Pottawatomie County walk-in hunting (WIHA): Kansas 2026-27 tracts, acres and map
Pottawatomie County has 31 Walk-In Hunting Access tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, 5,807 acres in all, 1.1% of the county's land. That ranks 52nd of Kansas's 105 counties for WIHA acres. Most tracts are open Sept. 1 to May 31 (19 tracts). 8 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 EngineersOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Pottawatomie CountyWildlife areaLakeHighway
| WIHA tracts, 2026-27 | 31 |
|---|---|
| WIHA acres | 5,807 (1.1% of the county) |
| Largest tracts | 470, 445, 320, 320, 316 acres |
| Public land | 18,600 acres (3.4%) |
| Deer units | Unit 9 |
| KDWP region | Region 2 |
| Towns | Wamego, St. Marys, Onaga, St. George, Louisville and Westmoreland |
When are Pottawatomie 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. Pottawatomie County's 31 tracts by lease period:
| Lease period | Tracts | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 to May 31 | 19 | 3,987 |
| Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | 8 | 1,180 |
| Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | 4 | 640 |
8 tracts (1,460 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 Pottawatomie County, by number of tracts: deer 26, quail 25, turkey 16, pheasant 12, prairie chicken 10, dove 9, waterfowl 4, furbearers 2, other 1 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 Pottawatomie County?
The 12 largest tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 map, each placed by the nearest town:
| Acres | Where | Deer unit | Lease period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 470 | 6 mi east of Olsburg | Unit 9 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, quail, prairie chicken, dove |
| 445 | 4 mi northwest of Havensville | Unit 9 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, quail, dove |
| 320 | 5 mi north of Onaga | Unit 9 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, turkey, furbearers |
| 320 | 3 mi northwest of Havensville | Unit 9 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, dove |
| 316 | 3 mi southwest of Wheaton | Unit 9 | Sept. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: deer, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken |
| 300 | 1 mi west of Havensville | Unit 9 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, turkey, quail |
| 275 | 5 mi southeast of Westmoreland | Unit 9 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken |
| 200 | 5 mi south of Havensville | Unit 9 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, turkey, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken |
| 185 | 5 mi south of Havensville | Unit 9 | Sept. 1 to May 31 | Species listed: deer, turkey, quail, dove, waterfowl |
| 160 | 4 mi east of Olsburg | Unit 9 | Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | Species listed: geese, other |
| 160 | 2 mi southwest of Emmett | Unit 9 | Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, quail, prairie chicken, waterfowl |
| 160 | 2 mi southwest of Emmett | Unit 9 | Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 | Archery and shotshell only; Species listed: deer, quail, prairie chicken, waterfowl |
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 Pottawatomie County?
USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps show 18,600 acres of public land in the county, 3.4% of it. The walk-in tracts cover less ground: 5,807 acres. Wildlife areas with a page: Jeffrey Energy Center (Hanzlick) Wildlife Area (9,378 acres here), Tuttle Creek Wildlife Area (5,001 acres here), Blue Valley Wildlife Area (495 acres here) and Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake No. 1 and Wildlife Area (170 acres here).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| KDWP land | 15,504 | 2.8% |
| Army Corps of Engineers | 3,096 | 0.6% |
| Other public (not counted as hunting land) | 350 | 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 Pottawatomie County?
All of Pottawatomie County is in Unit 9. 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 9 | 100% | 3,581 (2021) | 42,406 |
How does Pottawatomie County compare with the counties around it?
Walk-in acres and public land in the 6 counties that touch Pottawatomie County, most walk-in land first:
| County | WIHA acres | WIHA tracts | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County | 24,752 | 144 | 1.1% |
| Wabaunsee County | 12,708 | 32 | 0.1% |
| Nemaha County | 11,456 | 70 | 0.2% |
| Jackson County | 3,997 | 23 | 0.1% |
| Shawnee County | 2,195 | 18 | 0.9% |
| Riley County | 817 | 8 | 2.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many walk-in hunting acres are in Pottawatomie County, Kansas?
5,807 acres on 31 tracts on KDWP's 2026-27 Walk-In Hunting Access map, 1.1% of the county.
Can you deer hunt on WIHA in Pottawatomie County?
Yes, during each tract's lease period and the deer seasons, with the permit for the deer unit the tract is in (Unit 9). 8 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 Pottawatomie County?
18,600 acres, 3.4% of the county, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP area maps, mostly KDWP land. Wildlife areas here: Jeffrey Energy Center (Hanzlick) Wildlife Area, Tuttle Creek Wildlife Area, Blue Valley Wildlife Area and Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake No. 1 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.