LINCOLN, Neb. – Youth ages 15 and younger are encouraged to participate in the statewide youth pheasant, quail and partridge season on Oct. 19-20. The Take ’Em Hunting Challenge encourages hunters to take a pledge to introduce someone new to hunting, and this season provides an excellent opportunity to mentor new hunters.
Rooster pheasants will be released on 14 wildlife management areas (WMA) before the 2019 youth season. Special youth hunts will be held only on these WMAs. These special youth hunts are open to the public and no registration or special permit is required. Special regulations posted at each of the WMAs will apply to all portions of the designated areas normally open to hunting. Resident youth (age 15 or younger) do not need a permit to hunt small game but nonresident youth must have a nonresident youth hunt permit and habitat stamp. All other current youth and regular hunting regulations will be in effect on these designated areas.
WMAs offering special youth hunts: Powder Creek, (Dixon County), Oak Valley (Madison County), Wilkinson (Platte County), George Syas (Nance County), Sherman Reservoir (Sherman County), Pressey (Custer County), Cornhusker (Hall County), Kirkpatrick Basin North (York County), Branched Oak (Lancaster County), Yankee Hill (Lancaster County), Arrowhead (Gage County), Hickory Ridge (Johnson County), Twin Oaks (Johnson County), and Rakes Creek (Cass County).
The special youth hunt rules are:
— Youths must be age 15 or younger; accompanying adults must be licensed hunters age 19 or older.
— Accompanying adults are allowed to hunt pheasants on these special youth hunt WMAs. Only one accompanying adult per youth will be allowed to hunt (additional mentors may observe). All other current youth and regular hunting regulations apply.
— The daily bag limit is two rooster pheasants for youth and one rooster pheasant for the accompanying adult.
— Only nontoxic shot may be used at Wilkinson and Kirkpatrick Basin North WMAs.
This is the ninth year of the pheasant releases on WMAs offering special youth hunts, which are intended to increase youth participation in upland game hunting.
For more information, visit Outdoornebraska.gov/Upland#Youth. Remember to upload a picture to the Take ’Em Hunting Challenge and be entered to win several great prizes, including outdoor gear and a John Deere UTV. For more information or to take the pledge, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/TakeEmHunting.
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