Rainwater Basin WMD
Phelps County, NE · 9.4 mi NW
✓1 open✕1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣
24.9K huntable acres
Waterfowl Production Area · Kearney County, Nebraska
Prairie Dog Waterfowl Production Area
✓Public land (fee title)🥾Walk-in access
Covering about 894 acres, Prairie Dog Waterfowl Production Area protects prairie wetlands and uplands 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.
894GIS acres
892deeded acres
Kearney Countycounty
8WPAs within 40 mi
Prairie Dog WPA satellite map
Gold outlines are fee-title Waterfowl Production Areas — public land. Everything outside is typically private; always look for boundary signs.
Loading interactive map…
Waterfowl Production Area (public)County lineRefuge / station
Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
Hunting on Prairie Dog 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 Prairie Dog WPA
Navigate
Destination: Prairie Dog Waterfowl Production Area
- Decimal
40.39987, -99.12743- DMS
40°23′59.5″N 99°07′38.7″W
Nearest towns
- Holdrege, NE13 mi E of town
- Kearney, NE21 mi S of town
- Grand Island, NE55 mi SW of town
Closest airports
- GRI Central Nebraska Regional58 mi
Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.
Shooting hours at Prairie Dog WPA
Today at Prairie Dog 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
| Date | Shooting light | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:10 PM | 13h 08m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:47 PM | 12h 32m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:20 PM | 11h 49m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:58 PM | 11h 12m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 5:35 PM | 10h 30m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:20 PM | 9h 59m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:11 PM | 9h 32m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:11 PM | 9h 19m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 7:29 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:19 PM | 9h 20m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 7:27 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:32 PM | 9h 35m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:52 PM | 10h 06m |
Computed for 40.400, -99.127 (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
| WPA | Acres | Distance | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Killdeer WPA | 40 | 1.4 mi SE | Kearney County |
| Frerichs WPA | 47 | 1.8 mi S | Kearney County |
| Clark WPA | 455 | 4.1 mi E | Kearney County |
| Bluestem WPA | 76 | 4.6 mi NE | Kearney County |
| Lindau WPA | 155 | 4.8 mi E | Kearney County |
| Gleason WPA | 571 | 6.0 mi NE | Kearney County |
| Quadhamer WPA | 598 | 6.3 mi S | Franklin County |
| Funk WPA | 1,994 | 8.7 mi NW | Phelps County |
Closest refuges & districts
Source: USFWS Realty Tracts (fee-title interest), Kearney County Waterfowl Production Area. Acreage from GIS polygons; deeded acreage from realty records.