LINCOLN, Neb. — With spring fishing ramping up and summer approaching, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is reminding water lovers to be mindful of the state’s education requirements for boating. Nebraska law requires any motorboat operator, including drivers of personal watercraft such as Jet Skis, born after Dec. 31, 1985, to complete one of the two types of boating safety courses and be in possession of a course certificate. Operators must be at least 14 years old to drive …

GERING, Neb. – The newly expanded and renovated Wildcat Hills Nature Center at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area is set to kick off its annual series of Wildcat Weekends events this weekend. The first event, which will pay tribute to Nebraska’s sesquicentennial, will be Saturday, April 8, at 9 a.m. Titled “Happy Birthday, Nebraska,” the event will feature a variety of activities, information and snacks to honor 150 years of statehood. “We can’t wait to offer these programs in our …

ALLIANCE, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has opened the access road to Blue Lake in the Sandhills of Garden County. The 2.7-mile two-track trail through private property was closed late this winter because it became muddy and susceptible to damage during thawing. Blue Lake is a popular fishing destination 22 miles north of Oshkosh near the Crescent Lake Wildlife Management Area and Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Because access to the lake is allowed only through a …

CHADRON, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission got up-close and personal with 20 bighorn sheep ewes this week in an effort to track their future offspring. The goal is to get a handle on the species’ population struggles in the Pine Ridge area of northwestern Nebraska. With the help of a helicopter wildlife capturing crew and others, Commission staff on Tuesday through Thursday, Feb. 14-16, equipped 20 pregnant female sheep with a device to immediately detect when lambs …

ALLIANCE, Neb. — Warmer temperatures have caused muddy road conditions and consequently the closure of the two-track pasture trails leading to two Sandhills lakes, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. They are Blue Lake in Garden County and Hudson Lake in Cherry County. The closure likely marks the season’s end at Hudson Lake, a 160-acre private body of water 27 miles southeast of Valentine near Big Alkali Lake Wildlife Management Area. It is open to the public only …

As I wrote a while back, I have roots in a region long considered one of the nation’s premier pheasant-hunting destinations – southwestern Nebraska. Not only did my first hunting experiences involve pursuits of Rowdy Rooster, one of my first jobs was a part-time position at a McCook motel where I witnessed the influence the pheasant season can have on a local economy. Each November, it seemed every bird hunter and his dog from outside the area converged on that …

ALLIANCE — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has made a slight change regarding an upcoming meeting for landowners in the northern Panhandle to discuss their roles and opportunities for pheasant management. The public meeting, which is Monday, Jan. 23, at Newberry’s in Alliance, has been moved up to 6:30 p.m., and dinner will be served. Those planning to attend may ensure they receive dinner by contacting the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Northwest District regional office at 308-763-2940 or …

ALLIANCE — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is inviting landowners in the northern Panhandle to discuss their roles and opportunities for pheasant management. The public meeting will be 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, at Newberry’s, 104 West Fourth Street, in Alliance. The Commission will share information about the Berggren Plan, a five-year initiative aimed at improving the pheasant hunting experience in Nebraska. Attendees also will learn about a variety of conservation programs and incentives available to landowners within the …

GERING — The Wildcat Hills Shooting Sports Complex at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area is seeking enrollees for its first series of classes which consist of six sessions about muzzleloaders and archery. Both topics have a course set for each of the coming months – February, March and April. The courses are offered in three two-hour sessions over consecutive weeks. Cat Vinton, the facility’s superintendent, expects the courses to be popular. With advancements in equipment, long seasons and distinctive challenges, …

GERING – The New Year brings a move to new offices for staff of the Wildcat Hills Nature Center at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area. Staff members began operating from their newly renovated offices after returning from the New Year’s holiday, bringing business operations such as selling hunting, fishing and park entry permits back to that location. Gary Shoemaker, park superintendent, said the building’s exhibits and the other public spaces of the facility won’t be ready for a few months, …