Eligible hunters may apply for auxiliary mountain lion permits
An Auxiliary Season will take place because the harvest limit of 12, or female sublimit of six, was not reached during Season 1, which was open Jan. 2-Feb. 28
By News Channel NebraskaBY: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Applications to convert a Season 1 Pine Ridge Unit permit to an Auxiliary Season mountain lion hunting permit will be accepted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission from March 2-5.
Only residents who held a 2026 Pine Ridge Unit mountain lion permit but did not harvest a mountain lion during Season 1 are eligible to apply for the Auxiliary Season.
An Auxiliary Season will take place because the harvest limit of 12, or female sublimit of six, was not reached during Season 1, which was open Jan. 2-Feb. 28. Ten mountain lions were harvested during Season 1 in the Pine Ridge Unit — five males and five females.
Two permits will be drawn from received applications for the March 14-31 Auxiliary Season and only will be valid for the Pine Ridge Unit.
From 1 p.m. Central time on March 2 through 11:59 p.m. on March 5, eligible Pine Ridge Unit permit holders may apply at GoOutdoorsNE.com, in person at Game and Parks district offices or by calling agency headquarters at 402-471-1985. There is no fee to convert to an Auxiliary Season permit. The bag limit for each permit is one mountain lion. Applicants will be notified of their draw status on March 6.
The Auxiliary Season will close once the overall limit of 12 or female sublimit of six is met or the season end date is reached. Mountain lions harvested during Season 1 apply to the limits. The Niobrara Unit closed Jan. 6 after the harvest of three females, and the Wildcat Hills Unit closed Feb. 14 after one male and two females were harvested. No Auxiliary Season in the Wildcat Hills or Niobrara units will occur.
Hunting with dogs is allowed during the Auxiliary Season. All other mountain lion hunting rules remain the same.
Once open, the status of the season will be posted on Game and Parks’ mountain lion harvest season webpage (OutdoorNebraska.gov/hunt/game/mountain-lions/) and 1-800 number that hunters are required to check before hunting mountain lions each day.
To read more mountain lion hunting regulations, go to OutdoorNebraska.gov/hunt/game/mountain-lions/