[MuscleWhitefish]

I was wondering if anyone has deer hunted Nebraska.

I was looking at the public land in the Pine Ridge Area.

From what I gather it is a 50/50 Whitetail/Mule split in the area.

I noticed the month long December muzzy season and you can buy two buck permits.

You can also use magnifying scopes on muzzies.

Tags are cheap $209 for buck and the limited number of 2 does (Wt) $55. There is also a River Antlerless with unlimited amount of 2 doe permits for $55

NR Youth permits are $6 bucks too.

I was thinking about giving it a go around Christmas, because it will minimize the PTO usage.

I also could head out there and give the dog a go in the Fall to chase Prairie Chickens and Scout.

The only draw back is that the statewide muzzleloader average harvest is 20%.

It seems a bit cheap, but I was just curious if anyone has hunted in Nebraska for deer before.

 

[GaryFish]

There actually is pretty good public land in/around the Pine Ridge, more than most other areas around the state. It will be more mule deer that whitetail. Nebraska Game Fish & Parks also publishes a book of walk-in areas - private lands that the GFP have negotiated public access. Most of them are for upland birds, but some will allow deer hunting as well. I lived in Ogallala for a couple of years and hunted down along the Platte River, with access to private lands. But the areas around Fort Robinson - lots of public, huntable lands around there with Fort Robinson State Park, the Nebraska National Forest, and the Oglala National Grassland - all provide huntable areas.

 

[MuscleWhitefish]

There actually is pretty good public land in/around the Pine Ridge, more than most other areas around the state. It will be more mule deer that whitetail. Nebraska Game Fish & Parks also publishes a book of walk-in areas - private lands that the GFP have negotiated public access. Most of them are for upland birds, but some will allow deer hunting as well. I lived in Ogallala for a couple of years and hunted down along the Platte River, with access to private lands. But the areas around Fort Robinson - lots of public, huntable lands around there with Fort Robinson State Park, the Nebraska National Forest, and the Oglala National Grassland - all provide huntable areas.

Thanks for your input.

From what I have heard and read the rifle season is like a firing squad.

Are there many muzzy hunters in that are of Nebraska?

 

[GaryFish]

I don't know really. I never hunted up that way. Like I said, I hunted deer along the Platte River, near the town of Hershey. I know the opening weekend of the rifle hunt was pretty crazy. But I went out even during the week of the rifle hunt and was pretty much by myself. In fact, I jumped a couple of really nice whitetail bucks out of a CRP patch mid week of the rifle hunt and all I had was my shotgun with #6 shot. But that's how it goes. Most of the guys I knew that hunted out there - deer were kind of an afterthought to the pheasants and waterfowl. That central flyway is crazy for the ducks and geese all winter long. So most guys were chasing birds in December, instead of deer. But I don't know if that was just the crowd I ran with, or characteristic of how things rolled out all over.

 

[treedagain]

there are a couple good public areas around chadron and east towards fort robinson.

 

[MuscleWhitefish]

That's what I have been hearing, well that and it's going to be cold.

If the Utah Draw thingy doesn't work out, this may be worth a shot.

 

[colorcountrygunner]

I hunted the southwest part of the state near McCook in 2011. You can only harvest a whitetail down there no muleys which sucked because we saw some decent muleys.
My cousin ate tag soup and I managed to connect on a running shot with a doe on our last day.

 

[MuscleWhitefish]

I hunted the southwest part of the state near McCook in 2011. You can only harvest a whitetail down there no muleys which sucked because we saw some decent muleys.
My cousin ate tag soup and I managed to connect on a running shot with a doe on our last day.

Yeah, I'm in that Wyoming year long residency limbo thing. So, I figure it would be a good second hunt to pick up. Idaho elk being the first. The northwest is a no mule deer doe zone, but the two dog tag for whitetail is only $55. So, it might be worth it.