Copan Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Copan Wildlife Area is 2,360 acres by KDWP's count, centered just west of Caney, in Montgomery and Chautauqua counties and deer Unit 12. 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 landWalk-in (WIHA)Copan Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 2,360 (KDWP); 2,182 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 1/2 mi. W of Caney |
| Phone | (620) 431-0380 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | Yes, carry-in only |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Montgomery and Chautauqua |
| Deer unit | Unit 12 |
What are the rules on Copan Wildlife Area?
KDWP's 2026-27 listing puts no equipment restriction on the area. No other rule is listed.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 14.
Which deer unit is Copan Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 12, 2,687 square miles, with 6,449 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 12 gets 2,303 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 Copan Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 2,182 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 2 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 1 tract. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 140 acres 4.9 miles northwest (Sept. 1 to May 31). Nearest wildlife areas: Buffalo Ranch Wildlife Area (9.2 mi) and Elk City Wildlife Area (13.4 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Montgomery County and Chautauqua County.
How do you get to Copan Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 1/2 mi. W of Caney. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 166 and US 75.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Caney | under 1 | east |
| Niotaze | 4 | northwest |
| Havana | 4 | north |
| Tyro | 6 | east |
| Peru | 8 | northwest |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Copan 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 Copan Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Copan Wildlife Area?
Its middle is just west of Caney, in Montgomery and Chautauqua counties and deer Unit 12.
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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.