Nebraska Elk — Unit 131
Unit 131
Nebraska Unit 131 covers 2,364,576 acres and lies 41 miles west of McCook and 52 miles south of Ogallala. 1% of it is public land, mostly state land (1%). In 2025, hunters took 3 elk here. The 2026 draw put up 7 resident tags here.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in Unit 131, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice resident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice resident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
39% Long shot
-
— Cut level
-
2% Point builder
-
100% Likely draw
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U131-ANTLERLESS ↗ U131 Antlerless | 39% Long shot | — | 7 / — | Standard | Aug 1 – Jan 31, 2027 |
| U131-ANTLERLESS-LO ↗ U131 Antlerless (landowner) | — Cut level | — | 5 / — | Landowner | Aug 1 – Jan 31, 2027 |
| U131-BULL ↗ U131 Bull | 2% Point builder | 0 −3 since 2025 | — / 28 | Standard | Sep 1 – Dec 31, 2026 |
| U131-BULL-LO ↗ U131 Bull (landowner) | 100% Likely draw | 0 steady since 2025 | — / — | Landowner | Sep 1 – Dec 31, 2026 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 resident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard license | $11 | $11 | $232 |
| Landowner license | $11 | $11 | $77 |
Application window: opens Jun 1, closes Jun 12, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- Private 2,343,058 ac · 99%
- State land 19,713 ac · 1%
- Bureau of Reclamation 1,750 ac · 0%
- County or city land 55 ac · 0%
How the hunting has gone
What Nebraska Game and Parks Commission publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission publishes these per hunt rather than per unit; the rows below add its own figures together, since a hunter holds one tag for the species in a season.
| Season | Harvest |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 |
What the agency says about the area
NGPC elk hunting unit "Unit 131"; permits drawn as U131 Antlerless; U131 Antlerless (landowner); U131 Bull; ...
Source: Nebraska Big Game Guide 2026 (unit names, public-land statements)
Boundary: Elk Hunting Units (NGPC hosted feature layer, Elk_Hunting_Units_2022)
Harvest: 2026 Big Game Recommendation Book (2025 season harvest; comparisons 2021-2025)