Firearm hunters may check deer online
Hunters harvesting deer during the November firearm season will now have two options when checking in their kills, according to a recent Nebraska Game and Parks release.
They may still choose to check in their deer at a physical check station as in the past, but can also do so electronically using Telecheck during the Nov. 16-24 season. As a whole, checking remains mandatory, but the Telecheck service used to be only available outside of the nine-day firearm season.
“Telecheck is a free service that allows hunters to check their deer from the field or at home, by telephone or online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” the release stated. “The online option is strongly recommended for those who opt to Telecheck. It was introduced in Nebraska in 2010 to save time and fuel costs for hunters.”
The system also allows Game and Parks to more quickly obtain harvest data. It's been used to report deer harvested outside of the November firearm season, but also for other species.
Deer taken Nov. 16-24 must be checked at a physical location or through Telecheck “no later than 1 p.m. on the day following the close of the season,” the release read.
More Telecheck and check station information is available online at outdoornebraska.gov/hunt/telecheck.
Veterans may receive free Veterans Day hunt permit
According to a Game and Parks release, honorably discharged Nebraska resident veterans may receive a one-day permit, Habitat Stamp and Nebraska Migratory Waterfowl Stamp for free to hunt on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
Resident veterans planning to hunt on Veterans Day, however, may already have valid permits for the holiday. Those who don't and get the Veterans Day permit will still be required to buy a Federal Duck Stamp if they plan to hunt waterfowl. They, too, will need to register with the Harvest Information Program if they plan to hunt migratory birds.
One-day permits are available online at gooutdoorsne.com or at any Game and Parks permitting office. “The Veterans Day permit is based on LB867, which was passed by the 108th Legislature and approved by the governor in April,” the release stated.
Notably, the Game and Parks Commission and customer service offices will be closed on Veterans Day. The offices reopen 8 a.m. Nov. 12.
Mountain lion lottery application period now open
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will accept lottery applications for 2025 mountain lion permits through Dec. 11, according to a recent release.
Application acceptance started Monday and will end 5 p.m. Dec. 11 at physical Game and Parks locations or 11:59 p.m. via online means at gooutdoorsne.com. Permits are only available to Nebraska residents, who are permitted just one each year. The bag limit is one mountain lion of either sex.
The hunting season begins Jan. 2, 2025, across three units — the Pine Ridge Unit, the Niobrara Unit and the Wildcat Hills Unit in western Nebraska. It ends at the end of February unless a unit's annual harvest limit or female sub-limit is reached.
The Pine Ridge mountain lion harvest limits are 12 and six, while the Niobrara limits are four and two and the Wildcat Hills limits are three and two. More than 1,520 permits could be issued by lottery across the three units combined, according to the release.
Mountain lion hunting regulations are available online at outdoornebraska.gov. Search “Mountain Lions” once on the webpage.
Enterprise still accepting hunting photos
Enterprise Media Group wants to publish your prized hunting and fishing snapshots as its Outdoors Photo of the Week.
Email all trophy pics, new or old, to sports@enterprisepub.com to be considered. Please include the name of the people pictured, details about what they caught or shot, and general information about when and where it took place.
— Staff reports
