The diverse habitat on Byron Walker Wildlife Area includes riparian woodlands, native prairie, wetlands and marshes, and cropland which makes the area a great destination for hunting a variety of game species. Most of the prairie habitat is mixed grass prairie that has been enhanced with brush plantings, disked strips, and food plots. The wetlands are managed for waterfowl using moist soil management and millet plantings. Area woodlands are fairly diverse with some walnut and oaks mixed in. A substantial amount of management is directed toward maintaining and improving these habitats each year.
Quail are the primary upland game species on the area, and numbers are typically good. The western 2/3 of the area is probably best due to the quality native prairie habitat found there. If you watch for weed strips, plum thickets and recently burned prairie, the dogs will probably tell you good things. Pheasants can be found on the area, but numbers are generally low because of the lack of suitable habitat. They too can be found in the prairie habitats, but look where croplands are available or near wetland habitat for them.
White-tailed deer hunting is very popular on Byron Walker. Numbers are generally good and can be found in every habitat on the area. Choosing areas where you think pressure may be light can help minimize interactions with other hunters and increase your success. Think about pinch points and travel lanes back off of the food as public land deer are more wary than those found on private land. Bowhunters can improve their shooting skills at the archery range locate adjacent to the area headquarters.
Turkey hunting is excellent on the area with spring flocks of several hundred possible. The area is best early in the season as hunting pressure frequently forces birds off the area or makes them extremely wary by mid to late season. The Rio turkeys are not bound to the timber. They are frequently out in the prairie and often use the burned grasslands extensively. Do tread lightly and they will stay longer on the area.
Waterfowl hunting offers some exciting opportunities on the area. The west 1/3 of Kingman State fishing Lake is open to waterfowl hunting, with the remainder of the lake managed as a refuge. In addition, eight marshes are located north and west of the lake and three more can be found south of the lake on the south side of highway 54. The Ninnescah River and a dozen or more ponds on the area are also open to waterfowl hunting. This may sound like a lot of space, but the actual acreage is limited. Please keep your shots close and over the decoys. There is no use wounding and losing birds due to a lack of patience. The area can also be quite crowded on weekends, so respect your neighbor and work together.
