Ponderosa WMA: hunting, rules and access
Ponderosa WMA is 4,831 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 6 miles southeast of Crawford, 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 WatersPonderosa WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 4,831 (Game and Parks); 4,699 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | NW, map sheet 1 |
| County | Dawes |
| Deer unit | Pine Ridge |
| On Game and Parks' records since | 2018 |
Which deer unit is Ponderosa 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 Ponderosa WMA?
Within five miles: 7,722 acres of Game and Parks land and 7,636 acres of national forest or grassland (this area included), and 1,021 acres of OFW walk-in land on 2 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 744 acres 1.7 miles southeast (All Huntings Seasons, Trapping and Fishing (Lands)) and 296 acres next to it on the south side (All Hunting Seasons and Trapping). Nearest WMAs: Bighorn WMA (1.3 mi), Fort Robinson WMA (7.9 mi) and Peterson WMA (9.6 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 Ponderosa WMA?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: N-2, N-71 and US 20.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Crawford | 5 | northwest |
| Whitney | 8 | north |
| Chadron | 18 | northeast |
| Hemingford | 24 | south |
| Harrison | 28 | west |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ponderosa WMA?
Its middle is about 6 miles southeast of Crawford, in Dawes County and the Pine Ridge deer unit.
How big is Ponderosa WMA?
4,831 acres by Game and Parks' count; 4,699 acres inside the boundary on Game and Parks' map.
Is there walk-in land near Ponderosa WMA?
Yes: 1,021 acres of OFW land on 2 tracts within five miles, on Game and Parks' 2026-27 map.
Get a Nebraska hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Nebraska are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Nebraska included.
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.