LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider recommendations for 2019 deer, antelope and elk hunting seasons when it meets April 24 at Ponca State Park.
The meeting will begin at 8 a.m. at the park’s Missouri National Recreational River Resource and Education Center. The park is located at 88090 Spur 26E in Dixon County.
A public hearing is scheduled for proposed amendments to Commission orders pertaining to season dates, bag limits, permit quantities and areas open for deer, antelope and elk hunting.
Hunters should be aware that staff will be presenting additional changes at the meeting to the big game orders posted for review. Those additional changes are in response to severe March weather in northwest Nebraska and deer depredation issues in southwest and central parts of the state, and would affect the following three deer management units as follows:
Pine Ridge – Decrease Any Deer (but no antlerless mule deer) permits to 1,200 and increase Any Whitetail permits to 1,000.
Loup West Season Choice Area – Decrease permits to 300 and change bag limit to two Antlerless Only deer.
Frenchman West Season Choice Area – Expand unit boundary eastward.
Also on the agenda is a public hearing for input regarding the listing and delisting of state threatened and endangered species in the Commission’s District 3, which is northeast Nebraska.
In addition, the Commission will consider at staff recommendation to approve the acquisition of 74.97 acres in Banner County adjacent to Williams Gap Wildlife Management Area and designation of it as an addition to the area.
The Commission also will hear several staff updates, including the new Take ’em Fishing promotion, which challenges anglers to pledge to take a new or lapsed angler fishing for a chance to win prizes.
There also will be a report on big game research, a presentation on the fish, wildlife and park resources in northeast Nebraska, and an environmental report.
A complete meeting agenda can be found at outdoornebraska.gov/commissioners.
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