Can You Kill Raccoons in Nebraska? What the Law Actually Allows

Raccoons are one of the most adaptable and widespread mammals in Nebraska, turning up in cornfields near the Platte River, suburban backyards in Omaha, and old farmsteads across the Sandhills. Their intelligence and opportunistic feeding habits make them a persistent nuisance — raiding chicken coops, tearing into garbage cans, and damaging sweet corn crops just days before harvest. If one has taken up residence on your property, your first question is probably whether you can legally do something about it.

The short answer is yes, but the rules depend heavily on who you are, where you are, and what the raccoon is doing. Nebraska law draws a clear line between hunting raccoons during designated seasons, killing them as a landowner protecting livestock, and trapping them as a nuisance animal. Getting those distinctions wrong can result in fines or permit violations. This guide walks you through every relevant rule so you can act confidently and legally.

Are Raccoons Protected in Nebraska?

In Nebraska, raccoons are classified as furbearers and can be hunted during designated seasons. The common raccoon (Procyon lotor) is not listed as threatened or endangered under either Nebraska’s Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act or the federal Endangered Species Act, so it carries none of the strict protections afforded to rare wildlife. That said, “unprotected” does not mean unregulated.

Nebraska has a wealth of furbearing species, which provide opportunities for wildlife watching, photography, hunting, and trapping. Furbearers are a group of native mammals that have valuable fur. Because raccoons fall into this category, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) manages their harvest through seasons, bag limits, and licensing requirements rather than leaving them entirely open to take at any time. You can kill a raccoon in Nebraska — but only within the framework the NGPC has established.

Important Note: Raccoons can carry rabies, distemper, and raccoon roundworm. Any time you handle a dead or trapped raccoon, wear gloves and avoid contact with saliva or feces. If you are bitten, contact your local health department immediately.

When Can You Legally Kill a Raccoon in Nebraska?

Nebraska law creates two distinct pathways for legally killing a raccoon: the regulated hunting and trapping seasons, and the landowner depredation exemption. Understanding which applies to your situation is the first step.

Raccoons and opossums may be hunted but not trapped during the early hunt-only season. This season was initiated to provide additional opportunity to harvest these common species in an effort to reduce agricultural damage. Raccoon and opossum may also be hunted and trapped during the primary hunting and trapping seasons. According to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the 2025–2026 season dates for raccoons were as follows: raccoon and Virginia opossum hunt-only season ran September 1–October 31, 2025, and the primary hunting and trapping season for raccoon ran November 1, 2025–February 28, 2026.

The second pathway applies specifically to farmers and ranchers. Any private landowner or tenant may destroy or have destroyed any predator preying on livestock or poultry or suspected of causing other damage on land owned or controlled by such person without a permit issued by the commission. For purposes of this subsection, predator means a badger, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, long-tailed weasel, mink, opossum, raccoon, red fox, or skunk. This provision — found at Nebraska Revised Statute § 37-559 — is broad, but it does not give urban or suburban residents a blanket right to kill raccoons outside of season. It applies to agricultural depredation on land you own or control.

Pro Tip: If you are a homeowner in a city or suburb, the landowner depredation exemption most likely does not apply to you. Your legal options outside of trapping season are more limited — consult the NGPC or a licensed wildlife control operator before acting.

Legal Methods for Killing Raccoons in Nebraska

Nebraska permits several methods for taking raccoons, depending on whether you are hunting during a regulated season or acting under the depredation statute.

• Firearms: Rifles and shotguns are commonly used during the hunting season. Shooting requires precision and skill, as hunters use rifles or shotguns to kill the raccoons. If you plan to discharge a firearm within a municipality, you must first check local ordinances — most cities prohibit it without specific authorization.
• Night hunting on foot: Nothing in Nebraska law prohibits the hunting on foot of raccoon with the aid of a handlight. Hunting from a vehicle with an artificial light attached is a separate matter and is generally prohibited.
• Hunting with dogs: Bobcat, opossum, raccoon, and red fox may be pursued or chased with hounds, but not harvested during the portion of the year when harvest is not allowed. A fur harvest permit is required to pursue these species during the running season.
• Trapping: Box traps, steel-jawed spring traps, and snares are all legal tools during the trapping season with the proper license. Specific size and placement restrictions apply (see the trapping section below).

One important rule to remember: furbearers harvested for depredation control may be sold or possessed only by individuals with a fur harvest permit and if the take occurred during the harvest season. If you kill a raccoon outside of season under the depredation exemption, you cannot legally sell or keep the pelt.

For more context on how neighboring states handle similar questions, see how the rules compare in Kansas or read about raccoon regulations in Missouri, another Midwestern state with a strong furbearer management program.

Trapping Raccoons in Nebraska: Rules and Restrictions

Regulated harvest through trapping seasons is an important management tool needed to control populations and damage that furbearer species can cause. Trapping seasons are typically designed to allow the harvest of furbearers during the fall and winter when the pelts are prime, and they are less likely to have dependent young.

For residents ages 16 and older, a fur harvest permit and habitat stamp are required to hunt or trap furbearers in Nebraska. Residents under 16 and landowners trapping solely on their own land for depredation purposes may have different requirements — confirm the current rules with the NGPC before heading out.

Key trapping restrictions to know include:

• You can use a body-gripping trap to capture raccoons on public lands with a jaw spread of 8 inches.
• Body-gripping traps with a jaw-spread larger than 5 inches may be used only when placed under water or at least 6 feet above the ground in certain areas.
• Trapping is prohibited within 100 yards of any inhabited dwelling or feedlot and within 200 yards of any passage used by livestock to pass under a highway, road, or bridge without permission.
• You cannot set a snare on any dry land part of Yankee Hill Wildlife Management Area before December 15 to trap raccoons.
• All traps must be identified with the trapper’s name and address stamped or inscribed legibly on the trap.

Hunting and trapping are permitted statewide, except where closed by federal, state, or local laws or regulations. Hunters and trappers must get permission before hunting or trapping on private land that is not part of a public access program. Always secure written or verbal landowner permission before setting traps on land you do not own.

Pro Tip: Check traps at least once every 24 hours. Nebraska regulations require this, and it is also the humane standard for any animal you have captured alive.

For a comparison with another state that borders Nebraska, see raccoon rules in Iowa or review the detailed breakdown for raccoon regulations in Minnesota.

Can You Relocate a Raccoon Instead of Killing It in Nebraska?

Many people assume that trapping and releasing a raccoon somewhere far away is the humane alternative to killing it. In Nebraska, that assumption runs directly into state law.

In Nebraska, you cannot legally relocate a wild mammal more than 100 yards from its original site. That is roughly the length of a football field. In Nebraska, the only two legal options once an animal is trapped are to either release the animal within 100 yards or to kill it.

The ecological reasoning behind this rule is well-supported. Most animals do not survive in unfamiliar territory. Resident animals will drive off the intruder, or the animal will not know where to find food or shelter. A recent study notes that over 90% of relocated raccoons die within a short period of time. Releasing a raccoon a mile away does not give it a second chance — it almost guarantees a slow death from starvation, predation, or territorial conflict.

There is also a disease-control rationale. Moving raccoons across large distances can spread raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) and other pathogens into new areas. Nebraska’s 100-yard rule limits that risk while also being honest about what “relocation” actually accomplishes.

If releasing the animal on-site is not a viable option because the problem will simply recur, your practical choices are euthanasia or professional exclusion work that prevents raccoons from re-entering the structure in the first place.

Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in Nebraska

If you are not comfortable handling traps, do not have the right equipment, or are dealing with raccoons inside a structure like an attic or crawlspace, hiring a professional is often the most effective route. A wildlife control permit or license is required for private operators to take, transport, release, or euthanize designated wildlife that is causing damage to property or is a risk to human health or safety.

Licensed wildlife control operators in Nebraska work within the same legal framework as individual landowners — they cannot relocate a raccoon more than 100 yards, and they must comply with all NGPC regulations. What they bring to the table is experience with exclusion techniques, knowledge of where raccoons are denning inside structures, and the equipment to handle the job safely and efficiently.

When hiring a wildlife control operator, ask the following:

1. Are you licensed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission?
2. What methods do you use, and are they legal under current NGPC regulations?
3. Do you offer exclusion services to prevent re-entry after removal?
4. How do you handle the raccoon after capture — release on-site or euthanasia?
5. Are there dependent young involved, and how will those be handled?

When issuing a Wildlife Damage Control Permit, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission prescribes the methods, means, species, numbers, time limits, and locations authorized for control under the permit and requires the submission of annual reports summarizing damage control activities. This oversight structure means that legitimate operators are accountable for their actions in a way that unlicensed individuals are not.

You can contact the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to verify a wildlife control operator’s credentials or to get a referral to a licensed professional in your area. Also see how other states handle professional wildlife control, such as Ohio’s approach to raccoon removal or the rules in Pennsylvania.

Local Ordinances That May Override State Law in Nebraska

State law sets the floor for raccoon regulations in Nebraska, but it does not prevent cities and counties from imposing stricter rules. If you live within city limits, local ordinances can significantly narrow what you are legally permitted to do.

The most common local restrictions involve firearms discharge. To shoot raccoons in a municipality area, you must first take permission to discharge firearms within the limit. Most Nebraska cities — including Omaha, Lincoln, and Grand Island — prohibit discharging firearms within city limits except in narrow circumstances. Even if the NGPC allows shooting raccoons during hunting season, your city’s ordinance may make it a misdemeanor to pull the trigger in your backyard.

Local rules on captive wildlife are another area to watch. Animals such as raccoons are not allowed in some cities and towns. If you live within city limits, check with your local Animal Control Office, City Attorney, or applicable city office to determine if a specific animal may be kept in captivity. This matters if you are considering holding a trapped raccoon temporarily before deciding what to do with it.

Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) in Nebraska can also impose site-specific regulations on trapping. Natural Resources Districts manage many multi-purpose areas throughout the state of Nebraska. These areas typically have site-specific regulations for hunting and trapping. If you plan to trap near a reservoir, wetland, or NRD-managed area, contact the relevant district office before setting any traps.

The practical takeaway: always layer your research. Confirm that your planned action is legal under (1) Nebraska state statute, (2) NGPC regulations, and (3) your local city or county ordinance. When those three sources agree, you are on solid legal ground.

For a broader look at how raccoon laws vary across the country, explore the rules in states like Virginia, Texas, Illinois, and Michigan. You may also want to review Nebraska’s roadkill laws if you encounter a raccoon that has been struck by a vehicle and want to know your legal options there.

Nebraska gives landowners and hunters meaningful tools to deal with raccoon problems, from a flexible depredation exemption for farmers to regulated hunting and trapping seasons open to any licensed resident. The key is matching the right legal tool to your specific situation — and respecting the 100-yard relocation rule that catches many people off guard. When in doubt, a quick call to your nearest NGPC office or a licensed wildlife control operator will save you from an unintentional violation.