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NGPC expands mountain lion permits in some units; broader changes would require management-plan revision
Summary
NGPC doubled or tripled lion quotas in some units this season, reported 12 cats harvested so far, discussed social tolerance and statutory status of mountain lions, and said broader openings would require a management-plan change and public input.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has increased mountain lion permit quotas in several units this year and discussed the sensitivity of broader lion-management changes during the winter virtual meeting.
What happened: NGPC staff said they doubled quotas in at least two areas and opened a unit (Wildcat Hills) to hunting this season. The agency offered 1,520 mountain-lion permits, issued 990, and reported 12 harvested cats at the time of the meeting: three in the Niobrara unit, three in Wildcat Hills, and six in the Pine Ridge. NGPC staff noted the Pine Ridge harvest included five females and one male; one more female harvest would have closed that unit under the female sublimit.
Why it matters: Mountain-lion management is contentious: they are a native, legally designated game species under state statute, but social tolerance varies. NGPC staff said the 1995 state statute listing mountain lions as a game species requires the commission to manage them as a game animal — that can include establishing hunting seasons where biologically and socially appropriate.
Broader policy constraints and public input: NGPC said its mountain lion management plan guides decisions; opening more units or making hunting broadly available would require identifying a population resilient to harvest and revising or applying the management plan. Staff said earlier efforts to expand hunting drew strong responses from both non-hunting and hunting publics, underscoring the need for public process before major changes.
Other management discussion: Participants asked about bounties and predator control. NGPC staff cautioned that historic bounties generally have not produced lasting statewide increases in prey populations, citing experience from other states; they described more targeted, permissive trapping or removal on private land as options available now without a bounty program.
Next steps: NGPC will continue to monitor harvest, female sublimits where applicable, telemetry and population indicators and will weigh public input and the management plan before any broad change in lion-management approaches.
