Hunting Rules & Regulations

Licensing

  • Licenses/permits can be printed off from your email as they will be sent as a PDF after we receive your full payment. If you are not able to print them out, they may be picked up in-person early as 1 day before the hunting season at the Winnebago Wildlife & Parks Department office, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The Winnebago Wildlife & Parks Department office is located along Hwy 75, Horseshoe Dr. in Winnebago, NE (call (402) 878-2362 or e-mail: [email protected] for directions.)
  • All licenses/permits must be paid for in full at the time of pick up.
  • Lost licenses may be replaced by the Wildlife and Parks Commission.
  • No refunds, transfers or exchanges of licenses/permits without the wildlife director's approval.
  • A 2023 Winnebago Wildlife & Parks habitat stamp is required for all deer, turkey, small game and upland bird permits. Only one habitat stamp is necessary for all hunting during the 2023 season.
  • State of Nebraska licenses are not required to hunt or fish on the Reservation.
  • No license can be issued to any person under 12 years of age. A license to hunt may be issued to a person under the age of sixteen provided he/she is accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult when hunting or has successfully completed a firearms safety course when applying for a license. Persons under the age of sixteen may fish without a license.

General Regulations

The following general regulations merely summarize certain sections of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s Fish & Wildlife Code, Sportsmen are legally bound by this code and must refer to it should any questions arise.

IT IS UNLAWFUL TO:

  • Hunt, fish or trap on any Tribal land within the exterior boundaries of the Winnebago Reservation without first obtaining a Tribal Hunting or Fishing permit.
  • Chase, run, harass, shoot, shoot at, or attempt to take any deer/turkey with a motor vehicle of any kind while it is stopped or in motion. No firearm or bow shall be allowed to protrude from a vehicle
  • Intentionally interfere with persons lawfully engaged in taking or attempting to take game or fish. No person shall scare or disturb game with specific intent to prevent lawful taking.
  • Possess a firearm in the field while hunting with a bow and arrow during a season restricted to archery.
  • Hunt, load or discharge a firearm or bow of any type from or across a roadway.
  • Transport a firearm with a round in the chamber, or revolvers with rounds in the cylinder, or shotgun with shells in the magazine.
  • Hunt big game by methods other than with a firearm or bow and arrow.
  • Sell or barter big game, except for head, hide, feather or antlers.
  • Sell or barter dried antlers that have been naturally shed by big game animals. These shall be considered property of the Fish & Wildlife Commission. Permits may be issued for the gathering of naturally shed antlers provided that the shed antlers found be reported to the Commission for census purposes.
  • Want only waste or destroy any animal.
  • If under age sixteen (16), carry a gun and hunt unless having successfully completed a hunter’s safety course or be accompanied by one (1) adult for each child carrying a gun.
  • Be intoxicated while hunting, fishing or trapping.
  • Hunt any game animals, except raccoon, during one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
  • Hunt any game or wildlife with the aid or use of artificial light except raccoon's which may be hunted with artificial light only when the hunter is not in or on a motorized vehicle.

GUIDES PROHIBITED

Only members of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska shall be eligible and authorized to engage in or conduct, either directly or indirectly, hunting and fishing guides or guide related activity on the Winnebago Reservation.

No person shall guide or provide fee guiding services for the purposes of harvesting or attempting to harvest any fish or wildlife on any lands within the exterior boundaries of the Winnebago Reservation without possessing a valid license or permit approved and issued by the Fish & Wildlife Commission.

 TAGGING AND TRANSPORTATION

No person shall give, put or leave any migratory bird at any place or in the custody of another person unless the birds are tagged by the hunter with the following information:

  1. The hunter’s signature.
  2. The hunter’s address.
  3. The total number of birds involved, by species.
  4. The dates and locations such birds were killed. Tagging is required if the birds are being transported by another person for the hunter, or if the birds have been left for cleaning, storage (including temporary storage), shipment, or taxidermy services. [TCR 87-77]

The seal issued with each license must be signed, dated and securely attached to the animal as provided in the instructions on the seal at the time the game is brought to a road or into any hunting camp, farmyard, dwelling, or place of abode, or before the game is placed in or on a vehicle.

  1. Tagging allows an animal to be transported or stored by the hunter or by another person for the hunter.
  2. To transport parts of a big game animal, a free transportation and shipping permit must be obtained from the Wildlife and Parks Commission or Conservation Officer for those parts not accompanied by the tag.
  3. No person shall transport or possess any big game animal without the accompaniment of the animal’s head and hide (to promptly identify species and sex) unless he/she has a receipt from a licensed taxidermist or a free transportation and shipping permit obtained from the Wildlife and Parks Commission or Conservation Officer.