The Nebraska Recreation and Parks Fee will think about suggestions for a 2025 mountain lion looking season at its June 21 assembly in Ogallala.
The assembly begins at 8 a.m. Mountain time on the Petrified Wooden Gallery, 418 E. 1st St.
For the primary time, a looking season shall be proposed for mountain lions within the Wildcat Hills. If permitted, a Wildcat Hills Unit shall be created, becoming a member of the present Pine Ridge Unit and Niobrara Unit as areas that will enable mountain lion harvest.
The Wildcat Hills Unit would embody components of Scotts Bluff, Morrill, Cheyenne, Backyard, Kimball, and Banner counties. The target for the unit is to offer a harvest alternative for hunters that may hold the lion inhabitants resilient whereas barely lowering their numbers.
Recreation and Parks’ genetic surveys in 2023 estimate there are 70 mountain lions within the Pine Ridge, up from the final estimate of 33 in 2021. Surveys that may enable inhabitants estimates for the Niobrara and Wildcat Hills are presently being carried out. Twenty-seven mountain lions have been documented within the Niobrara Valley throughout 2023, and 24 have been documented within the Wildcat Hills.
Season 1 in all three models would happen Jan. 2, 2025, by the top of February. The season would finish instantly in a unit if the annual harvest restrict or feminine sub-limit have been reached. The Pine Ridge restrict can be 12 mountain lions with a sub-limit of six females, the Niobrara restrict can be 4 mountain lions with a two feminine sub-limit, and the Wildcat Hills restrict can be three mountain lions with a two feminine sub-limit.
As much as 960 permits may very well be issued by lottery within the Pine Ridge Unit, as much as 320 permits within the Niobrara Unit, and as much as 240 permits within the Wildcat Hills Unit. Permits can be found to residents solely. An auxiliary season that enables using canines can be March 15 by the top of March if the annual harvest restrict or feminine sub-limit weren’t reached throughout Season 1 in any unit. Numerous permits equal to the variety of lions remaining within the restrict can be issued by lottery to unsuccessful allow holders from that unit who apply for the auxiliary season.
In different enterprise, commissioners will think about modifications to park rules that will:
- Create a $5 Lively-Responsibility Navy automobile park entry allow for active-duty army personnel stationed in Nebraska. The allow can be for automobiles registered in or out of the state and can be accessible solely as an annual allow.
- Permit the director of Recreation and Parks to authorize the substitute of any Nebraska Resident Disabled American Veteran lifetime allow.
- Replace language for state recreation trails, together with encroachments on right-of methods.
- Permit using Class I digital bikes in state parks, state historic parks, state recreation areas and state recreation trails on designated trails until in any other case posted. Class II and Class III e-bikes can be permitted as posted.
Commissioners additionally will think about these fishing regulation modifications:
- The removing of the no-live-baitfish restriction shall be really helpful for Lake Wanahoo.
- At Two Rivers State Recreation Space Lake No. 5, also referred to as the trout lake, a advice would shorten the time a trout tag is required to fish the lake by one month. It additionally would take away the tag show requirement and permit anglers to launch any caught trout.
As well as, there shall be employees suggestions to:
- approve the switch of roughly 88 acres of land in Corridor County adjoining to Mormon Island SRA from the Federal Freeway Administration to Recreation and Parks; and
- approve allowing of looking in some state parks and state historic parks for 2024 seasons.
Workers additionally will current the outcomes of a survey on Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala, a report on Lake McConaughy, and an replace on outreach efforts in west-central Nebraska.
To view an entire agenda, go to OutdoorNebraska.gov and seek for “public notices.” To view proposed modifications to Fee rules and orders, seek for “rules.”
