The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will review staff recommendations for the 2026 deer, antelope, and elk hunting seasons during its upcoming meeting on April 17 at Chadron State Park. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Mountain Time at the park’s Group Lodge, located at 15951 U.S. Highway 385 in Chadron.
As part of the meeting, commissioners will hold a public hearing to consider proposed updates to hunting regulations, including permit quotas, season dates, bag limits, and the areas open for big game hunting. Officials say the proposed adjustments are designed to help the agency meet long-term wildlife management goals. Those goals are based on population and harvest data, along with feedback from hunters, landowners, and the general public, with the aim of maintaining sustainable game populations and continued hunting opportunities across the state.
Among the key proposals under consideration are reductions in several permit categories. Staff recommendations include removing 80 general either-sex antelope permits and 142 doe/fawn antelope permits, as well as eliminating 10 bull elk permits and 12 antlerless elk permits statewide. The proposal would also extend the bull elk hunting season to run from December 16 through December 31, and adjust boundaries between certain elk management units.
Additional recommendations include restructuring buck deer permits into a Season Choice format, removing the Mule Deer Conservation Area designation, and reducing the number of available November firearm deer permits by 6 percent and antlerless-only permits by 13 percent. Changes are also proposed to adjust boundaries between the Plains and Pine Ridge units near Box Butte Reservoir.
For river-based deer hunting, staff are recommending reorganizing the River Antlerless system into four separate units—Niobrara, Lower Platte, Blue, and Lower Missouri—while reducing overall river antlerless permits by 31 percent.
In other business, commissioners will consider amendments to the Sherman County Reservoir operating agreement and conservation easement with the Loup Basin Reclamation District. The proposed change would remove the Trail 12 Cabin Area from the agreement, affecting approximately 75 acres of leased land currently subleased to cabin owners.
The commission will also hear updates on the Soldier Creek Restoration Project at Fort Robinson State Park, recognize the state’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, and receive information about trout fishing opportunities in northwestern Nebraska.
A complete meeting agenda and details on the proposed 2026 Big Game recommendations are available on the Nebraska Game and Parks website under Public Notices.
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