Barton County walk-in hunting (WIHA): Kansas 2026-27 tracts, acres and map
Barton County has 9 Walk-In Hunting Access tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, 974 acres in all, 0.2% of the county's land. That ranks 87th of Kansas's 105 counties for WIHA acres. Most tracts are open Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 (7 tracts).
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 landWalk-in (WIHA)Barton CountyWildlife areaLakeHighway
| WIHA tracts, 2026-27 | 9 |
|---|---|
| WIHA acres | 974 (0.2% of the county) |
| Largest tracts | 237, 160, 100, 80, 80 acres |
| Public land | 19,159 acres (3.3%) |
| Deer units | Unit 5 and Unit 4 |
| KDWP region | Region 4 |
| Towns | Great Bend, Ellinwood, Hoisington, Galatia, Claflin and Pawnee Rock |
When are Barton 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. Barton County's 9 tracts by lease period:
| Lease period | Tracts | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | 7 | 660 |
| Sept. 1 to May 31 | 2 | 314 |
None of the county's tracts is marked archery and shotshell only. 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 Barton County, by number of tracts: pheasant 8, quail 6, deer 3 and dove 3. 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 Barton County?
The 9 largest tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, each placed by the nearest town:
| Acres | Where | Deer unit | Lease period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 237 | 7 mi northeast of Great Bend | Unit 5 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, quail, dove |
| 160 | 2 mi east of Galatia | Unit 4 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: pheasant, quail, dove |
| 100 | 6 mi northwest of Great Bend | Unit 5 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: deer, pheasant, quail, dove |
| 80 | 2 mi northeast of Albert | Unit 5 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: pheasant |
| 80 | 1 mi south of Albert | Unit 5 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: pheasant, quail |
| 80 | 3 mi south of Ellinwood | Unit 5 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: deer, pheasant, quail |
| 80 | 2 mi north of Albert | Unit 5 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: pheasant |
| 80 | 2 mi southeast of Albert | Unit 5 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: pheasant |
| 77 | 5 mi south of Hoisington | Unit 5 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: pheasant, quail |
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 Barton County?
USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps show 19,159 acres of public land in the county, 3.3% of it. The walk-in tracts cover less ground: 974 acres. Wildlife areas with a page: Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (18,948 acres here).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 19,159 | 3.3% |
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 Barton County?
Barton County is split between 2 deer units. 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 5 | 61.3% | 3,096 (2021) | 25,072 |
| Unit 4 | 38.7% | 2,752 (2021) | 29,342 |
How does Barton County compare with the counties around it?
Walk-in acres and public land in the 6 counties that touch Barton County, most walk-in land first:
| County | WIHA acres | WIHA tracts | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rush County | 19,674 | 95 | 0% |
| Russell County | 15,514 | 59 | 2.4% |
| Pawnee County | 5,594 | 23 | 0% |
| Ellsworth County | 3,679 | 20 | 3.9% |
| Stafford County | 1,983 | 13 | 4.1% |
| Rice County | 0 | 0 | 0.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many walk-in hunting acres are in Barton County, Kansas?
974 acres on 9 tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access map, 0.2% of the county.
Can you deer hunt on WIHA in Barton County?
Yes, during each tract's lease period and the deer seasons, with the permit for the deer unit the tract is in (Unit 5 and Unit 4). WIHA tracts take walk-in hunters only; trapping is not part of the program.
Is there public land in Barton County?
19,159 acres, 3.3% of the county, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps, mostly KDWP land. Wildlife areas here: Cheyenne Bottoms 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.