Nebraska Hunting Laws
Nebraska is unusually specific for a Midwestern state: deer and pronghorn rifles must be at least .22 caliber AND deliver 900 ft-lb of energy at 100 yards (with .357 Magnum and .45 Colt rifles specifically exempted from the caliber floor), handguns need 400 ft-lb at 50 yards, and elk require a beefier .25-caliber/1,700 ft-lb rifle or a .45-caliber muzzleloader.
Every rule below cites the official regulation. Last verified August 30, 2026.
At a glance
Check a cartridge in Nebraska
Pick a state, species, and weapon — add a cartridge for a full check.
Sourced rules
Every row cites the controlling regulation and the date we verified it.
Air Gun
1 rule| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer | The deer/pronghorn/elk weapon-specification rule (§001.01B2) sets minimums only for rifles, handguns, and muzzleloaders — it doesn't mention air-powered guns at all, and it's unclear whether air rifles are a legal big-game method in Nebraska. A separate provision (§001.01B3) references 'air gun' as a hunting-implement category subject to the sight-restriction rule, implying air guns are used for at least some species, but this doesn't confirm big-game legality or set a caliber/energy floor. | 163 NAC 4, §001.01B2/§001.01B3 (no dedicated airgun provision found) | Aug 2026 needs review |
All weapons
9 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Full metal jacket (non-expanding) and incendiary bullets are illegal for antelope, deer, elk, and mountain sheep.
"to take antelope, deer, elk or mountain sheep with a full metal jacket or incendiary bullet" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Pronghorn |
Full metal jacket (non-expanding) and incendiary bullets are illegal for antelope, deer, elk, and mountain sheep.
"to take antelope, deer, elk or mountain sheep with a full metal jacket or incendiary bullet" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Elk |
Full metal jacket (non-expanding) and incendiary bullets are illegal for antelope, deer, elk, and mountain sheep.
"to take antelope, deer, elk or mountain sheep with a full metal jacket or incendiary bullet" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| All species |
Semi-automatic firearms used for big game/turkey hunting are capped at 6 cartridges capacity; fully automatic firearms are banned outright.
"to use any firearm capable of fully automatic fire, or semi-automatic firearm capable of holding more than 6 cartridges" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| All species |
Night vision and other light-amplifying/projecting sighting devices are banned on any air gun, firearm, crossbow, or bow used for game — but red dot and illuminated-reticle scopes are explicitly carved out as legal.
"This restriction allows red dot and illuminated reticle sights and scopes, any sight that uses natural light or other light source to make the sight illuminated or enhance the sights visibility but prohibits night vis..." |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B3 | Aug 2026 |
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
At least 400 square inches of hunter orange, worn on head, chest, and back combined, is required during firearm seasons for deer/antelope/turkey/elk/mountain sheep. Archery hunters during a non-centerfire season are exempt, and the Commission has adopted further exceptions by rule (e.g., spring turkey season, and archers during firearm antelope/elk/mountain sheep seasons).
"Any person hunting deer, antelope, wild turkey, elk, or mountain sheep during an authorized firearm season in this state shall display on his or her head, chest, and back a total of not less than four hundred square i..." |
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-527(2) | Aug 2026 |
| Elk |
At least 400 square inches of hunter orange, worn on head, chest, and back combined, is required during firearm seasons for deer/antelope/turkey/elk/mountain sheep. Archery hunters during a non-centerfire season are exempt, and the Commission has adopted further exceptions by rule (e.g., spring turkey season, and archers during firearm antelope/elk/mountain sheep seasons).
"Any person hunting deer, antelope, wild turkey, elk, or mountain sheep during an authorized firearm season in this state shall display on his or her head, chest, and back a total of not less than four hundred square i..." |
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-527(2) | Aug 2026 |
| Pronghorn |
At least 400 square inches of hunter orange, worn on head, chest, and back combined, is required during firearm seasons for deer/antelope/turkey/elk/mountain sheep. Archery hunters during a non-centerfire season are exempt, and the Commission has adopted further exceptions by rule (e.g., spring turkey season, and archers during firearm antelope/elk/mountain sheep seasons).
"Any person hunting deer, antelope, wild turkey, elk, or mountain sheep during an authorized firearm season in this state shall display on his or her head, chest, and back a total of not less than four hundred square i..." |
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-527(2) | Aug 2026 |
| Wild Turkey |
At least 400 square inches of hunter orange, worn on head, chest, and back combined, is required during firearm seasons for deer/antelope/turkey/elk/mountain sheep. Archery hunters during a non-centerfire season are exempt, and the Commission has adopted further exceptions by rule (e.g., spring turkey season, and archers during firearm antelope/elk/mountain sheep seasons).
"Any person hunting deer, antelope, wild turkey, elk, or mountain sheep during an authorized firearm season in this state shall display on his or her head, chest, and back a total of not less than four hundred square i..." |
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-527(2) | Aug 2026 |
Handgun
3 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Handguns and muzzleloading handguns for deer/pronghorn must deliver at least 400 ft-lb of energy at 50 yards.
"to take antelope or deer with any handgun or a muzzleloading handgun which delivers less than 400 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 50 yards" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Pronghorn |
Handguns and muzzleloading handguns for deer/pronghorn must deliver at least 400 ft-lb of energy at 50 yards.
"to take antelope or deer with any handgun or a muzzleloading handgun which delivers less than 400 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 50 yards" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Elk |
The code's wording reads as a flat prohibition on taking elk with any handgun (as opposed to deer/pronghorn, which just need to clear the 400 ft-lb/50-yard threshold), but the sentence is dense enough that this reading needs confirmation against a cleaner citation or agency guidance.
"a shotgun other than a 20 gauge or larger firing a single slug to take elk with a handgun or to take antelope or deer with any handgun or a muzzleloading handgun which delivers less than 400 foot-pounds of bullet ener..." |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 (dense compound sentence — cite pending clearer parsing) | Aug 2026 needs review |
Muzzleloader
5 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Muzzleloading rifles for deer/pronghorn must be at least .44 caliber; a smoothbore muzzleloading musket is a separate legal option if it's at least 62 caliber and fires a single slug.
"a muzzleloading rifle of less than 44 caliber, a muzzleloading musket other than a 62 caliber or larger firing a single slug" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Pronghorn |
Muzzleloading rifles for deer/pronghorn must be at least .44 caliber; a smoothbore muzzleloading musket is a separate legal option if it's at least 62 caliber and fires a single slug.
"a muzzleloading rifle of less than 44 caliber, a muzzleloading musket other than a 62 caliber or larger firing a single slug" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Elk |
Muzzleloading rifles for elk must be at least .45 caliber.
"with a muzzleloading rifle of less than 45 caliber" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Handguns and muzzleloading handguns for deer/pronghorn must deliver at least 400 ft-lb of energy at 50 yards.
"to take antelope or deer with any handgun or a muzzleloading handgun which delivers less than 400 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 50 yards" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Pronghorn |
Handguns and muzzleloading handguns for deer/pronghorn must deliver at least 400 ft-lb of energy at 50 yards.
"to take antelope or deer with any handgun or a muzzleloading handgun which delivers less than 400 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 50 yards" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
Rifle
6 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Deer/pronghorn rifles must be at least .22 caliber AND deliver at least 900 ft-lb at 100 yards — except a .357 Magnum or .45 Colt rifle, which are legal regardless of the caliber floor.
"to take antelope or deer with a rifle smaller than 22 caliber or a rifle which delivers less than 900 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 100 yards except that a .357 magnum rifle or a .45 Colt rifle are legal" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 (chapter last approved Dec. 5, 2011) | Aug 2026 |
| Pronghorn |
Deer/pronghorn rifles must be at least .22 caliber AND deliver at least 900 ft-lb at 100 yards — except a .357 Magnum or .45 Colt rifle, which are legal regardless of the caliber floor.
"to take antelope or deer with a rifle smaller than 22 caliber or a rifle which delivers less than 900 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 100 yards except that a .357 magnum rifle or a .45 Colt rifle are legal" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 (chapter last approved Dec. 5, 2011) | Aug 2026 |
| White-tailed / Mule Deer |
Deer/pronghorn rifle loads must deliver at least 900 ft-lb of energy at 100 yards.
"a rifle which delivers less than 900 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 100 yards" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Pronghorn |
Deer/pronghorn rifle loads must deliver at least 900 ft-lb of energy at 100 yards.
"a rifle which delivers less than 900 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 100 yards" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Elk |
Elk (and mountain sheep) rifles must be at least .25 caliber and deliver at least 1,700 ft-lb of energy at 100 yards.
"to take elk or mountain sheep with a rifle smaller than 25 caliber, or which delivers less than 1700 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 100 yards" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| Elk |
Elk rifle loads must deliver at least 1,700 ft-lb of energy at 100 yards.
"which delivers less than 1700 foot-pounds of bullet energy at 100 yards" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
Shotgun
2 rules| Species | Rule | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Turkey |
Turkeys may not be taken with a rifle. Legal shotgun loads are shot sizes 2 through 7½, or a single slug.
"to take turkeys with a rifle or while possessing or using shotgun shells containing shot other than sizes 2 through 7½ or containing a single slug" |
163 NAC 4, §001.01B2 | Aug 2026 |
| All species |
On state/federal areas managed primarily for waterfowl and posted as nontoxic-shot areas, nontoxic shot is required for all shotgun hunting, not just waterfowl. Waterfowl hunting itself requires nontoxic shot statewide (separate provision).
"It shall be unlawful, while taking any game bird or game animal on any state or federally owned or controlled areas managed primarily for waterfowl and designated by the Commission and posted as nontoxic shot areas fo..." |
163 NAC 4, §011.02 (chapter last approved Dec. 15, 1999) | Aug 2026 |
Federal rules that apply in every state
These federal requirements apply in Nebraska on top of state law.
Federal law: only USFWS-approved nontoxic shot may be used — or even possessed — while hunting waterfowl, coots, and aggregate-bag species.
50 CFR § 20.21(j)(1)–(3)
Federal law: shotguns for migratory birds are limited to 3 shells total (magazine + chamber) with a one-piece plug; limited light-goose and September Canada goose season exceptions exist.
50 CFR § 20.21(b)
Federal law: shotguns for migratory birds may be no larger than 10 gauge.
50 CFR § 20.21(a)
Federal law prohibits taking migratory birds with a rifle, pistol, or fully automatic firearm.
50 CFR § 20.21(a)
On Waterfowl Production Areas and designated National Wildlife Refuge lands, possessing shot other than approved nontoxic shot is prohibited; individual refuges may impose stricter rules.
50 CFR § 32.2(k)
Sources
Nebraska Administrative Code, Title 163 (Game and Parks Commission), Chapter 4 — Wildlife Regulations
Nebraska Secretary of State (Nebraska Government Publications archive) · retrieved August 30, 2026
Nebraska Revised Statute § 37-527 — Hunter orange display required
Nebraska Legislature · retrieved August 30, 2026
Sources & methodology
Rules on this page are verified against state statutes, administrative code, official agency regulation digests, and federal regulations — never forums, retailer blogs, or hunter-ed course summaries. Rules we could not yet pin to a primary source are labeled needs review and never produce a green "legal" answer. Cartridge energy figures used by the checker are typical factory-load values; where a rule sets an energy or bullet-weight floor, verify your specific load's manufacturer rating.
Legal disclaimer — please read
This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Hunting regulations change every season, vary by zone, season, land type, and county ordinance, and are interpreted by the state's enforcement officers — not by this page.
- Confirm every rule in the current official Nebraska hunting regulations before your hunt.
- Check season dates, license and tag requirements, zone boundaries, and local ordinances — this page covers equipment rules only.
- When in doubt, contact Nebraska Game and Parks Commission directly.
The controlling document is the regulation, not this page. We disclaim all liability for reliance on it.