New to Hunting (Nebraska)

Cavendish

FNG
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
18
Location
Nebraska
Morning/Afternoon/Evening all,

As the title says, new to hunting - my father gave it up while I was a kid - and new to Nebraska - moved to Omaha area for work at the end of last year.

Originally from the southeast, but I learned about the cold and snow this winter.

Poked around the forum and it doesn't look like eastern Nebraska is the spot for rifle hunting big game - which is what I'm (primarily) interested in. Know about the 97% private land and everywhere east seems to be shotgun-only for white tail. I don't want a big ol' gnarly buck, I'm mostly just interested in cutting out the middle-man for mine and my family's supper.

Anyway, that's for another thread, this one is for saying hey. Picked a heck of a year to get into it, but here I am.

Cheers, lads!
 
Last edited:
OP
Cavendish

Cavendish

FNG
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
18
Location
Nebraska
Welcome aboard, glad to have you here!!
Glad to be here! See you're in NorCal which is where I spent the last 4 years. Never did make it out to hunt there. Everytime I'd talk myself into it, the prices and logistics talked me out of it lol
 

dsclowers

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
168
Location
Montrose, CO
Welcome.

That first Nebraska winter is brutal. I grew up in South Carolina and Omaha (Offutt AFB) was my first base out of Basic/Tech School. I got there in early November and was shocked at how cold it could be. Lack of trees meant nothing to block the wind coming all of the way down from the Arctic. Omaha was a great city. It would have been even better if it was 8 hours drive further west (closer to the Rocky Mountains).
 
OP
Cavendish

Cavendish

FNG
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
18
Location
Nebraska
Welcome.

That first Nebraska winter is brutal. I grew up in South Carolina and Omaha (Offutt AFB) was my first base out of Basic/Tech School. I got there in early November and was shocked at how cold it could be. Lack of trees meant nothing to block the wind coming all of the way down from the Arctic. Omaha was a great city. It would have been even better if it was 8 hours drive further west (closer to the Rocky Mountains).
Hey! I'm from the Upstate and stationed here at Offutt myself. Just did a tour out on the West Coast and it's good to be back in the US y'know? We showed up just in time for the first snow of the year, which this year was apparently heavier than the norm. Managed to get 15 inches at one time in January.

Took I-80 to get here, so I crossed the mountains around Salt Lake City, didn't cross over into Colorado but skimmed the northern border with Wyoming the whole way. I wish I was on the other side of the state too. Small world!
 

Laramie

WKR
Joined
Apr 17, 2020
Messages
2,616
Welcome,

Plenty of rifle hunting for big game in Eastern Nebraska- no shotgun only restriction until you get into Iowa. It can be tough to get permission but there is a gob of deer. Places close to Omaha and Lincoln will be the most difficult to find but if you travel a couple of hours away from those two and knock on doors during the summer, you might be pleasantly surprised.
 
OP
Cavendish

Cavendish

FNG
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
18
Location
Nebraska
Welcome,

Plenty of rifle hunting for big game in Eastern Nebraska- no shotgun only restriction until you get into Iowa. It can be tough to get permission but there is a gob of deer. Places close to Omaha and Lincoln will be the most difficult to find but if you travel a couple of hours away from those two and knock on doors during the summer, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks for having me!

I only mention rifles in eastern Nebraska because (it seems like) every public spot I look at on the Nebraska web atlas near the Missouri River is labeled as shotgun only. I'll have to give it a closer look.

Door knocking seems to be the recommendation, and I'm glad to hear that the Midwest has that culture the same way the South did. I'd be more than happy to take a problematic doe off of somebody's farm :)
 

Dwnw/theAltitudesickness

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 21, 2021
Messages
216
Hey, Grew up in Northwest Ne. Look at the Forest service options around Chadron- other end of the state. Plenty of muzzleloader options available for deer (whole month of December). Antelope is great as well in the northwest part of the state, plenty of public land. And for turkey, a knock on a door and introduction will get you into most places (if they are not leased out for hunting).
 

cronsman

WKR
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
441
Welcome! As others have said, I think eastern nebraska has plenty of deer and turkey!
 
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