Byron Walker Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Byron Walker Wildlife Area is 4,779 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 5 miles south of Penalosa, in Kingman County and deer Unit 15. Camping: yes, in designated areas; equipment: none (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Byron Walker Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 4,779 (KDWP); 5,158 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 7 mi. W of Kingman |
| Phone | (620) 532-3242 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas. |
| Boating | Yes, fishing and hunting only. |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Kingman |
| Deer unit | Unit 15 |
What are the rules on Byron Walker Wildlife Area?
KDWP's 2026-27 listing puts no equipment restriction on the area. Its other rules:
- Alcohol prohibited at the state fishing lake and the archery range; shooting hours posted. Portions of the SFL are closed to hunting year-round.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 13.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Byron Walker Wildlife Area (116 acres; No Hunting Year Round) and Byron Walker Wildlife Area (67 acres; Closed to All Activities).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Which deer unit is Byron Walker Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 15, 5,163 square miles, with 6,569 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 15 gets 1,705 nonresident whitetail permits in 2026, and its extended antlerless firearm season runs Jan. 1-24, 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 Byron Walker Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 5,203 acres of KDWP land and 140 acres of other public (this area included), and 979 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 8 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 157 acres 1.8 miles northwest (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31), 156 acres next to it on the north side (Sept. 1 to May 31), 156 acres 4.2 miles northwest (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31) and 153 acres 2.1 miles northwest (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31). Nearest wildlife areas: Isabel Wildlife Area (13.9 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Kingman County.
How do you get to Byron Walker Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 7 mi. W of Kingman. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 54 and US 400.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Penalosa | 4 | north |
| Cunningham | 5 | west |
| Kingman | 7 | east |
| Turon | 11 | northwest |
| Zenda | 12 | south |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Byron Walker Wildlife Area?
Yes, in designated areas, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing, for up to seven days in a row.
Do you have to check in to hunt Byron Walker Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Byron Walker Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 5 miles south of Penalosa, in Kingman County and deer Unit 15.
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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.