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My son and I may have a chance to bow/rifle hunt whitetail/mule deer on the Valentine NWR this season. Never been and don't know anything about it. Any info would be appreciated. Jeff No people in history have ever survived who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies. | ||
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Take your fishing pole along. There is some great fishing up there. | |||
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There is some good fishing up there so taking the fishing pole won't hurt. It has been quite a few years, but the first two hunts I did in Nebraska were on a ranch a few miles south of Valentine NWR on the west side of 83 on the south side of the North Loup river. I was hunting on private land, but from what I saw during drives around the area, there are some great deer up there, both white tails and muleys. It is really great country and if you work at it you should do well. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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Thanks for the responses fellas. Jeff No people in history have ever survived who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies. | |||
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It is probably very different country then you are used to. Lots and lots of wide open grassland not a many trees, like you can count all the trees on the refuge on one hand, maybe two hands if had an accident with a table saw. You will not be using a tree stand here. Just prepare yourself for something you may not be expecting. The deer densities are not overly high, you will see deer but not many. Also if you go during rifle season you will see lots of other hunters. The sand hills region of Ne is vast and unless I knew someone it might not be what you are looking for in a deer hunt. It is a beautiful place and a unique area of the country but. . . I don't want to discourage you from hunting here but the fishing pole might just make the trip. Go to Google Earth and look at the place. I have hunted in the area many years ago with a buddy, I live about 3hrs from Valentine. I have not seen the need to go back. Public land in this area gets hit hard, and I can't explain the VAST seemingly empty sandhills grasslands. Not saying they are devoid of game but did I mention VAST. If like crazyhorse you can get on private land I'm sure you would have a different experience. | |||
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Never hunted there ... but camped and rode horses there a bit. The area will get hit hard ... but mostly from ATVs and pickups ... use the map, and you'll be ok. The Snake River drainage might be ok ... There's an area south of Nenzel on the east side of the road, just about a mile in the place, that has a planted forest ... try the east end of that. Take a shotgun ... you might not have a better chance to get a sharptail grouse. I've got a friend who shot a dandy whitetail up there ... I think the key up there is to get away from roads and be ready to drag a deer a long ways. Remember -- hunting pressure is heavy up there -- but that's not a bad thing. Use it to your advantage, it's the key thing concentrating the deer. | |||
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Whoa ... that part about south of Nenzel and the Snake River: that was about the McElvie Nat'l Forest, north of there. As for the Refuge ... the advice remains the same. I've shot grouse (and pheasant) up there, and there is usually good populations of both -- and ducks. The deer will be "where-ever" ... perhaps around the cattails of the marshes, but just as likely in the hills. Be prepared to cover lots (and lots) of ground. Slow and steady wins the race. The trouble is being prepared to drag a long ways. Nebraska has pretty specific rules about cutting and quartering animals (though I've heard talk about that changing -- not sure) so double check. I think the key on the refuge would be to walk and check out downwind sides of hills. The deer will be in plum thickets and rose thickets in the bowls. The sandhills are just about the coolest place I know of ... and you're quite lucky to experience them. Take your camera and shotgun. | |||
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Slim, Thanks, most of the purpose of this hunt is something that we are not used to. We want to try something new. If we don't kill anything that's fine, but I would be very happy with a mature doe with my bow. Did you say that there will be a lot of pressure during archery season? Jeff No people in history have ever survived who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies. | |||
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Deertick, Yeah, we figured we'd have to cover lots of territory, our question was how. Are there lots of roads, are ATVs allowed, do we have to walk 10 miles at a strech or what? Will there be lots of pressure during archery season? Jeff No people in history have ever survived who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies. | |||
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Vehicle access was very restricted last I was there ... the sandhills are very fragile, and ATVs tear them up. I'd plan on going on foot. Archery up there would be tough. Not a lot of high ground to glass. The sandhills are more like being in a boat in rough seas. You see big "waves" but rarely do you see "the ocean". I would doubt significant pressure during archery season. | |||
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