Apply now for antlerless state park deer hunts

Hunters will have a chance to pursue deer at three state park areas along the lower Platte River this fall and winter.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is offering special antlerless deer hunting opportunities within Eugene T. Mahoney and Platte River state parks and Schramm Park State Recreation Area.

Successful applicants will be issued a special access permit that allows them to hunt antlerless deer in designated areas of a park on certain dates, using specific equipment. Successful applicants and interested alternates must attend an orientation session before receiving the access permit.

Applications, limited to one per person, will be accepted through 5 p.m. Oct. 31. If more applications are received than can be accommodated, a drawing will be held Nov. 3.

Hunters may obtain an application at OutdoorNebraska.gov or by calling Mahoney SP at 402-944-2523, ext. 7122, Platte River SP at 402-234-2217, Schramm Education Center at 402-332-3901, or the Southeast District Game and Parks office at 402-471-5431. Individual, mentor and buddy applications are available.

Legal equipment at Mahoney and Platte River state parks are archery and muzzleloaders. The legal equipment at Schramm Park SRA is archery.

Hunters must have an appropriate deer permit, habitat stamp and access permit. Each vehicle entering the park is required to have a state park sticker.  

The following are the hunting opportunities, with park, legal equipment and dates:

• Mahoney SP and Platte River SP – archery, Nov. 27-30, Dec. 4-7, Dec. 11-14, and Dec. 18-21
• Mahoney SP and Platte River SP – muzzleloader, Jan. 2-4 and Jan. 8-11
• Schramm Park SRA – archery, Nov. 27-30, Dec. 4-7, Dec. 11-14, Dec. 18-21, Jan. 2-4, and Jan. 8-11

Successful applicants will be assigned a hunting period at a park, according to their preference. Hunting sites for disabled hunters will be available at Mahoney SP.

Only antlerless deer may be harvested. Appropriate deer permits for archery hunters are: Statewide Archery, Antlerless Only Season Choice Wahoo or Statewide Youth. Archery hunting in January at Schramm requires an Antlerless Only Season Choice Wahoo permit; archery tags are not valid. Muzzleloader hunters must have an Antlerless Only Season Choice Wahoo or a Statewide Youth Permit. Some permits are limited and may sell out before these park hunts.

Orientation sessions will be Nov. 22 for archers and Dec. 13 for muzzleloaders. Each session will take place at the Schramm Education Center classroom at 7 p.m.

For more information, call the Southeast District Office or one of the participating parks.