Mountain lion season comes to quick close in central Nebraska; limit reached on opening day

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The 2025 mountain lion hunting season came to a quick close in the Niobrara Unit on Thursday after the harvest limit was reached on opening day.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said in a press release that regulations require the Niobrara Unit to be closed once four mountain lions — or two females — are killed.

One male and two female mountain lions were killed on opening day.

SEE ALSO: ‘Too close for comfort’: Mountain lion caught on cameras in Lancaster County

The hunting season in the Pine Ridge and Wildcat Hills units will continue through the end of February, unless the harvest limit is reached earlier.

Pine Ridge has a harvest limit of 12 cats — with a female sublimit of six females — while Wildcat Hills has a harvest limit of three with a female sublimit of two.

As of Thursday, one female mountain lion has been killed in Pine Ridge, while none have been killed in Wildcat Hills.

SEE ALSO: Game and Parks approves mountain lion hunting in Nebraska in 2025

An extra hunting season would be added from March 15 to 31 if the limit is not reached.

This is the state’s eighth mountain lion season, with the first one opening in 2014.