Melvern Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Melvern Wildlife Area is 10,100 acres of land and 6,930 of water by KDWP's count, centered about 4 miles east of Reading, in Osage and Lyon counties 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 EngineersOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Melvern Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 10,100 land, 6,930 water (KDWP); 14,450 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 4 mi. N of Lebo |
| Phone | (620) 699-3372 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | Yes |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Required (Go Outdoors Kansas app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in) |
| County | Osage and Lyon |
| Deer unit | Unit 14 |
| Managed dove fields, 2026 | 5 (99 acres) |
What are the rules on Melvern Wildlife Area?
KDWP's 2026-27 listing puts no equipment restriction on the area. Its other rules:
- Electronic check-in/check-out required through the Go Outdoors Kansas mobile app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in. Refuge closed to all activity Oct. 1-Jan. 15. Youth/Mentor: designated area for all seasons, all species.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 15.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Melvern Lake (wildlife refuge, 1,105 acres; Closed to all uses from October 1st through January 15th).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Does Melvern Wildlife Area have managed dove fields in 2026?
KDWP lists 5 active fields here for 2026, 99 acres in all. Fields marked nontoxic need nontoxic shot.
| Crop | Acres | KDWP's expected dove use | Field work | Nontoxic shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflowers/Cereal Rye | 36 | Good | No till plant cover crop after season opener | Yes |
| Sunflowers/Food Plot Mix | 20 | Fair-Good | Will no till plant to cover crop after season opener | Yes |
| Sunflower | 18 | fair-good | No-till plant cover crop after season opener | Yes |
| Sunflowers/Food Plot Mix | 16 | Poor-Fair | Will be no till planted to cover crop after season opener | Yes |
| Sunflower | 9 | Good | No-till plant cover crop after season opener | Yes |
Source: KDWP public land dove fields.
Which deer unit is Melvern 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 Melvern Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 13,253 acres of KDWP land, 3,673 acres of Army Corps of Engineers and 52 acres of other public (this area included), and 698 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 3 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 640 acres 4.1 miles north (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31), 150 acres 3.6 miles south (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31) and 80 acres 4.6 miles south (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only). Nearest wildlife areas: Lyon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (4.7 mi) and Otter Creek Wildlife Area (14.1 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Osage County and Lyon County.
How do you get to Melvern Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 4 mi. N of Lebo. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: I-35, US 50, KS-170, US 75 and KS-31.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | under 1 | west |
| Olivet | under 1 | east |
| Lebo | 2 | south |
| Melvern | 4 | east |
| Lyndon | 5 | northeast |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Melvern Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Melvern Wildlife Area?
Yes, before and after each hunt, in the Go Outdoors Kansas app or at ksoutdoors.gov/check-in.
Where is Melvern Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 4 miles east of Reading, in Osage and Lyon counties and deer Unit 14.
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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.