Rock Glen WMA: Southeast Nebraska Whitetail and Turkey Hunting

Rock Glen WMA covers 707 acres in Jefferson County near Fairbury, and it is one of the best-kept secrets in southeast Nebraska for whitetail deer and wild turkey. The property features a rare combination of virgin native prairie, restored grassland, and timber-studded ravines that create the kind of habitat diversity most WMAs in this part of the state cannot match. If you are hunting public land in southeast Nebraska, Rock Glen should be at the top of your list.

What Makes Rock Glen Special

The standout feature is the virgin prairie — native grassland that has never been plowed. In a state where over 98 percent of the original tallgrass prairie has been converted to agriculture, finding virgin prairie on public hunting land is genuinely rare. This undisturbed grass provides thick nesting cover for birds and excellent bedding habitat for deer.

The restored grassland areas complement the native prairie, and the timber draws that cut through the rolling terrain add a third habitat layer. These draws are filled with mature hardwoods and understory brush, creating the dense cover that southeast Nebraska whitetails need for security.

Whitetail Deer Hunting at Rock Glen

Rock Glen WMA is managed with food plots that specifically benefit deer and attract them to the property. This is a significant advantage for archery hunters. The combination of security cover in the timber draws, bedding habitat in the thick prairie grass, and supplemental food plots on the property means deer have every reason to stay.

For bowhunters, set up along the edges of timber draws where trails lead from bedding cover toward the food plots. Evening hunts over food plot approaches are particularly effective during October and early November before the rut scrambles buck patterns.

During the November rut, bucks cruise the ridgelines and timber draw edges checking for does. The ravines that connect different parts of the property become major travel corridors as bucks move between doe groups. Position yourself at a junction where two draws meet or where a draw opens onto a grassland bench.

Turkey Hunting

Spring turkey hunting at Rock Glen is excellent. The timber draws provide roosting habitat in the mature hardwoods, and the open prairie and grassland areas give gobblers room to strut and display. Turkeys roost in the draws and fly down into the open areas in the morning — setting up on the edge of a draw at first light is the go-to strategy.

Access and Fairbury

Rock Glen WMA is located about six miles east and two miles south of Fairbury, Nebraska. Fairbury is a solid small town with gas, groceries, motels, and restaurants — everything you need for a hunting trip. The WMA has parking and walk-in access.

Jefferson County sits in the southeast corner of the state, close to the Kansas border. The agricultural landscape here is rich — corn, soybeans, and wheat fields surround the WMA and provide food sources that keep deer and turkeys in the area year-round.

Best Times

Archery deer: September through November, with October being prime for food plot hunting and November for the rut. Rifle season in November. Turkey: late April through May. Rock Glen WMA delivers quality hunting on a manageable piece of public land. The virgin prairie alone makes it worth the trip, and the deer and turkey populations make it worth coming back.