Ottawa County walk-in hunting (WIHA): Kansas 2026-27 tracts, acres and map
Ottawa County has 34 Walk-In Hunting Access tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, 6,226 acres in all, 1.3% of the county's land. That ranks 49th of Kansas's 105 counties for WIHA acres. Most tracts are open Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 (16 tracts). 4 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)Ottawa CountyWildlife areaLakeHighway
| WIHA tracts, 2026-27 | 34 |
|---|---|
| WIHA acres | 6,226 (1.3% of the county) |
| Largest tracts | 471, 397, 326, 323, 321 acres |
| Public land | 679 acres (0.1%) |
| Deer units | Unit 8 and Unit 7 |
| KDWP region | Region 1 |
| Towns | Minneapolis, Delphos, Bennington, Tescott and Culver |
When are Ottawa 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. Ottawa County's 34 tracts by lease period:
| Lease period | Tracts | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | 16 | 3,270 |
| Sept. 1 to May 31 | 15 | 2,516 |
| Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | 3 | 440 |
4 tracts (942 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 Ottawa County, by number of tracts: quail 15, dove 13, prairie chicken 12, deer 10, waterfowl 8, pheasant 8, furbearers 2 and turkey 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 Ottawa County?
The 12 largest tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, each placed by the nearest town:
| Acres | Where | Deer unit | Lease period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 471 | 6 mi southwest of Glasco | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: pheasant, quail, prairie chicken |
| 397 | 4 mi northeast of Tescott | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | |
| 326 | 5 mi northeast of Bennington | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 324 | 8 mi west of Oak Hill | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 322 | 3 mi northeast of Bennington | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, dove, waterfowl |
| 322 | 3 mi northeast of Bennington | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, dove, waterfowl |
| 321 | 2 mi southwest of Oak Hill | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | |
| 320 | 3 mi southeast of Delphos | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, dove, furbearers |
| 316 | 5 mi southwest of Delphos | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 200 | 9 mi southwest of Miltonvale | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: deer, quail, dove, waterfowl |
| 171 | 8 mi southwest of Delphos | Unit 7 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | |
| 169 | 2 mi west of Oak Hill | Unit 8 | Sept. 1 to May 31 |
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 Ottawa County?
USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps show 679 acres of public land in the county, 0.1% of it. The walk-in tracts cover more ground: 6,226 acres. Wildlife areas with a page: Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (662 acres here).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 679 | 0.1% |
| Other public (not counted as hunting land) | 55 | 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 Ottawa County?
Ottawa 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 8 | 51.4% | 4,585 (2021) | 46,695 |
| Unit 7 | 48.6% | 4,641 (2021) | 65,866 |
How does Ottawa County compare with the counties around it?
Walk-in acres and public land in the 6 counties that touch Ottawa County, most walk-in land first:
| County | WIHA acres | WIHA tracts | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 13,004 | 40 | 0.2% |
| Cloud County | 11,539 | 56 | 0.7% |
| Mitchell County | 9,924 | 50 | 2.9% |
| Dickinson County | 8,263 | 38 | 0.3% |
| Saline County | 7,528 | 24 | 0% |
| Clay County | 6,338 | 33 | 3.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many walk-in hunting acres are in Ottawa County, Kansas?
6,226 acres on 34 tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access map, 1.3% of the county.
Can you deer hunt on WIHA in Ottawa 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 and Unit 7). 4 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 Ottawa County?
679 acres, 0.1% of the county, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps, mostly KDWP land. Wildlife areas here: Ottawa 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.