Kepley Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Kepley Wildlife Area is 160 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 8 miles southwest of Ulysses, in Grant County and deer Unit 18. Camping: no; 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)Kepley Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 160 (KDWP); 156 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 5 1/2 mi. S, 6 mi. W of Ulysses |
| Phone | (620) 276-8886 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | N/A |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Grant |
| Deer unit | Unit 18 |
What are the rules on Kepley 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 12.
Which deer unit is Kepley Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 18, 4,532 square miles, with 587 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Whitetail Antlerless-only permits are not valid in Unit 18.
Unit 18 gets 228 nonresident whitetail permits in 2026 (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 Kepley Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 156 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 2,265 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 9 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 621 acres 2.5 miles east (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31), 480 acres 1.6 miles northeast (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31), 315 acres 3 miles south (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31) and 160 acres 3 miles west (Nov. 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: Grant County.
How do you get to Kepley Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 5 1/2 mi. S, 6 mi. W of Ulysses. No numbered highway within five miles.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Ulysses | 8 | northeast |
| Johnson City | 16 | northwest |
| Moscow | 18 | southeast |
| Manter | 22 | west |
| Hugoton | 23 | south |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Kepley Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Kepley Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Kepley Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 8 miles southwest of Ulysses, in Grant County and deer Unit 18.
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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.