Otter Creek Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Otter Creek Wildlife Area is 1,472 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 5 miles northwest of Burlington, in Coffey County and deer Unit 14. Camping: no; equipment: non-toxic shot for all shotguns. Shotgun, archery, and muzzleloader hunting only (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landNational wildlife refuge or WPAArmy Corps of EngineersWalk-in (WIHA)Otter Creek Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 1,472 (KDWP); 1,883 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 4 mi. W, 2 N of Burlington |
| Phone | (620) 637-2748 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | Yes |
| Equipment restrictions | Non-toxic shot for all shotguns. Shotgun, archery, and muzzleloader hunting only. |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Coffey |
| Deer unit | Unit 14 |
What are the rules on Otter Creek Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: non-toxic shot for all shotguns. Shotgun, archery, and muzzleloader hunting only. No other rule is listed.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 15.
Which deer unit is Otter Creek 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 Otter Creek Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 6,444 acres of national wildlife refuge or WPA, 1,590 acres of KDWP land and 57 acres of Army Corps of Engineers (this area included), and 317 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 4 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 240 acres 4.7 miles west (Sept. 1 to May 31), 120 acres next to it on the west side (Sept. 1 to May 31), 80 acres 0.8 miles south (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31) and 40 acres 0.9 miles south (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31). Nearest wildlife areas: Melvern 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: Coffey County.
How do you get to Otter Creek Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 4 mi. W, 2 N of Burlington. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 75.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| New Strawn | 2 | northeast |
| Burlington | 3 | southeast |
| Gridley | 7 | south |
| Hartford | 8 | northwest |
| Neosho Rapids | 12 | northwest |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Otter Creek Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Otter Creek Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
What guns can you use on Otter Creek Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: Non-toxic shot for all shotguns. Shotgun, archery, and muzzleloader hunting only.
Where is Otter Creek Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 5 miles northwest of Burlington, in Coffey County 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.