Nebraska pine ridge

[CO2130]

Curious if anyone has done the November rifle hunt in Nebraska in the pine ridge unit. I didn’t draw as many tags as I was hoping so I’m considering it as it’s cheap and otc. Not looking for spots, just curious if most would say I’d have a decent chance at a nice/average buck. Thanks!


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[Chucklehead]

There are some mulies out there, but if you are ok with taking a whitetail later in the hunt, it'd be a good plan B. I've seen a pile of whitetail in those areas. Kind of depends on where you go though.
And what's a good deer to you? I'd probably say your goal should be any buck. Especially during the firearm season. I've only bowhunted out there but I hear it can get crazy opening morning.

 

[CO2130]

There are some mulies out there, but if you are ok with taking a whitetail later in the hunt, it'd be a good plan B. I've seen a pile of whitetail in those areas. Kind of depends on where you go though.
And what's a good deer to you? I'd probably say your goal should be any buck. Especially during the firearm season. I've only bowhunted out there but I hear it can get crazy opening morning.

I’m fine with either a muley or whitetail. And I’d shoot any decent buck, maybe not a tiny 2 point or anything but a decent 3 or 4 point muley and maybe a 90”-100” whitetail. Basically just trying to get a little more hunting in because I screwed up the draw in some other states.


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[Copen1822]

I've only bowhunted it but I don't think a 100" whitetail would be unrealistic. Not a lot of muleys though and firearm pressure is bad from what I've heard.

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[xziang]

November rifle season is or can be pretty chaotic it seems in any part of Nebraska. Can't say you won't have fun but have patience along with realizing you probably won't be in the field alone. Looks like you can still get tags for the area and they are 'limited' as far as quantity. I don't hunt the west part of the state but do know the eastern part will have some units that sell out of tags. (usually the season choice tags)

I usually avoid the rifle season and go after ducks during this time of the year.. Nebraskas bow and ML tags are 100% OTC and unlimited in quantity. Any questions feel free to drop me a PM and I can try and answer some tag questions.

 

[Plainsman79]

I hunted the pine ridge for 20 years while growing up and going to College in Chadron. I quit hunting it because of lack of opportunity for a mature deer and the amount of hunting pressure on what small amounts of public are available. The area has had issues with disease, over grazing, and now lions are taking their toll wandering out of the black hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. If you want some more information send me a pm, but I wouldn’t show up hoping for anything over 2-3 yrs old on public.

 

[rustyN]

I hunted the pine ridge for 20 years while growing up and going to College in Chadron. I quit hunting it because of lack of opportunity for a mature deer and the amount of hunting pressure on what small amounts of public are available. The area has had issues with disease, over grazing, and now lions are taking their toll wandering out of the black hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. If you want some more information send me a pm, but I wouldn’t show up hoping for anything over 2-3 yrs old on public.

True stuff. It can get hectic on private land, dealing with trespassers and the like.

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[Kramer588]

I was out there last year for rifle season, saw a ton of hunters and very few deer. I did end up getting about a 100'' mule deer but feel like i got pretty lucky, only other bucks i saw were 3 fork horn mule deer

 

[William Sublette]

The chamber of commerce will tell you to "come on in the water is fine".

There's nothing wrong with that, that's their job.




The reality is there are unlimited tags, those tags are relatively inexpensive compared to traditional western hunting areas, and the rifle hunt is scheduled smack dab in the middle of the rut. Plus NE is a days shorter drive from the populated areas east of the Missouri river. It has been over run for several years now.



Public lands that can absorb the pressure from half a doz good hunters a season, will see a couple hundred hunters a season.



Archery Antelope starts aug 20, deer, turkey, grouse, sept 1, and varmint hunters shortly after that.

The public parcels are small and completely surrounded by private with good food, water, cover, and substantially less human activity.

The wise old bucks are bumped onto private before you even get to oct. And unless they get totally loopy in the rut, or shot on private, you wont see them again till spring green up.






If you go to any western hunting forum and put Nebraska in the search function you will often get pages of the same basic query as the post that started this thread.

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/search.php?searchid=7435287&pp=


But there are two things that are kinda rare and hard to find on those pages:

1. A follow up saying what good hunt it was.

2. An adult deer.


Although, if you can beg, buy, or politic your way into some private land, you got a chance at an excellent hunt. Especially if it borders a chunk of public.

 

[bwlacy]

My brother and I hunted there in 2012. I heard all the stories about pressure. I guess it depends on what you are used to. I thought there was hardly any pressure. In Michigan it's really bad during rifle on lot's of public land. We saw very few other people during the week. There were lot's of people road hunting, but not that many a couple miles from the truck.

But we didn't see very many Mule deer bucks with any age on them. Saw lot's of deer, small muley bucks, and several small white tail bucks. To shoot a 100" white tail would have been pretty easy with a rifle, saw a couple that were around 140".

I'd like to go back some day to bow hunt the area. Just not enough time.

 

[NDhunter1]

I've hunted it 2 times. During the weekend it is very crowded. Lots of young deer. First trip we all did shoot deer and one guy got extremely fortunate and shot a 165ish mule deer. Rest of us shot 110 to 130 inch mule deer. Second time I went was in 2013. 3 out of 4 got deer and none were of any size. It is a very unique landscape and beautiful country... it's just too bad there wasn't more public to help spread some of the pressure around.

 

[String&stick]

First I am a Nebraska resident and I hunt western states at times. So I am by no means a part of the "hunt your own state crowd". Please come spend your money in our small communities and help them out.

But can someone explain to me why, with declining mule deer populations across the country, people are ok with harvesting 120" bucks or smaller. In 90% of cases these bucks aren't going to be mature deer. I know Nebraska handcuffs non residents with a buck only tag but for the greater good eat the tag!

I've ate some NR tags due to not seeing mature animals. Because it's better for the population. Nebraska has a rash of people (residents) that are fine with shooting a small forky mule deer and to me this is just wrong. Don't get me wrong I'm not a trophy hunter, I'm not saying only shoot huge bucks. I'm just advocating to let mule deer bucks hit or get close to maturity, breed and spread genetics, and add body size before harvesting.

If you are a meat hunter, shoot any whitetail buck you can find, their population is booming and pushing out the muleys!

 

[String&stick]

To be more helpful to the original poster, the ridge gets pounded on weekends and is busy during the week. But there are hunters every year that harvest good bucks. I haven't hunted it in several years but Mckelvie national forest south of valentine might be a good option. Still lots of pressure but wide open sandhills and traffic has been "limited to trails" allowing for some walk in opportunities. I've seen some big muleys and whitetails come off of there and took a 152" whitetail mid week 5 years ago when I last hunted it .

Like everything, patience and persistence typically pay off.

 

[realunlucky]

First I am a Nebraska resident and I hunt western states at times. So I am by no means a part of the "hunt your own state crowd". Please come spend your money in our small communities and help them out.

But can someone explain to me why, with declining mule deer populations across the country, people are ok with harvesting 120" bucks or smaller. In 90% of cases these bucks aren't going to be mature deer. I know Nebraska handcuffs non residents with a buck only tag but for the greater good eat the tag!

I've ate some NR tags due to not seeing mature animals. Because it's better for the population. Nebraska has a rash of people (residents) that are fine with shooting a small forky mule deer and to me this is just wrong. Don't get me wrong I'm not a trophy hunter, I'm not saying only shoot huge bucks. I'm just advocating to let mule deer bucks hit or get close to maturity, breed and spread genetics, and add body size before harvesting.

If you are a meat hunter, shoot any whitetail buck you can find, their population is booming and pushing out the muleys!

Sounds like you are pushing trophy hunting. Go big or go home. It's not for you to define what hunting should mean to others. You need to change how they manage your wildlife not who funds your programs

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[String&stick]

Actually if you read the whole thing I'm not pushing trophy hunting at all, I'm pushing for harvesting "mature animals" from a declining population and reducing stress on younger age classes. if there's a 100" muley buck with lots of mass and a pot belly, fire away he's mature. If he's 1.5 or 2.5 and has a thin rack and thin body he's not mature body wise or rack wise and you are removing him from the population.

No body is going to pass on large deer, but if we don't start passing on young bucks the next Chang up for mule deer hunting in Nebraska will be limited tags, them no NR tags, then no tags period.

When one population is in decline and another is booming, I don't think it's trophy hunting to say lay off young muleys, shoot a young white tail if you are on a buck only tag.

 

[realunlucky]

Your state should be managing for buck to doe ratio it is the standard biological tool for harvest objective. A 100" buck at 2 will breed does with the same genetics he would have at 4. I get your point you would like to see more older deer. I don't hate your choice to find the deer that meets your standards everyone should make the choice for themselves.

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[fishslap]

First I am a Nebraska resident and I hunt western states at times. So I am by no means a part of the "hunt your own state crowd". Please come spend your money in our small communities and help them out.

But can someone explain to me why, with declining mule deer populations across the country, people are ok with harvesting 120" bucks or smaller. In 90% of cases these bucks aren't going to be mature deer. I know Nebraska handcuffs non residents with a buck only tag but for the greater good eat the tag!

I've ate some NR tags due to not seeing mature animals. Because it's better for the population. Nebraska has a rash of people (residents) that are fine with shooting a small forky mule deer and to me this is just wrong. Don't get me wrong I'm not a trophy hunter, I'm not saying only shoot huge bucks. I'm just advocating to let mule deer bucks hit or get close to maturity, breed and spread genetics, and add body size before harvesting.

If you are a meat hunter, shoot any whitetail buck you can find, their population is booming and pushing out the muleys!

Actually if you read the whole thing I'm not pushing trophy hunting at all, I'm pushing for harvesting "mature animals" from a declining population and reducing stress on younger age classes. if there's a 100" muley buck with lots of mass and a pot belly, fire away he's mature. If he's 1.5 or 2.5 and has a thin rack and thin body he's not mature body wise or rack wise and you are removing him from the population.

No body is going to pass on large deer, but if we don't start passing on young bucks the next Chang up for mule deer hunting in Nebraska will be limited tags, them no NR tags, then no tags period.

When one population is in decline and another is booming, I don't think it's trophy hunting to say lay off young muleys, shoot a young white tail if you are on a buck only tag.

GCE Pard. Shooting young bucks isn’t going to have significant impact on population. All the does are still going to get bred unless you’re removing almost all the bucks out of the herd. Otherwise, it’s only going to lower the population by the exact number taken. The population numbers are driven by other factors such as doe harvest, habitat, disease, drought, hard winters, etc.