Buck Creek Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Buck Creek Wildlife Area is 840 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 6 miles east of Perry, in Jefferson County and deer Unit 10. Camping: no; equipment: no firearm deer hunting (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Buck Creek Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 840 (KDWP); 854 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 6 mi. NW of Lawrence, Buck Creek Rd. and 27th St |
| Phone | (785) 887-6882 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | None |
| Equipment restrictions | No firearm deer hunting. |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Required (Go Outdoors Kansas app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in) |
| County | Jefferson |
| Deer unit | Unit 10 |
What are the rules on Buck Creek Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: no firearm deer hunting. Its other rules:
- Electronic check-in/check-out required through the Go Outdoors Kansas mobile app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in. All other hunts are available through the Special Hunts program.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 10.
Which deer unit is Buck Creek Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 10, 4,367 square miles, with 6,706 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 10 gets 1,304 nonresident whitetail permits in 2026, and its extended antlerless firearm season runs Jan. 1-17, 2027 (KDWP deer quotas and draw statistics; KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 30).
Harvest: KDWP deer harvest by unit (2017 to 2021).
What public and walk-in land is near Buck Creek Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 854 acres of KDWP land and 556 acres of other public (this area included), and 148 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 1 tract. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 142 acres 4.2 miles southwest (Sept. 1 to May 31). Nearest wildlife areas: Perry Wildlife Area (5.3 mi), Leavenworth State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (6.3 mi) and Clinton Wildlife Area (10.4 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Jefferson County.
How do you get to Buck Creek Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 6 mi. NW of Lawrence, Buck Creek Rd. and 27th St. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 59 and US 24.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Perry | 5 | west |
| Lecompton | 6 | southwest |
| McLouth | 7 | northeast |
| Oskaloosa | 7 | north |
| Lawrence | 9 | south |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Buck Creek Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Buck Creek Wildlife Area?
Yes, before and after each hunt, in the Go Outdoors Kansas app or at ksoutdoors.gov/check-in.
What guns can you use on Buck Creek Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: No firearm deer hunting.
Where is Buck Creek Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 6 miles east of Perry, in Jefferson County and deer Unit 10.
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Sources: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 7 to 16; KDWP wildlife areas; USGS PAD-US 4.1; KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts; KDWP deer harvest by unit (2017 to 2021). General KDWP public land rules: all wildlife areas. FilledTag is not part of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.