Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife Area is 160 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 6 miles northeast of Ensign, in Ford County and deer Unit 17. Camping: yes, in designated areas; equipment: non-toxic shot only (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landWalk-in (WIHA)Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 160 (KDWP); 153 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 4 mi. S of Howell |
| Phone | (620) 227-8609 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | Yes, carry-in only |
| Equipment restrictions | Non-toxic shot only |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Ford |
| Deer unit | Unit 17 |
What are the rules on Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: non-toxic shot only. Its other rules:
- Closed to all activity Feb.1- Aug. 31. Open to hunting one-half hour before sunrise to noon Sept.1- Nov. 22. Open to hunting all day Nov. 23-Jan.31.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 13.
Which deer unit is Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 17, 9,056 square miles, with 2,405 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Whitetail Antlerless-only permits are not valid in Unit 17.
Unit 17 gets 619 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 Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 153 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 1,115 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 4 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 480 acres 1 mile northwest (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31), 320 acres 1 mile north (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31), 160 acres 2.1 miles north (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31) and 155 acres 1.6 miles southwest (Nov. 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: Ford County.
How do you get to Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 4 mi. S of Howell. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 400, US 56 and US 50.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Ensign | 5 | southwest |
| Dodge City | 9 | east |
| Cimarron | 11 | northwest |
| Ingalls | 17 | northwest |
| Montezuma | 17 | southwest |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Wild Turkey Playa 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 Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
What guns can you use on Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: Non-toxic shot only
Where is Wild Turkey Playa Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 6 miles northeast of Ensign, in Ford County and deer Unit 17.
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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.