Neosho Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Neosho Wildlife Area is 1,498 acres of land and 1,748 of wetland by KDWP's count, centered about 2 miles southeast of St. Paul, in Neosho County and deer Unit 11. Camping: yes, in designated areas; equipment: non-toxic shot only. No centerfire rifles (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landState park or recreation areaOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Neosho Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 1,498 land, 1,748 wetland (KDWP); 3,307 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 1 mile E of St. Paul |
| Phone | (620) 449-2539 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | Yes |
| Equipment restrictions | Non-toxic shot only. No centerfire rifles. |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Required (Go Outdoors Kansas app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in) |
| County | Neosho |
| Deer unit | Unit 11 |
What are the rules on Neosho Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: non-toxic shot only. No centerfire rifles. Its other rules:
- Electronic check-in/check-out required through the Go Outdoors Kansas mobile app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in. Shooting from levees and dikes prohibited. Refuge closed to all activity Sept. 1- March 31. Youth/Mentor: Pool 8 for waterfowl on holidays, Saturday, and Sunday. Pool 8 open to public on weekdays. No Entry into the marsh before 5:00 a.m.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 15.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Neosho Wildlife Area Refuge Boundary (907 acres; Closed to All Hunting Year Round, Open to Fishing April 1-August 31).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Youth mentor area: Neosho Wildlife Area. Waterfowl hunting restricted to youth 15 and younger and their mentor on Holidays and weekends.
Which deer unit is Neosho Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 11, 6,559 square miles, with 15,611 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 11 gets 3,564 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 Neosho Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 3,307 acres of KDWP land, 227 acres of other public and 39 acres of state park or recreation area (this area included), and 3,412 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 21 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 485 acres next to it on the south side (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only), 398 acres 3.2 miles south (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only), 392 acres next to it on the south side (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only) and 246 acres 4.8 miles northwest (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only). Nearest wildlife areas: Grand Osage Wildlife Area (6.2 mi) and Mined Land Wildlife Area (12.5 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Neosho County.
How do you get to Neosho Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 1 mile E of St. Paul. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: KS-47.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| St. Paul | under 1 | northwest |
| Erie | 6 | northwest |
| Walnut | 7 | northeast |
| McCune | 7 | southeast |
| Parsons | 9 | southwest |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Neosho Wildlife Area?
Yes, in designated areas, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing, for up to seven days in a row.
Do you have to check in to hunt Neosho Wildlife Area?
Yes, before and after each hunt, in the Go Outdoors Kansas app or at ksoutdoors.gov/check-in.
What guns can you use on Neosho Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: Non-toxic shot only. No centerfire rifles.
Where is Neosho Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 2 miles southeast of St. Paul, in Neosho County and deer Unit 11.
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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.