Kansas Deer Management Unit 12: deer harvest, public land and walk-in access
Kansas's Deer Management Unit 12 covers 2,687 square miles across Chautauqua, Montgomery, Wilson, Elk, Greenwood and Cowley 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 17,689 acres of private walk-in land on 57 tracts. KDWP's harvest table shows 6,449 deer taken here in 2021: 3,355 white-tailed bucks, 3,094 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 12Wildlife areaNeighboring unitsLakeHighway
| Size | 1,719,682 acres (2,687 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Chautauqua, Montgomery, Wilson, Elk, Greenwood, Cowley, Woodson and Neosho |
| Public land | 2.1% (36,191 acres) |
| Walk-in land (WIHA, 2026-27) | 17,689 acres on 57 tracts (1% of the unit) |
| Deer harvested, 2021 | 6,449 (3,355 bucks) |
| Nonresident whitetail permits, 2026 | 2,303 (increased by 110 from 2,193 in 2025) |
| Wildlife areas with a page | Elk City Wildlife Area, Fall River Wildlife Area, Toronto Wildlife Area, Woodson State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area and Copan Wildlife Area |
| Towns in it | Coffeyville, Independence, Yates Center, Fredonia, Dearing and Neodesha |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 12?
KDWP's table counts 6,449 deer in 2021, up 10% from 5,876 in 2017. White-tailed deer were 100% of the 2021 harvest, and nonresident hunters took 2,194 of the 6,449 deer (34%).
| Year | Total deer | White-tailed bucks | Antlerless whitetails | Mule deer bucks | Antlerless mule deer | Taken by residents | Taken by nonresidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,449 | 3,355 | 3,094 | 0 | 0 | 4,255 | 2,194 |
| 2020 | 6,422 | 3,180 | 3,242 | 0 | 0 | 4,182 | 2,240 |
| 2019 | 6,130 | 3,043 | 3,087 | 0 | 0 | 3,605 | 2,525 |
| 2018 | 9,696 | 2,914 | 6,782 | 0 | 0 | 6,848 | 2,848 |
| 2017 | 5,876 | 3,156 | 2,720 | 0 | 0 | 3,821 | 2,055 |
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 12?
2.1% of the unit is public land: 36,191 of its 1,719,682 acres, led by KDWP land at 35,816 acres. Wildlife areas with a page of their own: Elk City Wildlife Area, Fall River Wildlife Area, Toronto Wildlife Area, Woodson State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area, Copan Wildlife Area, Buffalo Ranch Wildlife Area, Duck Creek Wildlife Area and Dove Flats Wildlife Area. KDWP's map shows 9 wildlife areas in the unit in all.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 35,816 | 2.1% |
| State park or recreation area (not counted as hunting land) | 3,124 | 0.2% |
| Other public (not counted as hunting land) | 480 | under 0.1% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 375 | 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 12?
KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access layer maps 17,689 acres on 57 tracts inside the unit, 1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua County | 100% | 7,394 | 22 |
| Montgomery County | 88.5% | 1,427 | 7 |
| Wilson County | 82% | 80 | 1 |
| Elk County | 61.8% | 12,207 | 35 |
| Greenwood County | 20.8% | 2,520 | 7 |
| Cowley County | 19.8% | 1,320 | 4 |
| Woodson County | 20.9% | 753 | 2 |
| Neosho County | 3.9% | 6,585 | 32 |
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 12 in 2026?
The statewide seasons apply here, plus an extended firearm season for antlerless whitetails, Jan. 1-24, 2027. Up to ten Whitetail Antlerless-only permits can be used here: the first anywhere in the unit (public land and walk-in included), permits 2 to 10 only on private land with permission, walk-in areas, 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 12) | Jan. 1-24, 2027 |
| Extended pre-rut whitetail antlerless firearm (Unit 12 only) | Oct. 13-18, 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 12 get?
KDWP authorized 2,303 nonresident whitetail either-sex permits for Unit 12 in 2026 (increased by 110 from 2,193 in 2025). 3,978 hunters picked the unit as their first choice, and 881 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 | 2,303 | 3,978 | 3,119 | 881 | 1,316 |
| 2025 | 2,193 | 3,506 | 3,063 | 1,110 | 1,032 |
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 12?
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 12?
Unit 12 touches 3 other units. Their public land, walk-in acres and 2021 harvest, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | WIHA acres | Deer harvested, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 11 | 1.5% | 25,147 | 15,611 |
| Unit 13 | 0.9% | 222 | 1,603 |
| Unit 14 | 1% | 45,762 | 10,232 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Kansas deer Unit 12?
36,191 acres, 2.1% of the unit, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps; the largest share is KDWP land (35,816 acres). KDWP's walk-in program adds 17,689 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting in 2026-27.
How many deer were harvested in Unit 12 in the latest year on record?
6,449 in 2021, KDWP's latest year by unit: 3,355 white-tailed bucks, 3,094 antlerless whitetails, 0 mule deer bucks and 0 antlerless mule deer.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Kansas Unit 12?
Yes, with a permit drawn in April. KDWP set 2,303 nonresident whitetail permits for Unit 12 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 12?
Chautauqua, Montgomery, Wilson, Elk, Greenwood, Cowley, Woodson and Neosho. 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 11 Unit 13 Unit 14