program adds 170,924 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting in 2026-27.
How many deer were harvested in Unit 1 in the latest year on record?
1,830 in 2021, KDWP's latest year by unit: 775 white-tailed bucks, 384 antlerless whitetails, 632 mule deer bucks and 39 antlerless mule deer.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Kansas Unit 1?
Yes, with a permit drawn in April. KDWP set 389 nonresident whitetail permits for Unit 1 in 2026; each is valid in the unit drawn and one adjacent unit. The application deadline is the last Friday in April.
Which counties are in Unit 1?
Rawlins, Cheyenne, Sheridan, Decatur, Thomas, Sherman, Graham, Norton, Trego and Gove. Walk-in land by county is on each county's WIHA page where one exists.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest: KDWP deer harvest by unit (2017 to 2021).
- Seasons, permits and rules: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary; KDWP deer quotas and draw statistics.
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1. Walk-in land: KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. Unit boundary: KDWP Deer Management Units.
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Numbers are copied from KDWP, the USGS and the Census Bureau, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.