St. Francis Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
St. Francis Wildlife Area is 480 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 4 miles southwest 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 landWalk-in (WIHA)St. Francis Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 480 (KDWP); 484 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 2 mi. S, 1 mi. W 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 St. Francis 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 St. Francis 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 St. Francis Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 492 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 4,322 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 13 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 2,100 acres 2.2 miles southeast (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31), 800 acres 4.6 miles northeast (Sept. 1 to May 31), 410 acres 2.5 miles northwest (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31) and 400 acres 1.5 miles east (Sept. 1 to Jan. 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 St. Francis Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 2 mi. S, 1 mi. W of St. Francis. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 36 and KS-27.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| St. Francis | 3 | northeast |
| Bird City | 17 | east |
| McDonald | 26 | east |
| Goodland | 28 | south |
| Kanorado | 29 | south |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at St. Francis Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt St. Francis Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is St. Francis Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 4 miles southwest 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.