Mule Deer Hunting in Nebraska's Panhandle

When people think of Nebraska hunting, whitetails in the river bottoms usually come to mind first. But drive west past North Platte and the landscape transforms into something entirely different — rugged buttes, ponderosa pine ridges, and vast grasslands that hold healthy populations of mule deer. Western Nebraska offers a mule deer hunting experience that rivals states like Montana and Wyoming, with a fraction of the pressure and over-the-counter tags to boot.

The Terrain

Nebraska's Panhandle is a different world from the eastern half of the state. The Pine Ridge stretches across Dawes, Sioux, and Sheridan counties, a dramatic escarpment of ponderosa pine, rocky draws, and steep canyons that rises from the surrounding grasslands. Mule deer thrive in this broken terrain, bedding in the timber and feeding on the grassy slopes and alfalfa fields below.

The Wildcat Hills south of Scottsbluff are another prime mule deer area. This rugged outcrop of buttes and canyons creates perfect spot-and-stalk country. The terrain is steep enough to keep casual hunters out, which means deer encounter less pressure and bucks have the chance to grow older.

Between these two areas, the Panhandle grasslands hold mule deer in the breaks, draws, and rough country that borders agricultural fields. Cedar-choked ravines and rocky ridgelines provide bedding cover, and deer move to alfalfa and crop fields in the evening.

Spot-and-Stalk Tactics

Mule deer hunting in western Nebraska is primarily a spot-and-stalk game, and that starts with good glass. Bring quality binoculars in the 10x42 range and a spotting scope in the 15-45x or 20-60x range. The ability to pick apart a distant hillside and identify a buck bedded in the shade of a juniper at 800 yards is what separates successful mule deer hunters from the rest.

Set up on high points at first light and glass systematically. Start close and work outward, scanning bedding cover on north-facing slopes, shaded draws, and anywhere deer can escape the wind. Mule deer bucks love to bed just below the crest of a ridge, where they can watch downhill while the wind covers their back from above.

Once you locate a buck worth pursuing, the stalk begins. Use the terrain. Mule deer rely on their eyes more than their nose compared to whitetails, but they bed in positions that give them a commanding view. Your approach needs to use draws, ridgelines, and terrain folds to stay below their line of sight. Move slowly, stay low, and glass frequently to confirm the buck has not relocated.

Dawn and Dusk Movement

Mule deer in the Panhandle are most active during the first and last hours of daylight. In the morning, bucks feed on slopes and field edges before working uphill to bed for the day. In the evening, they reverse the pattern, drifting downhill from bedding cover to food sources.

The transition period — when a buck is moving from feeding to bedding — is your best opportunity. A buck walking uphill through broken terrain is focused on reaching his bed and is less likely to spot a hunter positioned above and ahead of his travel route. If you can glass a buck in the morning and predict his bedding destination, getting ahead of him for an ambush is a proven tactic.

Over-the-Counter Mule Deer Tags

Nebraska sells mule deer archery permits over the counter for both residents and non-residents, valid in the western units where mule deer are the primary species. Firearm mule deer tags are draw-only in some units, but the archery permit gives you unrestricted access to some of the best mule deer country in the state.

The combination of accessible tags, quality public land on national forests and WMAs, and a mule deer herd that has shown steady improvement in recent years makes western Nebraska a destination worth serious consideration.

Public Land Options

Fort Robinson State Park and the surrounding Pine Ridge WMAs offer thousands of acres of public access in prime mule deer habitat. Oglala National Grassland in Sioux and Dawes counties provides vast open country with scattered mule deer. The Wildcat Hills SRA and adjacent WMAs south of Scottsbluff are smaller but hold good numbers of deer in concentrated terrain.

Bring a good pair of boots, a comfortable pack, and the patience to glass more than you walk. Mule deer hunting in Nebraska's Panhandle rewards hunters who slow down, use their optics, and let the terrain work in their favor.