Section 163-4-037 - Mountain LionsThe following regulations are prescribed by the Game and Parks Commission, State of Nebraska in accordance with Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 37-301, 37-304, 37-308, 37-308.01, 37-314, 37-228, 37-404, 37-405, 37-411, 37-426, 37-452, 37-473, 37-613. For purposes of these regulations, unless context otherwise requires, the definitions found in Chapter 37, sections 202 through 247 of the Game Law, are used.
037.01 Management Unit Boundaries: Federal and state sanctuaries and refuges are closed, unless otherwise authorized. 037.01A Pine Ridge Those parts of Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan, and Sioux counties north of the Niobrara River and west of NE Hwy. 27.
037.01B Niobrara Those parts of Brown, Cherry, Keya Paha, Rock, and Sheridan counties included within a line commencing with NE Hwy 27 and the Nebraska-South Dakota state line; south to 448 Trail; east to 423 Trail; south and east to Anderson Road; east and north to Fawn Lake Road; east to Clifford Creek Road; east to NE Hwy 61; north to the Snake River; east to Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area boundary; south to Snake River Road; south and east to NE Hwy 97; south to Kennedy Road; east to NE Spur 16B; north and east to U.S. Hwy 83; south to West Wood Lake Road; east to U.S. Hwy 20; east to NE Hwy 137; north to the Nebraska-South Dakota state line.
037.02 Open Seasons: 037.02A Pine Ridge (037.01A) and Niobrara (037.01B) Season 1: January 2nd through the end of February, except the season shall immediately close if either the annual harvest limit or female sub-limit (037.03A, 037.03B) is reached.
037.02B Pine Ridge (037.01A) and Niobrara (037.01B) Auxiliary Season: The auxiliary season will open the Saturday closest to March 13th through end of March, if the annual harvest limit or female sub-limit (037.03A, 037.03B) was not reached during Season 1 (037.02A), except the season shall immediately close if either the annual harvest limit or female sub-limit (037.03A, 037.03B) is reached prior to March 31.
037.03 Annual Harvest Limit: 037.03A Pine Ridge (037.01A): Four (4) mountain lions, with a sub-limit of two (2) females.
037.03B Niobrara (037.01B): Two (2) mountain lions, with a sub-limit of one (1) female.
037.04 Permits:037.04A Pine Ridge (037.01A) and Niobrara (037.01B): Season 1: The Commission may issue up to eighty (80) permits by lottery for each mountain lion in the harvest limit (037.03) for each unit with an open season. No person shall be issued more than one (1) permit per calendar year. Permits shall be issued to Nebraska residents only.
037.04B Pine Ridge (037.01A) and Niobrara (037.01B) Auxiliary Season: If the annual harvest limit or female sub-limit (037.03) has not been met by the end of Season 1 (037.02A), unsuccessful permittees may apply to convert their permit to an Auxiliary Season (037.02B) permit. A number of auxiliary permits equal to the number of animals remaining in the harvest limit will be issued by lottery.
037.05 Permit Bag Limit: One (1) mountain lion of either sex.037.06 Shooting Hours: Sunrise to sunset.037.07 Application Periods:037.07A Pine Ridge: Applications for lottery permits shall be accepted from 1:00 p.m. CST on the first Monday in November through the second Wednesday in December prior to each open season. Mail applications must be received in the Commission's Lincoln headquarters office by 5 p.m. CST, and internet applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. CST. All valid applications accompanied by the required fee (Administration Regulations, Chapter 1, Section 006) shall be considered equally in a random drawing. It shall be unlawful to submit more than one application per calendar year for a mountain lion permit. If more than one such application is submitted by or for any person, all of that person's applications shall be excluded from the drawing and the accompanying fees shall be forfeited.037.08 Checking: Any mountain lion harvested must be reported to the Commission within eight (8) hours of recovering the animal using a phone number or website specified by the Commission or in person at a district office during normal business hours. The unfrozen mountain lion must be presented to a Commission representative within 24 hours of the time it is killed to allow for inspection and attachment of an official harvest seal. Once notified of harvest, the Commission may make arrangements for a later check. The permittee shall furnish the Commission with the date and location of kill prior to the attachment of the harvest seal. The harvest seal must remain attached to the mountain lion until the pelt is tanned, mounted or otherwise preserved. The Commission may collect a tissue sample from each mountain lion harvested. Mountain lions must be checked in the management unit (037.01) where they were harvested.037.09 Weapons Allowed: Firearms and archery equipment as specified in 001.01B2.037.10 It shall be unlawful to: 037.10A harvest or attempt to harvest a mountain lion with a spotted coat (kitten) or any mountain lion accompanying another mountain lion.037.10B hunt mountain lions without first confirming that the harvest limit or female sub-limit has not been met, and the season is open each day by checking the Commission-provided toll-free number or season status website.037.10C hunt mountain lions with the aid of dogs, traps or bait, with the exception that dogs may be used during an auxiliary season (037.02B), if an auxiliary season is held.037.10D fail to check or report any mountain lion taken as prescribed in 037.08.037.10E falsely check or report the harvest of any mountain lion.037.10F to separate a mountain lion carcass into portions smaller than the head, and quarters with proof of gender naturally attached, before successfully completing the check station process (037.08). Quarters shall mean four (4) legs with femur or scapula naturally attached and loins.037.10G obtain more than one mountain lion permit per calendar year.163 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 4, § 037
Adopted effective 10/31/2017Amended effective 1/29/2018Amended effective 8/20/2018Amended effective 9/4/2019Amended effective 7/27/2020Amended effective 9/27/2021Amended effective 7/27/2022Amended effective 8/19/2023