Deer permit sales available Veterans Day, 2 Saturdays
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offices will open to serve deer hunters seeking permits on three days otherwise closed in November, according to a release.
Offices will open this Saturday, on Veterans Day Nov. 11 and Nov. 13 — the first Saturday of the November Firearm Deer Season.
The Game and Parks headquarters in Lincoln, district offices in Norfolk, North Platte and Alliance, and service centers in the Schramm Education Center near Gretna, Kearney and Bassett will all open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for permit sales only. The Omaha service center, meanwhile, will open 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 11. It's phones may be reached Nov. 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Permit-selling locations are detailed online at outdoornebraska.gov/locations.
Check stations return for Nov. 13-21 deer season
In-person check stations return this year for the nine-day firearm deer hunting season this month.
All deer harvested during Nov. 13-21 must be accompanied by the hunter and taken to a check station no later than 1 p.m. on the day following the close of the season.
Check station locations change year-to-year, so hunters are urged to find a station before they hunt. Lists can be found online at at outdoornebraska.gov/deer and outdoornebraska.gov/huntingseasons. An interactive map of check stations can be found at outdoornebraska.gov/maps.
Mountain lion lottery application period open
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is accepting lottery applications for mountain lion hunting permits now through Dec. 8, 2021, for the 2022 season.
Permits became available to Nebraska residents Monday. Residents may have one permit per calendar year, and the bag limit is one mountain lion per year of either sex.
The 2022 Season 1 is scheduled for Jan. 2 through Feb. 28 in the Pine Ridge Unit. The season will close immediately before Feb. 28 if either the annual harvest limit of four mountain lions or sub-limit of two female mountain lions is reached, according to the Game and Parks Commission. Hunting dogs will not be allowed for the up-to 320 permit holders.
If the harvest limit is not met during Season 1, an Auxiliary Season will be held March 12-31 to meet it. Unsuccessful Season 1 hunters will have the opportunity to convert the permit to hunt in March.
Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. Dec. 8. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org to apply online or to download an application. A nonrefundable application fee must be submitted.
Pheasant season open through Jan. 31
Nebraska hunters started pheasant, qual and partridge season Oct. 30.
Heading into the harvest, which continues through Jan. 31, the Southwest and Panhandle regions of the state were expected to offer the best pheasant hunting opportunities, according to the Game and Parks release. Pheasant counts during 2021's July Rural Mail Carrier Survey were down compared to the previous year, but field reports suggest dry conditions inhibited roadside observations in some areas.
“This is always an exciting time of year and we hope that many hunters get a chance to experience our state’s diverse upland bird hunting opportunities this season,” said John Laux, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission upland program manager.
Severe weather negatively affected the state's qual populations last winter and counts were down slightly, according to the Spring Whistle Count Survey. Overall, though, quail numbers were expected to be similar to last year across southern Nebraska and relatively lower elsewhere in the state.
Full upland hunting forecast information can be found online at OutdoorNebraska.org/Upland.
— Staff reports
