Hunting muleys in Nebraska

[Lostincolorado]

After 3 years of trying to get a mule deer Draw a in Colorado, Did not get troll in so got on Nebraska's website ham was draw for a Mule deer hunt in the Platte MDCA. Has anybody hunted in that area and could you give some newby's some direction. Thank you sure would appreciate it.

 

[Walkathon]

It's hard to find public land in Nebraska that doesn't get hammered in rifle season, anywhere in the state. Hope you find a good spot to hunt- I've never hunted a Platte tag so I can't offer any advice.

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

I have the same question. Just spent an hour trying to navigate the state hunting info, and I'm not sure I'm any closer to understanding what's available to a non-res than I was an hour ago. LOL

It seems there are both draw tags/units and OTC tags/units (until they run out) but they sure don't make it easy to understand which are which!

 

[MO Betta]

Pages 13-15 and 18-20 of the 2020 Nebraska Big Game Guide seem to lay it all out. Frenchman, Platte, and Republican Mule Deer areas are draw only.

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

Pages 13-15 and 18-20 of the 2020 Nebraska Big Game Guide seem to lay it all out. Frenchman, Platte, and Republican Mule Deer areas are draw only.

Thanks. I couldn't find that guide on their website. Only the 2019 guide. But I did figure out the draw areas, mostly in the south central part of the state.

I'm wondering now if there are areas of public land where a person could backpack in and camp overnight. Guess I'll be looking that up as well.

 

[Pucky Freak]

NE is one of the last places I’d go hoping to find a mulie on public land. If I did go it would be archery, and I’d be prepared to face crowds and low deer #s. The way the NE literature reads it seems like a doable hunt, but in reality the mulies are basically on private land. There are a few nice NE public land mulies posted on this site if you look around. I’d suggest focusing on whitetails if you are set on NE. If you’re set on mule deer this year I’d watch the CO reissue list like a hawk.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Also, you can add your name to the MT alternate list for a deer/elk combo list, deadline July 7th.

 

[WyoDoug]

After 3 years of trying to get a mule deer Draw a in Colorado, Did not get troll in so got on Nebraska's website ham was draw for a Mule deer hunt in the Platte MDCA. Has anybody hunted in that area and could you give some newby's some direction. Thank you sure would appreciate it.

I so want to. My grandpa lived for years in the Cozad area and used to take me and my dad turkey hunting. Can't remember where because I was like 6 at the time. But going to the Platte area anywhere draws strong memories for me.

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

NE is one of the last places I’d go hoping to find a mulie on public land. If I did go it would be archery, and I’d be prepared to face crowds and low deer #s. The way the NE literature reads it seems like a doable hunt, but in reality the mulies are basically on private land. There are a few nice NE public land mulies posted on this site if you look around. I’d suggest focusing on whitetails if you are set on NE. If you’re set on mule deer this year I’d watch the CO reissue list like a hawk.

Call me stupid, but low deer density never bothers me. Where I grew up hunting, it was a big deal just to see a deer, even on private land. We had lots of seasons when we never fired a shot. It really helped me become patient and value the experience over the result. And it's always fun to explore new territory anyway. I'll snag a tag off the CO list, but I've been thinking about trying someplace new anyhow.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Re: density. There are places (further W of NE) with arid habitat, lots of public land, and low deer densities. If you scout and glass and keep at it, you can find one because they are in there. I wouldn’t mind hunting in a place like this.

Then there are these postage stamp pieces of public in NE that get hammered and MD move to adjacent private. The MD densities are fine on private, but on public you search and search, piece to piece, trying to turn up better than a yearling or even that. There are many NE public land hunt recaps on here telling tales like this, if you search and read thru them. Not worth my $400 unless I’m cool with shooting a WT if I can’t turn up a MD.

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

Re: density. There are places (further W of NE) with arid habitat, lots of public land, and low deer densities. If you scout and glass and keep at it, you can find one because they are in there. I wouldn’t mind hunting in a place like this.

Then there are these postage stamp pieces of public in NE that get hammered and MD move to adjacent private. The MD densities are fine on private, but on public you search and search, piece to piece, trying to turn up better than a yearling or even that. There are many NE public land hunt recaps on here telling tales like this, if you search and read thru them. Not worth my $400 unless I’m cool with shooting a WT if I can’t turn up a MD.

I hear what you're saying.

 

[shb]

NE and deer hunting is the scaled up version of the "Outfitter" that has 2 shooter bucks on his leases, and goes ahead and sells 80 hunts for them.



Vacation time is more valuable than money. Both are better spent where your learning curve will actually lead to something down the road that is based on more than good luck.