Metcalf WMA: hunting, rules and access
Metcalf WMA is 3,317 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 10 miles north of Hay Springs, in Sheridan 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 landOpen Fields and WatersMetcalf WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 3,317 (Game and Parks); 3,272 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | NW, map sheet 5 |
| County | Sheridan |
| Deer unit | Pine Ridge |
| On Game and Parks' records since | 2017 |
Which deer unit is Metcalf 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 Metcalf WMA?
Within five miles: 3,363 acres of Game and Parks land (this area included), and 375 acres of OFW walk-in land on 1 tract. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 398 acres next to it on the south side (All Hunting Seasons and Trapping). Nearest WMAs: Bordeaux WMA (8.9 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027. County walk-in totals: Sheridan County.
How do you get to Metcalf WMA?
No numbered highway within five miles.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Hay Springs | 9 | south |
| Rushville | 12 | southeast |
| Chadron | 15 | west |
| Clinton | 16 | east |
| Gordon | 23 | east |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Metcalf WMA?
Its middle is about 10 miles north of Hay Springs, in Sheridan County and the Pine Ridge deer unit.
How big is Metcalf WMA?
3,317 acres by Game and Parks' count; 3,272 acres inside the boundary on Game and Parks' map.
Is there walk-in land near Metcalf WMA?
Yes: 375 acres of OFW land on 1 tract 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.