Why Nebraska Is Hunting's Best-Kept Secret

Ask a whitetail hunter to name the top five deer states and you'll hear Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Wisconsin, maybe Ohio. Rarely Nebraska. That's starting to change — but slowly. And honestly? Most Nebraska hunters are fine keeping it quiet. Here's why the Good Life state is one of the best-kept secrets in deer hunting.

Over-the-Counter Tags

While states like Iowa require a lottery draw that can take years to pull, Nebraska sells whitetail buck permits over the counter. The statewide archery permit is available to residents and non-residents alike. Nebraska also offers one of the longest archery seasons in the country, running from September 1 through December 31 in most units. That's four months of bow season.

For firearm hunters, the November rifle season offers additional opportunity, and the state also has a late muzzleloader season that runs into December and January depending on the unit.

1.2 Million Acres of Public Land

Nebraska's Game and Parks Commission manages over 250 Wildlife Management Areas, and when you add in national forests, national grasslands, and the Open Fields and Waters program on private land, there are over 1.2 million acres of publicly accessible hunting land. WMAs are free to access — no special entry permits required.

The Sandhills region alone — the largest grass-stabilized dune system in the Western Hemisphere — offers hundreds of thousands of acres of public ground that sees minimal hunting pressure.

Deer in Every County

White-tailed deer are found statewide, with the highest densities in the eastern third of the state and along major river corridors — the Missouri, Platte, Elkhorn, and Niobrara. Mule deer occupy the western two-thirds and are the dominant species in about 20 counties. Plenty of units offer opportunities to harvest both species in the same season.

The state has historically produced impressive animals. Nebraska's eastern river bottoms are considered sleepers for trophy-class whitetails — the combination of agricultural food sources, timber corridors, and relatively low hunting pressure creates conditions for bucks to reach maturity.

Low Pressure Compared to Neighbors

This is the real secret. Nebraska's human population is 1.97 million, and it's the 7th least densely populated state. Compare that to Iowa (3.2 million), Illinois (12.5 million), or Ohio (11.8 million). Fewer hunters means less pressure on deer herds, and on public land especially, you'll find elbow room that simply doesn't exist in the Midwest's more famous deer states.

Even during the November firearms season, many WMAs in central and western Nebraska see only a handful of hunters. You can hunt entire weekends without encountering another orange vest.

Recent Challenges — And Conservation

It's worth noting that Nebraska's deer herd has faced challenges in recent years. Drought and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) have impacted populations, particularly in some western units. The Game and Parks Commission has responded with management changes — reducing antlerless permits, shrinking some unit boundaries, and cutting firearm permit quotas by 800 combined in several units for 2025.

These conservation measures are a sign that the state takes management seriously. Deer populations are cyclical, and Nebraska's diverse habitat base gives the herd strong recovery potential.

The Bottom Line

Nebraska offers what most whitetail hunters dream about: over-the-counter tags, millions of acres of public land, trophy potential, and room to hunt without crowds. The state may never get the magazine-cover attention of Iowa or Illinois — and plenty of Nebraska hunters prefer it that way. If you've been looking for your next out-of-state hunt, put Nebraska on the short list. You won't be disappointed.