LINCOLN, Neb. – Learn all aspects of bow fishing at a clinic Sept. 2-3 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park. Participants will learn basic bow fishing skills, including knowledge of archery equipment and fish identification. The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at CenturyLink Lake. Equipment will be provided. A park entry permit is required.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Grab a friend, your mother, daughter, sister, or colleague and go outdoors for a life-changing fall adventure. The annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop, sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, gives women the opportunity to learn outdoor skills in a comfortable environment. Registration is still open for this workshop, which is a weekend getaway for women 18 years and older scheduled for Oct. 6-8 at Nebraska State 4-H Camp at Halsey. Outdoor novices get preference, but …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Northern bobwhite abundance increased compared to 2016, indicating that populations in Nebraska continue to rebound from the severe winters of 2009-2010 and the severe drought of 2012-2013, according to a whistle count and July rural mail carrier surveys. Results of the whistle count survey show statewide, within the quail’s range, the mean number of males heard calling in 2017 was higher than in 2016. In addition, the 2017 July Rural Mail Carrier Survey shows that relative abundance …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska is a prime state for viewing the Aug. 21 solar eclipse. People planning to view the event from a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission property should make safety and planning their top priorities. Game and Parks has 34 state park areas and 186 wildlife management areas within the approximately 70-mile-wide path of totality, and visitation at those areas is expected to be busier than normal. All campsites within those park areas that may be reserved have …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters may begin donating deer to the Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) program Sept. 1 at 18 processor locations around the state. Three additional processors will accept deer for the program starting Nov. 11. Hunters pay no processing costs for deer accepted by processors for this donation-driven program. The HHH program is funded solely by tax-deductible contributions. Ground venison is distributed by charitable organizations to Nebraskans in need. Hunters should first talk with processors but may keep …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Microscopic young zebra mussels – or veligers – recently were detected in a water sample collected at Carter Lake by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Since no adult zebra mussels were found, the lake will be listed as a suspect water body. If no adults or additional larvae are found after three years of sampling, the lake will be delisted. The lake will be listed as an infested water body if an adult zebra mussel is …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Dove hunting season begins soon and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has some reminders for those hunters, as well as recommendations for areas to hunt. Doves may be hunted statewide. The season is Sept. 1 – Oct. 30, with daily bag and possession limits of 15 and 45, respectively. Bag limits are for mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared doves in aggregate. Shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset. Nebraska residents 16 years and older …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider a staff recommendation to authorize one auction and one lottery permit for the 2018 bighorn sheep season when it meets Aug. 17 in North Platte. The meeting will begin at 8 a.m. at the West Central Research and Extension Center, 402 W. State Farm Road. Also on the agenda are staff recommendations to: — amend fisheries aquaculture regulations regarding the application for importation of aquatic organisms and requirements related …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for the 2017 Nebraska State Fair with a full schedule of fun activities for the entire family. Game and Parks’ fair home is the Nebraska Building. Popular features and activities include an indoor archery range, indoor air gun range, kids’ Nerf gun range, bird scavenger hunt game, 6,000-gallon aquarium, indoor meandering stream, kids’ games, accessible outdoor sky fort, demonstrations and more. There also is a video display detailing the history …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Participate in a citizen science opportunity by pairing with an expert to find and identify as many species as possible in a specific area. Come to Indian Cave State Park near Shubert for BioBlitz on Sept. 9-10. BioBlitz is an opportunity to contribute to a scientific census of Indian Cave’s wildlife and plant life and to learn about each of the species counted. This free event for all ages will include birds, reptiles and amphibians, plants and …