Second Mule Deer Hunt at Bowring Ranch

James E. Ducey. January 11, 2024. Second mentored muzzle-loader mule deer hunt held at Bowring Ranch. Grant County News 139(24): 1.

A second mentored muzzle-loader mule deer hunt occurred December 8-9 at Bowring Ranch, near Merriman.

Three women involved in the Becoming an Outdoor Woman Program participated, according to Tim McCoy. director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. "The women saw lots of wildlife, learned about mule deer hunting and western Nebraska." One buck was harvested.

The first hunt occurred in December of 2022, when four hunters went afield during a hunt "as an extension of a hunter education outreach program. This included BOW women or recent youth hunter education graduates," said McCoy. Two anterless deer were harvested.

The hunters were required to provide their own muzzle-loader deer permit and necessary habitat stamp.

A mentored hunt meant a guide accompanied the hunter to a blind or to stalk a potential target. The mentor also helped field dress and deer harvested, according to a Nebraskaland article issued in December.

This ranch had not previously been open to hunting for decades.

The Bowring Ranch of about 7200 acres is owned by the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation and managed as a working Hereford cattle ranch. A small portion of about 250 acres is managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and is known as the Arthur Bowring Sandhills Ranch Historical Park, where no hunting is allowed.

The Foundation "has recently designed and supported programs to promote youth hunting and fishing and also increase participation by women," said McCoy. "The Foundation requested that the Commission help coordinate these activities."