The Nebraska Sport and Parks Fee will take into account 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 will likely be proposed for mountain lions within the Wildcat Hills. If authorized, a Wildcat Hills Unit will likely be created, becoming a member of the prevailing Pine Ridge Unit and Niobrara Unit as areas that may enable mountain lion harvest.
The Wildcat Hills Unit would embody elements 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 preserve the lion inhabitants resilient whereas barely lowering their numbers.
Sport 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 performed. Twenty-seven mountain lions had been documented within the Niobrara Valley throughout 2023, and 24 had been documented within the Wildcat Hills.
Season 1 in all three items would happen Jan. 2, 2025, via the tip of February. The season would finish instantly in a unit if the annual harvest restrict or feminine sub-limit had been reached. The Pine Ridge restrict could be 12 mountain lions with a sub-limit of six females, the Niobrara restrict could be 4 mountain lions with a two feminine sub-limit, and the Wildcat Hills restrict could be three mountain lions with a two feminine sub-limit.
As much as 960 permits might 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 the usage of canine could be March 15 via the tip of March if the annual harvest restrict or feminine sub-limit weren’t reached throughout Season 1 in any unit. Various permits equal to the variety of lions remaining within the restrict could be issued by lottery to unsuccessful allow holders from that unit who apply for the auxiliary season.
In different enterprise, commissioners will take into account modifications to park laws that may:
- Create a $5 Energetic-Responsibility Navy car park entry allow for active-duty navy personnel stationed in Nebraska. The allow could be for automobiles registered in or out of the state and could be accessible solely as an annual allow.
- Permit the director of Sport 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 the usage of 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 could be permitted as posted.
Commissioners additionally will take into account these fishing regulation modifications:
- The elimination of the no-live-baitfish restriction will likely be really useful for Lake Wanahoo.
- At Two Rivers State Recreation Space Lake No. 5, often known 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 will likely 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 Sport 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 a whole agenda, go to OutdoorNebraska.gov and seek for “public notices.” To view proposed modifications to Fee laws and orders, seek for “laws.”
