South Fork Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
South Fork Wildlife Area is 1,000 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 13 miles northeast of St. Francis, in Cheyenne County and deer Unit 1. Camping: no; equipment: none (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landState park or recreation areaWalk-in (WIHA)South Fork Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 1,000 (KDWP); 994 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 13 mi. NE of St. Francis |
| Phone | (785) 877-2953 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | None |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Cheyenne |
| Deer unit | Unit 1 |
What are the rules on South Fork 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 9.
Which deer unit is South Fork Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 1, 6,321 square miles, with 1,830 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Whitetail Antlerless-only permits are not valid in Unit 1.
Unit 1 gets 389 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 South Fork Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 994 acres of KDWP land and 22 acres of state park or recreation area (this area included), and 5,112 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 14 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 3,770 acres 4.2 miles southwest (Sept. 1 to May 31), 1,475 acres 3.1 miles southwest (Sept. 1 to May 31), 1,240 acres 4.6 miles east (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31) and 640 acres 4.9 miles southwest (Sept. 1 to May 31).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Cheyenne County.
How do you get to South Fork Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 13 mi. NE of St. Francis. No numbered highway within five miles.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| St. Francis | 13 | southwest |
| Bird City | 14 | southeast |
| McDonald | 18 | southeast |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at South Fork Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt South Fork Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is South Fork Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 13 miles northeast of St. Francis, in Cheyenne County and deer Unit 1.
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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.