Lincoln County walk-in hunting (WIHA): Kansas 2026-27 tracts, acres and map
Lincoln County has 40 Walk-In Hunting Access tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, 13,004 acres in all, 2.8% of the county's land. That ranks 29th of Kansas's 105 counties for WIHA acres. Most tracts are open Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 (18 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)Lincoln CountyWildlife areaLakeHighway
| WIHA tracts, 2026-27 | 40 |
|---|---|
| WIHA acres | 13,004 (2.8% of the county) |
| Largest tracts | 2,500, 640, 640, 640, 560 acres |
| Public land | 957 acres (0.2%) |
| Deer units | Unit 7 and Unit 4 |
| KDWP region | Region 1 |
| Towns | Lincoln Center, Sylvan Grove, Barnard and Beverly |
When are Lincoln 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. Lincoln County's 40 tracts by lease period:
| Lease period | Tracts | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | 18 | 8,382 |
| Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | 16 | 2,542 |
| Sept. 1 to May 31 | 6 | 2,080 |
6 tracts (2,040 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 Lincoln County, by number of tracts: quail 33, pheasant 28, deer 25, prairie chicken 21, dove 17, turkey 6 and waterfowl 4. 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 Lincoln County?
The 12 largest tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, each placed by the nearest town:
| Acres | Where | Deer unit | Lease period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,500 | 4 mi northeast of Lincoln Center | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: deer, quail, prairie chicken, dove, waterfowl |
| 640 | 4 mi east of Lucas | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, dove |
| 640 | 7 mi west of Barnard | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: prairie chicken, dove, waterfowl |
| 640 | 4 mi east of Lucas | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: deer, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken |
| 560 | 9 mi southeast of Hunter | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: deer, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, dove |
| 560 | 7 mi southeast of Sylvan Grove | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken |
| 480 | 7 mi southeast of Sylvan Grove | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken |
| 480 | 9 mi southeast of Sylvan Grove | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, pheasant, quail |
| 480 | 9 mi northwest of Brookville | Unit 4 | Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: pheasant, quail |
| 480 | 5 mi northwest of Sylvan Grove | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, dove |
| 390 | 7 mi northeast of Lucas | Unit 7 | Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: pheasant, quail |
| 320 | 3 mi northwest of Sylvan Grove | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: deer, quail, prairie chicken, dove |
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 Lincoln County?
USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps show 957 acres of public land in the county, 0.2% of it. The walk-in tracts cover more ground: 13,004 acres. Wildlife areas with a page: Wilson Wildlife Area (231 acres here) and Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area (167 acres here).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Army Corps of Engineers | 560 | 0.1% |
| KDWP land | 397 | 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 Lincoln County?
Lincoln 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 7 | 99.6% | 4,641 (2021) | 65,866 |
| Unit 4 | 0.4% | 2,752 (2021) | 29,342 |
How does Lincoln County compare with the counties around it?
Walk-in acres and public land in the 6 counties that touch Lincoln County, most walk-in land first:
| County | WIHA acres | WIHA tracts | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osborne County | 20,866 | 82 | 0.6% |
| Russell County | 15,514 | 59 | 2.4% |
| Mitchell County | 9,924 | 50 | 2.9% |
| Saline County | 7,528 | 24 | 0% |
| Ottawa County | 6,226 | 34 | 0.1% |
| Ellsworth County | 3,679 | 20 | 3.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many walk-in hunting acres are in Lincoln County, Kansas?
13,004 acres on 40 tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access map, 2.8% of the county.
Can you deer hunt on WIHA in Lincoln County?
Yes, during each tract's lease period and the deer seasons, with the permit for the deer unit the tract is in (Unit 7 and Unit 4). 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 Lincoln County?
957 acres, 0.2% of the county, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps, mostly Army Corps of Engineers. Wildlife areas here: Wilson Wildlife Area and Gurley Salt Marsh 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.