Nebraska Elk — Unit 4
Unit 4
Nebraska Unit 4 covers 2,221,038 acres and lies 26 miles south-east of Gering and 35 miles south-west of Alliance. 1% of it is public land, mostly state land (1%). In 2025, hunters took 63 elk here. The 2026 draw put up 60 tags here.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in Unit 4, 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-
— Cut level
-
<1% Point builder
-
0% Point builder
-
23% Long shot
-
23% Long shot
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U4-ANTLERLESS-LO ↗ U4 Antlerless (landowner) | — Cut level | — | 60 / — | Landowner | Aug 1 – Jan 31, 2027 |
| U4-BULL ↗ U4 Bull | <1% Point builder | 2 +2 since 2023 | — / 687 | Standard | Sep 1 – Dec 31, 2026 |
| U4-BULL-LO ↗ U4 Bull (landowner) | 0% Point builder | 1 steady since 2023 | — / — | Landowner | Sep 1 – Dec 31, 2026 |
| U4-EARLY-ANTLERLESS ↗ U4 Early Antlerless | 23% Long shot | — | 50 / — | Standard | Aug 1 – Oct 31, 2026 |
| U4-LATE-ANTLERLESS ↗ U4 Late Antlerless | 23% Long shot | — | 30 / — | Standard | Nov 1 – Jan 31, 2027 |
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 2,195,548 ac · 99%
- State land 14,393 ac · 1%
- National Wildlife Refuge 11,096 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 | 63 |
| 2024 | 71 |
| 2023 | 84 |
What the agency says about the area
NGPC elk hunting unit "Unit 4"; permits drawn as U4 Antlerless (landowner); U4 Bull; U4 Bull (landowner); ...
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)
Harvest: 2025 Big Game Recommendation Book (2024 season harvest; comparisons 2020-2024)
Harvest: 2024 Big Game Recommendation Book (2023 season harvest; comparisons 2019-2023)