Pawnee Prairie WMA: hunting, rules and access
Pawnee Prairie WMA is 1,140 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 8 miles south of Burchard, in Pawnee County and the Blue Southeast deer unit. Species listed: deer, dove, pheasant, quail, rabbit, squirrel, turkey.
Data updated October 2026. Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas and property layer; OFW 2026-27.
Game and Parks landOpen Fields and WatersPawnee Prairie WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 1,140 (Game and Parks); 1,119 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | SE, map sheet 44 |
| Species Game and Parks lists | deer, dove, pheasant, quail, rabbit, squirrel and turkey |
| County | Pawnee |
| Deer unit | Blue Southeast |
| On Game and Parks' records since | 1973 |
Which deer unit is Pawnee Prairie WMA in?
The Blue Southeast deer unit, 3,283 square miles, with 4,558 deer taken across the whole unit in 2025. No antlerless mule deer here.
Unit Buck permits for the Blue Southeast unit in 2026: Blue Southeast 3,500 (1 AD, sold out Oct. 28 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 Pawnee Prairie WMA?
Within five miles: 1,120 acres of Game and Parks land (this area included), and 330 acres of OFW walk-in land on 3 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 172 acres 1.5 miles west (CRP), 118 acres 1.6 miles northwest (Fishing Only) and 14 acres 2 miles west (Fishing Only). Nearest WMAs: Burchard WMA (8.1 mi), Bowwood WMA (8.8 mi) and Taylor's Branch 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: Pawnee County.
How do you get to Pawnee Prairie WMA?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: N-8 and N-99.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Burchard | 7 | north |
| Liberty | 8 | northwest |
| Pawnee City | 10 | northeast |
| Steinauer | 12 | north |
| Barneston | 12 | west |
Questions hunters ask
What can you hunt on Pawnee Prairie WMA?
Game and Parks lists deer, dove, pheasant, quail, rabbit, squirrel and turkey. Deer follow the permits for the Blue Southeast deer unit.
Where is Pawnee Prairie WMA?
Its middle is about 8 miles south of Burchard, in Pawnee County and the Blue Southeast deer unit.
How big is Pawnee Prairie WMA?
1,140 acres by Game and Parks' count; 1,119 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.