Prairie Knoll WMA: hunting, rules and access
Prairie Knoll WMA is 120 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 2 miles northwest of Du Bois, 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 WatersPrairie Knoll WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 120 (Game and Parks); 120 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | SE, map sheet 49 |
| 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 | 1984 |
Which deer unit is Prairie Knoll 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 Prairie Knoll WMA?
Within five miles: 518 acres of Game and Parks land (this area included), and 380 acres of OFW walk-in land on 2 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 232 acres 3.3 miles northwest (CRP) and 138 acres 4 miles west (All Hunting Seasons and Trapping). Nearest WMAs: Lores Branch WMA (1.2 mi), Kinter's Ford WMA (3.4 mi) and Taylor's Branch WMA (5.5 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 Prairie Knoll WMA?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: N-8, N-50 and N-65.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Du Bois | 2 | southeast |
| Pawnee City | 5 | northwest |
| Table Rock | 8 | north |
| Humboldt | 10 | northeast |
| Steinauer | 13 | northwest |
Questions hunters ask
What can you hunt on Prairie Knoll 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 Prairie Knoll WMA?
Its middle is about 2 miles northwest of Du Bois, in Pawnee County and the Blue Southeast deer unit.
How big is Prairie Knoll WMA?
120 acres by Game and Parks' count; 120 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.