Ballards Marsh WMA: hunting, rules and access
Ballards Marsh WMA is 1,562 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 16 miles west of Wood Lake, in Cherry County and the Sandhills and Calamus West deer units.
Data updated October 2026. Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas and property layer; OFW 2026-27.
Game and Parks landNational wildlife refuge or WPAOpen Fields and WatersBallards Marsh WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 1,562 (Game and Parks); 1,589 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | NW, map sheet 15 |
| County | Cherry |
| Deer unit | Sandhills and Calamus West |
| On Game and Parks' records since | 1961 |
Which deer unit is Ballards Marsh WMA in?
It spans the Sandhills and Calamus West deer units. The Sandhills unit has special rules in the Big Game Guide (page 19).
| Unit | Area acres in it | Deer harvested (whole unit) |
|---|---|---|
| Sandhills | 1,374 | 1,812 (2025) |
| Calamus West | 215 | 1,108 (2025) |
Unit Buck permits for the Sandhills unit in 2026: Sandhills 1,200 (1 AD2, sold out R - Nov. 11, NR - DRAW in 2025), Private Land Sandhills 200 (1 AD2, sold out July 29 in 2025) and Sandhills WT 300 (1 WT, sold out Nov. 12 in 2025) (Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Guide, page 13).
Harvest: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Recommendations.
What public and walk-in land is near Ballards Marsh WMA?
Within five miles: 15,317 acres of national wildlife refuge or WPA and 2,521 acres of Game and Parks land (this area included), and no OFW walk-in land. Nearest WMAs: Big Alkali Lake WMA (2.1 mi), Schlagel Creek WMA (7 mi) and Rat and Beaver Lake WMA (9.5 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027.
How do you get to Ballards Marsh WMA?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 83.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Lake | 15 | east |
| Valentine | 19 | north |
| Crookston | 24 | north |
| Johnstown | 24 | east |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ballards Marsh WMA?
Its middle is about 16 miles west of Wood Lake, in Cherry County and the Sandhills and Calamus West deer units.
How big is Ballards Marsh WMA?
1,562 acres by Game and Parks' count; 1,589 acres inside the boundary on Game and Parks' map.
Is there walk-in land near Ballards Marsh WMA?
Not within five miles on Game and Parks' 2026-27 OFW map.
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Sources: Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas; Game and Parks properties (WMAs, recreation areas, parks); USGS PAD-US 4.1; Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027; Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Recommendations. General WMA rules: all WMAs. FilledTag is not part of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.