Council Grove Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Council Grove Wildlife Area is 2,638 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 5 miles northwest of Council Grove, in Morris County and deer Unit 14. Camping: no; equipment: none (KDWP 2026-27). 5 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 landArmy Corps of EngineersWalk-in (WIHA)Council Grove Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 2,638 (KDWP); 2,129 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 5 mi. NW of Council Grove |
| Phone | (620) 767-5900 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | Yes |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Morris |
| Deer unit | Unit 14 |
| Managed dove fields, 2026 | 5 (32 acres) |
What are the rules on Council Grove 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 13.
Does Council Grove Wildlife Area have managed dove fields in 2026?
KDWP lists 5 active fields here for 2026, 32 acres in all.
| Crop | Acres | KDWP's expected dove use | Field work | Nontoxic shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflowers (weedy) | 7 | Fair | Portions to be mowed if conditions allow. | No |
| Sunflowers (weedy) | 7 | Fair | Portions to be mowed if conditions allow. | No |
| Sunflowers | 7 | Fair | Portions to be mowed if conditions allow. | No |
| Sunflowers (weedy) | 7 | Poor/Fair | Portions to be mowed if conditions allow. | No |
| Sunflowers (weedy) | 4 | Fair | Portions to be mowed if conditions allow. | No |
Source: KDWP public land dove fields.
Which deer unit is Council Grove Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 14, 6,816 square miles, with 10,232 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 14 gets 2,079 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 Council Grove Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 1,982 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 666 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 6 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 160 acres 4.4 miles west (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31), 160 acres 4.1 miles east (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only), 120 acres next to it on the northwest side (Nov. 1 to May 31) and 105 acres next to it on the northwest side (Nov. 1 to May 31).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Morris County.
How do you get to Council Grove Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 5 mi. NW of Council Grove. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: KS-177, KS-57, US 56 and KS-4.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Council Grove | 4 | southeast |
| Parkerville | 4 | northwest |
| Dwight | 8 | north |
| Alta Vista | 8 | north |
| Wilsey | 8 | southwest |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Council Grove Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Council Grove Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Council Grove Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 5 miles northwest of Council Grove, in Morris County and deer Unit 14.
Get a Kansas hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Kansas are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Kansas included.
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.