Best State for plains Mule Deer

[blb078]

Been kicking around the idea of doing a plains mule deer hunt. Anyone have any NR experience in either NE, SD, or KS mule deer for rifle or muzzleloader with somewhat easy to get tags? Would like to be able to camp in an area if possible. And obviously public access land is a must.

 

[sbhooper]

Nebraska has some good public land, but is pretty heavily hunted. Nebraska is the best bet for tags, as they are OTC for mz. Real quality bucks are more possible in Colorado, Kansas, or SD. I don't know much about the permits, though.

 

[jlmatthew]

There are no mule deer on the plains in Colorado, thats just silly talk. All plains mule deer are found in Nebraska

 

[wyoming556]

If you can draw the tag Kansas is worth looking at. I've not been able to draw the mule deer tag yet. Guy Eastmans 200" ($20,000) mule deer came from Trego County KS. Nice mule deer running around there and some good walk in and WMA areas to hunt. Best bet to draw the tag is muzzy or archery. Muzzy season is in Sept and allows you to come back in Dec during rifle season as well.

Nebrasks is pretty shot out and every hunter that shows up would rather shoot a spike mule deer instaed of an 8 point whitey just to say they shot a muley. Not to mention EHD has devistated the overall deer herd in the state this year.

 

[sbhooper]

If you can draw the tag Kansas is worth looking at. I've not been able to draw the mule deer tag yet. Guy Eastmans 200" ($20,000) mule deer came from Trego County KS. Nice mule deer running around there and some good walk in and WMA areas to hunt. Best bet to draw the tag is muzzy or archery. Muzzy season is in Sept and allows you to come back in Dec during rifle season as well.

Nebrasks is pretty shot out and every hunter that shows up would rather shoot a spike mule deer instaed of an 8 point whitey just to say they shot a muley. Not to mention EHD has devistated the overall deer herd in the state this year.

Yep.

 

[blb078]

Can't do archery since I'll be in CO on a diy elk/deer hunt then. So that pretty much removes CO and archery from a plains hunt. I was looking at KS but from what I can tell it's pretty hard for a NR to get a mule deer stamp there. I'm thinking NE muzzleloader is going to be my best bet since it's also in Dec I believe which would allow me to not miss the rifle season here in MO also, and allow me for a late Oct/Nov elk/deer combo hunt in MT if I wanted too. I'm just wanting to find an area I can camp(tent) at so I don't have to drive in/out to a motel every night. Might be a little rough/cold in Dec but I'll pack warm.

 

[wyoming556]

Can't do archery since I'll be in CO on a diy elk/deer hunt then. So that pretty much removes CO and archery from a plains hunt. I was looking at KS but from what I can tell it's pretty hard for a NR to get a mule deer stamp there. I'm thinking NE muzzleloader is going to be my best bet since it's also in Dec I believe which would allow me to not miss the rifle season here in MO also, and allow me for a late Oct/Nov elk/deer combo hunt in MT if I wanted too. I'm just wanting to find an area I can camp(tent) at so I don't have to drive in/out to a motel every night. Might be a little rough/cold in Dec but I'll pack warm.

KS and NE archery runs from Sept to Dec so I'm not sure what you mean by "cant do archery since I'l be in CO on an elk/deer hunt". That's the best time to hunt IMO as there is way less pressure and you can hunt during the rut and BEFORE gun season screws everything up. KS is actually a great place to stop on your way to and from your CO hunt as well. I did the same thing driving to and from WY when I lived in OK. Best bet is to draw a Kansas muzzy or archery tag and hunt whitetails every year until you get the mule deer stamp or just get an eastern WY tag.

NE muzzleloader is after the gun season so the deer are spooky as hell but there is less pressure. Honestly I would not recommend doing a NE muzzy hunt until the deer #'s are back which will take at least a couple of years, and only if you are willing to shoot a whitetail as good muleys are few and far between especially on public land. I hunted the first few days of the NE muzzleloader this year and did not even see a forkhorn mule deer let alone a shooter. If you insist on hunting during the muzzleloader season try the second week of the season during the week and there will be less pressure. Check the weather before you decide on tent camping as tonight it's going to be almost 10 below with a windchill of nearly 30 below and and extra 40 bucks a night is well worth a warm motel room when it gets this cold IMO. If I see a freezing cold hunter looking for good mule deer and "show me state" on the plates I'll know it's you.

The #'s on this map are just what was reported, the actual #'s are way more.

 

[blb078]

KS and NE archery runs from Sept to Dec so I'm not sure what you mean by "cant do archery since I'l be in CO on an elk/deer hunt". That's the best time to hunt IMO as there is way less pressure and you can hunt during the rut and BEFORE gun season screws everything up.

The main reason I can't go in Sept, not only due to me going to CO is that I'm taking off 8 work days for CO, that's 40% of the workable days in Sept, and I'm an analyst for a major bank in their default division so as you can imagine we're pretty busy. So it's really a matter of not being able to get the time off. Also the MO archery deer season starts 9/15 so if any of the big boys we've seen on the lease my buddy and I have made it though this season I want to try to get first crack at them too. Oct will be MT elk/deer combo hunt. Nov MO rifle season and bucks start rutting. That really only leaves me with Dec as the best time I have to get away, unless there is something available in Jan which I don't believe I saw anything.
Thx for the info, I don't mind shooting a whitetail, would just prefer a muley since I have yet to shoot one, unless CO or MT work out for me.

 

[Cameron Hunt]

Nd. Muleys !

 

[Dinkshooter]

umm plains muley season in Colorado is not in September.

 

[jlmatthew]

umm plains muley season in Colorado is not in September.

Yes it is, from the 1st till 2nd!!!

 

[Whitetail180ks]

I know this an old post, but I'm a Kansas Res. and the Mule deer hunting here is 2nd to none. There are certain county's that have true giants. I spent most of last Oct. hunting a buck that was over 30" wide and wold have scored in the mid 200". If you can draw a tag there are some great Archery opprutunities on public ground, that never gets hunted during Archery season. Good luck....

 

[krshntr81]

When looking at places to hunt NR Mule Deer in Nebraska be aware of the Mule deer conservation area that has more restrictive regs.

 

[LopeHunter]

Montana? Wyoming?

 

[jvanderlinde]

I would go to Wyoming. I mz hunted Nebraska mid december and would definetly wait for a few more years. EHD destroyed the population. We probably found close to 100 dead deer in 4 days of hunting. The Warden told us they lost around 80% of the deer.

 

[blb078]

I drew a 2b 2nd rifle in NM, it's not plains hunt but I'm not complaining. Thx for the replies though.

 

[Okbow87]

I just put in my app a couple days ago for northwest kansas muzzleloader. Also put in for the mule deer stamp. Hopefully I will draw both, but if not I think I will be just find occupying myself with some of those big whitetails! Plan on hunting all walk in or private we can get permission on from a buddies family contact.

 

[jlmatthew]

I just put in my app a couple days ago for northwest kansas muzzleloader. Also put in for the mule deer stamp. Hopefully I will draw both, but if not I think I will be just find occupying myself with some of those big whitetails! Plan on hunting all walk in or private we can get permission on from a buddies family contact.

I've seen some big muleys in Kansas (area 2) while pheasant hunting! Maybe some someday

 

[Dakota79]

I can help you with some pretty good public hunting in South Dakota if needed.