Nebraska

The expansive Sandhills, accessible over-the-counter archery mule deer, and Platte River waterfowl flyways.

Public Access & WMAs

Public Lands to Hunt in Nebraska

Official Regulatory Authority

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC)

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) manages nearly 300 state Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) covering over 175,000 acres, dedicated primarily to wildlife conservation and public hunting. In addition, Nebraska's innovative Open Fields and Waters (OFW) program enrolls more than 370,000 private land acres for public walk-in hunting. Combined with federal lands including the Nebraska National Forest and Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska offers exceptional hunting for whitetail deer, mule deer, Merriam's turkey, ring-necked pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie chicken, and waterfowl across the Sandhills and river bluffs.

Sandhills Prairie & Lakes | 71,510 Acres

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge & Sandhills

Located south of Valentine in Cherry County within the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills. Expansive rolling grass-stabilized sand dunes cradling 39 natural sub-irrigated freshwater lakes. Premier public hunting for sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie-chicken, mule deer, whitetail deer, and early-season ducks and Canada geese.

Northwest Panhandle Butte Country | 150,000+ Acres

Pine Ridge National Forest & Chadron Public Lands

Spanning the dramatic pine-crested ridges and sandstone buttes of Dawes and Sioux counties. Dense ponderosa pine forests and deep draws provide Nebraska's premier destination for pure-strain Merriam's wild turkey, trophy mule deer, elk, and bighorn sheep.

Central Loess Hills | 6,300+ Acres Combined

Sherman Reservoir & Pressey Wildlife Management Areas

Sherman Reservoir WMA (4,721 acres) in Sherman County features rolling prairie, cedar canyons, and reservoir bays holding ring-necked pheasant, quail, whitetail deer, and waterfowl. Pressey WMA (1,640 acres) along the South Loup River offers premier deer and turkey hunting.

Republican River Basin | 17,000+ Public Acres

Harlan County Lake Public Lands

Located along the Republican River in Harlan County, managed cooperatively by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NGPC. Over 17,000 acres of public land and water featuring agricultural food plots, riparian timber, and wetlands for whitetail deer, ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite quail, and migrating waterfowl.

Statewide Walk-In Access | 370,000+ Acres

Nebraska Open Fields and Waters (OFW)

A voluntary public-access partnership leasing over 370,000 acres of private agricultural cropland, CRP grass fields, and creek bottoms. Highlighted in the annual Public Access Atlas, OFW tracts provide walk-in hunting for pheasant, quail, grouse, deer, and turkeys with no access fee.