Kansas Deer Management Unit 10: deer harvest, public land and walk-in access
Kansas's Deer Management Unit 10 covers 4,367 square miles across Jefferson, Brown, Douglas, Leavenworth, Atchison and Doniphan counties. 2.1% 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 20,500 acres of private walk-in land on 120 tracts. KDWP's harvest table shows 6,706 deer taken here in 2021: 4,367 white-tailed bucks, 2,339 antlerless whitetails.
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 landArmy Corps of EngineersState park or recreation areaOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Unit 10Wildlife areaNeighboring unitsLakeHighway
| Size | 2,794,990 acres (4,367 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Jefferson, Brown, Douglas, Leavenworth, Atchison, Doniphan, Johnson and Osage and 5 more |
| Public land | 2.1% (59,077 acres) |
| Walk-in land (WIHA, 2026-27) | 20,500 acres on 120 tracts (0.7% of the unit) |
| Deer harvested, 2021 | 6,706 (4,367 bucks) |
| Nonresident whitetail permits, 2026 | 1,304 (decreased by 35 from 1,339 in 2025) |
| Wildlife areas with a page | Perry Wildlife Area, Clinton Wildlife Area, Benedictine Bottoms Wildlife Area, Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area and Elwood Wildlife Area |
| Towns in it | Kansas City, Overland Park, Olathe, Topeka, Shawnee and Lawrence |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 10?
KDWP's table counts 6,706 deer in 2021, up 88% from 3,569 in 2017. White-tailed deer were 100% of the 2021 harvest, and nonresident hunters took 893 of the 6,706 deer (13.3%).
| Year | Total deer | White-tailed bucks | Antlerless whitetails | Mule deer bucks | Antlerless mule deer | Taken by residents | Taken by nonresidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,706 | 4,367 | 2,339 | 0 | 0 | 5,813 | 893 |
| 2020 | 6,983 | 4,454 | 2,529 | 0 | 0 | 6,274 | 709 |
| 2019 | 6,889 | 3,830 | 3,059 | 0 | 0 | 6,147 | 742 |
| 2018 | 4,258 | 2,432 | 1,826 | 0 | 0 | 3,511 | 747 |
| 2017 | 3,569 | 2,065 | 1,504 | 0 | 0 | 3,204 | 365 |
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 10?
2.1% of the unit is public land: 59,077 of its 2,794,990 acres, led by KDWP land at 44,135 acres. Wildlife areas with a page of their own: Perry Wildlife Area, Clinton Wildlife Area, Benedictine Bottoms Wildlife Area, Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area, Elwood Wildlife Area, Buck Creek Wildlife Area, Douglas State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area, Oak Mills Wildlife Area, Leavenworth State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area, Atchison State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area, Kansas River Wildlife Area (Topeka units), Brown State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area and Nebo State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area. KDWP's map shows 14 wildlife areas in the unit in all.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 44,135 | 1.6% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 14,942 | 0.5% |
| Other public (not counted as hunting land) | 2,704 | 0.1% |
| State park or recreation area (not counted as hunting land) | 182 | 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 10?
KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access layer maps 20,500 acres on 120 tracts inside the unit, 0.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 100% | 1,462 | 12 |
| Brown County | 92.1% | 7,133 | 41 |
| Douglas County | 100% | 49 | 1 |
| Leavenworth County | 100% | 1,481 | 8 |
| Atchison County | 100% | 3,886 | 13 |
| Doniphan County | 99.9% | 6,155 | 35 |
| Johnson County | 68.6% | 80 | 1 |
| Osage County | 40.3% | 3,274 | 16 |
| Jackson County | 38.5% | 3,997 | 23 |
| Franklin County | 43.2% | 0 | 0 |
| Shawnee County | 41% | 2,195 | 18 |
| Wyandotte County | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Miami County | 0.3% | 0 | 0 |
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 10 in 2026?
The statewide seasons apply here, plus an extended firearm season for antlerless whitetails, Jan. 1-17, 2027. Up to five Whitetail Antlerless-only permits can be used here: the first anywhere in the unit (public land and walk-in included), permits 2 to 5 only on private land with permission, walk-in areas, Fort Leavenworth (Unit 10A), and Elk City and Berentz-Dick wildlife areas.
| 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 |
| Extended firearm whitetail antlerless-only (Unit 10) | Jan. 1-17, 2027 |
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 10 get?
KDWP authorized 1,304 nonresident whitetail either-sex permits for Unit 10 in 2026 (decreased by 35 from 1,339 in 2025). 2,274 hunters picked the unit as their first choice, and 432 permits went to applicants with no preference points.
| Draw | Permits | First-choice applications | Second choice | Permits to 0-point applicants | Permits to 1-point applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,304 | 2,274 | 2,165 | 432 | 791 |
| 2025 | 1,339 | 2,084 | 1,731 | 644 | 637 |
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 10?
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 10?
Unit 10 touches 3 other units. Their public land, walk-in acres and 2021 harvest, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | WIHA acres | Deer harvested, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 9 | 1.7% | 42,406 | 3,581 |
| Unit 11 | 1.5% | 25,147 | 15,611 |
| Unit 14 | 1% | 45,762 | 10,232 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Kansas deer Unit 10?
59,077 acres, 2.1% of the unit, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps; the largest share is KDWP land (44,135 acres). KDWP's walk-in program adds 20,500 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting in 2026-27.
How many deer were harvested in Unit 10 in the latest year on record?
6,706 in 2021, KDWP's latest year by unit: 4,367 white-tailed bucks, 2,339 antlerless whitetails, 0 mule deer bucks and 0 antlerless mule deer.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Kansas Unit 10?
Yes, with a permit drawn in April. KDWP set 1,304 nonresident whitetail permits for Unit 10 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 10?
Jefferson, Brown, Douglas, Leavenworth, Atchison, Doniphan, Johnson, Osage, Jackson, Franklin, Shawnee, Wyandotte and Miami. 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.
Kansas hunting Walk-in hunting by county Unit 9 Unit 11 Unit 14