Wilson County, Kansas

Timbered hills and Verdigris River bottomlands in southeast Kansas where post oak and blackjack timber mix with open pasture and agricultural land. Elk City Lake adds riparian and wetland habitat to a county with a distinctly more forested character than most of Kansas.

Moderate. The Elk City Lake area concentrates public land hunters during firearm seasons but less-pressured timber hunting is available on private land away from the reservoir.

Over-the-counter archery and firearm deer tags. Southeast Kansas deer routinely produce above-average antler development due to diverse habitat and good nutrition.

Wild turkey populations are excellent throughout the post oak and blackjack timber. The Verdigris River corridor supports trophy-class whitetail that benefit from acorn mast production and diverse forest understory.

Timbered southeast Kansas whitetail habitat that rivals Ozark-edge counties for quality deer hunting. Wild turkey hunting in post oak timber is exceptional and Elk City Lake provides public land access in an otherwise private-dominated landscape.