Neosho Wildlife Area
Located on the broad, flat flood plain below the junction of Flat Rock Creek and the Neosho River, the wildlife area is a man-made marsh developed by the Department in 1960. The area covers 3,246 acres. The five largest pools on the area represent 1,675 acres of the 1,787 of intensively managed wetlands. There are sixteen independently managed wetlands throughout the area. The area was primarily designed, and is managed to furnish a resting and feeding place for migratory waterfowl.
Three of the sixteen pools are managed in a moist soil environment through a water level manipulation plan. Four green tree marshes ranging in size from five to fifteen acres offer a different type of hunting opportunity for the sportsman using the area. Area personnel plant an average of 400 acres of corn, milo, buckwheat or millet in the hunting pools. The grain is left in the field and inundated in the fall.
The 800-acre refuge pool is closed to all hunting, foot and vehicle traffic during the waterfowl season. The water level of this pool fluctuates naturally throughout the seasons and provides good aquatic habitat for waterfowl. Fishing is allowed from April 1 until August 31. Good fishing can be found at times in the Neosho River, Flat Rock Creek and Brogan Creek, existing in part on the wildlife area.
Manager: Monte Manbeck
Assistant Manager: Travis Ratliff
Phone: (620)-449-2539
From St. Paul travel east on Highway 47 2 miles to Wallace Rd.; turn south and travel approximately 1.25 miles. Office on west side of road
Area News
Neosho Wildlife Area
This years growing season was very similar to last year. Extreme drought persists throughout this area. We have missed most of the bigger rains here at Neosho, with storms missing the area by about 10 miles to the south or the east. Beginning in the spring we started missing our normal early growing season rains leaving the refuge very low form last years draw down. We have held water all spring and summer and just recently finished pumping for a week into the refuge. It currently sits a few inches higher than where we finished last season, but still over 2 foot below full pool. For reference without some help from rainfall and runoff it would take at least 60 days, 24 hours a day to fill the refuge pumping at the current rates we are able to pump.
No row crops were planted in the wetland pools with anticipation of the drought persisting and budgetary constraints. We got a phenomenal moist soil response with highly desirable smart weeds and wild millets. Unfortunately we turned extremely hot and dry in May and June and some of our vegetation started showing drought stress in late June and early July. The pump was turned on July 9th and ran into the hunting pools the remainder of the month until we finally got some help from mother nature when we received 4.5" of rain over a weekend in the early part of August. The pump was shut down as we had put as much water in the wetlands that we could without hurting the plants. The moist soil vegetation responded great with tremendous seed production and growth. For the month of August, after the pump was shut off, every pool was losing around 2" per week to evaporation and plant uptake. The pump was started back up last week (September 15th) with most of the water going into the refuge. After conversations with Kansas Division of Water Resources (DWR) we are expecting protection orders to be sent out Friday September 22 for the entire Neosho Basin (Council Grove to the state line); meaning we will be shutting pumping efforts down no later than the morning of Wednesday September 27th and there will be no further pumping until significant rainfall occurs (6-10" of rainfall = significant) north of the wildlife area or DWR grants permission. The Neosho River comes out of John Redmond Reservoir, John Redmond is dropping fast and is currently over 2 feet lower than it was all of last year. Water levels are currently better in the hunting pools and refuge than this time last year but unfortunately it may be all we have for the season. The vegetation looks very promising for a great duck season but if we do not get some help from Mother Nature it may be a very long, tough duck season due to lack of water.
We have already had a couple of issues with drones this year. They are not allowed on public land in Kansas.
DAILY HUNT PERMIT:
Hunters can check-in / check-out here, https://ksoutdoors.com/checkin using your licensing login credentials.
NO ACCESS (FOOT, BOAT, ETC.) into the wetlands BEFORE 5:00AM, and MUST be out of the wetlands within an HOUR AFTER SUNSET (LEGAL SHOOTING HOURS).
Other regulations to keep in mind are parking in designated parking areas ONLY, boats must operate at no wake speeds in the boating canals, and watercraft are not permitted within the hunting pools until the day of waterfowl season at 5:00am. Also Pools 4A and 4B are open to NON-MOTORIZED boats only (Note: An electric trolling motor is a motor and will not be allowed).
South Unit
Boards have been in structures since mid May, there has been no run off or any water within the wetlands from vertical rainfall. We will have to receive very significant rainfall in order to pump the South Unit, our water right is a "Junior" water right. The river will have to have significant flow for several weeks to be able to pump any water for 2024.
Hunting Pool Habitat 2024-2025
| Pool | Acres | Beans | Corn | Millet mix | Moist Soil | Greentree | Buckwheat |
| 1 | 350 | 60 | 50 | 15 | 160 | 65 | 0 |
| 2A | 155 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 30 | 0 |
| 2B | 190 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 130 | 30 | 0 |
| 4A | 90 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 0 |
| 4B | 65 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 85 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 30 | 20 | 0 |
| 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | 40 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| South Unit | 100 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 40 | 0 |
As always, if you have questions please feel free to call the office at 620-449-2539. We are always happy to take your calls and please keep in mind that this is a field office, so if we do not answer please leave a message and we will get back in touch with you as soon as we can.
- Pool 8 is restricted to waterfowl hunters accompanied by a youth hunter, 16 years of age or less on weekends and holidays. The adults may hunt with the youth hunter.
- Non-toxic shot is required for all hunting.
- All hunters must obtain a free daily hunting permit utilizing the new "GoOutdoors KS" app. prior to the hunt and checkout after the hunt is completed.
Here is a complete list of Public Land Regulations or you can download the regulation summary.
In 1959, the Kansas Forestry, Fish and Game Commission purchased the initial 2,975.5 acres. In 1988 an additional 270 acres were purchased through a fifty percent cost share agreement with Ducks Unlimited Inc. The area was first opened to waterfowl hunting in the fall of 1962.
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| Waterfowl numbers | Hunters can check in here, https://ksoutdoors.com/checkin using your licensing login credentials or download the "GoOutdoors KS" app. Check-in / check-out is required for all hunters! NO ENTRY (by foot, boat, etc) INTO THE MARSH (water) BY ANY HUNTER UNTIL 5:00AM AND MUST BE OUT OF THE MARSH BY 1 HOUR AFTER SUNSET (LEGAL SHOOTING TIME). IF THE WATERFOWL REPORT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED THAT MEANS THAT THE CONDITIONS ON THE AREA HAVE NOT CHANGED SINCE THE LAST UPDATE Duck species present Wood Ducks, Blue and Green-Winged Teal, Pintail, Gadwall, Widgeon, Shoveler, and Mallard. Canada and White-fronted goose numbers are also increasing. |
| Water level | The SE part of the state is still in need of some rain, it has become very dry over the last 2 months. Flood irrigation or first stage up began in the hunting pools on July 29th and finished up August 8th, second stage up was Sept 4th through the 13th and third stage up started Oct 7th and is ongoing. This was done to help preserve habitat, promote seed production, invertebrate production and keep moist soil plants from burning up. Food is done and we are trying to get water to opening day elevations, but pumping is extremely slow and we are continuing to lose water to evaporation. The Neosho River Basin is now fairly flush with water. Recent rains totaling around 8.5" have helped tremendously. Water levels are in good shape in all pools with levels being around that 12 to 14" average. Boat hunters should still utilize caution when navigating through the hunting pools as there is still extremely shallow water and getting stuck could be a real possibility. Please utilize common sense and respect to other hunters. Please see area news for habitat conditions Boats are NOT required to hunt Neosho. Walk-in hunting is readily available with very few areas over knee deep. Hunters should take caution during the regular waterfowl season wading the boat lane (south end) in Pool 1 (tractor roads/foot crossings are in place); the very east side of 2A, and the oxbow area of 2B. Pool 1- 200 Acres Pool 2A- 100 Acres Pool 2B- 130 acres Pool 3 (Refuge)- 475 acres Pool 4A- 90 Acres Walk in and non-motorized boat hunting only Pool 4B- 40 Acres Walk in and non-motorized boat hunting only Pool 5- Sheet water Pool 6- Dry Pool 7- Full Pool 8- 25 Acres Please remember that this pool is youth/mentor ONLY on weekends and holidays. Pool 9- 20 Acres South Unit- FULL
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| Hunting conditions | SE Zone Regular Waterfowl season is OPEN Conditions look great with recent rainfall. Water is currently where we want it to be and will begin stage ups in the near future. Habitat is looks extremely good, seed production for moist soil and row crops was good and the vegetation is tall and rank, so what water we have will be hard to see until vegetation begins to break down. Pool elevations are good as can be expected for this time of year with 12 to 14" water in most of pools.
Please see the area news page for a breakdown of habitat types within each pool.
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| Expected hunting success | SE ZONE REGULAR SEASON CURRENTLY OPEN Fair to good success expected. Please be respectful of other hunters and allow space between hunting parties. We want to thank everyone for the continued cooperation with utilizing our new electronic check-in/out system. The agency continues to work diligently on improving the new system and are confident it will be working for the upcoming waterfowl season. Area staff look at and sort this data in many different ways to make management decisions for upcoming years and to also look at what management strategies worked during the hunting season. |
| Comments | ATTENTION: Federal waterfowl stamps purchased online are still required to be accessible to provide proof of purchase by the hunter if asked for by Law Enforcement! Reminder: Motorized watercraft are prohibited on the wildlife area until the day season opens. (5:00am, November 5,2022 for regular duck season.) DAILY REGULATION: NO ENTRY INTO THE MARSH (water) BY ANY HUNTER UNTIL 5:00AM AND MUST BE OUT OF THE MARSH BY 1 HOUR AFTER LEGAL SHOOTING TIME. DRONES ARE NOT ALLOWED ON PUBLIC LAND IN KANSAS All Boating regulations are enforced! (Lifejackets must be out and accessible, navigation lights, etc.) All boats must operate at no wake speeds within boating canals (signs are posted) No shooting is allowed from interior dikes Legal shooting hours are 1/2 hr before sunrise to SUNSET! Required Licenses/stamps: Hunting License, Federal Waterfowl Stamp, Kansas State Stamp, and Kansas H.I.P. Stamp. It is your responsibility to make sure you have the required licenses/stamps. You MUST also check in and check out here, https://ksoutdoors.com/checkin using your licensing login credentials or download the "GoOutdoors KS" app. Waterfowl hunting in Pool 8 is restricted to youth hunters and their mentor on weekends and holidays. There must be at least one youth per adult if the adult is hunting. (You can't have 5 adults and one youth). This applies during the Youth and Veterans season, this pool is for youth only during youth and veterans season, unless the veteran is taking a youth hunting. Atv's of any kind are not allowed on the area (side by sides, utv's, amphibious vehicles, "argos"; this includes electric bicycles) Campgrounds on the area are Primitive campground. (No electric, No water) Take your trash with you!! Please remember to fill out the permit with accurate information. THIS INFORMATION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CURRENT AND FUTURE MANAGEMENT OF THE AREA. FILL OUT ONLY YOUR INDIVIDUAL HARVEST EFFORTS, each individual hunter needs to check in/out and report his/her harvest totals. i.e., NOT A GROUP HARVEST TOTAL. |