Iowa and Nebraska live on Insider

We are excited to announce that we have recently launched two new states to our Insider platform. We’re working towards our eastern expansion, and what better way to start than by adding a couple of slammer whitetail states for Insiders to utilize: Iowa and Nebraska. At GOHUNT, our continued goal is to provide hunters with the research tools they need to enhance their hunting opportunities and tackle the challenges of planning an out-of-state dream hunt or expanding your research efforts for hunts in your home state. We’re excited for you to explore all this new data!

Why all nonresidents should care about Iowa and Nebraska

The biggest attraction to both of these states is definitely the world-class whitetail opportunities, but they both offer multiple species to pursue.

Iowa

Iowa is renowned for its outstanding whitetail deer hunting, and numerous record book entries have been amassed over the years. The state's top-notch genetics, combined with superb habitat, agricultural practices, and mild winters, create exceptional trophy potential. Beyond whitetails, Iowa also offers excellent hunting for wild turkey and various small game, along with great fishing opportunities. Nonresidents must use a preference point system in order to draw one of these deer licenses. Although Iowa consists mainly of private land, dedicated hunters who do their research can still find fantastic public hunting options.

Nebraska

Nebraska is home to five big game species: mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, antelope, and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, along with great opportunities for turkey. For most nonresidents, mule deer and whitetail deer are their primary targets, with both over-the-counter (OTC) and draw options available. Just like Iowa, much of the state consists of private land, and you’ll have to do your research to discover excellent public hunting opportunities. 

For more in-depth information about both of these states, make sure you jump into the State Profiles to learn about opportunities, dates, prices, draw systems and rules.

What you'll see with the launch of Iowa and Nebraska

Having these states available on Insider, you’ll not only get an analysis of all units and seasons, but you'll also have species breakdowns plus State Profiles that outline how to apply and the fees associated with hunting in these states. Not to mention — for all the draw hunts available, you’ll have access to the Application Strategy Articles that are written prior to each application season. 

Both Iowa and Nebraska should be states to put on your list if you have the whitetail bug or if you are trying to fulfill your turkey slam. You’ll have more opportunities in Nebraska than you will in Iowa as far as different species to hunt, but either state has tags that are relatively easy to draw. I would say that the biggest hurdle to these states is solidifying ground to hunt, which is where Unit Profile research and member networking would come in handy, as well as diligent mapping work on GOHUNT Maps. 

Similar to our other states, you’ll have access to Filtering to help you choose where to apply and hunt. You can use filters for trophy potential, draw odds, harvest success, weapon type, season dates, and much more. Once you have this part of your research sorted, you can dive into our standalone Draw Odds page for even more in-depth data.

Filtering research to find hunting opportunities

Both Iowa and Nebraska will now show up on the drop-down menu for Filtering on web. They are also available on the mobile app under the Research tab.

In Filtering, you'll instantly be able to narrow down where to apply and hunt for each species. In a few clicks, you'll know what unit is perfect for your specific criteria.

Draw odds for Iowa and Nebraska

We also provide Draw Odds for all species and residency types for both states. Our data science team has worked diligently to ensure that these draw odds uphold the same rigorous standards as those for all other states.

If you’d like to view the draw odds directly, you can easily visit our standalone Draw Odds Page and either select Iowa or Nebraska to see detailed odds for each unit. Please note that draw odds are also accessible through Filtering and on each Unit Profile.

If you're unfamiliar with Insider, we have a standalone draw odds page for all states and species on the web. To locate our Draw Odds page, hover over Tools and, once the dropdown menu appears, select the "Draw Odds" area at the top.

What’s next for Insider? 

We’re continuing to research and build out more of the eastern states as we progress and I would expect a new release in the months to come. We’re also bringing some new enhancements with the updated Unit Profiles, which are now live on the platform for Insiders to utilize. More filtering products are soon to follow, so be sure to keep your eye out for them. If you currently are not an Insider, then there’s no better time to sign up and get a few more tags in your pocket.