Kansas Deer — Unit 5
Pawnee
Kansas Unit 5 covers 2,171,215 acres and lies 13 miles south-west of Great Bend and 42 miles north of Pratt. 2% of it is public land, mostly wildlife refuge (1%) and state land (1%). In 2021, hunters took 3,087 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 draw put up 679 nonresident tags here.
Your chance of drawing here
Every deer license type on offer in Unit 5, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
— Cut level
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRWT-U5 ↗ Nonresident Whitetail Either-sex Deer, Unit 5 | — Cut level | — steady since 2023 | 679 / — | Dec 2–13, 2026 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 nonresident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per application | $152.50 | $152.50 | $602.50 |
Application window: opens Apr 1, closes Apr 24, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
Other licenses valid in Unit 5
Not in the table above because they had no result in the 2026 draw.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- Private 2,128,884 ac · 98%
- National Wildlife Refuge 22,286 ac · 1%
- State land 19,268 ac · 1%
- National Park Service 414 ac · 0%
- County or city land 360 ac · 0%
Source: PAD-US 4.1 — Manager Type (fee interests), Kansas subset
How the hunting has gone
What Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast.
White-tailed Deer
| Season | Harvest |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,087 |
| 2020 | 2,912 |
| 2019 | 2,729 |
| 2018 | 3,050 |
| 2017 | 3,109 |
Mule Deer
| Season | Harvest |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2017 | 32 |
Residents vs nonresidents (2021)
- Resident 2,187 taken
- Nonresident 909 taken
What the agency says about the area
Pawnee; unit 5: that part of Kansas bounded by a line from the state highway K-4 and state highway K-14 junction, then south on state highway K-14 to its junction with Sego Road, then south on Sego Road to its junction with federal highway US-50, then west on federal highway US-50 to its junction with federal highway US-183, then northeast and north on federal highway US-183 to its junction with state highway K-156, then west on state highway K-156 to its junction with federal highway US-283, then north on federal highway US-283 to its junction with state highway K-4, then east on state highway K-4 to its junction with state highway K-14, except federal and state sanctuaries.
Boundary: Kansas Deer Management Units (KDWP feature service)