Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area is 1,610 mapped acres, centered about 6 miles southeast of Atchison, in Atchison County and deer Unit 10. 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 landWalk-in (WIHA)Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 1,610 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Daily check-in/check-out | Required (Go Outdoors Kansas app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in) |
| County | Atchison |
| Deer unit | Unit 10 |
| Managed dove fields, 2026 | 1 (10 acres) |
What are the rules on Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area?
KDWP's summary has no listing of its own for this area; it is on KDWP's list of areas that need electronic check-in and check-out for each hunt.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 7.
Does Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area have managed dove fields in 2026?
KDWP lists 1 active field here for 2026, 10 acres in all.
| Crop | Acres | KDWP's expected dove use | Field work | Nontoxic shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflowers | 10 | fair | Mowing before season | No |
Source: KDWP public land dove fields.
Which deer unit is Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 10, 4,367 square miles, with 6,706 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 10 gets 1,304 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 Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 2,747 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and no WIHA walk-in land. Nearest wildlife areas: Benedictine Bottoms Wildlife Area (4 mi), Oak Mills Wildlife Area (4.7 mi) and Atchison State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (8.7 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Atchison County.
How do you get to Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 73, KS-7, KS-4, US 59 and KS-9.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Atchison | 4 | northwest |
| Easton | 9 | south |
| Lancaster | 12 | west |
| Leavenworth | 12 | southeast |
| Nortonville | 14 | west |
Questions hunters ask
Do you have to check in to hunt Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Yes, before and after each hunt, in the Go Outdoors Kansas app or at ksoutdoors.gov/check-in.
Where is Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 6 miles southeast of Atchison, in Atchison County and deer Unit 10.
How big is Dalbey Bottoms Wildlife Area?
1,610 acres inside the boundary on KDWP's map.
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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.