Milford Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Milford Wildlife Area is 19,000 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 4 miles north of Wakefield, in Clay, Geary and Dickinson counties and deer Unit 8. Camping: no; equipment: none (KDWP 2026-27). 7 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)Milford Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 19,000 (KDWP); 22,763 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 5 mi. NW of Junction City |
| Phone | (785) 461-5402 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | Yes, motorized boats prohibited except Mall Creek and Peterson Bottoms areas |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Required (Go Outdoors Kansas app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in) |
| County | Clay, Geary and Dickinson |
| Deer unit | Unit 8 |
| Managed dove fields, 2026 | 7 (97 acres) |
What are the rules on Milford 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. Handicapped hunting access area by permit only; phone (785) 461-5402. Youth/Mentor area: West Broughton area, Steve Lloyd Refuge closed to all activities year-round.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 11.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Milford Refuge (Milford Wildlife Area, 1,391 acres; Closed to all activities).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Youth mentor area: Milford Wildlife Area. https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/Locations/Wildlife-Areas/Northeast/Milford.
Accessible hunting: Call 785-461-5402 for access permit
Does Milford Wildlife Area have managed dove fields in 2026?
KDWP lists 7 active fields here for 2026, 97 acres in all. Fields marked nontoxic need nontoxic shot.
| Crop | Acres | KDWP's expected dove use | Field work | Nontoxic shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflowers | 25 | Great | Yes | |
| Sunflowers | 17 | Fair | Yes | |
| Sunflowers | 14 | Great | Yes | |
| Sunflowers | 13 | Great | Yes | |
| Sunflowers | 13 | Great | Yes | |
| Sunflowers | 9 | Great | Yes | |
| Sunflowers | 6 | Great | Yes |
Source: KDWP public land dove fields.
Which deer unit is Milford Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 8, 4,427 square miles, with 4,585 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 8 gets 1,841 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 Milford Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 21,804 acres of KDWP land and 8,664 acres of Army Corps of Engineers (this area included), and 1,567 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 8 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 425 acres 4.1 miles southwest (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only), 240 acres 2.1 miles south (Sept. 1 to May 31), 230 acres 3.1 miles north (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31, archery and shotshell only) and 180 acres next to it on the southwest side (Sept. 1 to May 31). Nearest wildlife areas: Kansas River Wildlife Area, K-18 (Ogden) (6.6 mi) and Geary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (10 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Clay County, Geary County and Dickinson County.
How do you get to Milford Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 5 mi. NW of Junction City. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 77, I-70, US 40, KS-82 and KS-18.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Milford | under 1 | southeast |
| Wakefield | under 1 | south |
| Junction City | 3 | southeast |
| Clay Center | 4 | northwest |
| Grandview Plaza | 6 | southeast |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Milford Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Milford Wildlife Area?
Yes, before and after each hunt, in the Go Outdoors Kansas app or at ksoutdoors.gov/check-in.
Where is Milford Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 4 miles north of Wakefield, in Clay, Geary and Dickinson counties and deer Unit 8.
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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.