LINCOLN, Neb. – Join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in December for a virtual discussion on big game management via Zoom. Staff will talk about big game harvest results and season structure and will take questions on several topics, including big game management, depredation, permits, antlerless harvest, trophy management and diseases, among others. Zoom is a free app that can be downloaded to a web browser or mobile device. Participants are encouraged to submit questions during the presentation using …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Preliminary Nebraska deer check-in numbers indicate statewide harvest is down 3 percent compared to 2019 for the November firearm season. During the nine-day season, 42,024 deer were harvested, compared to 43,418 in 2019. While the statewide trend was comparable to previous years, regions of the state varied. Deer harvest in southeast Nebraska was up 7% from 2019, while southwest Nebraska was down 10%. The northwest and northeast districts were down slightly at 2% to 3% each. Mule …

LINCOLN, Neb. – A 46-year-old Trenton man was hospitalized with injuries following a boating accident Nov. 19 on Swanson Reservoir in Hitchcock County. Sometime in the afternoon, the victim, the sole occupant other than a dog, apparently was ejected from his boat. The running boat began circling. Another boater rescued the man from the water and took him to the boat ramp to be treated by emergency personnel. The victim, who sustained injuries from the propeller, was flown by helicopter …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has confirmed a mountain lion was observed on video crossing a yard on the west side of Scottsbluff in the early morning on Nov. 19. The video was taken from a doorbell camera. Mountain lions that are found within city limits will be euthanized if it can safely be done, in accordance with the Commission’s Mountain Lion Response Plan. If people in the community observe a mountain lion they should immediately …

By Renae Blum Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Looking at the numbers, and seeing the state of his pastures, Jim Jenkins knew it was time for a change. The Callaway rancher turned to prescribed fire after his efforts to remove eastern redcedar trees from his land mechanically proved too costly and ineffective at stopping the spread. However, using prescribed fire on a larger scale was unfamiliar. “It was complex and I was a bit scared of it, because I’d just …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will release rooster pheasants on 16 wildlife management areas prior to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The 16 areas are: Powder Creek, (Dixon County), Oak Valley (Madison County), Wilkinson (Platte County), George Syas (Nance County), Sherman Reservoir (Sherman County), Pressey (Custer County), Cornhusker (Hall County), Kirkpatrick Basin North (York County), Peru Bottoms (Nemaha County), Randall W. Schilling (Cass), Branched Oak (Lancaster County), Yankee Hill (Lancaster County), Arrowhead (Gage County), Hickory Ridge (Johnson …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Payne Ahrens used his job as a farm hand to his advantage before last month’s upland bird season opener. While harvesting corn for his employer, the Superior man also was scouting for his hunt. This paid off as he found the ground and, on opening morning Oct. 31, the birds. As a result, he became the first hunter to complete 2020 Nebraska Upland Slam. The challenge of the Upland Slam, a partnership among the Nebraska Game and …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is seeking input on potential changes to duck and goose season dates for the 2021-2022 hunting seasons. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved changes to duck zone and goose unit boundaries this fall, and Game and Parks is allowing hunters an opportunity to provide input regarding their preferences related to season dates within the approved units and zones. Waterfowl hunters who had provided an email address when they completed their …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has temporarily closed its Lincoln headquarters to walk-up customer service in an effort to protect its staff and the public from a potential COVID-19 spread. The public still can obtain customer service by calling 402-471-0641 and permits can be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.org. The closure is expected to last until Nov. 16, with a possible extension. No other Game and Parks offices are affected by the closure.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Freddie Leibhart’s mom introduced him to fishing when he was young. Now, the Columbus man is doing the same for his children. Better yet, he now can take them fishing in the new boat he won as the grand prize in the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Take ’em Fishing challenge. “I know she’s really going to like hearing that she passed the love of fishing on to me, and I’m doing the same with my kids,” …