Hunting coyotes in Nebraska? Nebraska is a midwestern U.S. state encompassing the prairies of the Great Plains and some of the best coyote habitats in the country. If you hunt coyotes here, there are a few regulations you need to know. But, before you head out, check for legal changes and updates to the law.
In Nebraska, coyotes are classified as nongame animals. They may be hunted year-round. Electronic callers, infrared and thermal riflescopes, and decoys are permitted. There are no bag limits.
While unprotected nongame animals like coyotes may be harvested year-round, their pelt’s value is better in the winter (prime hunting and trapping months).
Purchase a hunting license here.
Related: Read the laws for hunting fox in Nebraska.
Related: Read the laws for hunting bobcats in Nebraska.
Rules for hunting coyotes in Nebraska.
Electronic callers. All forms of predator callers are legal.
Related: Which two sounds bring in the most coyotes?
Related: Here are three sound you can make with an open reed caller today.
Related: What is the best closed reed caller? Read this article and watch the attached video on how to use the best closed reed caller.
You can check Amazon for prices for electronic callers here.
Decoys. Decoys are legal in Nebraska.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on decoys. Read why here.
Check Amazon for decoy prices here.
Night hunting coyotes in Nebraska.
Hunting wildlife with artificial light; unlawful acts; exception; violation; penalty.
(1) Except as provided in section 37-4,107, it shall be unlawful to hunt any wildlife by projecting or casting the rays of a spotlight, headlight, or other artificial light attached to or used from a vehicle or boat in any field, pasture, woodland, forest, prairie, water area, or other area which may be inhabited by wildlife while having in possession or control, either singly or as one of a group of persons, any firearm or bow and arrow.
(2) Nothing in this section shall prohibit (a) the hunting on foot of raccoon with the aid of a handlight, (b) the hunting of species of wildlife not protected by the Game Law in the protection of property by landowners or operators or their regular employees on land under their control on foot or from a motor vehicle with the aid of artificial light, or (c) the taking of nongame fish by means of bow and arrow from a vessel with the aid of artificial light.
(3) Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a Class III misdemeanor and shall be fined at least two hundred fifty dollars upon conviction.
With artificial lights, night vision, infrared, and thermal scopes available, the choice is up to you and your budget.
Related: Going the budget route? Make sure you pick the right color lens.
Related: Infrared riflescopes for new predator hunter good for 200 yards? Check out this article.
Related: Thinking you want a low budget thermal good for 150 yards? Check out this article.
Using private land while coyote hunting in Nebraska.
PRIVATE LAND
Much of the land in Nebraska is privately owned. Hunters can typically freely take game animals hunted on their own private property, or may seek permission from a landowner to hunt on private property.
Hunters who wish to take game on privately owned land must follow state hunting regulations as well as any regulations specified by the landowner. Hunters must ensure they respect the rights and property of the landowner at all times. Trespassing on private land is Nebraska is prohibited.
Related: Don’t over hunt the land you have! Read this article.
Related: How far apart should your stand be? Find out here.
Related: Need access to more properties? Find out how to ask for permission here.
Using public land while hunting coyotes in Nebraska.
There are nearly 800,000 acres of public land within the state of Nebraska, much of which is open to hunting. The state purchased nearly 50,000 acres of public land space due to the Nebraska Habitat Stamp program, meaning it wouldn’t be accessible to hunters without their contributions to the program.
While public land space in Nebraska encompasses only 2% of the state’s total land access, there’s still no shortage of hunting space. Public lands that may be accessible to hunters within the state include Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), State Parks and Recreation Areas, National Forests, Federal Reservoirs, and Waterfowl Production Areas. To find a land-space open to hunting near you, use the Nebraska Public Access Interactive Atlas.
Related: Need to track a wounded coyote? Learn how to here.
Related: Want to shoot a coyote in the exact right place to make it DRT? Read this article.
Want to hunt a coyote from an aircraft in Nebraska?
Well, now you can hunt a coyote from the air in Nebraska.
It shall be unlawful:
001.05A1 for any permittee to shoot coyotes from an aircraft on land where there has not been a written landowner request filed with the Commission or with Wildlife Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture in Lincoln. Such written landowner requests for coyote aerial control shall contain the legal description of land, mileage from nearest town, and county where there are problems with coyotes damaging or posing a substantial threat to livestock or other domesticated animals. Forms are available from the Commission for submission of this information.
001.05A2 for any permittee to fail to submit quarterly reports of aerial coyote control activities within 15 days after each calendar quarter. Such quarterly reports shall be dated and shall contain the following information: the dates and county in which hunting occurred, the number of coyotes taken each day of the quarter, the name of the permittee completing the report and the names of any other permittees included in the report. Failure to submit such reports shall constitute automatic revocation of the coyote aerial shooting permit. Report forms are available from the Commission for submission of this information.
Related: Want to try some bobcat hunting? Read this article.
Related: Learn here how to avoid trapline mistakes that ruin all your hard work.
Legal weapons when coyote hunting in Nebraska.
egal Weapons for Firearm Season:
• .22-caliber or larger rifle that deliver at least 900 foot-pounds of energy at 100 yards
• .357 magnum rifle, .45 Colt rifle and hand-thrown spear are legal
• Handguns or muzzleloading handguns that deliver at least 400 foot-pounds of energy at 50 yards
• Muzzleloading rifles .44-caliber or larger
• Muzzleloading muskets .62-caliber or larger, firing a single
slug
• Shotguns of 20-gauge or larger that fire a single slug
• Long bow, compound bow, recurve bow, shoulder-fired non-
electronic crossbow (with a draw weight of at least 125
pounds), hand-thrown spear
• Ammunition with multiple projectiles is illegal
• Semi-automatic firearms capable of holding more than six
cartridges are illegal
• Full-metal jacket or incendiary bullets are illegal
• Arrows or spears must have a sharpened hunting head with
a blade of at least 7/16-inch cutting radius from the center of the arrow shaft. Arrows or spears containing poison, stupefying chemical or having an explosive tip are illegal.
Unlawful methods of hunting coyotes in Nebraska.
Unlawful Hunting Methods – It is unlawful to:
• chase, run, harass, kill or shoot any deer from a moving motor
vehicle or vessel.
• shoot from the right-of-way of a public road.
• carry a firearm on a snowmobile, except when it is unloaded
and in a case.
• hunt from or with a snowmobile.
• use a spotlight or other artificial light from a vehicle or vessel
while having in possession or control any firearm, crossbow
or bow and arrow.
• use two-way radios, cell phones or any other electronic
devices to transmit information about the location of any game animal or game bird to or from a conveyance of any type (vehicles, aircraft, boats, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, etc.).
Other Nebraska hunting laws.
Permission – Permission is required to hunt on private land. It
is unlawful to hunt with a rifle within 200 yards of an occupied dwelling or feedlot without specific permission for that purpose or within 100 yards using other methods.
Sale of Parts – It is lawful to sell the hide, hair, hooves, bones, and antlers of any deer which is taken legally. The sale or purchase of deer meat is unlawful.
Hunter Orange – Any persons hunting deer under the authority of a firearm permit during an authorized firearm season must display on his or her head, chest and back at least 400 square inches of hunter orange material. Archery deer hunters must do the same while archery hunting during the November firearm deer season and during the Jan. 1 – 16 antlerless deer season.
Baiting – It is illegal to hunt any big game or turkey within 200 yards of a baited area. An area shall be considered baited for ten (10) days following the complete removal of all such bait. The hunter and the animal must be outside of the baited area.
Baiting of coyotes is legal. Read how to here.
Rules change, update yourself before you hunt.
This information may be inaccurate due to new or changes made in state regulation. Check for yourself before you hunt.
