NE Game and Parks approve 2-tier duck bag limit

For the upcoming waterfowl hunting season, hunters will be seeing some reformed recommendations

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN)- During a meeting in Norfolk on March 17, The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved the 2021-2022 waterfowl hunting season recommendations.

In these recommendations, there was a “two-tier” duck bag limit option for hunters to choose from.

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Around the nation, duck hunter numbers have decreased about 44% since 1990. On average, Nebraska has lost 464 duck hunters a year since 1990.

In a recent study conducted by UNL, South Dakota Game, Fish &  Parks, and Game and Parks, they found that duck identification skills are a big reason why many potential hunters haven’t picked up the sport.

Now, thanks to permission from the federal authority, Nebraska will be implementing an experimental system that relates to bag limits.

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“When hunters register for their Harvest Information Program number, they will choose between two options. Tier I is the current traditional six-duck limit with species and sex restrictions. Tier II allows hunters to harvest three ducks of any kind. Once a tier is selected, it may not be changed during the season,” the Nebraska Game and Parks release said.

South Dakota will join Nebraska in the five-year pilot program after they approved two-tier recommendations earlier in the month.

The full approved 2021-2022 waterfowl orders are:

• Early Teal – Low Plains: Sept. 4-19; High Plains: Sept. 4-12; Daily bag limit: six; Possession limit: Three times the daily bag limit
• Youth Hunt – Zone 1: Oct. 9-10; Zone 2: Oct. 2-3; Zone 3: Oct. 16-17; Zone 4: Oct. 23-24; Daily bag: Tier 1: six ducks, with restrictions; Tier II: three ducks, any species, any sex; Possession limit: Three times the daily bag limit
• Duck and Coot – Zone 1: Oct. 16-Dec. 28; Zone 2: Oct. 9-Dec. 21 and Jan. 5-26; Zone 3: Oct. 23-Jan. 4 and Jan. 5-26; Zone 4: Oct. 30-Jan. 11; Daily bag: Tier 1: six ducks, with restrictions; Tier II: three ducks, any species, any sex; Possession limit: Three times the daily bag limit
• Dark Goose – Platte River Unit: Oct. 28-Feb. 9; Niobrara Unit: Oct. 28-Feb. 9; North Central Unit: Oct. 11-Jan. 23; Daily bag limit: five; Possession limit: Three times the daily bag limit
• White-fronted Goose – Statewide: Oct. 9-Dec. 19 and Jan. 25-Feb. 9; Daily bag limit: two; Possession limit: Three times the daily bag limit
• Light Goose Regular Season – Statewide: Oct. 9-Jan. 5 and Jan. 25-Feb. 9; Daily bag limit: 50; Possession limit: none
• Light Goose Conservation Order – East Zone: Feb. 10-April 15; West Zone: Feb. 10-April 5; Rainwater Basin Zone: Feb. 10-April 5; Daily bag and possession limits: none
• Crow – Statewide: Oct. 15-Dec. 15 and Jan. 13-March 14
• Falconry – Concurrent with teal, youth and regular duck season dates, plus, Zone 1: Feb. 25-March 10; Zone 2: Low Plains: Feb. 25-March 10; High Plains: Concurrent with all duck season dates in High Plains Zone; Zone 3: Low Plains: Feb. 25-March 10; High Plains: Concurrent with all duck season dates in High Plains Zone; Zone 4: Feb. 25-March 10

The commissioners also:

• amended Administration Regulations relating to permit fees. The changes include establishing a special season landowner deer permit for residents and nonresidents, establishing fees for big game and paddlefish preference/bonus point purchases in lieu of draw, removing the resident aquatic invasive species registration fee and increasing the boat registration fees, and eliminating the duplicate/replacement fee on all permits except deer, antelope, elk, turkey, mountain lion and paddlefish;
• renamed Looking Glass Creek Wildlife Management Area in Platte County to the Lee Rupp Wildlife Management Area;
• adopted Phase II of the Lake McConaughy/Lake Ogallala Master Plan; and
• adopted fee increases for select state park area activities, lodging and rental facilities.