LINCOLN – 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 and …

LINCOLN – This fall the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Nebraska will survey hunters who use public lands in Nebraska. Beginning Sept. 1, hunters at wildlife management areas or private lands enrolled in the Open Fields and Waters program may be approached by UNL researchers or Game and Park staff, who will ask a series of questions about their hunting experiences. Game and Parks will use insights …

LINCOLN – Hunters are asked to report observations of sick or dead deer to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission as they head afield this September. Each summer, the Commission monitors for signs of diseased deer; reports from the public help track incidents. Deer populations in Nebraska have been healthy across most areas and last year’s harvest resulted in near-record numbers. Few cases of sick deer have been reported so far this year. However, incidences of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) …

LINCOLN – Nebraska duck hunters will find good news in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recent 2016 waterfowl population status report. The report shows mallard numbers are near record highs and the estimated green-winged teal population is the highest since estimates began in 1955. The estimated mallard population this year is 51 percent above the long-term (1955-2015) average, while the green-wing teal numbers are 104 percent higher than the long-term average. Other dabbling duck species varied in abundances from …

LINCOLN – Join Dennis Ferraro, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln herpetologist, for his program “Meet the Snakes of Nebraska Up Close and in Person” at Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area on Sept. 11. Ferraro will display and discuss snakes that call Nebraska home from 2 to 4 p.m. at the park’s group lodge. Fremont Lakes SRA is located just west of Fremont in Dodge County. A park entry permit is required.

LINCOLN – Visitors can tour Fort Atkinson State Historical Park guided by an archaeologist during Living History Weekend Sept. 3-4. Nebraska State Historical Society Archaeologist Nolan Johnson will lead the tours in celebration of Archaeology Month. Tours start at 12:30 p.m. each day at the Powder Magazine. In addition, visitors can view a reenacted World War II encampment and see demonstrations of various trades and crafts from the 1820s, giving them a feel for frontier life in Nebraska. Fort Atkinson, …

LINCOLN – Pheasant and quail abundance in Nebraska this year is higher than the five-year average over most of the state, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Upland Game Hunting Outlook. Survey results indicate conditions for upland birds are better than in recent years. The outlook is based on spring and summer upland game surveys, and conditions reported by biologists. Regional weather events that could impact populations are considered. The weather this past winter was generally mild. Most …

LINCOLN – Nebraskans enjoying the outdoors via the Great Park Pursuit (GPP) still have time to visit more parks and become eligible for prizes. The Great Park Pursuit encourages participants to visit up to 20 sites across Nebraska between May 1 and Sept. 16, 2016. Participants follow clues to a post, where they make an impression of it with a pencil to prove they were there. Prizes and entry into drawings are based on the number of impressions collected. The …

LINCOLN – Public pools at five Nebraska state parks will remain open through Labor Day on Sept. 5, offering visitors extended summer fun. Pool hours are as follows: Chadron State Park – Open Aug. 28 from 1-3 p.m. and from 1-6 p.m. on Sept. 3-5. Pool admission is free Aug. 28. Eugene T. Mahoney State Park – Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4-8 p.m. On weekends and on Labor Day, the pool will be open from noon-5 p.m. and …

LINCOLN – Throughout September, Niobrara State Park (SP) will hold a variety of family-friendly events for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Scheduled events are: — Sept. 2, National Park Service Presents: Missouri National Recreational River – A National Park: Learn more about the Missouri National Recreational River and its history as a park. — Sept. 3, Buffalo Cookout and Nebraska Humanities Program: Music of the Plains: David Marsh will share stories and songs about the pioneers who settled the Plains. …