Keen hunters will take to the fields Oct. 26 for Nebraska’s pheasant season opener.
Discipline experiences and surveys from earlier this yr give an optimistic outlook for upland fowl searching this fall.
Statewide, pheasant counts have been up 19% throughout this yr’s July rural mail service surveys in comparison with final yr and have been close to or exceeding five-year averages in all areas besides the Sandhills.
Pheasant habitat is extra remoted in jap Nebraska, however the place high quality cowl exists, hunters ought to discover good fowl numbers, in response to Bryan O’Connor, upland recreation program supervisor for the Nebraska Sport and Parks Fee. Parts of the Panhandle and southwest proceed to help a number of the highest pheasant numbers, however populations stay variable due to drought lately.
“Pleasure builds towards the beginning of pheasant season yearly as hunters look ahead to going afield, watching their canine work and experiencing Nebraska’s nice upland searching alternatives,” O’Connor mentioned. “Nebraska’s variety of habitats is what makes it engaging to hunters and units it other than different states.”
The searching season for pheasant, quail and partridge is Oct. 26 by Jan. 31, 2025.
Final yr’s comparatively delicate winter benefited quail populations throughout a lot of the state, and numbers elevated in 5 of six administration areas. In accordance with surveys, southeastern and south-central areas help a number of the state’s highest quail densities and may present high quality searching alternatives.
View the complete upland searching forecast at OutdoorNebraska.gov/hunt/recreation/upland.
Preseason scouting is advisable as dry circumstances have triggered emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program lands in 50 of Nebraska’s 93 counties this summer season and fall. This doubtless will have an effect on cowl on some CRP fields in authorized counties, together with some Sport and Parks Open Fields and Waters Program websites. For extra info, go to OutdoorNebraska.gov and search “Haying and Grazing.”
On account of dry circumstances, Sport and Parks reminds hunters to behave responsibly within the area and do their half within the prevention of wildfires. In accordance with the College of Nebraska-Lincoln drought monitor (droughtmonitor.unl.edu), 83% of the state is experiencing average to excessive drought circumstances. Sport and Parks urges hunters to take the next precautions:
- Limit driving to established roads and trails.
- Keep away from parking automobiles in tall vegetation.
- Eliminate cigarettes and different flammable objects appropriately.
- Guarantee your car, trailers, and different gear are well-maintained.
- Be certain no chains are dragging out of your car.
- Within the morning, earlier than driving and whereas the exhaust/catalytic converter system is cool, examine it to see no particles is clinging to it.
- Carry a fireplace extinguisher within the car.
Driving automobiles or parking on dry, tall grass is a major menace. Grass can ignite inside seconds of contacting a sizzling floor, similar to a car’s exhaust/catalytic converter techniques.
Sport and Parks has carried out a brief ban on campfires in any respect Nebraska wildlife administration areas and state park areas till additional discover.
Different reminders:
- Hunters looking for locations to hunt ought to view the 2024-25 Public Entry Atlas, which shows greater than 1.2 million acres of publicly accessible lands all through Nebraska. Along with state, federal and conservation companion lands, greater than 409,000 acres of personal lands are enrolled in Open Fields and Waters and featured within the atlas. For hunters pursuing upland birds in western and south-central Nebraska, the Stubble Entry Information shows a further 41,500 acres of tall wheat or milo stubble fields and adjoining habitats open to public searching entry. Each publications can be found at OutdoorNebraska.gov/guides-maps/public-access-atlas.
- Hunters should receive permission previous to accessing privately-owned (non-OFW) lands in Nebraska no matter whether or not the property is posted or not.
- The upland fowl season is a chance for hunters to pursue an Upland Slam, a partnership between Sport and Parks and Pheasants Ceaselessly and Quail Ceaselessly of Nebraska. The Slam challenges hunters to reap a pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, higher prairie-chicken and quail in Nebraska through the season. Go to OutdoorNebraska.gov and search “Upland Slam” for extra info.
- Grouse hunters are reminded of a required particular allow to hunt within the East Zone (east of U.S. Freeway 81). See the 2024-2025 Small Sport and Waterfowl Information at OutdoorNebraska.gov for particulars.
