Commissioners approve 2024-2025 waterfowl recommendations

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved 2024-2025 waterfowl hunting season recommendations at its March 8 meeting in Hastings.

Commissioners approved a staff recommendation to create a Veteran and Active-Duty Military waterfowl hunting season that will run concurrently with the Youth Hunting season. Participants will include veterans as defined in Section 101 of Title 38, United States Code, and members of the Armed Forces on active duty, including members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training).

The approved 2024-2025 Nebraska waterfowl season dates are:

Early Teal:

Low Plains – Sept. 1-16
High Plains – Sept. 1-9
Daily bag limit – six; Possession limit – 18

Youth Hunt:

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

Veteran and Active-Duty Military:

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

Duck and Coot:

Zone 1 – Oct. 12-Dec. 24
Zone 2 – Oct. 5-Dec. 17 and Jan. 8-29 (High Plains)
Zone 3 – Oct. 26-Jan. 7 and Jan. 8-29 (High Plains)
Zone 4 – Oct. 26-Jan. 7
Daily bag – Tier 1: six ducks, with restrictions; Tier II: three ducks, any species, any sex; Possession limit – three times the daily bag limit

Dark Goose:

Platte River Unit – Oct. 28-Feb. 9
Niobrara Unit – Oct. 28-Feb. 9
North Central Unit – Oct. 5-Jan. 17
Daily bag limit – five; Possession limit – 15

White-fronted Goose:

Statewide – Oct. 12-Dec. 22 and Jan. 25-Feb. 9
Daily bag limit – two; Possession limit – six

Light Goose Regular Season:

Statewide – Oct. 12-Jan. 8 and Jan. 25-Feb. 9
Daily bag limit – 50; Possession limit – none

Light Goose Conservation Order:

East Zone – Feb. 10-April 15
West Zone – Feb. 10-April 5
Rainwater Basin Zone – Feb. 10-April 5
Daily bag and possession limits – none

Crow:

Statewide – Oct. 12-Dec. 12 and Jan. 11-March 13
Daily bag and possession limits – none

Falconry:

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

Zone 1 – Feb. 25-March 10
Zone 2 – Low Plains: Feb. 25-March 10; 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

The commissioners also approved wildlife regulation changes regarding threatened and endangered species, to reflect the changes in federal listing status of the following:

• The interior least tern was removed from the federal list but remains state-listed as endangered in Nebraska.
• The northern long-eared bat was elevated from threatened to endangered
• The Colorado butterfly plant was removed from the federal list but remains state-listed as endangered in Nebraska.
• The eastern black rail was federally listed as threatened, including in Nebraska.
• The American burying beetle’s federal listing status was downgraded from endangered to threatened

Also, commissioners approved a Board Resolution to sign the project agreement for the Transportation Alternatives Program. This grant program through the Nebraska Department of Transportation will fund the surfacing of 24.6 miles of Cowboy Trail from Rushville in Sheridan County to mile marker 400 near Chadron.

In other business, the board approved the acquisition of 11 acres in Holt County as an addition to the O. Johnson Emerson Wildlife Management Area.

Commissioners also heard reports on a Lake McConaughy creel survey and Game and Parks permits system for 2023.