Nebraska Pheasant Season 2026: Opener, Limits, Outlook

Q: What are pheasant shooting hours in Nebraska?

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission sets pheasant hours as 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.

Q: What license do I need to hunt pheasants in Nebraska?

Residents: Small Game Hunt Permit (age 16+) $20, plus Habitat Stamp $25; youth 15 and under free. Nonresidents: Small Game Hunt Permit (age 16+) $128 or 2-Day Hunt Permit (age 16+) $89, plus Habitat Stamp $25; youth 15 and under $20. Stamp or permit: Habitat Stamp, 1-year, $25 (resident and nonresident). Prices are as the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission lists them.

Q: Where can I hunt pheasants on public land in Nebraska?

Open Fields and Waters (OFW), more than 471,000 acres (as of fall 2025). The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission also runs Public Access Atlas (state, federal, partner and OFW lands).

Q: Does Nebraska stock pheasants?

Yes. In 2025, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission released approximately 14,780 pheasants on 19 public areas. Release timing: with the Youth Season and again just prior to Thanksgiving.

Oct 31

Opening day

Saturday

Jan 31

Last day

Sunday, 2027

3 roosters a day

Daily limit

12 in possession

Up 36%

2026 outlook

released August 21, 2026

Are there birds this year

The 2026 Nebraska pheasant outlook

The 2026 outlook from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has birds up 36% on last year. Against the longer run: above five- and 10-year averages.

Up 36%July Rural Mail Carrier Survey, released August 21, 2026

Statewide spring pheasant counts increased 11% from 2025 and saw increases in five of six pheasant management regions. Statewide counts also increased 36% during the summer compared to 2025. These results were above five- and 10-year averages.

July Rural Mail Carrier Survey, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source

Against last year: summer counts up 36% from 2025; spring counts up 11%
Against the longer run: above five- and 10-year averages

Northeastshould support the highest bird densities this fall
Panhandleshould support the highest bird densities this fall; drought could reduce hunting cover most here
Southwestshould support the highest bird densities this fall

Last season’s harvest

In the 2025-26 season, Nebraska hunters took about 119,640 pheasants by about 26,543 hunters.

Dates and limits

Nebraska pheasant season dates and bag limit

Nebraska's pheasant season opens Saturday, October 31, 2026, and closes January 31, 2027. The youth season comes first, Oct 24 to 25. The daily limit is 3 roosters and 12 in possession. Only roosters may be taken.

NebraskaOct 31
Season, Oct 31 to Jan 31; Youth, Oct 24 to 25

General season Youth huntsNebraska, Oct 31 to Jan 31

General season: Saturday, October 31, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Youth season: Oct 24 to 25
Daily limit: 3 roosters a day
Possession: 12 in possession
Which birds: Roosters only
Shooting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset

Youth pheasant, quail and partridgeOct 24 to 25statewide; only youth 15 or younger may hunt; daily 2, possession 4 rooster pheasants
PheasantOct 31 to Jan 31statewide; roosters only

Season dates – Oct. 31, 2026-Jan. 31, 2027 Daily bag/possession limits – 3/12 Regulation notes – Only rooster pheasants may be harvested.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission regulations, read October 8, 2026.

Where to hunt

Public land and walk-in access in Nebraska

Open Fields and Waters (OFW)more than 471,000 acres (as of fall 2025)
“As of fall 2025, Nebraska has more than 900 landowners participating in the Open Fields and Waters program, 97% of whom returned to the program, and more than 471,000 statewide acres enrolled.”
Open the atlas Program page
Public Access Atlas (state, federal, partner and OFW lands)over 1.3 million acres
“It displays over 1.3 million acres of publicly accessible lands across Nebraska including state, federal, and conservation partner lands as well as privately-owned lands enrolled in the Open Fields and Waters (OFW) program.”
Open the atlas Program page

Wild and released birds

Nebraska pheasant stocking

In 2025, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission released approximately 14,780 pheasants on 19 public areas. Release timing: with the Youth Season and again just prior to Thanksgiving.

Nebraska Game and Parks is releasing approximately 14,780 pheasants on 19 public areas across the state in 2025. These releases are timed with the Youth Season and also just prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, read October 8, 2026. Read it at the source

License

What it takes to hunt pheasants in Nebraska

Residents: Small Game Hunt Permit (age 16+) $20, plus Habitat Stamp $25; youth 15 and under free
Nonresidents: Small Game Hunt Permit (age 16+) $128 or 2-Day Hunt Permit (age 16+) $89, plus Habitat Stamp $25; youth 15 and under $20
Stamp or permit: Habitat Stamp, 1-year, $25 (resident and nonresident)

Every Nebraska license, resident and nonresident, with what each costs, is on the Nebraska hunting license page.

Nebraska pheasant questions

When does pheasant season open in Nebraska?

What is the pheasant limit in Nebraska?

What are pheasant shooting hours in Nebraska?

How many pheasants are there in Nebraska this year?

The 2026 outlook from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has birds up 36% on last year. Against the longer run: above five- and 10-year averages. In the agency's words: "Statewide spring pheasant counts increased 11% from 2025 and saw increases in five of six pheasant management regions. Statewide counts also increased 36% during the summer compared to 2025. These results were above five- and 10-year averages."

What license do I need to hunt pheasants in Nebraska?

Where can I hunt pheasants on public land in Nebraska?

Does Nebraska stock pheasants?

A brown speckled hen pheasant walking through rows of young green wheat with old stubble between them — A hen in a South Dakota wheat field. Hens carry next year’s birds, so the bag in the wild bird states is written for roosters only, and the brown bird that gets up beside a rooster is the one to let fly. “NRCSSD03010 - South Dakota (6147)(NRCS Photo Gallery)”, Dennis Larson, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Public domain

Nebraska read October 8, 2026 from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, every source linked above. An agency can move a date or close an area between the printed regulations and opening day, so its page is the one that governs. Every state is on the pheasant season calendar.