Nebraska · Ring-necked pheasant

Nebraska pheasant release schedule, fall 2026

NGPC list · fall 2026Updated Oct. 14, 2026

Nebraska pheasant release dates and sites for fall 2026, from NGPC's own list: 1 release window, 18 sites.

NGPC doesn't publish per-site counts.

Read the 2 caveats before you go

Youth season (birds are released before it): Oct. 24–25, 2026

NGPC plans birds by county and window, not by property.

Rules and caveats

Special Youth Hunt release

Open to: Youth hunters · Mentored hunters

Release windows

24 OCT – 25 OCT 2026Youth season (birds are released before it)

Other NGPC rules

Only youth are allowed to hunt during the youth season, except at designated Special Youth Hunt locations, where accompanying adults also are allowed to hunt.

NGPC

At Special Youth Hunt locations, the daily bag limit is two rooster pheasants for youth and one rooster pheasant for the accompanying adult. The accompanying adult must be a licensed hunter aged 19 or older and only one adult per youth will be allowed to hunt.

NGPC

Resident youth (age 15 or younger) do not need a permit to hunt small game, but nonresident youth must have a small game hunting permit and habitat stamp.

NGPC

Pre-Thanksgiving release

Open to: All hunters

NGPC doesn't publish release days

Game and Parks reminds hunters that safety in the field and of those releasing pheasants is of utmost importance; for this reason, a specific schedule for pheasant releases will not be issued.

NGPC

This statement is from NGPC's announcement for an earlier year.

Check before you go

Carried forward
Nebraska Game and Parks hasn't announced its 2026 Thanksgiving release yet. Last year's announcement came Nov. 18 and said no release schedule would be issued. The 2026 site list comes from the agency's upland page, which drops N-CORPE for this release.
source
Sources disagree
The agency's upland page still shows last year's youth season, Oct. 18-19, 2025. Its Oct. 9, 2026 news release sets this year's youth season for Oct. 24-25.
- Nebraska’s youth-only pheasant, quail and partridge season is Oct. 18-19, 2025 source
- The Oct. 24-25 statewide youth pheasant, quail and partridge season source

Every site

18 sites in NGPC's order, by area. A permit tag marks a date or site that is permit-only; “Permit days” links to NGPC's rule.

Release dates per site · NGPC 2026 list
Site	Map, links & land
Morrill County
Arnold Trupp WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps41.840894, -103.337572
Gage County
Arrowhead WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps40.100844, -96.872003Public land:320 acreswalk-in accessAlso hunted here: Quail, Turkey, Dove, Waterfowl, Deer (species not specified), Rabbit, SquirrelProperty page
Dawes County
Bordeaux WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps42.799827, -102.899488
Lancaster County
Branched Oak WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps40.980921, -96.878899
Yankee Hill WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps40.72441, -96.787239Public land:938 acreswalk-in accessAlso hunted here: Quail, Turkey, Dove, Waterfowl, Deer (species not specified), Rabbit, SquirrelProperty page
Hall County
CornhuskerSpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps40.928616, -98.470585
Nance County
George D. Syas WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps41.433282, -97.684649
Johnson County
Hickory Ridge WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps40.311096, -96.365033Public land:564 acreswalk-in accessAlso hunted here: Quail, Turkey, Dove, Deer (species not specified), Rabbit, SquirrelProperty page
James N. Douglas WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps40.33089, -96.139998
York County
Kirkpatrick Basin (North) WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps40.827643, -97.665971Public land:396 acreswalk-in accessAlso hunted here: Dove, WaterfowlSpecial Youth Hunt releaseNon-toxic shot is required at Kirkpatrick Basin North, Randall W. Schilling and Wilkinson wildlife management areas — all other hunting regulations also apply.Pre-Thanksgiving releaseNon-toxic shot is required at Kirkpatrick Basin North, Randall W. Schilling and Wilkinson wildlife management areas — all other hunting regulations also apply.Property page
Lincoln County
N-CORPE (east tract)Special Youth Hunt release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps40.890063, -100.820545
Dixon County
Powder Creek WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps42.582438, -96.83556
Custer County
Pressey WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps41.182643, -99.708141
Cass County
Rakes Creek WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps40.869438, -95.858826Public land:316 acreswalk-in accessAlso hunted here: Quail, Turkey, Dove, Deer (species not specified), Rabbit, SquirrelProperty page
Randall W. Schilling WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps41.033759, -95.875863Public land:1,755 acreswalk-in accessAlso hunted here: Turkey, Dove, Waterfowl, Deer (species not specified), Rabbit, SquirrelSpecial Youth Hunt releaseNon-toxic shot is required at Kirkpatrick Basin North, Randall W. Schilling and Wilkinson wildlife management areas — all other hunting regulations also apply.Pre-Thanksgiving releaseNon-toxic shot is required at Kirkpatrick Basin North, Randall W. Schilling and Wilkinson wildlife management areas — all other hunting regulations also apply.Property page
Sherman County
Sherman Reservoir WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps41.327951, -98.907002
Platte County
Wilkinson WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps41.50421, -97.493792Special Youth Hunt releaseNon-toxic shot is required at Kirkpatrick Basin North, Randall W. Schilling and Wilkinson wildlife management areas — all other hunting regulations also apply.Pre-Thanksgiving releaseNon-toxic shot is required at Kirkpatrick Basin North, Randall W. Schilling and Wilkinson wildlife management areas — all other hunting regulations also apply.
Stanton County
Wood Duck WMASpecial Youth Hunt releasePre-Thanksgiving release	Map, links & land facts Open in maps41.93166, -97.301433

Agency sources

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission