Kansas Deer Management Unit 15: deer harvest, public land and walk-in access
Kansas's Deer Management Unit 15 covers 5,163 square miles across Sedgwick, Kingman, Reno, Sumner and Butler counties. 0.3% 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 6,628 acres of private walk-in land on 50 tracts. KDWP's harvest table shows 6,569 deer taken here in 2021: 3,314 white-tailed bucks, 3,255 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 landNational wildlife refuge or WPABureau of ReclamationOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Unit 15Wildlife areaNeighboring unitsLakeHighway
| Size | 3,304,224 acres (5,163 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Sedgwick, Kingman, Reno, Sumner, Butler, Harper, Pratt and Harvey and 3 more |
| Public land | 0.3% (11,489 acres) |
| Walk-in land (WIHA, 2026-27) | 6,628 acres on 50 tracts (0.2% of the unit) |
| Deer harvested, 2021 | 6,569 (3,314 bucks) |
| Nonresident whitetail permits, 2026 | 1,705 (increased by 47 from 1,658 in 2025) |
| Wildlife areas with a page | Cheney Wildlife Area, Byron Walker Wildlife Area and Isabel Wildlife Area |
| Towns in it | Wichita, Derby, Andover, Park City, Maize and El Dorado |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 15?
KDWP's table counts 6,569 deer in 2021, down 1% from 6,659 in 2017. White-tailed deer were 100% of the 2021 harvest, and nonresident hunters took 1,210 of the 6,569 deer (18.4%).
| Year | Total deer | White-tailed bucks | Antlerless whitetails | Mule deer bucks | Antlerless mule deer | Taken by residents | Taken by nonresidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,569 | 3,314 | 3,255 | 0 | 0 | 5,359 | 1,210 |
| 2020 | 6,609 | 3,188 | 3,412 | 9 | 0 | 5,505 | 1,104 |
| 2019 | 6,222 | 3,071 | 3,151 | 0 | 0 | 4,721 | 1,501 |
| 2018 | 7,306 | 3,077 | 4,229 | 0 | 0 | 5,848 | 1,458 |
| 2017 | 6,659 | 2,963 | 3,696 | 0 | 0 | 5,476 | 1,183 |
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 15?
0.3% of the unit is public land: 11,489 of its 3,304,224 acres, led by KDWP land at 10,577 acres. Wildlife areas with a page of their own: Cheney Wildlife Area, Byron Walker Wildlife Area and Isabel Wildlife Area. KDWP's map shows 4 wildlife areas in the unit in all.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 10,577 | 0.3% |
| Other public (not counted as hunting land) | 1,476 | under 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 901 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge or WPA | 11 | 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 15?
KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access layer maps 6,628 acres on 50 tracts inside the unit, 0.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedgwick County | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Kingman County | 89.1% | 1,554 | 13 |
| Reno County | 60.4% | 4,960 | 39 |
| Sumner County | 62.2% | 316 | 3 |
| Butler County | 40.9% | 3,790 | 7 |
| Harper County | 44.3% | 1,186 | 4 |
| Pratt County | 46.6% | 6,131 | 14 |
| Harvey County | 56.3% | 467 | 2 |
| Stafford County | 17.1% | 1,983 | 13 |
| Marion County | 10.7% | 0 | 0 |
| Cowley County | 3.9% | 1,320 | 4 |
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 15 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 15) | Jan. 1-24, 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 15 get?
KDWP authorized 1,705 nonresident whitetail either-sex permits for Unit 15 in 2026 (increased by 47 from 1,658 in 2025). 2,580 hunters picked the unit as their first choice, and 907 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 | 1,705 | 2,580 | 2,112 | 907 | 723 |
| 2025 | 1,658 | 2,357 | 1,843 | 1,121 | 497 |
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 15?
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 15?
Unit 15 touches 5 other units. Their public land, walk-in acres and 2021 harvest, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | WIHA acres | Deer harvested, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 5 | 1.9% | 25,072 | 3,096 |
| Unit 6 | 0.7% | 5,644 | 2,888 |
| Unit 13 | 0.9% | 222 | 1,603 |
| Unit 14 | 1% | 45,762 | 10,232 |
| Unit 16 | 0.3% | 24,639 | 3,218 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Kansas deer Unit 15?
11,489 acres, 0.3% of the unit, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps; the largest share is KDWP land (10,577 acres). KDWP's walk-in program adds 6,628 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting in 2026-27.
How many deer were harvested in Unit 15 in the latest year on record?
6,569 in 2021, KDWP's latest year by unit: 3,314 white-tailed bucks, 3,255 antlerless whitetails, 0 mule deer bucks and 0 antlerless mule deer.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Kansas Unit 15?
Yes, with a permit drawn in April. KDWP set 1,705 nonresident whitetail permits for Unit 15 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 15?
Sedgwick, Kingman, Reno, Sumner, Butler, Harper, Pratt, Harvey, Stafford, Marion and Cowley. 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.
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