The archery season is the only available hunt for non-residents in the state for antelope hunting. In 2021, the unlimited over-the-counter permits were converted to 250 draw permits for non-residents. These archery permits are valid statewide except for on state and federal refuges that prohibit pronghorn hunting. The bag limit is one antelope of either sex. Resident permits are unlimited, and about 1,300 are sold annually.
Due to severe drought in recent years, the 2021 fall EHD event, a couple years of increased harvest success, and low doe-to-fawn ratios, the state is aiming to stabilize and increase populations in all units by reducing permits this year. Last year, removing 74 tags did not result in hitting management goals. This year, they are planning to remove 222 permits. This will mainly affect residents, as non-residents will still be allotted 250 archery permits. Current management goals are to maintain a minimum harvest success of 65% for either-sex firearm permits and to ensure that yearling bucks (1.5 years old or younger) account for no more than 20% of the total harvest. Overall success last year was 54% for firearms and 12% for archery. The total antelope harvest was 744 animals, including 571 bucks and 173 does/fawns. In comparison, the stable and growing populations from 2010 to 2020 allowed hunters to harvest 700 to 900 bucks annually. Since the highest harvest in recent history (2020), buck harvest has declined 37%, and doe harvest has declined by 55%.
Hunters will want to focus on northwest Nebraska along the Wyoming and South Dakota state lines. The Ogala Grasslands total over 90,000 acres of public USFS land within the North Sioux unit, which is the most sought-after draw tag in the state. Typically, this unit takes residents a few points to draw as a rifle or muzzleloader tag but can be hunted over the counter with an archery tag. Hunt units with the highest antelope archery harvest typically include North Sioux, Box Butte West, and Garden. Some Nebraska landowners will allow antelope hunting if you ask. Give us a call if you have any questions about hunting opportunities in Nebraska.
At the time of print, there have been multiple wildfires spreading across Nebraska’s dry landscape. The Morrill Fire in the Plains unit burned 642,029 acres, the largest wildfire in Nebraska history. There have been several other sizable burns already this year. Altogether, they have burned almost one million acres. There is currently a ban on campfires in effect across all Nebraska state parks and wildlife management areas.
