Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area is 10,800 acres of land and 3,000 of water by KDWP's count, centered about 10 miles north of Brownell, in Trego County and deer Units 2 and 4. Camping: yes, in designated areas; equipment: youth/Mentor area east of dam is shotgun and archery only (KDWP 2026-27). 6 managed dove fields for 2026.
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary and 2026 dove fields; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Cedar Bluff Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 10,800 land, 3,000 water (KDWP); 12,810 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 13 mi. S of Ogallah |
| Phone | (785) 726-3212 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | Yes |
| Equipment restrictions | Youth/Mentor area east of dam is shotgun and archery only. |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Trego |
| Deer unit | Unit 2 and Unit 4 |
| Managed dove fields, 2026 | 6 (14.15 acres) |
What are the rules on Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: youth/Mentor area east of dam is shotgun and archery only. Its other rules:
- Refuges: visit website for details. Special Hunts available for select areas.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 8.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Refuge (50 acres), Cedar Bluff Water Refuge (148 acres; Water Refuge - Closed to All Activities November 1- January 31), Cedar Bluff State Park (286 acres), Cedar Bluff Land Refuge (492 acres; Closed to All Activities September 1- January 31) and Water Refuge - No Hunting November 1- January 31 (171 acres).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Youth mentor area: Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area. Open to All Legal Hunting Equipment and Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area. Archery / Shotgun hunting only.
Does Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area have managed dove fields in 2026?
KDWP lists 6 active fields here for 2026, 14.15 acres in all.
| Crop | Acres | KDWP's expected dove use | Field work | Nontoxic shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 3.25 | Burned | No | |
| Not listed | 2.8 | Burned | No | |
| Wheat | 2.5 | Burned | No | |
| Not listed | 2.3 | Burned | No | |
| Wheat | 1.7 | Burned | No | |
| Not listed | 1.6 | Burned | No |
Source: KDWP public land dove fields.
Which deer unit is Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area in?
It spans deer Units 2 and 4. Whitetail Antlerless-only permits are not valid in Unit 2.
Unit 2 gets 303 nonresident whitetail permits in 2026 (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 Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 7,693 acres of KDWP land and 994 acres of other public (this area included), and 4,657 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 19 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 1,238 acres next to it on the southeast side (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31), 320 acres 1.8 miles south (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31), 320 acres 5 miles east (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31) and 320 acres 2 miles east (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Trego County.
How do you get to Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 13 mi. S of Ogallah. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: KS-147 and US 283.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Brownell | 7 | south |
| Ransom | 10 | southwest |
| Ellis | 12 | northeast |
| WaKeeney | 15 | north |
| McCracken | 15 | southeast |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Cedar Bluff 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 Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
What guns can you use on Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: Youth/Mentor area east of dam is shotgun and archery only.
Where is Cedar Bluff Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 10 miles north of Brownell, in Trego County and deer Units 2 and 4.
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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.