Republican Deer Management Unit, Nebraska: deer harvest, public land and walk-in access
Nebraska's Republican Deer Management Unit covers 4,977 square miles across Franklin, Nuckolls, Webster, Harlan and Clay counties. 1.4% of it is public land by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Game and Parks area maps, mostly Army Corps of Engineers, and Game and Parks' 2026-27 OFW map adds 21,381 acres of private walk-in land on 65 tracts. Game and Parks counted 2,565 deer taken across all seasons in 2025: 1,707 white-tailed bucks and 826 antlerless whitetails, plus 24 mule deer bucks and 8 antlerless mule deer.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Recommendations, 2021 to 2025. Seasons: the 2026 Big Game Guide. Land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 and agency area maps. Walk-in: Game and Parks, 2026-27.
Game and Parks landNational wildlife refuge or WPAArmy Corps of EngineersState park or recreation areaOther publicOpen Fields and WatersRepublicanWMANeighboring unitsLakeHighway
| Size | 3,185,509 acres (4,977 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Franklin, Nuckolls, Webster, Harlan, Clay, Adams, Furnas and Fillmore and 6 more |
| Public land | 1.4% (43,926 acres) |
| Walk-in land (OFW, 2026-27) | 21,381 acres on 65 tracts (0.7% of the unit) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 2,565 (1,731 bucks) |
| Unit Buck permits, 2026 | Republican: 50; Republican WT: 2,000 |
| WMAs with a page | Sacramento-Wilcox WMA, Guide Rock Diversion Dam WMA, Kissinger Basin WMA, Pintail WMA and Limestone Bluffs WMA |
| Towns in it | Geneva, Minden, Superior, Sutton, Hebron and Alma |
How many deer are harvested in the Republican unit?
Game and Parks counted 2,565 deer across all seasons in 2025, down 40% from 4,266 in 2021. Mule deer were 1.2% of it. Of the white-tailed bucks checked in 2025, 56% were 3 or older.
| Year | Total deer | White-tailed bucks | Antlerless whitetails | Mule deer bucks | Antlerless mule deer | Whitetail bucks 3 and older |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,565 | 1,707 | 826 | 24 | 8 | 56% |
| 2024 | 2,875 | 1,925 | 915 | 27 | 8 | 46% |
| 2023 | 3,208 | 2,079 | 1,092 | 33 | 4 | 44% |
| 2022 | 4,020 | 2,209 | 1,779 | 27 | 5 | 44% |
| 2021 | 4,266 | 2,498 | 1,728 | 36 | 4 | 52% |
Source: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Recommendations, page 75, the unit's harvest comparisons by year (all seasons and permit types). Buck ages are Game and Parks' estimates from check-station data.
Game and Parks also reports 0 deer depredation complaints in the unit in 2025, and a harvest objective of 2500 white-tailed bucks (Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Recommendations, page 74).
How much public land is in the Republican unit?
1.4% of the unit is public land: 43,926 of its 3,185,509 acres, led by Army Corps of Engineers at 17,367 acres. WMAs with a page of their own: Sacramento-Wilcox WMA, Guide Rock Diversion Dam WMA, Kissinger Basin WMA, Pintail WMA, Limestone Bluffs WMA, Kirkpatrick Basin South WMA, West Sacramento WMA, Bluewing WMA, Alfon C. Haring Memorial WMA, Sora WMA, White Front WMA, Redhead WMA, Marsh Hawk WMA, Father Hupp WMA, Sandpiper WMA and Burton's Bend WMA. Game and Parks' map shows 33 WMAs in the unit in all.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Army Corps of Engineers | 17,367 | 0.5% |
| National wildlife refuge or WPA | 17,133 | 0.5% |
| Game and Parks land | 9,426 | 0.3% |
| Other public (not counted as hunting land) | 2,132 | 0.1% |
| State park or recreation area (not counted as hunting land) | 66 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside Game and Parks' unit boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee and designation lands with open or restricted public access) and Game and Parks properties (WMAs, recreation areas, parks) and Game and Parks other public recreation lands; the water of the larger reservoirs is left out.
How much walk-in hunting land is in the Republican unit?
Game and Parks' 2026-27 Open Fields and Waters layer maps 21,381 acres on 65 tracts inside the unit, 0.7% of its ground. OFW land is private land Game and Parks leases for walk-in hunting, trapping or fishing; driving on it is prohibited. County totals for the counties the unit touches:
| County | Share of the county in this unit | OFW acres in the county | OFW tracts in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 100% | 2,260 | 5 |
| Nuckolls County | 100% | 176 | 2 |
| Webster County | 100% | 822 | 6 |
| Harlan County | 100% | 2,031 | 13 |
| Clay County | 79.3% | 39 | 1 |
| Adams County | 63.4% | 197 | 1 |
| Furnas County | 46.8% | 27,461 | 56 |
| Fillmore County | 51.1% | 0 | 0 |
| Thayer County | 51% | 1,294 | 8 |
| Kearney County | 52.9% | 149 | 2 |
| Phelps County | 37.1% | 0 | 0 |
| Gosper County | 42.7% | 915 | 7 |
| York County | 27.1% | 78 | 1 |
| Hamilton County | 20.3% | 0 | 0 |
Walk-in acres inside the unit measured by FilledTag from Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027; county acres and tract counts are Game and Parks' own figures for each tract.
When is deer season in the Republican unit in 2026?
Archery runs Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026, the November firearm season Nov. 14 to 22 and muzzleloader Dec. 1 to 31, with a late antlerless-only firearm season Jan. 1 to 15, 2027. New for 2026, Unit Buck permits use the Season Choice format: one permit is good in archery, November firearm and muzzleloader seasons with the legal weapon for each. A hunter may hold only one Republican permit that allows a mule deer buck. Nonresidents get Republican permits through the June draw.
| Unit Buck permit, 2026 | Quota | Bag limit | Sold out in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 50 | 1 AD2 | R - July 11, NR - DRAW |
| Republican WT | 2,000 | 1 WT | Oct. 8 |
| Antlerless Only permit, 2026 | Quota | Bag limit | Sold out in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AO Republican | 800 | 1 AOWT | Oct. 26 |
Source: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Guide, page 13 (Unit Buck permits) and page 17 (Antlerless Only). AD is any deer, AD2 any deer except an antlerless mule deer, WT whitetail, AOWT antlerless whitetail.
Special rules for the Republican unit
- Muzzleloader, Nonresident Archery and Restricted Statewide Buck permits are not valid for mule deer.
- Republican AO permits are not valid on Harlan County U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands.
Source: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Guide, page 19.
Statewide, antlerless mule deer may not be taken on land open to public hunting, except Open Fields and Waters land (Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Guide, page 19).
How did the Republican permits do in 2025?
| Permit, 2025 | Quota, sold, sell-out | Deer taken (MD bucks, MD antlerless, MD total, WT bucks, WT antlerless, WT total) | Success on first deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republican MDCA | 50, 50, 7/11/25 | 4, 0, 4, 11, 0, 11 | 24% |
| Republican WT | 2200, 2200, 10/8/25 | 0, 0, 0, 657, 153, 810 | 39% |
| Republican AO | 800, 812, 10/26/25 | 0, 1, 1, 7, 203, 210 | 25% |
Source: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Recommendations, page 74, 2025 harvest data for the unit. Success is the share of permit holders who took a deer, as Game and Parks reports it.
Is there elk or pronghorn hunting in the Republican unit?
Game and Parks' elk unit map overlaps it: elk unit 15 and elk unit 132. Pronghorn units that overlap it: Prairie Muzzleloader. Elk permits are all drawn; nonresidents can hunt pronghorn only with archery, landowner or late doe/fawn permits.
Units: Game and Parks elk hunting units; Game and Parks antelope hunting units. Rules: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Guide, page 20 to 26.
Which deer units border the Republican unit?
Republican touches 5 other units. Their public land, walk-in acres and 2025 harvest, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | OFW acres | Deer harvested, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Northwest | 0.6% | 3,992 | 3,105 |
| Blue Southeast | 1.2% | 15,605 | 4,558 |
| Buffalo | 0.5% | 9,594 | 2,363 |
| Frenchman | 0.6% | 136,087 | 1,985 |
| Wahoo | 1.1% | 2,809 | 4,544 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Nebraska's Republican deer unit?
43,926 acres, 1.4% of the unit, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Game and Parks area maps; the largest share is Army Corps of Engineers (17,367 acres). Game and Parks' walk-in program adds 21,381 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting in 2026-27.
How many deer were harvested in the Republican unit in the latest year on record?
2,565 across all seasons in 2025, by Game and Parks' count: 2,533 white-tailed deer and 32 mule deer.
How many Unit Buck permits does the Republican unit have in 2026?
Republican: 50 (1 AD2); Republican WT: 2,000 (1 WT). Each is a Season Choice permit, good in archery, November firearm and muzzleloader seasons.
Which counties are in the Republican unit?
Franklin, Nuckolls, Webster, Harlan, Clay, Adams, Furnas, Fillmore, Thayer, Kearney, Phelps, Gosper, York and Hamilton. Walk-in land by county is on each county's OFW page where one exists.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Recommendations.
- Seasons, permits and rules: Game and Parks' 2026 Big Game Guide.
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1. Walk-in land: Game and Parks Open Fields and Waters, 2026-2027. Unit boundary: Game and Parks deer management units.
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Numbers are copied from Game and Parks, the USGS and the Census Bureau, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Nebraska hunting Open Fields and Waters by county Blue Northwest Blue Southeast Buffalo Frenchman Wahoo