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Outdoor Notes
Commissioners to consider changing deer permit limit
NORTH PLATTE — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider a recommendation to amend orders and restrict personal limits for deer permits when it meets June 12 in North Platte.
Wildlife staff will recommend individuals be limited to one deer permit, down from two, per calendar year that allows the taking of an antlered deer. If adopted, it would be effective starting in 2027.
The meeting will begin at 8 a.m. Central time at Mid-Plains Community College North Campus, 1101 Halligan Drive.
In other business, the commissioners will consider changes to turkey orders that would shorten the spring season by starting it later and reducing the nonresident spring personal permit limit from two to one.
Commissioners also will consider proposed changes to mountain lion regulations that would:
• add areas open to harvest in the Niobrara Unit,
• reduce permit numbers allowed per mountain lion in the harvest limit,
• indicate units not open for an auxiliary season,
• adjust harvest limits in the Niobrara, Pine Ridge and Wildcat Hills units, and
• change the application start time. In addition, the commissioners will consider recommendations to approve:
• amending wildlife orders to change the close of squirrel season to the last day of February.
• changing the agency responsible for boundaries of State Game Refuges from the Department of Natural Resources to Game and Parks.
• an interlocal agreement between Game and Parks and the Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council to continue to purchase Zoom software.
• a permanent 10-foot-wide utility easement to Mountain Tower and Land, LLC, on the property of Game and Parks’ northeast district office in
Host Hartington play
Norfolk.
LINCOLN — Hunters are running out of time to apply for Nebraska big game draw permits.
Residents and nonresidents have until June 12 to apply for draw status deer permits through the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Applications must be received by Game and Parks by 5 p.m. June 12 for paper applications. Online applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. that same day.
Residents may purchase a preference point or apply for a deer permit in the Platte or Frenchman management units.
Nonresidents may purchase a preference point or apply for one deer permit in the Sandhills, Upper Platte, Plains, Calamus West, Pine Ridge, Frenchman, Platte, Republican, Buffalo, Loup West, Archery Deer or Muzzleloader Deer management units.
Residents may also apply for October firearm antelope, muzzleloader antelope, general bull elk or antlerless elk permits.
Nonresidents may apply for an archery antelope permit.
Hunters may purchase an antelope preference point or elk bonus point instead of participating in the drawing.
Only one application is allowed per person per species.
Changes approved to spring turkey season
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved wildlife orders that move the start of the spring turkey season at its meeting June 12 in North Platte.
The change to orders will: Move the start of the spring archery season from March 25 to the Saturday closest to April 8.
Move the start of the spring youth shotgun season from the Saturday closest to April 8 to the Saturday closest to April 15.
Move the start of the spring regular shotgun season from the Saturday closest to April 15 to the Saturday closest to April 22.
Delaying harvest at the start of the spring turkey season will reduce the likelihood of harvest negatively affecting reproductive success. The later start will better align the seasons with the timing of turkey dispersal from their winter flocks and breeding and nesting activities.
Commissioners amended the recommendation to reduce the nonresident spring season personal permit limit to one. It remains at two.
In other business, commissioners indefinitely tabled the recommendation to change the personal deer permit limit regarding antlered deer.
In addition, commissioners also tabled recommendations for mountain lion regulation changes for the 2027 season until the August meeting so that landowner permit regulation recommendations could be included.
Commissioners approved wildlife orders that moved the close of squirrel season from Jan. 31 to the last day of February to align it with other seasons.
In addition, the commissioners approved:
• changing the agency responsible for boundaries of State Game Refuges from the Department of Natural Resources to Game and Parks.
• an interlocal agreement between Game and Parks and the Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council to continue to purchase Zoom software.
• a permanent 10-foot-wide utility easement to Mountain Tower and Land, LLC, on the property of Game and Parks’ northeast district office in Norfolk, to allow for the installation of 1,300 linear feet of conduit, ground vaults and fiber.
The commissioners also recognized all the Game and Park staff who responded to the spring wildfires in western Nebraska.
To view the proposed regulations and orders, visit OutdoorNebraska. gov and search “Regulations.”
