Whether hunting for trophy whitetail bucks and turkey, or fishing for trophy large mouth bass and snagging paddlefish, sportsmen flock into Labette County year-round to take advantage of the biggest tourism attractions in Southeast Kansas. In 2009, Outdoor Life magazine named the area its No. 7 best whitetail deer hunting spot in the entire United States, largely due to the nearly 14,000 acres of the Great Plains Industrial Park.
 

Within the GPIP boundary the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will own 3,000 acres and manage more than another 6,000 acres of unique Kansas habitat that features more than a thousand acres of native prairie grasses and wildflowers, wetlands and woodlands. This mixture of habitat readily attracts a variety of wildlife.
 

Just west of Parsons is Big Bill Lake, a Corps of Engineers water project containing 27,270 acre feet of some of the clearest water in Kansas. It is home to three campgrounds, three equestrian trail heads, and four day-use areas, including a sand beach.
 

On the Neosho River, in the south part of the county, fishermen will find the best catfishing in Kansas, as well as an early spring run of the unique looking paddlefish.