Nebraska Deer SANDHILLS — Sandhills
Sandhills
- What you may take
- Sandhills (any deer)
- Weapon
- Rifle
- Season (2026)
- Sep 1 – Dec 31, 2026
- Nonresident tags (2026)
- 180
- for 366 first-choice applicants
Showing nonresident results. Switch to resident
Odds by point level — 2026 draw
Prior-draw probability for a first-choice nonresident applicant. 180 tags, 366 first-choice applicants, drew out at 0 points. Source: 2026 Nebraska Draw Results · p. 8.
| Points | Your chance | Applicants | Drawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 9% | 266 | 24 |
| 1 | 100% | 91 | 101 |
| 2 | 100% | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| 5–10 | 100% same chance at every one of these levels | — | — |
Preference points, computed from published point-level pools. A dash means Nebraska Game and Parks Commission did not publish a count for that level. How we compute these.
What it costs (2026 nonresident fees)
$7 a year buys a 1-in-11 chance at 0 points at the 2026 odds. Points raise it each year you miss.
Not applying this year? A point-only purchase costs $57 and keeps you moving toward the 0-point cut.
Next application window: opens Jun 1, closes Jun 12, 2027 (expected) · results ~June 19. Last cycle's schedule rolled forward — confirm when the agency publishes.
Point creep & years to draw
Drew out at 0 → 0 → 0 points (2024–2026): no creep — drew at 0 points each year. Projecting that pace forward:
| Your points now | Years until a sure thing |
|---|---|
| 0 | now |
A projection of the last five draws' median creep (capped at 2 points/yr), not a forecast. Random-pass odds still apply every year you're below the cut.
Seasons (2026)
How this tag has hunted
Across every license type in Sandhills, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission counted 1,345 mule deer taken in 2018. Full Sandhills profile: maps, public land, five years of harvest →
Hunters holding this license type (2025) — the rest of the area's hunters held something else:
| What they hunted | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mule deer | — | 83 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 26 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 75 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 0 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 1 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 69 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 105 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 0 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 78 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 382 | 50% | — |
| Mule deer | — | 23 | 33% | — |
| Mule deer | — | 92 | 66% | — |
| Mule deer | — | 2 | 46% | — |
| Mule deer | — | 1 | 29% | — |
| Mule deer | — | 14 | — | — |
| Mule deer | — | 0 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 56 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 3 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 13 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 1 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 1 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 40 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 51 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 17 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 45 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 271 | 50% | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 19 | 33% | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 52 | 66% | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 149 | 46% | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 99 | 29% | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 15 | — | — |
| White-tailed deer | — | 29 | — | — |
Post-season survey, not draw statistics. Source: 2026 Big Game Recommendation Book (2025 season harvest; comparisons 2021-2025) 2025 Big Game Recommendation Book (2024 season harvest; comparisons 2020-2024)
Year by year
The standard draw for nonresidents, one row per year.
| Year | Tags | Applicants | Applicants per tag | Points needed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 180 | 366 | 2.0 | 0 | 2026 Nebraska Draw Results · p. 8 |
| 2025 | 180 | 390 | 2.2 | 0 | 2025 Nebraska Draw Results · p. 8 |
| 2024 | 180 | 337 | 1.9 | 0 | 2024 Nebraska Draw Results · p. 8 |
Legal cartridges for deer in Nebraska
From the Nebraska hunting laws rules on file for a rifle. "Depends" means the rule turns on your specific load — check the state page.
Spot a data error on this page? Tell us.
How to read these numbers
Every percentage on this page is a prior-draw probability: the chance an applicant with that many points would have drawn in the draw year shown, computed from the agency's published results. It is not a forecast — quotas, applicant numbers, and point creep change every year. Where a state does not publish a number, we show a dash, never a zero. Under five tags the percentage is flagged: one applicant either way swings it. Fees show the fee year used. Read the methodology for the engine details.
Not an application service
Draw rules, quotas, fees and deadlines are set by each agency and change by commission action. Check the agency's site and apply there; we don't take applications.