Mountain Lion Hunting
Our mountain lion management is focused on ensuring the species’ long-term sustainability, while allowing hunting opportunities when appropriate.
Mountain lions have recolonized three areas in Nebraska: the Pine Ridge, Niobrara River Valley and Wildcat Hills. To provide hunting opportunities, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved mountain lion hunting in the Pine Ridge area starting in 2014; it added a Niobrara Unit in 2024 and will begin the first season in the Wildcat Hills in 2025. Each season, hunters are randomly selected through draw application process. Our mountain lion management is focused on ensuring the species’ long-term sustainability, while allowing hunting opportunities when appropriate.
2025 season
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.
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.
Harvest limits
Pine Ridge unit
12 total, with a sublimit of 6 females
Niobrara unit
4 total, with a sublimit of 2 females
Wildcat Hills unit
3 total, with a sublimit of 2 females
Unit maps
Hunting regulations
- During mountain lion hunting seasons, hunters must check to make sure the season is still open each day before hunting by calling the 1-800 phone number provided on their permit or by checking announcements on this page.
- A harvested mountain lion must be reported to Game and Parks within 8 hours of recovering the carcass. It must be checked in within 24 hours at the Pine Ridge Unit. Proof of gender must remain naturally attached until the animal is tagged by the Commission.
- The bag limit for each permit is one mountain lion of either sex.
- Shooting hours are sunrise to sunset.
- Hunting with the aid of dogs is not allowed during Season 1.
- Baiting and/or trapping is prohibited.
- Collared or ear tagged mountain lions may be harvested.
- It is illegal to harvest a mountain lion with a spotted coat, which are kittens, or a mountain lion accompanying another mountain lion – likely a family group.
- If the harvest limit has not been met by the end of Season 1, an Auxiliary Season allowing the use of dogs will be held.
- Unsuccessful permit holders from Season 1 may apply to convert their permit to an Auxiliary Season permit. Applications to convert permits must be received by the deadline specified.
- A number of Auxiliary permits equal to the number of mountain lions remaining in the harvest limit for that sub-unit will be drawn. For example, 2 permits will be converted if 2 mountain lions remain in the harvest limit total at the end of Season 1.
Related Content
Hunting permits
Purchase hunting, big game and turkey permits, as well as supertags and combo lotteries.
Season dates
With a broad diversity of species and seasons, hunters in Nebraska can have a busy year. Find our comprehensive list of season dates by species.
Rules, orders & regulations
Find the current orders, rules and regulations for Nebraska's fish, game and park spaces.