Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area is 13,280 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 7 miles southeast of Hoisington, in Barton County and deer Unit 5. Camping: yes, in designated areas; equipment: non-toxic shot only for all shotguns (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landWalk-in (WIHA)Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 13,280 (KDWP); 18,948 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 5 mi. N, 2 E of Great Bend |
| Phone | (620) 793-3066 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | Yes, Boats with out-of-water propellers prohibited. Motorized boats permitted only during the waterfowl season. All boats prohibited April 15- Aug. 15. |
| Equipment restrictions | Non-toxic shot only for all shotguns |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Required (Go Outdoors Kansas app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in) |
| County | Barton |
| Deer unit | Unit 5 |
What are the rules on Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: non-toxic shot only for all shotguns. Its other rules:
- Electronic check-in/check-out required through the Go Outdoors Kansas mobile app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in. Youth/mentor only area: Mitigation Marsh, all seasons. Handicapped accessible hunting blind available by reservation at (620) 793-3066. Shooting from dikes and levees prohibited. Refuge pools closed to all activities; Pools 5 and 1C maybe open for special seasons. Habitat conditions may create some additional restrictions. Trapping permit required, available at area office.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 11.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Refuge (Cheyenne Bottoms Refuge, 6,752 acres).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Youth mentor area: Cheyenne Bottoms Youth Mentor Area.
Access limits KDWP maps here: No Motorized Watercraft; Closed to motorized watercraft at 1p.m.
Which deer unit is Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 5, 3,393 square miles, with 3,096 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 5 gets 679 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 Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 19,159 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 314 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 2 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 237 acres next to it on the southwest side (Sept. 1 to May 31) and 77 acres next to it on the west side (Sept. 1 to May 31). Nearest wildlife areas: Binger Wildlife Area (13.8 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Barton County.
How do you get to Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 5 mi. N, 2 E of Great Bend. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: KS-156, KS-4, US 281, US 56 and KS-96.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Claflin | 4 | northeast |
| Hoisington | 4 | northwest |
| Ellinwood | 6 | southeast |
| Great Bend | 6 | southwest |
| Bushton | 11 | east |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Cheyenne Bottoms 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 Cheyenne Bottoms 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 Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: Non-toxic shot only for all shotguns
Where is Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 7 miles southeast of Hoisington, in Barton County and deer Unit 5.
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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.