Hunting seasons
With a diversity of species and generous seasons, hunters in Nebraska have tremendous opportunities afield. View season dates by species.
Big game seasons
View all season dates below or download the printable version.
- Archery: Sept. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024
- Special Landowner: Nov. 9 – 11, 2024
- November firearm*: Nov. 16 – 24, 2024
- Muzzleloader: Dec. 1 – 31, 2024
- October River Antlerless Firearm: Oct. 1 – 15, 2024
- River Antlerless Late Firearm: Jan. 1 – 15, 2025
- Antlerless Only Season Choice: Sept. 1, 2024 – Jan. 15, 2025
- Limited Landowner: Sept. 1, 2024 – Jan. 15, 2025
- Late Antlerless Only Firearm: Jan. 1 – 15, 2025
* The 2024 firearm deer season will begin the third Saturday in November (Nov. 16), which is the Saturday closest to Nov. 13.
- Archery: Aug. 20 – Dec. 31, 2024
- Muzzleloader: Sept. 21 – Oct. 6, 2024
- Firearm: Oct. 12 – 27, 2024
- November late doe/fawn: Nov. 1, 2024 – Jan. 31, 2025
- Archery bull: Sept. 1 – Oct. 31, 2024
- Firearm bull: Sept. 21 – Oct. 31, 2024
- Early Antlerless: Aug. 1 – Oct. 31, 2024
- Late Antlerless: Nov. 1, 2024 – Jan. 31, 2025
Regular lottery season dates: Dec. 3 – Dec. 22, 2024
Management lottery season dates: March 1 – 31, 2025
- Fall youth archery and shotgun: Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, 2024
- Fall archery and shotgun: Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, 2024
- Spring archery: March 25 – May 31, 2025
- Spring youth shotgun: April 5 – May 31, 2025
- Spring shotgun: April 12 – May 31, 2025
Reminders
- Nonresident turkey permits have increased from $125 to $140.
- Nonresident landowner turkey permits have increased from $62.50 to $70.
- Hunters now may purchase up to two spring permits instead of three.
- A hunter may harvest no more than one turkey per calendar day during the spring season.
- All turkey harvests must be reported via Telecheck.
Hunting will take place in three units in 2025: Pine Ridge Unit, Niobrara Unit and Wildcat Hills Unit.
Season 1 in all three units will take place Jan. 2, 2025, through the end of February. The season will end immediately in a unit if the annual harvest limit or female sub-limit is reached. The Pine Ridge harvest limit is 12 mountain lions with a sub-limit of six females, the Niobrara limit is four mountain lions with a two female sub-limit, and the Wildcat Hills limit is three mountain lions with a two female sub-limit.
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.
Small game seasons
For additional information and other regulations, find the Small Game and Waterfowl Guide here.
- Pheasant, quail and partridge: Oct. 26, 2024 – Jan. 31, 2025
- Prairie grouse: Sept. 1, 2024 – Jan. 31, 2025
- *special permit required east of U.S. 81
- Youth pheasant, quail and partridge: Oct. 19 – 20, 2024
- Dove (incudes mourning, white-winged, and Eurasian collared-doves): Sept. 1 – Oct. 30, 2024
- Eurasian collared-dove (not including mourning and white-winged): Year-round
- Snipe: Sept. 1 –Dec. 16, 2024
- Rail (includes Virginia and sora rail): Sept. 1 – Nov. 9, 2024
- Woodcock: Oct. 5 – Nov. 18, 2024
- Crow: Oct. 12 – Dec. 12, 2024; Jan. 11 – March 13, 2025
- Squirrel: Aug. 1, 2024 – Jan. 31, 2025
- Cottontail: Sept. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- Jackrabbit: Sept. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- Allowed west of U.S. 81 only
Waterfowl seasons & daily bag limits
For additional information and other regulations, see the Waterfowl Guide on our guides page and view Nebraska waterfowl zones here.
- North Central unit: Oct. 5, 2024 – Jan. 17, 2025
- Platte River unit: Oct. 28, 2024 – Feb. 9, 2025
- Niobrara unit: Oct. 28, 2024 – Feb. 9, 2025
- Daily bag limit: 5; possession limit: 15
- Statewide: Oct. 12 – Dec. 22, 2024; Jan. 25 – Feb. 9, 2025
- Daily bag limit: 2; possession limit: 6
- Statewide: Oct. 12, 2024 – Jan. 8, 2025; Jan. 25 – Feb. 9, 2025
- Daily bag limit: 50; possession limit: none
- East zone: Feb. 10 – April 15, 2025
- West zone: Feb. 10 – April 5, 2025
- Rainwater Basin zone: Feb. 10 – April 5, 2025
- Daily bag & possession limits: none
*For special regulations see the Waterfowl Guide
- Low plains: Sept. 1 – 16, 2024
- High plains: Sept. 1 – 9, 2024
- Daily bag limit: 6; possession limit: 18
- Zone 1: Oct. 12 – Dec. 24, 2024
- Zone 2: Oct. 5 – Dec. 17, 2024 (Low Plains); Oct. 5 – Dec. 17, 2024 and Jan. 8 – 29, 2025 (High Plains)
- Zone 3: (High Plains) Oct. 26, 2024 – Jan. 7, 2025 and Jan. 8 – 29, 2025
- Zone 4: Oct. 26, 2024 – Jan. 7, 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
- Zone 1: Oct. 5 – 6, 2024
- Zone 2: Sept. 28 – 29, 2024
- Zone 3: Oct. 19 – 20, 2024
- Zone 4: Oct. 19 – 20, 2024
- 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. 5 – 6
- Zone 2: Sept. 28 – 29
- Zone 3: Oct. 19 – 20
- Zone 4: Oct. 19 – 20
- 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, 2025
- Zone 2:
- Low Plains: Feb. 25 – March 10, 2025
- 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, 2025
Furbearer seasons
- Muskrat, beaver: Trap only: Nov. 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025
- Badger: Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- Mink: Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- Bobcat:
- Hunt and trap: Dec. 1 , 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- Running; no harvest: March 1 , 2024 – Nov. 30, 2024
- Raccoon:
- Hunt only: Sept. 1 – Oct. 31, 2024
- Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- Running, no harvest: March 1, 2024 – Aug. 17, 2024
- Virginia opossum:
- Hunt only: Sept. 1 – Oct. 31, 2024
- Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- Running, no harvest: March 1 – Aug. 17, 2024
- Striped skunk: Hunt and trap: year-round
- Long-tailed weasel: Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- Red fox:
- Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- Running, no harvest: March 1, 2024 – Oct. 31, 2024
- Gray fox: Hunt and trap: Nov. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025
- River otter: Trap only: Nov. 1, 2024, though Feb. 28, 2025. Only one river otter may be harvested per season, per valid permit holder. Learn more.
Youth seasons
- Spring youth shotgun: April 6 – May 31, 2024
- Fall youth archery and shotgun: Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, 2024
- Youth pheasant, quail and partridge: Oct. 19 – 20, 2024
- Zone 1: Oct. 6 – 8, 2024
- Zone 2: Sept. 28 – 29, 2024
- Zone 3: Oct. 19 – 20, 2024
- Zone 4: Oct. 19 – 20, 2024
- Daily bag
- Tier 1: six ducks, with restrictions;
- Tier II: three ducks, any species, any sex;
- Possession limit: Three times the daily bag limit
Related content
Hunting permits
Purchase hunting, big game and turkey permits, as well as supertags and combo lotteries.
Telecheck
The Nebraska Telecheck Program allows hunters to check deer or antelope by telephone or online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, other than during the nine-day firearm season.
Rules, orders & regulations
Find the current orders, rules and regulations for Nebraska's fish, game and park spaces.