Hunting seasons

• Archery: Sept. 1 – Dec. 31, 2025
• Special Landowner: Nov. 8 – 10, 2025
• November firearm*: Nov. 15 – 23, 2025
• Muzzleloader: Dec. 1 – 31, 2025
• October River Antlerless Firearm: Oct. 1 – 15, 2025
• River Antlerless Late Firearm: Jan. 1 – 15, 2026
• Antlerless Only Season Choice: Sept. 1, 2025 – Jan. 15, 2026
• Limited Landowner: Sept. 1, 2025 – Jan. 15, 2026
• Late Antlerless Only Firearm: Jan. 1 – 15, 2026

* The 2025 firearm deer season will begin the third Saturday in November (Nov. 15), which is the Saturday closest to Nov. 13.

• Archery: Aug. 20 – Dec. 31, 2025
• Muzzleloader: Sept. 20 – Oct. 5, 2025
• Firearm: Oct. 11 – 26, 2025
• November late doe/fawn: Nov. 1, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2026

• Archery bull: Sept. 1 – Oct. 31, 2025
• Firearm bull: Sept. 21 – Oct. 31, 2025
• Early Antlerless: Aug. 1 – Oct. 31, 2025
• Late Antlerless: Nov. 1, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2026

• Management lottery season dates: March 1 – 31, 2025
• Regular lottery season dates: Dec. 2 – Dec. 22, 2025

• Spring archery: March 25 – May 31, 2025
• Spring youth shotgun: April 5 – May 31, 2025
• Spring shotgun: April 12 – May 31, 2025
• Fall youth archery and shotgun: Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, 2025
• Fall archery and shotgun: Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, 2025

Reminders

• Hunters may purchase up to two spring permits.
• A hunter may harvest no more than one turkey per calendar day during the spring season.
• Hunters may purchase up to one fall permit.
• All turkey harvests must be reported via Telecheck.

Hunting took place in three units in 2025: Pine Ridge Unit, Niobrara Unit and Wildcat Hills Unit. The season ran from Jan. 2 through Jan. 19, 2025 when harvest limits were met.

An auxiliary season that allows the use of dogs would be March 15 through the end of March if the annual harvest limit or female sub-limit were not reached during Season 1.

Find application and draw dates by species on our Big Game Permit and Application page. Landowners can find permit application and draw dates on our Landowner Permit page.

• Pheasant, quail and partridge: Oct. 25, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2026
• Prairie grouse: Sept. 1, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2026
  • *special permit required east of U.S. 81
• Youth pheasant, quail and partridge: Oct. 18 – 19, 2025

• Dove (incudes mourning, white-winged, and Eurasian collared-doves): Sept. 1 – Oct. 30, 2025
• Eurasian collared-dove (not including mourning and white-winged): Year-round
• Snipe: Sept. 1 –Dec. 16, 2025
• Rail (includes Virginia and sora rail): Sept. 1 – Nov. 9, 2025
• Woodcock: Oct. 4 – Nov. 17, 2025
• Crow: Oct. 11 – Dec. 11, 2025; Jan. 10 – March 12, 2026

• Squirrel: Aug. 1, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2026
• Cottontail: Sept. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
• Jackrabbit: Sept. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
  • Allowed west of U.S. 81 only

• North Central unit: Oct. 4, 2025 – Jan. 16, 2026
• Platte River unit: Oct. 28, 2025 – Feb. 9, 2026
• Niobrara unit: Oct. 28, 2025 – Feb. 9, 2026
• Daily bag limit: 5; possession limit: 15

• Statewide: Oct. 4 – Dec. 14, 2025; Jan. 25 – Feb. 9, 2026
• Daily bag limit: 2; possession limit: 6

• Statewide: Oct. 4 – Dec. 31, 2025; Jan. 25 – Feb. 9, 2026
• Daily bag limit: 50; possession limit: none

• East zone: Feb. 10 – April 15, 2026
• West zone: Feb. 10 – April 5, 2026
• Rainwater Basin zone: Feb. 10 – April 5, 2026
• Daily bag & possession limits: none

*For special regulations see the Waterfowl Guide

• Low plains: Sept. 6 – 14, 2025
• High plains: Sept. 6 – 14, 2025
• Daily bag limit: 6; possession limit: 18

• Zone 1: Oct. 11 – Dec. 23, 2025
• Zone 2: Oct. 4 – Dec. 16, 2025; and Jan. 7 – 28, 2026 (High Plains portion)
• Zone 3: (High Plains) Oct. 25, 2025 – Jan. 6, 2026 and Jan. 7 – 28, 2026
• Zone 4: Oct. 25, 2025 – Jan. 6, 2026
• Daily bag
  • Tier 1: six ducks, with restrictions;
  • Tier II: three ducks, any species, any sex;
  • Possession limit: Three times the daily bag limit

• Zone 1: Oct. 4 – 5, 2025
• Zone 2: Sept. 27 – 28, 2025
• Zone 3: Oct. 18 – 19, 2025
• Zone 4: Oct. 18 – 19, 2025
• Daily Bag – Tier 1: six ducks, with restrictions; Tier II: three ducks, any species, any sex; possession limit – three times the daily bag limit

Concurrent with teal, youth and regular duck season dates, plus:

• Zone 1: Feb. 25 – March 10, 2026
• Zone 2:
  • Low Plains: Feb. 25 – March 10, 2026
  • High Plains: Concurrent with all duck season dates in High Plains Zone
• Zone 3:
  • High Plains: Concurrent with all duck season dates in High Plains Zone
• Zone 4: Feb. 25 – March 10, 2026

• Spring youth shotgun: April 5 – May 31, 2025
• Fall youth archery and shotgun: Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, 2025

• Youth pheasant, quail and partridge: Oct. 18 – 19, 2025

• Zone 1: Oct. 4 – 5, 2025
• Zone 2: Sept. 27 – 28, 2025
• Zone 3: Oct. 18 – 19, 2025
• Zone 4: Oct. 18 – 19, 2025
• Daily bag
  • Tier 1: six ducks, with restrictions;
  • Tier II: three ducks, any species, any sex;
  • Possession limit: Three times the daily bag limit

• Muskrat, beaver: Trap only: Nov. 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026
• Badger: Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
• Mink: Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
• Bobcat:
  • Hunt and trap: Dec. 1 , 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
  • Running; no harvest: March 1 , 2025 – Nov. 30, 2025
• Raccoon:
  • Hunt only: Sept. 1 – Oct. 31, 2025
  • Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
  • Running, no harvest: March 1, 2025 – Aug. 17, 2025
• Virginia opossum:
  • Hunt only: Sept. 1 – Oct. 31, 2025
  • Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
  • Running, no harvest: March 1 – Aug. 17, 2025
• Striped skunk: Hunt and trap: year-round
• Long-tailed weasel: Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
• Red fox:
  • Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
  • Running, no harvest: March 1, 2025 – Oct. 31, 2025
• Gray fox: Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026
• River otter: Trap only: Nov. 1, 2025, though Feb. 28, 2026. Only one river otter may be harvested per season, per valid permit holder.

The following nongame species may be hunted statewide, year-round in Nebraska with no bag or possession limits:

• Coyotes
• Porcupines
• Prairie dogs
• Woodchucks

NOTE: Residents do not need a permit to hunt these species, but nonresidents must have a hunt (small game) permit. A Habitat Stamp is not required.