Schlagel Creek WMA: hunting, rules and access
Schlagel Creek WMA is 610 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 11 miles south of Valentine, in Cherry County and the Sandhills 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 WatersSchlagel Creek WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 610 (Game and Parks); 611 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | NW, map sheet 15 |
| County | Cherry |
| Deer unit | Sandhills |
| On Game and Parks' records since | 2014 |
Which deer unit is Schlagel Creek WMA in?
The Sandhills deer unit, 7,806 square miles, with 1,812 deer taken across the whole unit in 2025. The Sandhills unit has special rules in the Big Game Guide (page 19).
Unit Buck permits for the Sandhills unit in 2026: Sandhills 1,200 (1 AD2, sold out R - Nov. 11, NR - DRAW in 2025), Private Land Sandhills 200 (1 AD2, sold out July 29 in 2025) and Sandhills WT 300 (1 WT, sold out Nov. 12 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 Schlagel Creek WMA?
Within five miles: 837 acres of Game and Parks land (this area included), and no OFW walk-in land. Nearest WMAs: Big Alkali Lake WMA (3.6 mi), Ballards Marsh WMA (7 mi) and Merritt Reservoir WMA (13.3 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027.
How do you get to Schlagel Creek WMA?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 83.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 10 | north |
| Crookston | 15 | northwest |
| Wood Lake | 19 | east |
| Kilgore | 22 | northwest |
| Nenzel | 28 | northwest |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Schlagel Creek WMA?
Its middle is about 11 miles south of Valentine, in Cherry County and the Sandhills deer unit.
How big is Schlagel Creek WMA?
610 acres by Game and Parks' count; 611 acres inside the boundary on Game and Parks' map.
Is there walk-in land near Schlagel Creek WMA?
Not within five miles on Game and Parks' 2026-27 OFW 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.