Each tract number is listed under the county name, and corresponds to the number printed on the map of that county. The dates open to hunting and the size of the area are listed next to each tract number.

The species you are most likely to encounter is also listed. For instance, if you see doves listed for a tract that opens September 1, you are most likely to have dove-hunting opportunities on the tract. The absence of a game species in the index does not mean it is not present, merely the likelihood of having a good hunt for that species is not as high.

The abbreviations used in the index are as follows:

The best way to determine what species you are likely to find is to scout the area before the season opener. Be conscious of the dates the tract is open for hunting. Do not enter onto WIHA tracts before the posted lease date.

Some tracts have special restrictions. For the most part, these restrictions limit firearms deer hunting, primarily for safety reasons. Restrictions posted on the actual tract will take precedence over those listed in the online atlas. Be sure to obey all restrictions on each tract.

For a hard copy version of the WIHA Atlas, please call (316) 672-5911, or send e-mail to feedback@wp.state.ks.us

WIHA Rules:
The Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) program is a project started in 1995. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks leases private land and opens it to public hunting. A survey of both landowners and users of the WIHA tracts found great acceptance by both groups. Much of the success of the program is due to the responsible behavior of hunters.

The WIHA program promises every hunter who purchases a Kansas hunting license the opportunity to enjoy the state's diverse wildlife resources. Common sense and ethical behavior will ensure that the program continues to grow for all to enjoy in the future.

The following guidelines will assist sportsmen in using WIHA tracts:

1. Obey the safety zone concept. Allow a buffer around livestock and buildings. Know your target, especially when using a rifle. 2. If the WIHA property is bordered by a hedgerow or creek, hunt only on the side which is on the WIHA tract. Do not walk or hunt on adjacent property. 3. Do not damage any standing crops. 4. Obey all Kansas hunting rules and regulations and respect the rights of the landowners and others using the area. Treat the land as if it were your own and act responsibly when afield. Sportsmen's behavior will decide the future of hunter's access to these areas. 5. Take all your trash with you when you leave. If someone using the area before you left trash, remove it also. 6. WIHA tracts are for walk-in traffic only. Do not open gates or enter properties with vehicles. Park along the road or in areas designated as parking areas. Do not block access to fields, or block access along county roads. Landowners are working fields with big equipment, especially in September and October, so please allow them to pass. Avoid stretching fences when crossing them.

7. Department leases for Walk-In Hunting Areas are for hunting only. Other activities are prohibited, unless specifically allowed by the property owner. The department discourages contact of WIHA lessors. 8. Do not attempt to contact cooperating landowners for the purpose of hunting on other portions of their land. Enrollment of land in the WIHA program may have been done to reduce the landowner's direct contact with hunters. 9. Walk-In Hunting Areas are NOT open past January 31 (March 31 in some eastern tracts), and are not open for the spring turkey season. 10. The following public land regulations are enforced on Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) areas: no target practice, no trapping (unless specifically allowed by property owner KAR 115-8-1), no commercial or noncommercial hunting dog training (KAR 115-8-4), no discharge of fully automatic rifles or fully automatic handguns (KAR 115-8-5), no camping (KAR 115-8-9), no horseback riding (KAR 115-8-11), no stocking or releasing of wildlife (KAR 115-8-12), no operation of vehicles (KAR 115-8-13), no discharge of fireworks (KAR 115-8-14), no fires (KAR 115-8-15), no littering (KAR 155-8-18), no cereal malt beverage or alcoholic liquor (KAR 115-8-19), no destructive acts, including digging, destruction or removal of signs or vegetation (KAR 115-8-20).

On occasion, sites enrolled in the program are removed at the landowner's request or due to poor habitat conditions. Make sure the land you are entering is posted with Walk-In Hunting Area signs, like the ones illustrated in this atlas.

If you arrive at a Walk-In Hunting Area and find that it has been cultivated or is planted to a crop as winter wheat, don't be too concerned. Most likely these areas have essentially been donated to the program for the purpose of rounding out an area to make it easier to place the signs or gain access. Some wheat fields were leased to provide goose or crane hunting. Hunting is allowed on these areas.

Funding for Walk-In Hunting Areas has been provided by a combination of hunting license fees and Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration funds. This is a fairly new concept. Let us know what you think.

WIHA contracts were written some time before the season started. It is no fault of the Department or the landowner if the environmental conditions have reduced the habitat value of any given area. When the contracts were signed, these areas exhibited good habitat.