Commissioners approve 2025-2026 waterfowl recommendations

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved 2025-2026 waterfowl hunting season recommendations at its March 21 meeting in Ord.

Approved staff recommendations entail Tier I daily bag limit for ducks including no more than three pintails for the 2025-2026 duck season. This pintail bag limit will be determined annually based on population dynamics research and is not guaranteed for any season.

Also approved was a nine-day early teal season in both Low Plains and High Plains zones after the 2024 blue-winged teal breeding population fell below 4.7 million birds. There had been a 16-day season in the Low Plains Zone in recent years.

The approved 2025-2026 Nebraska waterfowl season dates are:

Early Teal:

Low Plains – Sept. 6-14

High Plains – Sept. 6-14

Daily bag limit – six; Possession limit – 18

Youth, Veteran, and Active-Duty Military:

Zone 1 – Oct. 4-5

Zone 2 – Sept. 27-28

Zone 3 – Oct. 18-19

Zone 4 – Oct. 18-19

Daily bag – Same as regular season

Duck and Coot:

Zone 1 – Oct. 11-Dec. 23

Zone 2 – Oct. 4-Dec. 16 and Jan. 7-28 (High Plains)

Zone 3 – Oct. 25-Jan. 6 and Jan. 7-28 (High Plains)

Zone 4 – Oct. 25-Jan. 6

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. 4-Jan. 16

Daily bag limit – five; Possession limit – 15

White-fronted Goose:

Statewide – Oct. 4-Dec. 14 and Jan. 25-Feb. 9

Daily bag limit – two; Possession limit – six

Light Goose Regular Season:

Statewide – Oct. 4-Dec. 31 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. 11-Dec. 11 and Jan. 10-March 12

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

In other business, the commissioners approved a resolution to allow the agency director to sign future agreements with the Nebraska Department of Transportation concerning funding the surfacing of a section of the Cowboy Trail near Chadron.

Commissioners also approved a right-of-way easement request from Omaha Public Power District, for the installation of new power poles and overhead lines at Louisville State Recreation Area.

Staff gave a review of the permit system for 2024, an update on the walleye spawn, and a habitat presentation.