The 2025 mountain lion hunting season in Nebraska ended Jan. 19 after the final harvest limit was reached in the Pine Ridge Unit.

One male and six females were harvested in the Pine Ridge Unit. Regulations require the unit close once the annual harvest limit of 12 mountain lions — or sublimit of six females — is reached.

The Wildcat Hills and Niobrara units met their harvest limits Jan. 2 and 5 respectively.

Fresh snow for good tracking conditions in many areas, effective hunting techniques, and excellent hunter access due to relatively thin linear habitats in the Niobrara and Wildcat Hills units, contributed to relatively short seasons.

In total, 13 mountain lions were harvested during the 2025 season — those in the Pine Ridge Unit, one male and two females in the Niobrara Unit, and two males and one female in the Wildcat Hills Unit.

This was the state’s eighth mountain lion harvest season; the first was in 2014.

Opportunities to harvest mountain lions were expanded for 2025 due to an increased population estimate in the Pine Ridge and increased numbers documented in the Niobrara and Wildcat Hills areas. Harvest limits and permits increased in the Pine Ridge and Niobrara Units, the Niobrara Unit area was increased, and the Wildcat Hills Unit was added to the mountain lion hunting season for the first time.

The limits for Nebraska’s three mountain lion hunting units are set to meet the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s objective to maintain resilient, healthy and socially acceptable mountain lion populations that are in balance with available habitat and other wildlife species over the long term.

Mountain lions are native to Nebraska but were extirpated from the state in the early 1900s. They moved back into the state from South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado as populations of prey species increased. Mountain lion presence in Nebraska was confirmed in the early 1990s, and in 1995 the state legislature classified them as game animals.

Since then, the cats have established reproducing populations in Nebraska’s most rugged terrain: the Pine Ridge, Wildcat Hills and Niobrara Valley with occasional confirmed presence in other parts of the state.

For more information about mountain lions in Nebraska, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov and search for “Mountain Lions.”

 

Catch these Game and Parks education events in February

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission educators have scheduled interesting and engaging events for the curious in February. Here are some opportunities:

Little Saplings program presents the Great Backyard Bird Count

Adults looking to explore the outdoors with their young children are invited to Little Saplings, a monthly early childhood nature discovery program at Schramm Education Center near Gretna.

The 2025 series, which occurs the first Wednesday of each month, begins 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Feb. 5 with a program about the Great Backyard Bird Count. It is designed for children ages 2-5 and their adult caregivers and lasts one hour.

See the calendar event entry at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov for more information.

Webinar to cover oak woodland restoration and management

The Master Naturalist Mondays virtual webinar series continues at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 10 with a presentation about oak woodland restoration and management.

Presenter Hanna Barnes, a project biologist with the Northern Prairies Land Trust, will discuss what oak woodlands are, methods for their restoration, and the continuing management needed to retain this unique habitat.

Nebraska Master Naturalist is a statewide volunteer conservation program. The program recruits, trains, manages, and provides resources for our volunteer naturalist members. This free webinar series hosts a variety of presenters and subject matter. It allows Nebraska Master Naturalists to connect to its conservation motivations and inspirations and its naturalist community across the state.

For more information or to register, visit the calendar event entry at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Wildcat Hills preschool program is Feb. 11

Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area will host its monthly preschool program Feb. 11 with Outstanding Owls.

The program will meet at the Nature Center at 10 a.m. Mountain time. It will include a story, hands-on activities and a themed lesson specifically targeted for children ages 2-6.

The program is free, but a vehicle park entry permit is required. For more information, contact the Nature Center at 308-436-3777. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

‘Science of’ virtual webinar to cover salt flats

Nebraska Game and Parks’ popular “Science of” virtual webinar series returns in February.

In this hourlong webinar, Game and Parks educators discuss some of the science behind common things regarding nature and animals. In this session, set for 3 p.m. Feb. 13, educators will explore Nebraska’s salt flats, one of the state’s rarest and most remarkable ecosystems.

Register for free to learn how these ancient saline wetlands were formed, their ecological importance, and the unique species that thrive in this challenging environment.

To register, see the calendar event entry at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Wildcat Hills to host Outstanding Owls homeschool program

Come and learn about Nebraska’s owls during the Wildcat Hills Homeschool Program Outstanding Owls on Feb. 13 at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area.

This program, led by certified staff, meets once a month at 10 a.m. Mountain time at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center.

The program is free, but a vehicle park entry permit is required. For more information, contact the Nature Center at 308-436-3777. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Education event at Mahoney SP to focus on turtles

Learn more about turtles and taxonomy at a free event Feb. 17 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.

Hosted from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the James Family Conservatory and Nature Center, this event allows participants to meet turtle ambassadors and learn about animal traits and adaptations. You also will learn about taxonomy, which is how scientists classify and name animals, and observe differences between species of Nebraska turtles.

The event is free, but a vehicle park entry permit is required.

Homeschool Hikes set for Feb. 19-20 at Schramm Park SRA

Homeschool families are invited to join an outdoor educator on a guided hike at Schramm Park State Recreation Area near Gretna during the Homeschool Hikes program at 9 a.m. Feb. 19 and 1 p.m. Feb. 20. This month’s theme is Relationships in Nature.

Homeschool Hikes is a monthly nature exploration program hosted by the Schramm Education Center geared toward homeschool families and ages 5 and up.

Participants are encouraged to RSVP in advance through the event listing at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Workshop teaches the art of winter wildlife tracking

Learn the art of tracking wildlife in the snow and ice Feb. 22 at the Turpin Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln.

In this Becoming an Outdoors-Woman class, you will gain the skills to identify animal tracks, scat and signs left behind by wildlife in the colder months, whether you’re an experienced tracker or just getting started. By the end of the class, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of animal behavior in winter and have the knowledge to track wildlife in your own backyard or local nature areas.

The program is 10 a.m. to noon. It is hosted in conjunction with the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program, which offers interactive workshops for adult women with an interest in learning outdoor skills.

Pre-registration is required. To sign up, see the calendar event entry at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

 

Nebraska Big Game Society to auction elk permit March 6 

A bull elk permit will be auctioned by the Nebraska Big Game Society on March 6 in Lincoln. The 14th annual meeting and auction will be at Hillcrest Country Club, 9401 O St, Lincoln.

Residents and nonresidents are eligible for the bull elk permit. The high bidder will receive a bull elk permit valid in any elk management unit during a 2025 open bull elk season; legal weapons for that season must be used.

Additional items and outdoor experiences will be auctioned at the event. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for wildlife conservation, research and big game hunting opportunities in the state. The Nebraska Big Game Society has generously contributed $1,141,275 raised from 13 auctions to support wildlife habitat and the conservation of elk, antelope, bighorn sheep and other big game.

Tickets for the banquet are $125 each or $850 for a table of eight guests. Dinner is at 6:15 p.m., and the auction begins at 7:15 p.m.

Send requests for tickets or to register as a call-in bidder, including phone number, to [email protected]. Due to limited capacity for call-in bids, early registration is appreciated.

For more information, visit nebiggame.org.

 

LWCF, RTP grantees approved by commissioners

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved grantees for the Land and Water Conservation Fund Stateside Assistance Program and the Recreational Trails Program at its meeting Jan. 24 in Lincoln.

Commissioners approved the following grant awards, totaling more than $1.9 million, for the Land and Water Conservation Fund Stateside Assistance Program:

  • Columbus, $215,606 for the Sertomaland inclusive playground replacement in East Pawnee Park;
  • Lincoln, $600,000 for an inclusive playground replacement in Antelope Park;
  • Norfolk, $511,500 for development of an additional softball complex at Ta-Ha-Zouka Park; and
  • Sidney, $600,000 for the revitalization of Northside Park.

Funding from the LWCF comes from the U.S. Department of the Interior using revenues from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Commissioners also approved the following recreational trail projects for federal funding through the Recreational Trails Program:

  • Imperial, $250,000 to build the Prairie Sage Trail, a 2,400-foot-long concrete trail around the Chase County Community Hospital for the public, patients and staff. It will be the first recreational trail in Imperial;
  • Lower Loup Natural Resources District, $250,000 to build a 3,100-foot-long concrete trail at Pibel Lake Recreation Area;
  • Nebraska Game and Parks Fort Kearney State Recreation Area, $250,000 to redeck the 1,000-foot-long rail-to-trail bridge over the Platte River for park visitors, trail users and Sandhill crane watchers; and
  • U.S. Forest Service Bessey Ranger District, $400,000 to refurbish 1.7 miles of deteriorated Forest Road 224, which provides access to Whitetail Campground and many off-highway vehicle trails from the campground; it also would improve emergency services access to the area.

Funding from the RTP comes from the Federal Highway Administration and is made possible by a portion of the federal motor fuel excise tax paid by users of off-road recreational vehicles.

At the meeting, the commissioners also approved staff recommendations to:

  • Approve Nebraska’s Third Aquatic Habitat Plan: 2025-2040; the plan identifies and outlines 71 anticipated aquatic habitat restoration and angler access projects on water bodies across the state. It also provides the flexibility to add projects that align with the goals of the Aquatic Habitat Program;
  • Approve the Nebraska Game and Parks Employee Recognition Program;
  • For Commission designation of 593 acres of Bureau of Education Land and Funds property, located at Section 36, Township 20N, Range 54W, Banner County, as an addition to the Williams Gap Wildlife Management Area; and
  • Approve to relinquish irrigation water rights on the Chet and Jane Fliesbach WMA.

The following reports were presented to the commissioners:

  • Game and Parks’ depredation work with landowners in 2024;
  • Fisheries Human Dimensions research and how to apply it;
  • An Agriculture Program update about the Farm Bill and other projects; and
  • Cowboy Trail 30th anniversary events planned in 2025.

Keith Hurley, fish and wildlife specialist, was presented an employee Enterprise Award for innovation for the development of a fisheries data management system.

The commissioners elected their officers for 2025 as follows: Chairman, John Hoggatt, Kearney; Vice Chairman, Donna Kush, Omaha; and 2nd Vice Chairman, Ken Curry.