Clay County walk-in hunting (WIHA): Kansas 2026-27 tracts, acres and map
Clay County has 33 Walk-In Hunting Access tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, 6,338 acres in all, 1.5% of the county's land. That ranks 46th of Kansas's 105 counties for WIHA acres. Most tracts are open Sept. 1 to May 31 (17 tracts). 6 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 landArmy Corps of EngineersWalk-in (WIHA)Clay CountyWildlife areaLakeHighway
| WIHA tracts, 2026-27 | 33 |
|---|---|
| WIHA acres | 6,338 (1.5% of the county) |
| Largest tracts | 498, 456, 403, 393, 321 acres |
| Public land | 14,159 acres (3.4%) |
| Deer units | Unit 8 |
| KDWP region | Region 1 |
| Towns | Clay Center, Wakefield, Morganville, Green, Longford and Oak Hill |
When are Clay 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. Clay County's 33 tracts by lease period:
| Lease period | Tracts | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 to May 31 | 17 | 3,024 |
| Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | 10 | 1,946 |
| Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | 4 | 1,016 |
| Nov. 1 to May 31 | 2 | 352 |
6 tracts (1,306 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 Clay County, by number of tracts: quail 15, pheasant 14, deer 13, turkey 9, prairie chicken 3, dove 2 and waterfowl 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 Clay County?
The 12 largest tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, each placed by the nearest town:
| Acres | Where | Deer unit | Lease period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 499 | 7 mi northeast of Oak Hill | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | |
| 456 | 5 mi east of Miltonvale | Unit 8 | Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: deer, pheasant, quail |
| 403 | 3 mi northeast of Oak Hill | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 393 | 7 mi east of Miltonvale | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, turkey, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken |
| 322 | 7 mi north of Oak Hill | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 303 | 4 mi southwest of Morganville | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | |
| 279 | 7 mi northwest of Green | Unit 8 | Nov. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, turkey, pheasant, quail |
| 240 | 6 mi north of Oak Hill | Unit 8 | Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: pheasant, quail, prairie chicken |
| 240 | 6 mi southwest of Wakefield | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 236 | 4 mi north of Oak Hill | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | |
| 230 | 4 mi southwest of Green | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, pheasant, quail, dove |
| 202 | 3 mi southwest of Vining | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, turkey, 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 Clay County?
USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps show 14,159 acres of public land in the county, 3.4% of it. The walk-in tracts cover less ground: 6,338 acres. Wildlife areas with a page: Milford Wildlife Area (14,076 acres here).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 13,531 | 3.2% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 628 | 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 Clay County?
All of Clay County is in Unit 8. 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 8 | 100% | 4,585 (2021) | 46,695 |
How does Clay County compare with the counties around it?
Walk-in acres and public land in the 6 counties that touch Clay County, most walk-in land first:
| County | WIHA acres | WIHA tracts | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 15,647 | 82 | 0.1% |
| Cloud County | 11,539 | 56 | 0.7% |
| Dickinson County | 8,263 | 38 | 0.3% |
| Ottawa County | 6,226 | 34 | 0.1% |
| Geary County | 1,351 | 4 | 5.8% |
| Riley County | 817 | 8 | 2.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many walk-in hunting acres are in Clay County, Kansas?
6,338 acres on 33 tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access map, 1.5% of the county.
Can you deer hunt on WIHA in Clay County?
Yes, during each tract's lease period and the deer seasons, with the permit for the deer unit the tract is in (Unit 8). 6 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 Clay County?
14,159 acres, 3.4% of the county, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps, mostly KDWP land. Wildlife areas here: Milford 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.