Archery Season Starts September 15th

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The Independent

Nebraska bowhunters, with bonus tags in tow, will take to the woods Sept. 15 for the opening of the archery deer hunting season.

Those bonus tags were added to statewide archery permits in 2008. Bowhunters responded by taking a record 7,440 deer last year, up from 4,854 in 2007.

The archery season is not the only one to open Sept. 15. Landowner, youth and season choice seasons also begin.

"We encourage all archers to use their bonus antlerless whitetail tags to help with the control of white-tailed deer," said Kit Hams, big game program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. "The Deer Exchange is available to those with too many deer for their own use." Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for more information on the Deer Exchange.

The following is a summary of the seasons that open Sept. 15:
Archery - Season: Sept. 15-Nov. 13 and Nov. 23-Dec. 31; Open to: residents and nonresidents; Permit: residents, $30; nonresidents, $209; Hunting Area: statewide; Bag Limit: one deer of either sex, plus one antlerless whitetail; Weapon: longbows or compound bows that have a pull of at least 40 pounds at or before 28-inch draw.

Landowner - Season: Sept. 15-Jan. 15. 2010; Open to: residents and nonresidents; Permit: residents, $15.50, nonresidents, $105; Hunting Area: land owned or operated by the landowner and described on application; Bag Limit: one deer of either sex and one antlerless deer; Weapon: any legal weapon, provided the season is open for that weapon; Note: January season is antlerless only. Landowners in Season Choice Areas 18 and 21 also may hunt on their land with a firearm during the October Antlerless season, Oct. 9-11.

Youth - Season: Sept. 15-Jan. 15, 2010; Open to: residents and nonresidents ages 10-15; Permit: residents, $30; nonresidents, $209; Hunting Area: statewide; Bag Limit: one deer of either sex and one antlerless whitetail; Weapon: any legal weapon, provided the season is open for that weapon; Notes: January season is antlerless-only; youth age 16 may hunt with a youth permit provided they are 15 when they purchased the permit and not older than 15 on Sept. 15. Youth also may hunt in Season Choice Areas 18 and 21 during the October Antlerless season, Oct. 9-11.

Season Choice - Season: Sept. 15-Jan. 15, 2010; Open to: residents and nonresidents; Permit: residents, $30; nonresidents, $55; Hunting Area: permit only valid in area for which it was issued; Bag Limit: depends on area; Weapon: any legal weapon, provided the season is open for that weapon; Notes: January season is antlerless-only. Season Choice Area 18 and 21 permit holders also may hunt during the October Antlerless season, Oct. 9-11.

Holders of permits for landowner, youth and season choice seasons may hunt with:

Legal archery equipment Sept. 15-Nov. 13 and Nov. 23-Dec. 31,
Legal muzzleloaders Dec. 1-31,
Legal firearms Nov. 14-22,
Legal firearms Jan. 1-15, 2010 (antlerless only).

Permits may be purchased at Commission offices and at http://www.OutdoorNebraska.org. A habitat stamp is required of all deer hunters, except residents age 15 or younger.