Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area is 2,500 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 4 miles east of Chetopa, in Cherokee and Labette counties and deer Unit 11. Camping: no; equipment: non-toxic shot only. Archery for deer and turkey only (KDWP 2026-27). 1 managed dove field 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)Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 2,500 acres (KDWP); 2,549 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | Scattered Areas NE of Chetopa Buche area S of Pittsburg |
| Phone | (620) 827-6301 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | None |
| Equipment restrictions | Non-toxic shot only. Archery for deer and turkey only. |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Cherokee and Labette |
| Deer unit | Unit 11 |
| Managed dove fields, 2026 | 1 (30 acres) |
What are the rules on Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: non-toxic shot only. Archery for deer and turkey only. Its other rules:
- Refuges closed to all activities year-round.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 14.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area (238 acres; Bogner Refuge) and Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area (204 acres; Perkins Refuge).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Does Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area have managed dove fields in 2026?
KDWP lists 1 active field here for 2026, 30 acres in all. Fields marked nontoxic need nontoxic shot.
| Crop | Acres | KDWP's expected dove use | Field work | Nontoxic shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflowers | 30 | Fair to Good | Mowing will occur during month of August. | Yes |
Source: KDWP public land dove fields.
Which deer unit is Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 11, 6,559 square miles, with 15,611 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 11 gets 3,564 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 Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 2,636 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 1,816 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 12 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 390 acres 1 mile west (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only), 266 acres 2 miles west (Sept. 1 to May 31), 193 acres next to it on the north side (Sept. 1 to March 31, archery and shotshell only) and 160 acres next to it on the northwest side (Sept. 1 to May 31). Nearest wildlife areas: Mined Land Wildlife Area (5.2 mi), Spring River Wildlife Area (8.5 mi) and Grand Osage Wildlife Area (11.2 mi).
Close by and named here instead of on a page of its own: Harmon Wildlife Area (87 acres).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Labette County.
How do you get to Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: Scattered Areas NE of Chetopa Buche area S of Pittsburg. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 166, US 59, US 69, US 400 and US 160.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Chetopa | 2 | west |
| Weir | 5 | northeast |
| Oswego | 6 | northwest |
| Bartlett | 6 | west |
| Pittsburg | 6 | northeast |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
What guns can you use on Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: Non-toxic shot only. Archery for deer and turkey only.
Where is Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 4 miles east of Chetopa, in Cherokee and Labette counties and deer Unit 11.
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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.