Nebraska

Species on recordOpen now0Classified13Record year2026

The place

What Nebraska is like to hunt

Awaiting survey — Nebraska overview

Season classification for Nebraska is complete for 2026, but the qualitative overview has not been written yet. Dates, bag limits and status below are current; the narrative is what is outstanding.

Issuing agencyNebraska Game and Parks Commissionoutdoornebraska.govRecord year 2026

The reason people drive here

Ring-necked pheasant

#1Ring-necked pheasantRing-necked pheasant is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 44 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.

Opens in 71 days

44 statesUpland

Every bird classified here

Species run

Status is computed from the published dates, not stored — a stale build cannot show an ended season as open.

Opens in 71 days

44 statesUpland

#2Northern bobwhite quailNorthern bobwhite quail is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 42 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.

Opens in 71 days

42 statesUpland

#8Gray (Hungarian) partridgeGray (Hungarian) partridge is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 23 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.

Opens in 71 days

23 statesUpland

#7ChukarChukar is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 24 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.

Opens in 71 days

24 statesUpland

#6Greater prairie-chickenGreater prairie-chicken is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 13 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.

Opens in 11 days

13 statesUpland

#5Sharp-tailed grouseSharp-tailed grouse is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 14 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.

Opens in 11 days

14 statesUpland

#20Lesser prairie-chickenLesser prairie-chicken is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 5 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.

Not present

5 statesUpland

#3Ruffed grouseRuffed grouse is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 38 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.

Not regulated

38 statesUpland

#4Greater sage-grouseGreater sage-grouse is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 11 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.

Not present

11 statesUpland

#9Mourning doveMourning dove has an open season in 49 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season. This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species this pass.

Opens in 11 days

49 statesFederal framework

#10American woodcockAmerican woodcock has an open season in 37 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season. This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species this pass.

Opens in 43 days

37 statesFederal framework

Wilson's / common snipeSnipe has zero pre-season outlook coverage anywhere in the five-state cluster — no dedicated survey, no federal population-status report comparable to the ones that exist for dove and woodcock, and no outdoor-media forecast content of any kind was found for this species in any of the five states. It nonetheless has an open season in all five states.

Opens in 11 days

5 statesFederal framework

Rail (Virginia rail & sora)Rail is uncovered by any population outlook everywhere it's legally huntable. It has an open, combined-bag season in Iowa and Nebraska, and in Kansas (sora and Virginia rail only, no king/clapper rail season), but no open season in South Dakota or North Dakota — absent from North Dakota's proclamation entirely.

Opens in 11 days

3 statesFederal framework

Classified but not tracked by this productWild turkey · Sandhill crane · American coot · Crow · Eurasian collared-dove · Common gallinule

Big game open during your bird season

White-tailed deerStatewide Archery and Muzzleloader Deer permits are on the non-resident quota/draw list (apply or buy a preference point Jun 1-12, 2026) but any left unsold go OTC to non-residents Jul 22, 2026 through season close. Several unit-specific 'Any Deer' rifle permits follow the same draw-then-leftover-OTC pattern; non-resident buck-permit quota was reduced for 2026 (secondary sources give 9,000 statewide, one gives 1,200 for a specific statewide permit type -- not resolved against a primary NGPC number). Deer application fee $7.
Mule deerSame non-resident system as whitetail (draw Jun 1-12 or preference point; leftover OTC from Jul 22, 2026). For 2026 the statewide Archery/Muzzleloader Deer permit bag limit was narrowed to 'any deer except antlerless mule deer on public land.'
Pronghorn antelopeStatewide Archery permit is OTC for non-residents from Jul 22, 2026 through season close (or apply/preference-point Jun 1-12). Rifle and Muzzleloader permits are draw-only and CLOSED to non-residents entirely (residents and resident landowners only -- confirmed verbatim). November Late Doe/Fawn is non-resident eligible but only on a leftover/if-available basis, not guaranteed OTC. Antelope application fee $7.
Wild turkeySpring non-resident permits are OTC but capped at a statewide total of 10,000 (all spring weapon tiers combined) -- confirmed verbatim ('There is a limit of 10,000 spring permits available to nonresidents'); permits go on sale mid-January and have sold out in past years. Fall non-resident permits are OTC with NO numeric cap -- confirmed verbatim ('there is no limit for fall permits'). 2026 non-resident fall price $158 (per Jul 27, 2026 NGPC release); prior-year (2025) non-resident spring/fall price was $143.