44 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2017
until the refuge closes on the Monday
before Thanksgiving, at which time it
is closed to all access until Feb. 15.
Once the refuges close, they provide
sanctuary to thousands of migrating
Canada, white-fronted and snow geese,
numerous duck species and trumpeter
swans throughout the winter months.
Special Hunting Area
The Special Hunting Area (SHA)
of Clear Creek consists of about 300
acres, which includes 10 four-person
pit blinds, and is open to hunting for
waterfowl and other game species until
the Monday before Thanksgiving. At
that point, the area is open only to
those who are assigned a blind through
a drawing held each morning at the
Clear Creek check station.
The drawings, conducted by
Commission staff at Clear Creek,
determine the order of blind selection
for each hunting party. Five of the
blinds are located in the meadow along
the refuge boundary, four on wetlands
and one on the North Platte River.
Duck hunters prefer the blinds on the
water, numbers six through 10, until
it freezes. Hunters in all of the blinds
stand a good chance of decoying geese
coming and going to and from the
refuge and Lake McConaughy. When
winter weather pushes new geese
down from the north is when hunters
have the best success. Weekly updates
are available online showing the bird
harvests from each of the blinds.
Up to five blinds are available by
reservation. Hunters may apply for
dates during August and September,
and a drawing is held the first
Wednesday in October. Applications
are available on the Commission's
website, the agency's North Platte
office and at the Clear Creek WMA
check station. If any advance
reservation dates remain open after the
drawing, hunters may call the district
office in North Platte to reserve one.
No more than two advance reservations
are allowed per individual per year.
Hunters with reservations have a
separate drawing for blind selection;
the remaining blinds are allocated by
a second drawing. All drawings are
There are 10 blinds, each equipped with two
dozen decoys, for waterfowl hunters utilizing the
special hunting area.
PHOTO
BY
JULIE
GEISER
