Wildcat Hills Mule Deer

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Aug 26, 2012
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I have been following the site for months, but this is my first post. Thanks to the Rokslide staff and members for such a proffesional and informative forum.

I am looking at chasing some mule deer in the wildcat hills area of western Nebraska. Just wondering if anyone has had any luck in the area this year. I know the deer population is Nebraska were hit pretty hard this year with EHD.

Thanks,
Ryan
 

robby denning

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Welcome Ryan,
I don't know anything about that Nebraska country, but would add this.

I'd treat an EHD unit just like a winter-kill unit in the West; don't write it off completely.

While mentally it is hard to hunt a winter-kill unit, they can still produce some great bucks.

The bucks that survive those die-offs are genetically and physically stronger/fitter animals and they grow great antlers. As the competition for food sources is decreased, due to the die-off, the deer that remain typically do very well.
 

J-Daddy

WKR
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My understanding is that the EHD disease doesn't hit the mule deer like it does whitetail. Doesn't seem like it kills them off as much as whitetail.
I've hunted north west NE a lot in the past, up around the Crawford, NE area...First year I hunted it was 2007, tons of mule deer up there then, but it seemed like it got worse every year after that. 2011 was the last time I hunted out there and we didn't see much in the way of any mule deer bucks then. Still some good deer killed out there every year it seems like so there's always hope.
 
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I'll echo J-Daddy!!

Mule Deer are a much more resilient species but even in western NE the Mule Deer populations are getting driven off by the whitetail because they are a more aggressive animal.
 

J-Daddy

WKR
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I'll echo J-Daddy!!

Mule Deer are a much more resilient species but even in western NE the Mule Deer populations are getting driven off by the whitetail because they are a more aggressive animal.
That's true about whitetails being a lot more aggressive...I've watched 1 lone whitetail doe clear a field of mule deer bucks before. She literally ran into the field and started attacking the mule deer bucks and cleared them out of there. They hung up a couple hundred yards away and just watched her, after that her fawn came out to feed with her...Bucks tried to come back and the dang whitetail fawn would run at them, lol.
The ranchers out there HATE whitetail deer, they all love mule deer and they view whitetails as invasive...We got permission to antelope hunt a private ranch out there a couple years ago, landowner had 1 stipulation and it was "You kill EVERY whitetail you see, I don't care if you have tags or not, kill them and let them lay"...Of course we didn't and had to make up excuses as to why not to keep him happy, but he wanted them all dead because they ran the mule deer off his ranch.
 

dcestnik

Lil-Rokslider
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There's usually a few in that group of WMAs in the Platte River Basin Environment complex but unless you have private land access or you're already in the area there are a few other spots/states to try first. If possible archery or muzzleloader is going to a bit quieter.

For the killing every animal you see the ranchers and farmers are definitely bent against antelope too for whatever reason.
 
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We got permission to antelope hunt a private ranch out there a couple years ago, landowner had 1 stipulation and it was "You kill EVERY whitetail you see, I don't care if you have tags or not, kill them and let them lay"

We actually have a landowner in KS that does the same thing!!! This spring when I asked to hunt turkeys again he told me to shoot every Whitetail we saw b/c they are eating his orchard and EVEN offered to buy my brother and I firearms (black rifles with extended magazines) if we needed them to help!! This gentleman ... 75+ !!!! We keep him happy ;) just not by poaching deer :)
 
OP
Moose Drool
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I don't currently live in NE, but I am still a resident and I have family in the area so I figured I would give it a shot. Plus the terrain and wildlife in that area is awesome. I will post some pics of the bighorn sheep herd if I see them.

I too have had ranchers in the area tell me to kill as many antelope as I can, not sure why, but they seem to be more and more every year I am out there.
 

J-Daddy

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The main thing with the antelope that they don't like is they are hard on fences cause the only way they cross is to slide under them...They break a lot of strands and dig out slides and then they have calves getting out al the time...And they stink like hell, lol.
 
OP
Moose Drool
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First mule deer, western nebraska, 150 yds with cva muzzleloader.
 
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