The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved changes to sportfishing orders at its meeting Oct. 10 at Niobrara State Park. These orders regard daily bag limits, possession limits and open areas.

The amendments to sportfishing orders are:

clarify that the two-fish daily trout limit at the Soldier Creek Wilderness Area may include only one fish 16 inches or longer;
add Marlin Petermann Recreation Area in Douglas County to the list of waters with a two-fish daily bag limit and 12-inch maximum length limit on smallmouth bass;
add Marlin Petermann Recreation Area to the list of waters with a daily bag limit of five yellow perch;
add Wolbach City Lake in Greeley County, Forest City Recreation Area in Sarpy County and Mad Bear Recreation Area in Sarpy County to the list of waters with a one-fish daily bag limit and 21-inch minimum length limit on black bass;
rescind the exceptions (one over 34 inches or longer, no minimum length, three-fish bag limit, three-fish possession limit) on muskellunge and tiger muskellunge at Pelican Lake in Cherry County; and
confirm legal paddlefish archery fishing hours of sunrise to sunset.

Commissioners also approved sportfishing regulation amendments that remove redundant language, reorganize paddlefish regulations for clarity, provide new definitions of terms, and add new water bodies and renovated water bodies to the list of waters where possession of live baitfish is unlawful.

Commissioners approved wildlife regulation amendments that clarify rules for buying a preference or bonus point, allow the use of breech-loading muzzleloaders during the muzzleloader season, combine checking requirements for bobcat, gray fox and river otter, and move language on incidentally caught otters from one chapter of regulations to another.

In addition, the commissioners passed wildlife amendments that will:

change the date a youth must be 15 to be eligible for a youth deer permit and eliminate the requirement for participants in the Free-earned Landowner Elk Program to designate their earned permit for the following elk season from when they earn them;
specify which birds are defined as nuisance birds, clarify when a permit may be issued, and clarify which parts may not be bought, sold or bartered;
add a carriage to the list of vehicles not allowed on a wildlife management area, with exceptions; and
make some changes to area-specific regulations on the following wildlife management areas: Catfish Run, Enders, Gifford Point, Kea West, Medicine Creek, Oak Glen, Randall W. Schilling, Red Willow and Swanson.

In other business, commissioners approved:

fee increases for park lodging and rental facilities;
a lease agreement for 90 acres in Sioux County for the Bighorn Sheep Restoration Facility, contingent upon securing funding through grants and donations;
the 2026-2028 Focus on Education Plan “Education Strategy: Connecting Through Experience”;
the 2026-2030 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan to maintain eligibility for the Land and Water Conservation Fund Statewide Assistance Program through the National Park Service;
the Recreational Road Program’s 1-5 Year Plan; and
the 2026 Nebraska Game and Parks meeting schedule as follows: Jan. 22-23 in Lincoln, March 19-20 at Ponca State Park, April 16-17 at Chadron State Park, June 11-12 at North Platte, Aug. 13-14 at Fort Calhoun, and Oct.15-16 at Kearney.

Nebraska Hunter Education Coordinator Kyle Gaston presented the following Hunter Education awards:

Master Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Award to Justin Grusing of Firth. Grusing has been teaching Hunter Education for 15 years out of the Nebraska Shooters range, where he also trains news instructors. He worked with Nebraska Shooters to build lodging rooms so new instructors could attend training at no cost.
Estella Wolfe Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Award to Theresa Pronske of Uehling. Pronske, an instructor for 38 years, has brought many students back as Hunter Education instructors. She now boasts one of the largest Hunter Education Instructor groups in the state.
Dick Turpin Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Award to Kenneth Gill of Bloomfield. Gill has taught more than 1,000 students in his 48 years as a Hunter Education instructor. He also is active in 4-H shooting sports and facilitating mentor hunts in his community.
Master Hunter Education Instructors to Brenda Fulk of Mitchell, Ephraim (Josh) Gillming of Bushnell and Gary Bales of Staplehurst. Master Instructors go above and beyond teaching a Hunter Education class. They help identify, train and apprentice new Hunter Education instructors. They also assist the Hunter Education Program with mentor hunts, public shooting events and other events.

To view regulations or orders as proposed, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov and search for “regulations” or “orders.”

Youth pheasant season includes Special Youth Hunts

The Oct. 18-19 statewide youth pheasant, quail and partridge season for hunters ages 15 and younger provides an excellent opportunity to mentor new hunters.

“The annual youth season provides a great opportunity for our young hunters to get out and hunt in a low-pressure environment,” said Bryan O’Connor, upland game program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “This is an excellent chance for young hunters to gain experience and hone their skills.”

Resident youth (age 15 or younger) do not need a permit to hunt small game, but nonresident youth must have a small game hunting permit and habitat stamp. Only youth are allowed to hunt during the youth season, except at designated Special Youth Hunt locations, where accompanying adults also are allowed to hunt.

Game and Parks will release rooster pheasants at the following Special Youth Hunt locations/wildlife management areas (with county):

Arnold Trupp (Morrill), Arrowhead (Gage), Bordeaux (Dawes), Branched Oak (Lancaster), Cornhusker (Hall), George Syas (Nance), Hickory Ridge (Johnson), James N. Douglas (Johnson), Kirkpatrick Basin North (York), N-CORPE east tract (Lincoln), Wood Duck (Stanton), Peru Bottoms (Nemaha), Powder Creek (Dixon), Pressey (Custer), Rakes Creek (Cass), Randall W. Schilling (Cass), Sherman Reservoir (Sherman), Wilkinson (Platte), and Yankee Hill (Lancaster).

At Special Youth Hunt locations, the daily bag limit is two rooster pheasants for youth and one rooster pheasant for the accompanying adult. The accompanying adult must be a licensed hunter aged 19 or older and only one adult per youth will be allowed to hunt.

Non-toxic shot is required at Kirkpatrick Basin North, Peru Bottoms, Randall W. Schilling and Wilkinson wildlife management areas — all other hunting regulations also apply.

For more information about the youth season and a map of the pheasant release locations for youth, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov; search for “upland.” Hunters also may contact Game and Parks at 402-471-0641.

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