Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/653523
permits and free "bonus" antlerless whitetail tags were removed in 2013 and 2014, resulting in a 63 percent reduction in the harvest of antlerless whitetails. Herd recovery has been slow but steady. Whitetail buck harvest dropped to 24,400 in 2013, increased to 25,082 in 2014, and exceeded 27,000 in 2015, making it the 10th highest harvest on record. Mule deer buck harvest was 6,876 in 2013, increased to 7,497 in 2014, and exceeded 8,400 in 2015, which is the fifth-highest on record. A similar increase in 2016 would be a record harvest for Nebraska. U P L A N D G A M E B I R D N U M B E R S R E B O U N D I N G Following the harsh winters and drought from 2011 through 2013, Nebraska's upland game bird numbers have rebounded. In 2014-15, the favorable winter and spring weather allowed pheasant and quail populations to increase in relatively short order. The timing of spring rainfall provided plentiful habitat and food for the sensitive phases of the nesting and brood-rearing periods. Wildlife surveys indicated that pheasant and quail abundance was higher in nearly all regions of the state compared to 2014. During the 2015 opening weekend, hunters across the state saw noticeably improved pheasant and quail hunting. Hunters reported seeing more birds than in recent years and generally, reported good hunting success. The southwestern and Panhandle regions of Nebraska provided the most consistent pheasant hunting in the state. Good numbers of pheasants were seen across the region. Improved quail numbers and hunting opportunities were consistently reported across the southeastern and south-central regions. As the weather cooled and crops were harvested, upland game bird hunting continued to improve through the end of the year. C H A N G E S A I M T O M A K E H U N T E R E D U C A T I O N M O R E C O N V E N I E N T In 2015, Nebraska made changes to the mandatory hunter and bow hunter education programs to make the program more convenient for the public. These changes allow hunters ages 16-29 to complete both courses online and meet all of their requirements. Hunters ages 11-15 also can fulfill their hunter education requirement by taking the online course, though they also are required to attend a two-hour Hunt Safe Session for certification. The Hunt Safe Session allows a certified instructor to review key safety objectives with youth before certification. Nebraska is noting a significant increase in online classes since July 2015. 2015 Annual Report • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 33