Swan Creek WMA: hunting, rules and access
Swan Creek WMA is 160 acres of Game and Parks land, centered about 7 miles east of Milligan, in Saline County and the Blue Northwest deer unit. Species listed: deer, dove, pheasant, quail, rabbit, waterfowl.
Data updated October 2026. Game and Parks' 2026-27 Public Access Atlas and property layer; OFW 2026-27.
Game and Parks landOther publicOpen Fields and WatersSwan Creek WMAOther WMAsDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 160 (Game and Parks); 155 inside the mapped boundary |
|---|---|
| District and atlas sheet | SE, map sheet 37, 38, 43 |
| Species Game and Parks lists | deer, dove, pheasant, quail, rabbit and waterfowl |
| County | Saline |
| Deer unit | Blue Northwest |
| On Game and Parks' records since | 1981 |
Which deer unit is Swan Creek WMA in?
The Blue Northwest deer unit, 2,834 square miles, with 3,105 deer taken across the whole unit in 2025. No antlerless mule deer here.
Unit Buck permits for the Blue Northwest unit in 2026: Blue Northwest 2,200 (1 AD, sold out Oct. 27 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 Swan Creek WMA?
Within five miles: 437 acres of other public and 169 acres of Game and Parks land (this area included), and 581 acres of OFW walk-in land on 4 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 393 acres 4.9 miles south (CRP), 279 acres 2.8 miles southeast (All Hunting Seasons and Trapping), 197 acres 3.1 miles south (All Hunting Seasons and Trapping) and 78 acres 2.1 miles southeast (All Hunting Seasons and Trapping). Nearest WMAs: Divoky Acres WMA (4.9 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027. County walk-in totals: Saline County.
How do you get to Swan Creek WMA?
Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: N-41 and N-15.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Milligan | 7 | west |
| Tobias | 8 | southwest |
| Western | 8 | south |
| Friend | 9 | north |
| Dorchester | 11 | northeast |
Questions hunters ask
What can you hunt on Swan Creek WMA?
Game and Parks lists deer, dove, pheasant, quail, rabbit and waterfowl. Deer follow the permits for the Blue Northwest deer unit.
Where is Swan Creek WMA?
Its middle is about 7 miles east of Milligan, in Saline County and the Blue Northwest deer unit.
How big is Swan Creek WMA?
160 acres by Game and Parks' count; 155 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.