Waterfowl Production Area · Kearney County, Nebraska

Bluestem Waterfowl Production Area

Public land (fee title)Walk-in access

Bluestem Waterfowl Production Area is a 76-acre tract of federally owned wetland and grassland habitat in Kearney County, Nebraska. It is managed by the Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District as part of the Kearney County Waterfowl Production Area group of WPAs. Waterfowl Production Areas are purchased largely with Federal Duck Stamp dollars and are generally open to hunting, trapping and fishing under state regulations, with some federal restrictions.

Navigate here Satellite map Rainwater Basin WMD rules →
76GIS acres
76deeded acres
Kearney Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi

Bluestem WPA satellite map

Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.

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Waterfowl Production Area (public)County lineRefuge / station Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
All WPAs in Kearney County:KMLGPX

Hunting on Bluestem WPA

What you can typically do

  • Hunt waterfowl, upland birds, deer and other game in season under Nebraska regulations
  • Walk in from roads or designated parking areas — vehicles generally stay off the tract
  • Fish and trap where state rules and district regulations allow
  • Wildlife watching, photography and hiking

Common restrictions

  • No camping, fires or overnight use on most WPAs
  • Motorized vehicles only on designated roads/parking
  • Temporary blinds and stands usually must be removed daily
  • Non-toxic shot required for waterfowl — many districts require it for all shotgun hunting
  • Some tracts have closed areas or special regulations — check signs

How to get to Bluestem WPA

Navigate

Destination: Bluestem Waterfowl Production Area

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Decimal
40.44181, -99.05866
DMS
40°26′30.5″N 99°03′31.2″W

Nearest towns

  • Holdrege, NE16 mi E of town
  • Kearney, NE18 mi S of town
  • Grand Island, NE51 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • GRI Central Nebraska Regional54 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

Shooting hours at Bluestem WPA

Today at Bluestem WPA

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Chicago local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:32 AM7:02 AM8:10 PM13h 08m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM7:47 PM12h 32m
Thu, Oct 1, 20267:01 AM7:31 AM7:20 PM11h 49m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:15 AM7:45 AM6:57 PM11h 12m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM5:34 PM10h 30m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM5:20 PM9h 59m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:09 AM7:39 AM5:11 PM9h 31m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:22 AM7:52 AM5:10 PM9h 19m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:29 AM7:59 AM5:19 PM9h 20m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:27 AM7:57 AM5:32 PM9h 35m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:16 AM7:46 AM5:52 PM10h 06m

Computed for 40.442, -99.059 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day forecast

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Nearby Waterfowl Production Areas

WPAAcresDistanceCounty
Gleason WPA5711.9 mi EKearney County
Lindau WPA1552.9 mi SEKearney County
Clark WPA4554.4 mi SKearney County
Killdeer WPA404.4 mi SWKearney County
Prairie Dog WPA8944.6 mi SWKearney County
Frerichs WPA475.9 mi SWKearney County
Quadhamer WPA5989.3 mi SFranklin County
Funk WPA1,9949.9 mi NWPhelps County

Closest refuges & districts

Rainwater Basin WMD

Phelps County, NE · 9.8 mi NW

1 open1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

24.9K huntable acres

Kirwin NWR

Phillips County, KS · 55 mi S

3 special2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

5.8K huntable acres

John W. and Louise Seier NWR

Rock County, NE · 124 mi N

1 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗

2.4K huntable acres

Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest), Kearney County Waterfowl Production Area. Acreage from GIS polygons; deeded acreage from realty records.