CRAWFORD, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is moving forward with a comprehensive plan to improve the fishing at most of the 11 ponds in Fort Robinson State Park. Joe Rydell of Alliance, Commission fisheries biologist, said the ponds provide angling opportunities to countless park visitors each year but are in need of an upgrade and have untapped potential. Fed by coldwater streams and springs, many of the ponds in the 22,000-acre park served the Crawford National Fish …

ALLIANCE, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has its first official Trout Slam angler. Justin Powell of Alliance was the first to meet the requirements of the new program, in which successful entries catch one of each purebred species of trout found in Nebraska – rainbows, browns, cutthroats and brooks. Although Powell has caught all four species in one day in the past, it took him two this time. He caught the fish in the Pine Ridge and …

GERING, Neb. — Participants of a program at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center will express their appreciation for wildlife through the art of watercolor painting. “Wildlife and Watercolors,” the next installment of the center’s Wildcat Weekend series of events, will be Saturday, March 10, at 10 a.m. Amanda Filipi, outdoor education specialist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, said the event is designed for all ages and is especially ideal for anyone looking to start a new hobby. She …

CHADRON, Neb. – More than 50 bighorn sheep are carrying new equipment to help the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission track and aid their populations, some of which are struggling in areas of the state. A crew of about 50 people, consisting of Commission staff and volunteers, equipped the sheep with monitoring devices after a helicopter capture crew caught them at five locations in the Panhandle this weekend. The crew set up its mobile staging station at four locations along …

The calendar tells me that today is World Wetlands Day so it seems appropriate to thank those who work to conserve the lands that waterfowl and so many other species depend upon for survival. Throughout the world, conservation-minded volunteers devote time and resources toward the preservation of wildlife and the lands they inhabit. Many of them channel their energy through conservation organizations, of which the recognized leader for wetlands is Ducks Unlimited. One such person is Larry Olson of Crawford, …

CHADRON, Neb. – Nebraska’s deer seasons wrapped up in mid-January and preliminary numbers show the harvest was up in the Panhandle. Through all seasons, hunters checked in 8,072 deer in the region compared to 7,815 the previous year — a 3.3 percent increase.  The Panhandle’s overall number of harvested deer consists of 4,717 mule deer and 3,355 whitetails. Three of the four westernmost units in the state – Pine Ridge, Plains and Sandhills — reported more deer harvested this fall …

GERING, Neb. – The groundhog may or may not see its shadow, but the forecast says there is a highly favorable chance for people to learn about another burrowing animal next month. Badger Day will be Saturday, Feb. 3, at 10 a.m. at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center south of Gering. Amanda Filipi, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission outdoor education specialist, said that Badger Day was inspired by Groundhog Day – which was actually inspired by Badger Day. To Germans, …

VALENTINE, Neb. – The Nebraska National Forest has opened a road in Cherry County to motor vehicles, improving access to an area of Chat Canyon Wildlife Management Areathat lies south of the Niobrara River. The road is an existing two-track trail through the Samuel L. McKelvie Forest south of Chat Canyon WMA that was previously open to the public for only non-motorized use. It is one-half mile long, providing a link from Forest Service Road 603 to a quarter-mile easement over private …

Concealed beneath a grass blind as the sun rises. Camping beneath a star-filled sky on a rocky ridge. Trekking with snowshoes into a forest blanketed by white. Soaring above the buttes while riding shotgun in a Cessna. Stirring up dust with a four-wheel drive on winding backroads. Those are just some of the many ways I witnessed beauty of the western Nebraska with camera in hand during 2017. A look back at the nature images I post to Facebook, Instagram …

CRAWFORD, Neb. – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission employees in northwestern Nebraska will begin burning slash piles from forest management projects at public properties near Crawford, Whitney, Chadron and Hay Springs in coming weeks. The piles are located at five Wildlife Management Areas — Metcalf, Chadron Creek Ranch, Ponderosa, Whitney Inlet and Peterson. Slash burning helps maintain healthy forests and prevent wildfires by safely removing potential fuel sources such as downed trees, thick vegetation, pine needles and leaves. This week’s …