Didn't Draw Your Dream Whitetail Tag? Try Nebraska Deer Hunting OTC Tags.

There are many reasons to hunt deer in Nebraska. An incredible hunting adventure awaits you.

People dream of drawing whitetail tags in states such as Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota. Some herald these areas as some of the best in the country. Unfortunately, you can’t always draw a tag, and that leaves you with states that sell over-the-counter (OTC) tags. There are many of these with great deer hunting, but one of the best is Nebraska. In addition to our own opinion, even the likes of Meat Eater and Outdoor Life rank it among the best destinations.

Fortunately, the Cornhusker State’s whitetail population is currently estimated at around 280,000, and that doesn’t include a solid number of mule deer in western portions of the state. There are about 130,000 licenses sold annually, but that shouldn’t deter you, as there is a lot of land to roam on.

Overall, you’ll find few places that can contend with the river corridors this part of the country has to offer. This is where most of the bigger bucks and higher deer densities can be found. But don’t overlook the prairies, either. You’ll find fewer deer here, but some monsters hide in overlooked places. If you’re looking for top-end whitetails, some of the biggest bucks in the state are killed in Cass, Cedar, Dodge, Douglas, Jefferson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson, Saunders, and Washington counties.

As for budget, it generally costs about $62 and up for resident hunters, and $267 and up for non-resident hunters. Those who choose to hunt with a muzzleloader or firearm will pay more. While exemptions apply, most hunters will also need a habitat stamp in addition to licenses and permits. Some hunters will even need to pass a hunter education course. Such courses can be found on HunterEd.com and iLearntoHunt.

Game cam from LandTrust listing River Breaks - Niobrara East in Butte, NE.

For those who like to plan, archery season tends to run from September 1 to December 31. Firearm season generally lasts about a week or so in mid-November. Muzzleloader season typically spans the month of December. There are also other special seasons throughout fall and winter.

For those looking to apply for a Nebraska tag, the 2022 tag application period for draw units is June 13-24. The remaining permits go on sale after that. Remaining unlimited permits (archery, muzzleloader, landowner, and statewide buck permits) go on sale on July 25 beginning at 1 p.m. CST. Unit permits (limited quantity deer permits) go on sale August 1 beginning at 1 p.m. CST.

The only real downside to Nebraska is that less than 3% of it is public land. Fortunately, if you need hunting land access, you just might find the property of your dreams right here on LandTrust The Recreation access Network. LandTrust makes it easy to find private land and book it for hunting and fishing. 

Syracuse Deer & Coyote Hunting - 90 acres in Syracuse, NE

This farm is located in Southeast Nebraska, just three miles outside the town of Syracuse right along Highway 2 offering quick and easy access to the land. The property is a well-managed farm with excellent crop production. Nearly all the property is row crop which provides a plentiful feeding ground for the deer traveling by. The field is also planted with soybeans this year offering easy visibility throughout the whole 90 acres.

Barrett Family Farm - 320 acres in Elgrin, NE

The Barrett Family Farm is an excellent property located just out side of small town Elgin, NE. With the perfect combination of wildlife habitat and agriculture production ground, the property offers the perfect habitat for deer, turkey and pheasant. The corn, soybean, alfalfa, pasture, and CRP grass fields combine to provide a variety of food sources and protection for a dense wildlife population. The heavily wooded areas of the property give wildlife excellent cover and areas of heavy travel. The Cedar Creek also flows through the property offering a fresh water source to the wildlife that roam it. 

Spring Lake Angus Northwest - 470 acres in Lynch, NE

With water, food, canyons and fields, it’s the perfect habitat for animals to thrive! Specifically, the deer and turkey in the area are bigger and more plentiful than further south. In the winter, deer will stick together in bunches of 75-100, while the turkey roam about in hefty flocks. With fresh water sources and the multiple lakes nearby, this land is great for wildlife. Near each water source, there are oak trees and borders, with shrubs, alfalfa fields and corn fields surrounding them.

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