Atchison County walk-in hunting (WIHA): Kansas 2026-27 tracts, acres and map
Atchison County has 13 Walk-In Hunting Access tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, 3,886 acres in all, 1.4% of the county's land. That ranks 61st of Kansas's 105 counties for WIHA acres. Most tracts are open Sept. 1 to May 31 (10 tracts). 1 tract is archery and shotshell only.
Data updated October 2026. Walk-in: KDWP's Walk-In Hunting Access layer for 2026-27. Land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 and agency area maps.
KDWP landOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Atchison CountyWildlife areaLakeHighway
| WIHA tracts, 2026-27 | 13 |
|---|---|
| WIHA acres | 3,886 (1.4% of the county) |
| Largest tracts | 960, 585, 536, 320, 292 acres |
| Public land | 3,836 acres (1.4%) |
| Deer units | Unit 10 |
| KDWP region | Region 2 |
| Towns | Atchison, Effingham, Muscotah, Lancaster and Huron |
When are Atchison County's walk-in tracts open?
Each WIHA tract is open to the public only during its lease period, shown on the sign at the tract and in KDWP's atlas. Atchison County's 13 tracts by lease period:
| Lease period | Tracts | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 to May 31 | 10 | 3,065 |
| Nov. 1 to May 31 | 2 | 285 |
| Sept. 1 to March 31 | 1 | 536 |
1 tract (160 acres) is marked archery and shotshell only, so no rifle or slug hunting there. Tracts open until May 31 or March 31 cover the spring turkey season or late winter; tracts that close Jan. 31 do not.
Lease periods and the archery/shotshell mark: KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts (KDWP's legend codes, read against its 2026 contract list).
What does KDWP list on the tracts?
Species named in KDWP's tract records for Atchison County, by number of tracts: turkey 7, quail 5, deer 4, pheasant 3, geese 3, furbearers 3 and dove 2. A tract with no species named is still open to all hunting in season during its lease period.
Where are the biggest walk-in tracts in Atchison County?
The 12 largest tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, each placed by the nearest town:
| Acres | Where | Deer unit | Lease period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 960 | 7 mi northeast of Lancaster | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer |
| 585 | 2 mi northwest of Lancaster | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: geese |
| 536 | 2 mi west of Lancaster | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to March 31 | Species listed: geese |
| 320 | 3 mi east of Horton | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: quail, geese |
| 292 | 5 mi north of Atchison | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: furbearers |
| 188 | 3 mi northwest of Muscotah | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: furbearers |
| 160 | 6 mi north of Valley Falls | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: turkey, quail, dove |
| 160 | 6 mi north of Valley Falls | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, turkey, pheasant, quail |
| 160 | 7 mi southwest of Effingham | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, pheasant, quail |
| 160 | 7 mi north of Valley Falls | Unit 10 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: turkey, dove, furbearers |
| 145 | 2 mi southwest of Horton | Unit 10 | Nov. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: turkey |
| 140 | 2 mi south of Horton | Unit 10 | Nov. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: turkey |
Tracts: KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts; towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places. Use KDWP's Hunting Atlas or the Go Outdoors Kansas app to find each tract's signs and parking.
What public land is in Atchison County?
USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps show 3,836 acres of public land in the county, 1.4% of it. The walk-in tracts cover more ground: 3,886 acres. Wildlife areas with a page: Benedictine Bottoms Wildlife Area (2,012 acres here), Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area (1,610 acres here) and Atchison State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (204 acres here).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 3,836 | 1.4% |
| Other public (not counted as hunting land) | 39 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the Census county line 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.
Which deer units cover Atchison County?
All of Atchison County is in Unit 10. A deer hunter on a walk-in tract needs a permit valid in the unit the tract lies in.
| Deer unit | Share of the county | Deer harvested (whole unit) | WIHA acres (whole unit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 10 | 100% | 6,706 (2021) | 20,500 |
How does Atchison County compare with the counties around it?
Walk-in acres and public land in the 5 counties that touch Atchison County, most walk-in land first:
| County | WIHA acres | WIHA tracts | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 7,133 | 41 | 0% |
| Doniphan County | 6,155 | 35 | 0.5% |
| Jackson County | 3,997 | 23 | 0.1% |
| Leavenworth County | 1,481 | 8 | 0.3% |
| Jefferson County | 1,462 | 12 | 8.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many walk-in hunting acres are in Atchison County, Kansas?
3,886 acres on 13 tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access map, 1.4% of the county.
Can you deer hunt on WIHA in Atchison County?
Yes, during each tract's lease period and the deer seasons, with the permit for the deer unit the tract is in (Unit 10). 1 tract is archery and shotshell only. WIHA tracts take walk-in hunters only; trapping is not part of the program.
Is there public land in Atchison County?
3,836 acres, 1.4% of the county, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps, mostly KDWP land. Wildlife areas here: Benedictine Bottoms Wildlife Area, Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area and Atchison State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area.
Walk-in rules to know
- No access outside a tract's lease period; stay inside the tract's signed boundary.
- Walk-in only: park where it does not block roads, gates or driveways.
- No baiting, trail cameras or commercial guiding; trapping is not part of WIHA.
- iWIHA tracts need check-in and check-out in the Go Outdoors Kansas app.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 56 and page 7.
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Where these numbers come from
- Walk-in tracts: KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts.
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1. County line: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic boundary counties.
- Deer unit harvest: KDWP deer harvest by unit (2017 to 2021).
FilledTag is not part of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Tracts change every season; the sign on the tract is the final word.