# Nebraska Mule Deer



## SLP Hunter

I've been thinking of doing a mule deer hunt in Nebraska either next year or in 2014. Anyone ever been or have any contacts to a good outfitter? I would be looking for a rifle or muzzleloader hunt, food and lodging doesn't really matter one way or the other. I've always wanted to get a mule deer and I like the fact that the tags in Nebraska can be used for a mule deer or whitetail if I understand it right and they are bought over the counter. I've found several outfitters online but I don't know anything about them, thought I would check here first to see if anyone has any leads. Thanks in advance.


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## Horseshoe

I'm heading out there November 9th. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back. First time hunting NE for me.


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## SLP Hunter

Horseshoe said:


> I'm heading out there November 9th. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back. First time hunting NE for me.


That would be great...let me know how it goes.


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## DoninNe

Here are a couple of Nebraska mule deer from last year. Mine is the first one. My brother's is the second one. 














These were from the Pine Ridge area of the state on public land. A LOT of walking was involved. The state is mostly wide open, especially in mule deer country. I live in Nebraska. The rest of my family are in Michigan.


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## DoninNe

Yes most of the tags are over the counter, but they have a limited number for each unit. Some sell out quickly and some not until the season begins. Not only can you use your tag for white tail or mule deer, but for buck or doe. The white tails prefer the lower river bottoms, the mule deer prefer wide open/higher areas. We just walk and glass, walk and glass, sit awhile, walk and glass....etc. Mule deer are here one day gone the next. We go back into areas and find them where we didn't the first time, and vise versa.
The most important piece of advice is do not sky line yourself. When you come to the crest of a hill get on your hands and knees and SLOWLY inch forward. Thoroughly scan the area in front of you before cresting the top. They will pick you off 500 yards away, the second you expose yourself (at least on public ground). Trust me we have learned this the hard way numerous times. 


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## bwlacy

Thanks for the info DoninNe. My brother and I will be in Chadron on the 9th for our first trip out there. Hunting public land also. We have all week to hunt and would love to find a couple bucks like the ones you have pictured. Good luck to you this year.


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## DoninNe

Just try to get away from the crowds. Most people won't walk past 1/2 mile to a mile. Also even the whitetails will venture out into the open country to get away from the pressure. Don't give up hope. The whitetail buck I got on my wall was killed the last morning of the season. The temperature was in the 20's, with strong winds and snow. He was the only deer we saw. Have fun. 
Also not sure if you are aware, but there were three large forest fires out there a couple months ago. A lot of the forest land south and west of Chadron was burned. I don't know the extent. The game and parks released trail cam footage that showed mostly grass burning and the pines pretty much untouched. Most of that area has reopened. Just a heads up.


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## bwlacy

No I was not aware of that. So is that good or bad? I would think it would be good next year or a couple years but not this year. I don't mind walking and getting away from people, some of the spots I hunt in Ohio are an hour hike from the truck. The only bummer is getting one back to the truck, but you have to shoot one first to have that problem. Thanks for the heads up on the fires.


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## DoninNe

Two more things. Make sure to go to the Nebraska Game & Parks website under the hunting tab and look at the Public Access Atlas. Also stop by the US Forest Service Pine Ridge Ranger District office in Chadron for a map of the Oglala National Grasslands. 


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## bwlacy

Hey thanks been to the website several times over the summer and looked at the public access. They also have an overlay for google earth that you can download. Hadn't thought about a map of the Grasslands though, thanks for the tip.


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## bucko12pt

I have a 3200 acre lease in southwest part of the state 35 miles south of I80 which has both mulies and WT. Don't assume you can buy tags over the counter because many areas sell out. They put them up for sale on a particular date and you are advised to buy them as soon as they are available. Also, beginning this year they offered mulie/WT tags to residents prior to NR and they sold out to residents, so we were left to purchase WT only tags, or the "all state" tags which are for both mulie/WT anywhere in the state, but cost over $ 500. The area we hunt is Frenchman. Not all areas may sell out early, but if you're going I'd buy your tags early to insure everyone in your party gets a tag.


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## DoninNe

How did you guys do?


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## bwlacy

Well we made it back. What an adventure. Hit a deer on the way out with the truck, luckily we could still drive it. I think we walked or drove most of the public land around Chadron that wasn't burned, even drove around alot of that. Also checked out the Ponderosa one day. We saw quite a few deer but no bigger mule deer bucks. The biggest we saw in the woods was a small fork horn. Saw a couple decent whitetail bucks. My brother shot a whitetail 9 point that was about 95 inches, that was the best buck we had a shot at all week. It's his best deer by far so I was very happy for him. I think I only saw 2 deer hanging or at the check station that I would want to shoot. I think between the cwd, ehd, and the fire there just isn't very many deer in the area right now. 

We had fun, the scenery was great, walked miles and miles of mountains. It was a fun trip just not what I expected for the deer hunting. We saw elk, bighorns, antelope, mule deer, whitetail, coyote. A lot of people road hunting, and miles of devestation from the fire.


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## DoninNe

Yeah it was definitely a down year. We walked 5 - 10 miles every day. I shot a decent 3x3 on day 3. I wasn't too concerned about a trophy since I got one last year. I was trying to get my dad one. He has come from Michigan for the last 5 years without taking a deer. We never saw a 4x4 all week. We saw a 3x3 that was twice as big as mine. We couldn't get a shot the first time. The second time we jumped him he was 100 yards over the boundary fence on private property. If course he stood there broad side for 5 minutes. He shot at a nice 8 point whitetail, but we were looking directly into the setting sun. So he missed. He also missed a free hand shot at a big fork horn at 275+ yards. I told him I was ok if he wanted to take a small meat buck, so he did. After 5 years of passing all the small bucks, I figured it wasn't the end of the world. The whitetails were way down. We only saw 7 while hunting all week. We saw a ton of mule deer does. Probably 60+, but you can't shoot mule deer does. We only saw seven mule deer hanging at Fort Robinson, none were 4x4's. I have no idea what happened to the large mule deer bucks. We didn't see any elk, but did see some large bighorn rams. Well here is my buck. They checked his teeth at the check station and aged him at 6 years old. They said he was past his prime and loosing antler size.
















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## bwlacy

We had 1 4x4 hanging at the cabins at Chadron state park. I think there are alot of meat hunters around there. Almost every cabin had deer hanging, small bucks and whitetail does. One cabin had 7 does and fawns and 1 small fork horn. I could have shot some small mule deer bucks, just couldn't bring myself to do it. Nothing wrong with them, just not what I was after, and I didn't really need to shoot a whitetail doe. I can shoot those around home and not have to get them miles back to the truck. 

We have never been mule deer hunting and saw lot's of game, and some new country. Maybe we didn't know what we were doing also. Found some spots in Chadron wma that they were logging during deer season. That could have waited a week I think. Lots of deer sign in there that was old. Would have been a great area I think had they not been in there with equipment.


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## DoninNe

We skunked our first year. It took 3 years to get it figured out. Still dialing it in every year. You are right about the meat hunters. Most people just hunt the creek bottoms for whitetails. We let several small mule deer bucks and 1 small whitetail buck go. We don't really care that much about the whitetails out there. We are after mule deer too. That's why my family comes out from Michigan. I hope you guys try again. Don't let the bad conditions this year discourage you.


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## bwlacy

If I try again out there it will be with a bow. I'd much rather bow hunt. Maybe in a few years. I already got other trips planned.


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## Horseshoe

I had a good hunt out there and ended up with a nice 4 x 4. Of course it helps when you hunt with an outfitter on managed property. He only runs about 6 hunts / yr on 13,000 acres and tries to only shoot mature bucks. He also tries hard to not pressure the deer. He actually has you sit in stands and wait for them to come to you. Here is the buck I knocked down. 










My friend that came along took a nice 3 x 3 that had kickers off the backs. It was similar in frame size to the one I took. Unfortunately he didn't take any pictures.


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## bwlacy

Nice buck. Congrats. That's bigger than anything I saw hanging in our campground.


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## Frazier50

I know this is a old post, but Im looking to do a DIY mule deer hunt in Nebraska next year. Just looking for pointers on how to get tags ( over the counter online ), places to hunt and so on. Thanks for any help I can get.


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## Hunting18

DoninNe said:


> Here are a couple of Nebraska mule deer from last year. Mine is the first one. My brother's is the second one.
> View attachment 24848
> 
> View attachment 24849
> 
> These were from the Pine Ridge area of the state on public land. A LOT of walking was involved. The state is mostly wide open, especially in mule deer country. I live in Nebraska. The rest of my family are in Michigan.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



That is awesome- I am headed out in 2016 can't wait. I'm hoping just to see a buck- I would be overwhelmed to see something that big! (Sorry I know this is a old post)


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## Frazier50

Hunting18, are doing a DIY hunt or going with an outfitter?


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## Hunting18

Frazier50 said:


> Hunting18, are doing a DIY hunt or going with an outfitter?


I am doing a DIY hunt. I am too cheap to pay an outfitter lol...


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## Frazier50

Same here. I m just starting to look into everything. Bu the more I look, the more excited I get


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