Nebraska hunting maps: public land, units and season dates
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) divides Nebraska into 18 deer management units. Across them, about 1.6% of the land is public: Forest Service under 1%, state land under 1%, Fish & Wildlife Service under 1%.
- 18deer management units
- 1.6%public land
- 77,242square miles mapped
- 5general seasons tracked
Units measured Oct 12, 2026 · sources
Who manages Nebraska’s public land
- U.S. Forest Serviceunder 1%
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceunder 1%
- State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies)under 1%
Share of the area covered by Nebraska’s deer management units.
Public land share per unit. Tap a unit to open it.
All 18 deer management units, by public land
Sorted by public land share. Tap a column to re-sort.
| Pine Ridge Deer Unit | 9% | 3,317 | Forest Service |
| Calamus West Deer Unit | 4.8% | 4,196 | Forest Service |
| Sandhills Deer Unit | 3.3% | 7,796 | Forest Service |
| Platte Deer Unit | 1.6% | 5,069 | state land |
| Keya Paha Deer Unit | 1.5% | 2,725 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Plains Deer Unit | 1.4% | 6,367 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Wahoo Deer Unit | 1.1% | 4,137 | state land |
| Republican Deer Unit | under 1% | 4,974 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Blue Southeast Deer Unit | under 1% | 3,279 | state land |
| Missouri Deer Unit | under 1% | 3,154 | state land |
| Buffalo Deer Unit | under 1% | 4,990 | state land |
| Upper Platte Deer Unit | under 1% | 4,401 | state land |
| Blue Northwest Deer Unit | under 1% | 2,831 | state land |
| Frenchman Deer Unit | under 1% | 6,005 | Bureau of Reclamation |
| Loup East Deer Unit | under 1% | 3,348 | state land |
| Elkhorn Deer Unit | under 1% | 5,741 | state land |
| Loup West Deer Unit | under 1% | 2,603 | state land |
| Calamus East Deer Unit | under 1% | 2,309 | — |
Nebraska hunting season dates, 2026
Statewide general seasons from WikiHunt’s season table (updated Sep 2, 2026). Units, zones and draw hunts can differ, so confirm in the Nebraska regulations.
| Species | Season | 2026 dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery DeerArchery | Sep 15 – Dec 31 | |
| Deer | Firearm DeerRifle | Nov 15 – Nov 23 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader DeerMuzzleloader | Dec 1 – Dec 31 | |
| Pronghorn | Rifle AntelopeRifle · draw or permit required | Oct 1 – Oct 15 | |
| Turkey | Fall TurkeyAny legal weapon | Oct 1 – Jan 31 |
Questions
How much of Nebraska is public land?
About 1.6% of the area covered by Nebraska’s deer management units is federal or state public land in USGS PAD-US 4.1, led by U.S. Forest Service, State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Which Nebraska units have the most public land?
Pine Ridge Deer Unit (9%), Calamus West Deer Unit (4.8%), Sandhills Deer Unit (3.3%). The full table above sorts every unit.
When is deer season in Nebraska in 2026?
Archery Deer: Sep 15 – Dec 31; Firearm Deer: Nov 15 – Nov 23; Muzzleloader Deer: Dec 1 – Dec 31. Unit and zone dates can differ; check the regulations.
Does WikiHunt have property lines for Nebraska?
Not yet. Property lines cover 12 states today (Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin). Public land, hunting units and season dates for Nebraska are free.
Sources
- Unit boundaries: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1, Fee Managers (public domain), measured per unit on a ~250-cell grid after ~100 m simplification.
- Season dates: WikiHunt’s season table, updated Sep 2, 2026; regulations: outdoornebraska.gov/hunting-regulations.