The overall goals of this project are to increase recruitment of youth hunters as well as retention of existinghunters by: 1) providing opportunities for youth hunters to harvest pheasants during…

The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6 awarded the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission $339,491 in formula grant funding on January 1, 2026, under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611).

The award funds youth pheasant hunting recruitment and retention activities, including opportunities for youth hunters to harvest pheasants during the designated youth season and enhanced pheasant hunting opportunities for families gathering during Thanksgiving weekend. Work emphasizes sites near Nebraska's urban population centers that lack sufficient wild pheasant populations.

The Nebraska Game & Parks Commission is the recipient and direct implementer of the project. Performance occurs throughout Nebraska. The award period runs January 1 through December 31, 2026. The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act funds the program through excise tax revenues on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment, apportioned annually to state fish and wildlife agencies under a legislatively established formula.

The overall goals of this project are to increase recruitment of youth hunters as well as retention of existinghunters by: 1) providing opportunities for youth hunters to harvest pheasants during the youth season, and 2)enhancing pheasant hunting opportunities for families and friends that gather during thanksgiving weekend.emphasis will be placed on sites near nebraskas urban population centers that often lack sufficient wildpheasant populations.