O'Neill, Nebraska: Irish Capital with World-Class Deer Hunting

O'Neill is the Holt County seat with a population of roughly 3,600, proudly calling itself the Irish Capital of Nebraska. The town was founded by Irish settlers in 1874 and maintains that heritage with a giant shamrock painted on the main intersection. But it is the hunting, not the heritage, that draws visitors each fall. Holt County is one of the top deer and pheasant counties in the state, and O'Neill puts you right in the middle of it.

The Town

O'Neill is a prosperous small town with a genuine community spirit. The downtown is anchored by locally owned businesses, a well-maintained courthouse, and the kind of civic pride that shows in clean streets and friendly greetings. The Irish heritage adds character, with St. Patrick's Day celebrations that draw visitors from across the region. During hunting season, the town fills with orange-clad visitors, and the local businesses welcome the traffic.

Where to Eat

O'Neill has a better dining scene than most towns its size. Local restaurants serve steaks, burgers, and comfort food that will satisfy any hunter's appetite. A couple of sit-down restaurants downtown offer a more relaxed dining experience, and fast-food options along Highway 281 handle the quick-meal needs. The bars in town often serve food during hunting season.

Where to Stay

Several motels and a hotel in O'Neill provide comfortable rooms for hunters. National chain properties along Highway 20 offer reliable quality, and locally owned motels provide budget alternatives. Rooms fill up during the November firearm deer season and pheasant opener, so early reservations are strongly recommended.

Where to Hunt

Holt County consistently ranks among the top deer-producing counties in Nebraska. The Elkhorn River headwaters run through the county, creating miles of timber-bottom habitat that holds impressive whitetail numbers. The river corridors combined with surrounding agricultural fields create ideal conditions for big deer.

Atkinson WMA and other public hunting areas in the county provide walk-in access. The WMAs in this region feature a mix of grassland, timber, and wetland habitat that supports deer, turkey, pheasant, and waterfowl.

Pheasant hunting in Holt County is strong, benefiting from a landscape of hay meadows, CRP grassland, and crop field edges. The county sits in the transition zone between the Sandhills and the more intensively farmed eastern counties, which creates excellent bird habitat.

Turkey populations have been increasing throughout northeast Nebraska, and the Elkhorn River timber provides ideal roosting and nesting habitat. Spring turkey hunting in Holt County is a sleeper opportunity.

Why O'Neill Is Elite

Holt County's deer hunting is genuinely elite. The county produces big-bodied, heavy-antlered whitetails year after year, and the combination of river-bottom timber and agricultural food sources creates textbook trophy conditions. Add in strong pheasant numbers, a growing turkey population, and a town that genuinely welcomes hunters, and O'Neill stands out as one of the best hunting destinations in northeast Nebraska.