The Nebraska youth turkey season opens one full week before the regular shotgun season, youth permits cost $8.50 for residents and nonresidents alike, and Nebraska sets no minimum age on a youth turkey permit. Nebraska youth turkey season dates for 2027 put the youth opener on April 17. That combination makes a Nebraska spring gobbler one of the cheapest and best first hunts in the country. Our spring Merriam hunts host families every year, and the youth week is the week to come.
Nebraska’s 2027 youth shotgun turkey season opens April 17 and runs through May 31, a full week ahead of the April 24 regular shotgun opener. In 2026 the youth opener was April 11 against an April 18 regular opener.
| Season | 2027 opener | 2026 opener |
|---|---|---|
| Spring archery | April 10 | March 25 |
| Spring youth shotgun | April 17 | April 11 |
| Spring regular shotgun | April 24 | April 18 |
Both 2027 dates follow the new rule Nebraska Game and Parks adopted in June 2026, which pushed all three spring openers back. Confirm them against the official Turkey Guide when it publishes. Full detail on the change is in our Nebraska turkey season and permit guide.
The youth week is the only week of the Nebraska spring season when the birds have not heard a shotgun hunter’s call. Gobblers are still flocked with hens, they answer aggressively, and they come to a decoy without the caution they develop by the second week of May.
For a kid, that difference decides the trip. A bird that gobbles back on the first setup keeps a ten-year-old engaged. A bird that hangs up silent at 90 yards for two hours does not.
Nebraska sets no minimum age for a youth turkey permit. The youth permit covers hunters 15 and younger, and the Game and Parks Turkey Guide states plainly that there is no minimum age. Deer is different, where the youth permit runs ages 10 through 15, so do not carry the deer rule over to turkey.
Hunter education is the requirement that actually gates a young hunter. Hunters ages 12 through 29 must carry proof of Firearm Hunter Education while hunting with a firearm. Classroom and hybrid courses start at age 11, fully online certification is for 16 and up, and anyone 12 through 29 who has not finished a course can buy a $5 Apprentice Hunter Education Exemption Certificate instead.
Plan the class in the fall. Spring fills up with everybody else who waited.
A hunter under 12 does not need hunter education, which means the youngest hunters face the fewest hoops. Accompaniment requirements still apply, so read the Game and Parks permit and stamp requirements page before the trip.
A Nebraska youth turkey permit costs $8.50, and the price is the same for residents and nonresidents. Compare that to $34 for a resident adult permit and $158 for a nonresident adult permit. A family driving in from out of state pays $158 for dad’s tag and $8.50 for the kid’s.
| Permit | Cost | Spring maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Youth (15 and under) | $8.50, resident or nonresident | 2 permits, 2 birds |
| Adult (16 and up) | $34 resident, $158 nonresident | 2 permits, 2 birds |
| Landowner | $18.50 resident, $80.50 nonresident | 1 permit, 1 bird in spring |
Each spring permit is good for one male or bearded female turkey, and nobody may take more than one turkey per calendar day. Two permits is the personal spring limit for every hunter, youth included, so a kid can take two birds in a season.
Add a Nebraska Habitat Stamp, which turkey hunters need alongside the permit with limited exceptions. Permits go on sale in January.
Nonresident adult permits are capped at 10,000 statewide and have sold out ahead of the season in recent years, so buy on the day sales open rather than the week before your hunt.
An adult comes along to call, coach, and carry gear during the youth season, and the young hunter fills the tag. Nebraska’s spring archery season is already open that week, so an adult who wants a bird of their own can hunt it with a bow while the kid hunts with a shotgun.
That structure is a feature for families. The adult spends the morning teaching instead of competing for the same setup.
Fit matters more than anything else on the list. A gun the kid can hold up for 30 seconds beats a gun that patterns better:
Keep the first hunt short. Two good mornings beat five long days.
Book the youth week, hunt private ground, and put the bird close. Those three decisions do most of the work.
Private ranch access is the part most families cannot arrange on their own. Our Nebraska ground sits in the Pine Ridge, holds Merriam turkey that see almost no pressure, and our hunts have generally run 100 percent shot opportunity. Lodging and hot meals are included, so a parent is not managing a camp on top of managing a first hunt. See what a hunt covers on our semi-guided Merriam turkey hunt page.
Nebraska sets no minimum age for a youth turkey permit, which covers hunters 15 and younger. Hunter education is required for hunters ages 12 through 29 using a firearm, and a $5 Apprentice Hunter Education Exemption Certificate covers that requirement temporarily.
A Nebraska youth turkey permit costs $8.50 for residents and nonresidents alike. An adult resident permit costs $34 and a nonresident adult permit costs $158.
Nebraska’s 2027 youth spring shotgun turkey season opens April 17 and closes May 31. It opens a week before the April 24 regular shotgun opener.
Hunters ages 12 through 29 must carry proof of Firearm Hunter Education while hunting with a firearm in Nebraska. Hunters under 12 do not. Anyone 12 through 29 who has not completed a course can buy a $5 Apprentice Hunter Education Exemption Certificate as a temporary exemption.
Yes, and a nonresident youth permit costs the same $8.50 a resident youth permit costs. Buy early either way, because Nebraska caps nonresident spring permits at 10,000 statewide and they have sold out ahead of the season in recent years.
We host families every spring, and the youth week is the one we tell parents to book. Call (605) 877-2550, email doubledoutfitters@yahoo.com, or register and pay online to check open dates. Package pricing is on our Merriam turkey hunt page, and there are plenty of first birds in our photo galleries.
