# Nebraska public pressure



## cwalker5586 (Nov 6, 2010)

Anyone have insight on Nebraska? 2 friends and I are headed out there for a archery rut hunt, have been satellite scouting south central along with northeast NE, planning on taking a 16’ aluminum with us for access, trying to avoid crowds obviously, any pointers for areas to avoid or areas that might fly under the radar? Ty for any help that can be offered


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## brownty1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I've never been there myself but I can offer a little insight. A LOT of people are asking the same questions you're asking on Rokslide and other forums. Looks like a lot of people plan on heading to Nebraska this fall. I was looking at heading out there myself but have decided not to since it looks like it might be packed. However this could be a lot of people asking without real intentions of going out there, won't know till you're there.


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## cwalker5586 (Nov 6, 2010)

brownty1 said:


> I've never been there myself but I can offer a little insight. A LOT of people are asking the same questions you're asking on Rokslide and other forums. Looks like a lot of people plan on heading to Nebraska this fall. I was looking at heading out there myself but have decided not to since it looks like it might be packed. However this could be a lot of people asking without real intentions of going out there, won't know till you're there.


Yea that’s the trouble with otc tags. Was planning on Missouri but spoke with 2 conservation officers and they said last year was horrible for overcrowding on the public land so we figured Nebraska would be better, normally hunt Ohio but figured we would change it up this year and head west, hopefully not a regretful decision 


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

Depends on who you ask. I’ve seen reviews of Nebraska ranging from “best kept secret” to “trash state because of otc/out of state hunters”. As with anything the experience you have probably has less to do with other hunters and more to do with the amount of effort you put in and what you make it. 

I hunted in Missouri last year during their firearms opener and hunted an archery only unit. It was a blast and saw a fair amount of deer, including a decent 120-130” my last day, but no tags were punched. 

If you’re goal is to simply fill a tag i’d ask if you should be doing an out of state hunt to begin with. But if you want to learn something, challenge yourself, and hunt new ground well then give it a shot. Just ask yourself the question: can it really be worse than public land in Michigan? 


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Check out Todd Toven on YouTube he hunts there every year


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## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

Check out Todd Toven on YouTube he hunts there every year


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## matt76cmich1 (Jul 28, 2015)

Haven't hunted deer out there, but I did go out there for turkey this spring during the shotgun opener, it was rather crowded. That said, I was in the north west corner where everyone was looking for a meriam. Ran into the guys that were doing a turkey tour for First Lite and they helped point me into a direction that had less people and I started getting on birds. Ton of whitetail out there as well with some mule deer mixed in. 

On the way home I hit up some public that was about 5 hours south and east away from where I was staying in Chadron and didn't run into anyone and almost connected on a bird. Not sure what he saw, but he boogied just before he cleared the pine at 25 yards. 

Definitely plan on heading back out there for turkey and maybe deer one day. 

I'm sure it'll be hit and miss with running into pressure during deer season, but I'd still go out there and have a good time. Good luck out there. 

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## cwalker5586 (Nov 6, 2010)

d_rek said:


> Depends on who you ask. I’ve seen reviews of Nebraska ranging from “best kept secret” to “trash state because of otc/out of state hunters”. As with anything the experience you have probably has less to do with other hunters and more to do with the amount of effort you put in and what you make it.
> 
> I hunted in Missouri last year during their firearms opener and hunted an archery only unit. It was a blast and saw a fair amount of deer, including a decent 120-130” my last day, but no tags were punched.
> 
> ...


I’m ok coming home with tag soup, done it plenty of times in Ohio, that’s out of state hunting, more go for the experience and hunting different terrain, that being said, I won’t shoot a buck that’s not going on my wall, and agree, there’s zero chance it’s worse then southern Michigan public 


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## dhosera (Jul 11, 2006)

You'll be fine. Our group of 4 went out there las year and hunted all public land archery and saw other bow hunters, but nothing I'd say was crazy. Gun hunting = Different Story, we left right before the gun opener and there were plenty of newly arrived groups driving around "Scouting" for the opener. We went 3-4 on deer. Nothing silly big, but I saw more quality deer in my week's hunt than in a year of hunting Michigan. Hunting was a lot tougher than we expected, but if you're willing to hike, you'll get away from "access areas" and into animals. Take the boat, thank me later We were going to go again this year but drew a couple other states instead. If I was to do it again I'd spend 1/2 the time Hunting Birds (Grouse & Ducks) and 1/2 the time bow hunting. Another hint


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## anagranite (Oct 23, 2010)

I've hunted the NW corner of the state four times. There are people there every year but most of them are cool and helped more than hurt. I stopped going because the biggest deer we saw the last two trips was smaller than we wanted. 

It will be better than Michigan by far, especially public land.


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## Hoyt0321 (Jan 29, 2021)

I hear Missouri is packed ! Do not plan on going there this fall for sure !


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## cwalker5586 (Nov 6, 2010)

Hoyt0321 said:


> I hear Missouri is packed ! Do not plan on going there this fall for sure !


Scouted Missouri a couple years back. Nw to ne corners, looked great just didn’t like how accessible the wma’s where, seems to have 2 tracks all over them, did scout a spot on the Missouri that looked great archery only but never made it to hunt 


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## Jbra (Nov 18, 2010)

I'm from Nebraska and grew up hunting public ground there. It is starting to become too over crowded for my liking, and I'm talking bow hunting. Gun hunting is a circus unless you're on private. What's getting worse is the two buck tags, rifle in the middle of the rut, OTC tags, and too many non res hunters (from Michigan, lol) shooting the first 110" buck they see. I used to go back quite often but the last time I went, there was more people than I ever dreamed of seeing in the middle of nowhere. You can find hidden gems but it's getting worse


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## bucko12pt (Dec 9, 2004)

I know this thread is dated by a few months, but I just got some relevant info from my Nephew who just got back from NE. His son and he were hunting in CO and had a few days to stop in NE. License for his son was only like $8, so they picked one up and headed to some public hunt areas. He said the ones they checked out were loaded with people, to they point they hunted a little and headed home early. I hunted out there for 10 years on a lease and we checked a couple public areas out, but never hunted them, so not sure how many hunters there were. My nephew said he wouldn’t go out there to hunt public for firearm specifically.

Info for future plans.


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## Slimits (Jun 30, 2014)

Its true. It was loaded more for bow season this year for sure. But until michigan dnr does a better job ill keep my rut cation and muzzyvacation plans for next year too. “Still better than michigan “ is all i got to say


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

Slimits said:


> Its true. It was loaded more for bow season this year for sure. But until michigan dnr does a better job ill keep my rut cation and muzzyvacation plans for next year too. “Still better than michigan “ is all i got to say


What would you like to see the DNR do?

I’d love to hear your solutions for how they can address the problem of the average Michigan hunter who can’t comprehend the digest if they even know what it is, screams about the oppression of APR’s and demands that baiting is their God given right and they’ll do what they want on their own property. 

After that you can walk us through what they need to do to address Michigan hunters who can’t understand that fewer hunters killing fewer deer means that those still hunting need to kill more deer each in order to maintain what every yokel points to when confronting an anti-hunter which is “we need to hunt in order to control the population!” but at the same time derides the DNR as moronic for suggesting that they should kill a couple of does. 

As you can probably tell, I don’t think the problem in Michigan is the DNR.


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## lreigler (Dec 23, 2009)

Botiz said:


> What would you like to see the DNR do?
> 
> I’d love to hear your solutions for how they can address the problem of the average Michigan hunter who can’t comprehend the digest if they even know what it is, screams about the oppression of APR’s and demands that baiting is their God given right and they’ll do what they want on their own property.
> 
> ...


I agree with you that the Michigan hunter culture is way more to blame for our state’s inability to consistently produce quality hunting. But in many ways the governing powers surely don’t do much to help the issue. 

In some ways you have to believe there is a problem to begin with. Many think the opportunities provided fit their goal and believe the states doing a good job. Others wish for a different experience and opt to spend time and money elsewhere that gives a good chance at that. I myself fall into the latter. 

As for comprehension of the digest, that there is an issue that could be solved by simplifying the rules. I believe the digest could be one page, here are the dates, here are the equipment available for use. If we have to consistently debate sections of it on this forum, maybe it’s too complicated.


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## lreigler (Dec 23, 2009)

Jbra said:


> I'm from Nebraska and grew up hunting public ground there. It is starting to become too over crowded for my liking, and I'm talking bow hunting. Gun hunting is a circus unless you're on private. What's getting worse is the two buck tags, rifle in the middle of the rut, OTC tags, and too many non res hunters (from Michigan, lol) shooting the first 110" buck they see. I used to go back quite often but the last time I went, there was more people than I ever dreamed of seeing in the middle of nowhere. You can find hidden gems but it's getting worse


I hunted Nebraska a lot. It always amazed me guys that would kill the 110 inch deer and then say well it’s the first decent one that walked by. They hunted at most three days. I can’t understand driving 1000 miles to shoot something the average hunter can shoot in most places of the country. 


When we hunted Kansas this year I talked to a landowner by the NE border. He told me he hunted both states, and the rifle season being middle of the rut vs ks in Dec is the primary difference in quality of bucks.


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## Bucman (Jun 29, 2016)

Did you kill anything? @Ireiger


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

lreigler said:


> I agree with you that the Michigan hunter culture is way more to blame for our state’s inability to consistently produce quality hunting. But in many ways the governing powers surely don’t do much to help the issue.
> 
> In some ways you have to believe there is a problem to begin with. Many think the opportunities provided fit their goal and believe the states doing a good job. Others wish for a different experience and opt to spend time and money elsewhere that gives a good chance at that. I myself fall into the latter.
> 
> As for comprehension of the digest, that there is an issue that could be solved by simplifying the rules. I believe the digest could be one page, here are the dates, here are the equipment available for use. If we have to consistently debate sections of it on this forum, maybe it’s too complicated.


That’s the rub. If people want regulations that can actually have an impact, they have to be tailored for the very different areas and herds and dynamics that exist across this state. Michigan is a huge state, bigger than several western states and the western UP couldn’t be more different than the SLP. Different climates, different habitats, different deer densities and different predator/prey relationships. 

To successfully manage both you can’t apply the same rules, and that means you can’t have one clean page of simple rules.

I think it’s an un-winnable situation for our DNR. You make regulations and people can’t understand them or blatantly disregard them if they do. Then they scream at you for not stewarding the resource. 

I wouldn’t do any DNR job for a million bucks a year.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

lreigler said:


> I hunted Nebraska a lot. It always amazed me guys that would kill the 110 inch deer and then say well it’s the first decent one that walked by. They hunted at most three days. I can’t understand driving 1000 miles to shoot something the average hunter can shoot in most places of the country.
> 
> 
> When we hunted Kansas this year I talked to a landowner by the NE border. He told me he hunted both states, and the rifle season being middle of the rut vs ks in Dec is the primary difference in quality of bucks.


I was in kansas a week ago bird hunting. Kansas has an application process for deer by unit. They regulate how many tags per unit. Every hunter is allowed 1 buck and 5 doe per year. I bird hunted public land open to deer hunting for a week. I only saw 2 deer hunters and talked to a bird hunter from NY that had killed a 167" whitetail the day before. 

All week long we saw 2 deer hunters in the middle of their rifle season. The guys we saw were driving around glassing fields. They stopped to glass us as we pushed a draw hoping we we might stir something up. We did see 2 monster bucks and a big half rack while we were hunting. 

Talking to a local and the guy from NY who claimed to have hunted there 30 yrs......people just dont shoot small bucks there. They save the 125-130" bucks for youth hunters. If you rifle hunt and shoot something that size you surely wouldnt tell anyone. They are happy to eat their buck tag and shoot some doe if a giant doesnt present itself. 

I was astounded by the lack of hunters never even saw a deer hunter driving around in a truck most days.


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## lreigler (Dec 23, 2009)

DirtySteve said:


> I was in kansas a week ago bird hunting. Kansas has an application process for deer by unit. They regulate how many tags per unit. Every hunter is allowed 1 buck and 5 doe per year. I bird hunted public land open to deer hunting for a week. I only saw 2 deer hunters and talked to a bird hunter from NY that had killed a 167" whitetail the day before.
> 
> All week long we saw 2 deer hunters in the middle of their rifle season. The guys we saw were driving around glassing fields. They stopped to glass us as we pushed a draw hoping we we might stir something up. We did see 2 monster bucks and a big half rack while we were hunting.
> 
> ...



It’s true. We did see other hunters and I believe the majority of their pressure comes during bow season from out of state guys. 

Have you ever heard of someone hear passing a deer that is 125? Hell, most guys in MI claim to see/kill deer of that size but they’re 105/110.

Totally different mindset, something regulation won’t change. 

Side note after I filled my tag I spent the better part of a whole day looking for a quail or pheasant with the shotgun. Never put one up- yet we would consistently jump them walking to and from stands while deer hunting. Woe is my luck.


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## lreigler (Dec 23, 2009)

Bucman said:


> Did you kill anything? @Ireiger


I did, I posted a thread Kansas 21 recap in the out of state forum.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

lreigler said:


> It’s true. We did see other hunters and I believe the majority of their pressure comes during bow season from out of state guys.
> 
> Have you ever heard of someone hear passing a deer that is 125? Hell, most guys in MI claim to see/kill deer of that size but they’re 105/110.
> 
> ...


So how does the application process work there? Do you apply for archery or rifle? Pick your top 3 zones in a preference order? I was talking to the hunter from NY. He said he had been going there for 30 yrs and had never not drawn a tag. He said you dont always get the zone you want but you always get drawn.


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## kingfisher 11 (Jan 26, 2000)

A question was asked what would you do? First thing I would do is make smaller units to specific populations. Right now they run like one size fits all. If I recall Montana still does or use to.


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## lreigler (Dec 23, 2009)

DirtySteve said:


> So how does the application process work there? Do you apply for archery or rifle? Pick your top 3 zones in a preference order? I was talking to the hunter from NY. He said he had been going there for 30 yrs and had never not drawn a tag. He said you dont always get the zone you want but you always get drawn.



Yeah it is weapon specific, and zone specific, so you get a unit with one additional adjoining unit. For archery, it’s far from a sure thing. Most units with higher probability are in the 75% success range. If you want some of the harder to draw it can decrease to closer to fifty percent I believe. I have heard the odds have been dropping steadily year by year with the increase in popularity.


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## bucko12pt (Dec 9, 2004)

Botiz said:


> That’s the rub. If people want regulations that can actually have an impact, they have to be tailored for the very different areas and herds and dynamics that exist across this state. Michigan is a huge state, bigger than several western states and the western UP couldn’t be more different than the SLP. Different climates, different habitats, different deer densities and different predator/prey relationships.
> 
> To successfully manage both you can’t apply the same rules, and that means you can’t have one clean page of simple rules.
> 
> ...


They could help their image in the eyes of sportsmen by enforcing laws if they’re going to create them.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

Are you willing to pay for the size of a force that such a wish requires?


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## Slimits (Jun 30, 2014)

For starters, nebraska resident tags are 37.50. Can you imagine if michigan raised their prices to that? Id be all for it cuz it would lower some kill numbers but there would be public riots over it. Simple math really. If the dnr needs more money from less hunters. Raise the tag prices. 

Half the problem enlies in the hunters themselves who shoot what the dnr lets them shoot, even if the property doesnt need them shot. The other half of the problem is all the bs seasons that michigan has now including almost endless guns for a month and a half. 

Im convinced the reason deer get big is because they dont die. The dont die by not getting shot. And they dont get shot if theres less hunters or less seasons to allow them to get shot at. Pretty simple really. 

Look im all for getting people into the outdoors. But for the dnr to say our hunter numbers in michigan is low come on look at other states doing just fine with much less numbers.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

Slimits said:


> Look im all for getting people into the outdoors. But for the dnr to say our hunter numbers in michigan is low come on look at other states doing just fine with much less numbers.


Those states with much fewer numbers have always had much fewer numbers. It’s normal to them. Michigan is not used to much fewer numbers and it’s not normal for us. 

If you’re used to making 100k and now can only get a job that pays 60k you’re probably going to think that’s a big problem. Someone who always made 60k isn’t going to think so. 

You mentioned Nebraska. That $37 tag you referenced is only good in a specific unit. If you want to shoot a buck anywhere in Nebraska it’s $90 for a resident. As you mentioned, Michigan hunters would wail and gnash their teeth if our DNR tried to raise our statewide $20 tags to $22. Nebraska does it at $90 and their deer hunters accept that’s what it costs to play the game.


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## Jbra (Nov 18, 2010)

Botiz said:


> Those states with much fewer numbers have always had much fewer numbers. It’s normal to them. Michigan is not used to much fewer numbers and it’s not normal for us.
> 
> If you’re used to making 100k and now can only get a job that pays 60k you’re probably going to think that’s a big problem. Someone who always made 60k isn’t going to think so.
> 
> You mentioned Nebraska. That $37 tag you referenced is only good in a specific unit. If you want to shoot a buck anywhere in Nebraska it’s $90 for a resident. As you mentioned, Michigan hunters would wail and gnash their teeth if our DNR tried to raise our statewide $20 tags to $22. Nebraska does it at $90 and their deer hunters accept that’s what it costs to play the game.


FYI- Nebraska’s archery tags are state wide. They also have the dreaded mandatory deer check in!!!! Oh my!!!

Maybe Michigan should start selling a better product that people want to buy instead of the same ol garbage and maybe people wouldn’t cry so much about paying more money for a better product and experience.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

Are those archery tags good for bucks? I don’t know anything about Nebraska but curious why they’d sell a buck tag and then let you shoot a buck with a tag that was not that. 

The rest of your post is the exact thing I described in one of my first posts on this thread. Our survey method is demonstrably superior to a mandatory check in. Not even a question. Just do some research on it. 

Your post is just another example of michiganders demanding what they don’t understand, getting it, and still bitching out the DNR for “doing a bad job” 

Not for a million a year.


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## Jbra (Nov 18, 2010)

Botiz said:


> Are those archery tags good for bucks? I don’t know anything about Nebraska but curious why they’d sell a buck tag and then let you shoot a buck with a tag that was not that.
> 
> The rest of your post is the exact thing I described in one of my first posts on this thread. Our survey method is demonstrably superior to a mandatory check in. Not even a question. Just do some research on it.
> 
> ...


Yes, statewide archery tags are good for bucks. I don’t follow what your gripe is. I’m from Nebraska, I’m not from Michigan, I think the hunting/rules/culture here is terrible. My comment about mandatory check in was a jab at all those up in arms over the thought of having to check in a deer. I’m Nebraska you can simply make a phone call… fast, simple and easy.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

Jbra said:


> Yes, statewide archery tags are good for bucks. I don’t follow what your gripe is. I’m from Nebraska, I’m not from Michigan, I think the hunting/rules/culture here is terrible. My comment about mandatory check in was a jab at all those up in arms over the thought of having to check in a deer. I’m Nebraska you can simply make a phone call… fast, simple and easy.


You tricked me! 

It’s fast, simple, easy and provides much less reliable data than a well designed survey which is also fast, simple and easy. And less expensive. 

Glad to hear you think the rules, hunting and culture in Nebraska sucks. That gives me hope that it isn’t just Michigan that complains about everything. 

I’ve lived and hunted/fished in half a dozen states. Until I came to Michigan I had never seen anything like the outdoor culture here. No one knows the rules, no one follows them anyway, and literally everyone you meet will whine and complain about the job the DNR is going while actively not making any effort to understand the reasons why. This is just one man’s opinion based on my personal experiences living in a lot of places. I’ll admit it’s been hard for me to adjust to it and I sometimes lash out over it. I apologize for being snippy, if you felt I was.


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## Jbra (Nov 18, 2010)

Botiz said:


> You tricked me!
> 
> It’s fast, simple, easy and provides much less reliable data than a well designed survey which is also fast, simple and easy. And less expensive.
> 
> ...


I was actually trying to convey my disdain for Michigan but Nebraska has its own issues, as does every state. My biggest complaint about Michigan is that everyone just accepts things for the way it is and doesn’t try to do anything to change or improve things. At the end of the day it starts with us as hunters/neighbors making better decisions. We can’t rely on the dnr to police us.


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## Slimits (Jun 30, 2014)

Botiz said:


> You tricked me!
> 
> It’s fast, simple, easy and provides much less reliable data than a well designed survey which is also fast, simple and easy. And less expensive.
> 
> ...


Its funny you think michigans current survey system works.


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