Bolton Wildlife Area

The Bolton Wildlife area is located in Wabaunsee county 2 1/2 miles north and 1 1/2 miles west of Paxico. The area is a continuous tract of land one-half mile wide by two miles long. The 640 acre area consists of primarly native prairie with a small amount of timber located in the northeast corner of the property. Food plots have also been established in the northeast corner of the property and are managed for dove harvest. Hunting opportunities include prairie chicken, bob-white quail, turkey, deer, mourning dove, and squirrel. There are several small ponds that are periodically stocked by the department. Largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish can be found in these ponds.nnThe Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism has begun to intensively manage for greater prairie chicken habitat on the property. The Department implemented a patch-burn grazing system in the spring of 2011. Cattle are allowed to freely graze the 600 acres of native range during the months of May-August. Approximately 1/3 of the grazed acres are burned each year. The first documented prairie chicken lek on Bolton Wildlife Area was observed in the spring of 2011!