Basswood Ridge WMA: hunting, rules and access
Basswood Ridge WMA is 360 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 2 miles northwest of Homer, in Dakota County and the Elkhorn deer unit.
Data updated October 2026. Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas and property layer; OFW 2026-27.
Game and Parks landState park or recreation areaOpen Fields and WatersBasswood Ridge WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 360 (Game and Parks); 340 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | NE, map sheet 40 |
| Atlas marks | No target shooting |
| County | Dakota |
| Deer unit | Elkhorn |
| On Game and Parks' records since | 1985 |
What are the rules on Basswood Ridge WMA?
The atlas marks it no target shooting.
Source: Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas, area index (PDF page 116).
Which deer unit is Basswood Ridge WMA in?
The Elkhorn deer unit, 5,749 square miles, with 1,837 deer taken across the whole unit in 2025. The Elkhorn unit has special rules in the Big Game Guide (page 19).
Unit Buck permits for the Elkhorn unit in 2026: Elkhorn 2,500 (1 Buck, sold out Nov. 9 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 Basswood Ridge WMA?
Within five miles: 529 acres of state park or recreation area and 374 acres of Game and Parks land (this area included), and 605 acres of OFW walk-in land on 5 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 275 acres next to it on the south side (CRP), 123 acres 2.4 miles north (CRP), 85 acres 1.4 miles north (CRP) and 38 acres 1.9 miles north (CRP).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027. County walk-in totals: Dakota County.
How do you get to Basswood Ridge WMA?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 75, US 77, US 73 and N-35.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Homer | 2 | southeast |
| Hubbard | 4 | northwest |
| Dakota City | 6 | northeast |
| Jackson | 7 | northwest |
| Winnebago | 7 | south |
Questions hunters ask
Are there special rules on Basswood Ridge WMA?
The 2026-27 atlas marks it no target shooting.
Where is Basswood Ridge WMA?
Its middle is about 2 miles northwest of Homer, in Dakota County and the Elkhorn deer unit.
How big is Basswood Ridge WMA?
360 acres by Game and Parks' count; 340 acres inside the boundary on Game and Parks' 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.