Nebraska offers access to abundant hunting opportunities.
The Public Access Atlas identifies and consolidates Nebraska’s public access resources for the benefit of hunters, trappers and anglers. It displays over 1.2 million acres of publicly accessible lands across Nebraska including state, federal, and conservation partner lands as well as privately-owned lands enrolled in the Open Fields and Waters program.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Open Fields and Waters program increases public access opportunities on private lands. These are private lands open to public, walk-in hunting, trapping and/or fishing. Many OFW sites allow these activities year-round during legal seasons. However, certain sites are only open for more specific uses or times (reference the Public Access Atlas legend and on-site signage). More information about hunting on OFW lands can be found in the front pages of the Public Access Atlas.
These areas are open to hunting, trapping and fishing in season, unless otherwise posted or restricted by special area regulations. WMA boundaries are displayed in the Public Access Atlas.
WMAs are managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Wildlife Division for the enhancement of wildlife habitat and for public hunting, trapping and fishing. However, they also provide opportunities for many other activities, including hiking, bird watching, nature study and primitive camping.
Hunters and anglers pay the entire bill for the acquisition, development and maintenance of these areas through the purchase of hunting, trapping and fishing permits, Habitat Stamps and through excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment. Access to these lands is free, and no entry permit is necessary. However, to protect these areas and their many assets, there are certain rules that all must abide by. For more information and WMA regulations, visit our Wildlife Management Areas page.
Portions of some SRA lands are open to hunting and trapping from the Tuesday following Labor Day through the end of the spring turkey hunting season. Hunting and trapping on SRA lands is prohibited within 100 yards of any public-use facility or activity area, including picnic areas, campgrounds, private cabins, concession areas, boat ramps and parking lots. A park entry permit is required for each vehicle entering SRA lands.
Some State Park and State Historical Park lands allow limited hunting opportunities. Special regulations apply and hunting access permits are often required. Trapping is authorized by special permit and only when depredation is occurring. A park entry permit is required for each vehicle entering SP or SHP lands.
Most national forest and grassland areas managed by the USFS are open to hunting, unless otherwise posted. All motorized travel is restricted to designated roads or trails, which are “open” or “closed.” Cross-country or off-road uses of motorized vehicles are prohibited, unless routes or areas are open. Motor vehicle use for big game retrieval and dispersed camping is allowed within 300 feet of most roads and trails that are open. Refer to the Motor Vehicle Use Maps issued by the USFS for other regulations. They may be obtained at all Forest Service District offices, by request at U.S. Forest Service, 125 N. Main St., Chadron, NE 69337, 308-432-0300, or by visiting their website.
USACE owns and manages multiple-purpose properties in Nebraska that provide public recreation opportunities. These properties have area-specific regulations for public use related to hunting, trapping, fishing and other activities. Missouri River USACE lands downstream of Gavins Point Dam are part of the Missouri River Recovery Program. For more information, call 402-996-3761 or visit the website below and click “Maps and MRRP Sites,” and then “Nebraska” under the “MRRP Sites by State” banner. For information on Missouri River USACE lands upstream of Gavins Point Dam along Lewis and Clark Lake (402-667-2546) or USACE lands surrounding Harlan County Lake (308-799-2105) call or visit the links below.
WPAs are managed by the USFWS and purchased with Federal Duck Stamp revenue. They are open to walk-in public hunting, trapping, and fishing. Nontoxic shot is required. Camping, target shooting and black-tailed prairie dog shooting are prohibited. Other special regulations may apply. For more information, call 308-263-3000 or visit their website.
NWRs are managed by the USFWS. Portions of many NWRs are open to limited hunting or fishing. Special regulations apply and differ by refuge. For more information, visit their websites, view refuge hunting and fishing brochures or contact a refuge directly.
Portions of NPS lands allow limited access for hunting, trapping and fishing. Special regulations apply. For more information visit their website.
Sites displayed as Operations Areas in the Public Access Atlas and are owned and managed by USBOR and are open to walk-in hunting and fishing unless otherwise posted. Some USBOR lands in Nebraska are jointly managed with other entities, such as Game and Parks or the USFWS and are displayed accordingly in the atlas.
NRDs own and manage multiple-purpose properties in Nebraska that provide public recreation opportunities. Some NRD lands are managed by Game and Parks and labeled as WMAs. NRD properties have area-specific regulations related to hunting, fishing, trapping and other activities. Information on NRD lands can be found by visiting their website or by contacting the nearest NRD office. Area regulations also are typically posted on-site. Rules and regulations for N-CORPE lands open to public hunting can be found below.
Conservation partners, including Platte River Basin Environments (PRBE), Ducks Unlimited (DU) and Pheasants and Quail Forever, have acquired or control specific, high-conservation value properties. They have allowed inclusion of specific properties in the Public Access Atlas, and there are area-specific regulations for public use related to hunting, fishing, trapping and other activities. For more information on publicly accessible PRBE lands and on DU revolving properties open to public hunting through a cooperative agreement with Game and Parks, visit the links below. Some properties owned/managed by other partners (The Nature Conservancy, The Crane Trust, National Audubon Society, Nebraska Public Power District, City of Alliance, and others) are enrolled in the OFW program, many of which are displayed as “OFW Special Regulation” sites or are available through other reservation-based access programs.
Most hunting and trapping in Nebraska is done on private land, where trespassing is prohibited by law. Hunters and trappers must get permission before hunting or trapping on private land that is not part of a public access program, whether it is posted or not. Publicly accessible lands are displayed in the Public Access Atlas.
You may not hunt in, unless otherwise posted, state wayside areas, hatcheries, reserves, state refuges or any roadway or highway, including the right-of-way. Note on State Refuges – established by statute and closed to hunting except on private lands where landowner permission is required to hunt, including: Garden (includes Clear Creek WMA Refuge), Dodge-Saunders, Boyd-Holt and Lincoln County Refuge.
The Platte River Recreation Access Program provides limited, walk-in public access on more than 6,200 acres of land through an online reservation system. These properties have area-specific regulations for public use relating to hunting, fishing and other authorized activities. Given access is limited to a specific number of users, PRRA lands are not displayed in the Public Access Atlas.
The PATH program is an online reservation-based program that provides Nebraska youth and their mentors access to hunt on private lands and selected public lands. Only youth under the age of 18 may hunt on this land. The mentor is there to help the youth and ensure a safe hunting experience. Given that private land access is limited to a specific number of users, not all PATH lands are displayed in the Public Access Atlas.
This program helps young archery hunters hone their skills under the guidance an experienced, veteran hunter on select lands. More information on the requirements and opportunities available are below.
Visit our GIS map portal to view our growing collection of interactive maps. Useful maps for hunters include the Public Access Atlas, big game check stations, state parks and recreation areas, waterfowl zones and more (including links to some downloadable pdf maps). These mobile responsive maps also allow users to zoom into boundaries and easily view details while in the field (with adequate cellular reception).
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission pumps some wetlands across the state to improve hunting conditions, provide habitat for migrating waterfowl and the other water birds, provide areas for people to observe wildlife and to spread out the distribution of migrating birds and reduce the possibility of disease outbreaks.
Hunting permits
Purchase hunting, big game and turkey permits, as well as supertags and combo lotteries.
