Commission approves 2025 big game hunting recommendations

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved recommendations for 2025 deer, antelope and elk hunting seasons at its meeting April 18 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.

Commissioners approved staff recommendations that will help the agency meet management goals for big game populations. Management goals take into consideration population and harvest data, as well as input from hunters, landowners, and the public, with the goal of maintaining long-term opportunities and access for hunters.

Adopted changes to Commission orders pertaining to big game hunting include:

• reducing 10 general either-sex and 30 general doe/fawn antelope permits overall,
• reducing eight bull and 44 antlerless elk permits overall,
• reducing available November Firearm permits by 2% and Antlerless Only Season Choice permits by 4% overall,
• reducing River Antlerless permits by 33% and reducing the area open for hunting with River Antlerless permits by 45%,
• correcting the boundary description for Elk Management Unit 4.

The approved 2025 big game season dates are:

Deer:

Archery – Sept. 1-Dec. 31, 2025; November Firearm – Nov. 15-23 (nine consecutive days starting on the Saturday closest to Nov. 13), 2025; Muzzleloader – Dec. 1-31, 2025; Late Antlerless Only Firearm – Jan. 1-15, 2026; October River Antlerless Firearm – Oct. 1-15, 2025

Antelope:

Archery – Aug. 20-Dec. 31, 2025; Muzzleloader – Sept. 20-Oct. 4, 2025; Firearm – Oct. 11-26, 2025; Late doe/fawn – Nov. 1, 2025-Jan. 31, 2026

Elk:

Archery bull – Sept. 1-Oct. 31, 2025; Firearm bull – Sept. 21-Oct. 31, 2025; Antlerless – Aug. 1-Jan. 31, 2026; Antlerless, Private Land Only – Aug. 1-Sept. 20, 2025; Early General Antlerless – Aug. 1-Oct. 31, 2025; Late General Antlerless – Nov. 1-Jan. 31, 2026

In other business, the Commission approved staff recommendations:

• to reorganize Nebraska Game and Parks Commission regulations by amending Nebraska Administrative Code Title 163 by creating new titles 164-168 for the current chapters 2-6, Administration Regulations will remain in Title 163, and the sections of current chapters would change to chapters in each title. The reorganization would not make other substantive changes within the regulations. 
• to change the location of the October 2025 Commission meeting from Omaha to Niobrara State Park.

The commissioners also heard reports about:

• the State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan and results of the Generalized Outdoor Recreation Survey.
• Woodcock research from Nongame Bird Program Manager Joel Jorgensen, who also talked about piping plover banding along the Platte River and a partnership to tag Neotropical warblers to study their range.
• a trails update, including Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail and related 30^th anniversary events, as well as the Platte River State Park’s Stone Creek Falls Trail.
• a summary of Fisheries Division district meetings that occurred in March.