8 | Hunting Info: 402-471-0641
Small Game
Upland Game Birds
Shooting Hours – 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset
Open Area – statewide (except prairie grouse, see below), but no hunting on all state refuges and
sanctuaries
PHEASANT
Season dates – Oct. 28, 2023 – Jan. 31, 2024
Daily bag/possession limits – 3/12
Remarks – Only rooster pheasants may be harvested.
QUAIL
Season dates – Oct. 28, 2023 – Jan. 31, 2024
Daily bag/possession limits – 6/24
Remarks – Quail must be shot while in flight.
PRAIRIE GROUSE (Includes greater prairie-
chicken and sharp-tailed grouse)
East Zone season dates – Sept. 1, 2023 – Jan. 31, 2024
Daily bag/possession limits – 3/3 in aggregate
Open area – east of U.S. Highway 81
Special grouse permits – Required, along with a hunting permit, for hunting prairie grouse east of U.S.
Highway 81; also:
• Requests are accepted at the Game and Parks headquarters in Lincoln starting July 15.
• They are free of charge, limited in number to 400 and limited to one per hunter.
• They are available on a first-come basis.
• Requests are accepted by phone at 402-471-5410, email at ngpc.eastzonegrouse@nebraska.gov,
over the counter or by mail.
West Zone season dates – Sept. 1, 2023 – Jan. 31, 2024
Daily bag/possession limits – 3/12 in aggregate
Open area – west of U.S. Highway 81
Remarks – No special permit required.
PARTRIDGE (Includes Hungarian/gray and chukar partridges)
Season dates – Oct. 28, 2023 – Jan. 31, 2024
Daily bag/possession limits – 3/12 in aggregate
HUNTER SURVEY
At the end of each season, hunters
who provided email addresses at the
time they purchased their permits will
receive an email survey that is used
to determine hunter success and
total harvest. It is important when
buying permits online that hunters
use an updated email address.
Hunters who have not provided an
email address can take the survey at
OutdoorNebraska.gov. View survey
results at OutdoorNebraska.gov.
Search "wildlife surveys."
