Bourbon County walk-in hunting (WIHA): Kansas 2026-27 tracts, acres and map
Bourbon County has 15 Walk-In Hunting Access tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, 2,433 acres in all, 0.6% of the county's land. That ranks 70th of Kansas's 105 counties for WIHA acres. All 15 are open Sept. 1 to May 31. 10 tracts are 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)Bourbon CountyWildlife areaLakeHighway
| WIHA tracts, 2026-27 | 15 |
|---|---|
| WIHA acres | 2,433 (0.6% of the county) |
| Largest tracts | 460, 324, 210, 205, 200 acres |
| Public land | 2,768 acres (0.7%) |
| Deer units | Unit 11 |
| KDWP region | Region 3 |
| Towns | Fort Scott, Mapleton, Bronson, Uniontown, Fulton and Redfield |
When are Bourbon 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. Bourbon County's 15 tracts by lease period:
| Lease period | Tracts | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 to May 31 | 15 | 2,433 |
10 tracts (1,540 acres) are 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 Bourbon County, by number of tracts: deer 4, dove 2, turkey 2, quail 2, waterfowl 2 and geese 1. 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 Bourbon County?
The 12 largest tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, each placed by the nearest town:
| Acres | Where | Deer unit | Lease period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 460 | 3 mi northeast of Fort Scott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, turkey, waterfowl |
| 324 | 2 mi northeast of Fort Scott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only |
| 211 | 5 mi southwest of Fort Scott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer |
| 205 | 7 mi south of Blue Mound | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 200 | 2 mi west of Fort Scott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, quail, dove |
| 165 | 2 mi south of Prescott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 165 | 4 mi northeast of Fort Scott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 160 | 7 mi south of Fulton | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: quail, dove, waterfowl, geese |
| 149 | 3 mi southwest of Fort Scott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only |
| 116 | 4 mi southwest of Fort Scott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer |
| 100 | 5 mi southwest of Fort Scott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only |
| 69 | 4 mi southwest of Fort Scott | Unit 11 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only |
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 Bourbon County?
USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps show 2,768 acres of public land in the county, 0.7% of it. The walk-in tracts cover less ground: 2,433 acres. Wildlife areas with a page: Hollister Wildlife Area (2,408 acres here) and Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (248 acres here).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 2,768 | 0.7% |
| Other public (not counted as hunting land) | 141 | 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 Bourbon County?
All of Bourbon County is in Unit 11. 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 11 | 100% | 15,611 (2021) | 25,147 |
How does Bourbon County compare with the counties around it?
Walk-in acres and public land in the 5 counties that touch Bourbon County, most walk-in land first:
| County | WIHA acres | WIHA tracts | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neosho County | 6,585 | 32 | 0.9% |
| Anderson County | 2,664 | 15 | 0% |
| Linn County | 1,907 | 8 | 4.2% |
| Allen County | 1,535 | 7 | 0% |
| Crawford County | 1,189 | 6 | 0.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many walk-in hunting acres are in Bourbon County, Kansas?
2,433 acres on 15 tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access map, 0.6% of the county.
Can you deer hunt on WIHA in Bourbon County?
Yes, during each tract's lease period and the deer seasons, with the permit for the deer unit the tract is in (Unit 11). 10 tracts are archery and shotshell only. WIHA tracts take walk-in hunters only; trapping is not part of the program.
Is there public land in Bourbon County?
2,768 acres, 0.7% of the county, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps, mostly KDWP land. Wildlife areas here: Hollister Wildlife Area and Bourbon 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.
Get a Kansas hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Kansas are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Kansas included.
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.