Bighorn WMA: hunting, rules and access
Bighorn WMA is 1,271 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 9 miles south of Whitney, in Dawes County and the Pine Ridge deer unit.
Data updated October 2026. Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas and property layer; OFW 2026-27.
Game and Parks landNational forest or grasslandOpen Fields and WatersBighorn WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 1,271 (Game and Parks); 1,270 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | NW, map sheet 1 |
| County | Dawes |
| Deer unit | Pine Ridge |
| On Game and Parks' records since | 2011 |
Which deer unit is Bighorn WMA in?
The Pine Ridge deer unit, 3,323 square miles, with 1,556 deer taken across the whole unit in 2025. The Pine Ridge unit has special rules in the Big Game Guide (page 19).
Unit Buck permits for the Pine Ridge unit in 2026: Pine Ridge 900 (1 AD2, sold out R - July 15, NR - DRAW in 2025), Private Land Pine Ridge 150 (1 AD2, sold out Aug. 3 in 2025) and Pine Ridge WT 900 (1 WT, sold out Nov. 14 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 Bighorn WMA?
Within five miles: 13,667 acres of national forest or grassland and 5,979 acres of Game and Parks land (this area included), and 1,022 acres of OFW walk-in land on 2 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 744 acres 2.2 miles south (All Huntings Seasons, Trapping and Fishing (Lands)) and 296 acres 3.6 miles southwest (All Hunting Seasons and Trapping). Nearest WMAs: Ponderosa WMA (1.3 mi), Chadron Creek Ranch WMA (8.5 mi) and Fort Robinson WMA (11.5 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027. County walk-in totals: Dawes County.
How do you get to Bighorn WMA?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 20.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Whitney | 8 | north |
| Crawford | 8 | west |
| Chadron | 15 | northeast |
| Hemingford | 24 | south |
| Hay Springs | 26 | east |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bighorn WMA?
Its middle is about 9 miles south of Whitney, in Dawes County and the Pine Ridge deer unit.
How big is Bighorn WMA?
1,271 acres by Game and Parks' count; 1,270 acres inside the boundary on Game and Parks' map.
Is there walk-in land near Bighorn WMA?
Yes: 1,022 acres of OFW land on 2 tracts within five miles, on Game and Parks' 2026-27 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.