Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area is 160 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 6 miles west of Barnard, in Lincoln County and deer Unit 7. Camping: no; equipment: non-toxic shot for all shotgun hunting (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landWalk-in (WIHA)Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 160 (KDWP); 167 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 10 1/2 mi. N of Lincoln |
| Phone | (785) 545-3345 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | No motor boats |
| Equipment restrictions | Non-toxic shot for all shotgun hunting |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Lincoln |
| Deer unit | Unit 7 |
What are the rules on Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: non-toxic shot for all shotgun hunting. Its other rules:
- Open to hunting by special hunt permit.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 8.
Which deer unit is Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 7, 4,806 square miles, with 4,641 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 7 gets 1,372 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 Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 167 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 642 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 1 tract. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 640 acres 1 mile west (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Lincoln County.
How do you get to Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 10 1/2 mi. N of Lincoln. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: KS-14 and KS-284.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Barnard | 5 | east |
| Lincoln Center | 11 | south |
| Hunter | 13 | west |
| Beverly | 16 | southeast |
| Simpson | 17 | northeast |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
What guns can you use on Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: Non-toxic shot for all shotgun hunting
Where is Gurley Salt Marsh Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 6 miles west of Barnard, in Lincoln County and deer Unit 7.
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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.