Kansas Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) Program (WIHA)

The Walk-in Hunting Access program leases private Kansas land for public walk-in hunting, paying landowners based on acres enrolled, habitat quality and lease period. CRP, native rangeland, wheat or milo stubble, riparian and wetland areas can be enrolled; KDWP posts signs, publishes the properties in the Hunting Atlas and patrols them. The Interactive WIHA (iWIHA) option adds hunter check-in and daily hunter limits.

• Land enrolled can be in CRP, native rangeland, wheat or milo stubble and riparian or wetland areas.

• Applicant brochure: almost anyone who owns or leases at least 80 contiguous acres can qualify, including resident and absentee landowners, tenant farmers, estate and trust managers.

• KDWP biologists review properties for hunting opportunity, size, location and likelihood of use.

Annual or multi-year leases; landowners can withdraw at any time with a prorated payment. Access is foot traffic only during the posted access period; trapping is not allowed. Liability is waived from private individuals who lease land to the state for recreational purposes.

Published amounts: Landowners receive a modest payment in exchange for allowing public hunting access. Payments vary by the amount of acres enrolled and length of contract period. Applicant brochure: maximum rates are set by county map and all rates are negotiable; fall lease payments are made around Dec. 1 and spring-only leases around May 1.

Fill out the application in the WIHA brochure and send it to the Regional Office in your area, or contact the Private Lands Coordinator at the Pratt Operations Office. The where-to-hunt page also directs interested landowners to email wes.sowards@ks.gov.

Deadline text on the page: Contract dates can be established from September 1 or November 1 through January 31 of each year; other lands are leased for spring turkey hunting only (April 1- May 31). Applicant brochure: applications are accepted year-round, but those received after July 15 (fall access) or January 15 (spring access) may not be considered until the following year.