CHADRON — The reward for information leading to the prosecution of the person or people responsible for illegally killing a mature bull elk and leaving it to waste in northwestern Nebraska has been doubled. The Panhandle Conservation Club of Scottsbluff has pledged $1,000 to match the $1,000 being offered by the Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers program. Doyal Lund, president of the eight-member club, said the group donated the money because of its mission to support the region’s conservation officers and natural …

CHADRON — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is seeking information about the unlawful shooting and wanton waste of big game animals in northwestern Nebraska, consisting of a bull elk, a pronghorn and two mule deer. The large bull elk was found in a wheat field along Squaw Mound Road southeast of Crawford, believed to have been killed the night of Saturday, Nov. 12. The pronghorn and two mule deer, all does, were recently found dead near Hemingford. Rewards are …

The alarm rang late and the automatic setting on the coffee pot malfunctioned. Once the coffee was finally brewed, a good portion of it spilled across the counter – this time because of user error. With such a rough beginning, my hopes for my morning afield for photography weren’t high. I still had aspirations to salvage the effort and make the drive to the Oglala National Grassland before sunrise, however. As I rushed out the door, a quick look at …

Readers who received the November issue of NEBRASKAland may have seen “The Hull Story,” my article about eco-friendly components in shotgun shells. The story was inspired by a February visit to a public hunting area dotted with a considerable number of wads and hulls. As an update, above is a photo of one of the Bio-Wads that Kent Cartridge sent to me. As you can see, its fiber composition is looking pretty rough after soaking in a bowl of water …

CHADRON — A free workshop will help participants gain knowledge to harvest deer. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Learn-to-Hunt Deer Workshop will be at Chadron State College’s Burkhiser Complex on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Justin Powell of Alliance and Rick Arnold of Chadron, both avid deer hunters who are wildlife biologists for the Commission, will discuss a wide range of topics to help participants be successful, including strategies, proper gear and deer behavior. Tactics for both firearms …

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is seeking information about two cases involving the unlawful killing of big game animals in western and north-central Nebraska. One case involves the death of four buck pronghorns. The remains of the animals, minus three of the heads and some of the meat, were found Oct. 17 on private land south of Kimball. The other case involves the death of a cow elk believed to be shot either Oct. 14 or Oct. …

CHADRON — Boy Scouts are inviting the public to help plant 3,000 trees at Chadron State Park on Saturday, Oct. 8. Volunteers for the project are encouraged to arrive at the park’s campground at 7:30 a.m. for instructions. The planting is expected to wrap up by 2 p.m. and will conclude with a meal. For more information, contact Jim Schmitt of the Boy Scouts at 308-249-1195 or the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District at 308-432-6190.

CHADRON — The public is invited to join Chadron State Park’s first Bioblitz, a 24-hour program Friday and Saturday, Sept. 30-Oct. 1. The park’s group event facility will serve as headquarters for the more than dozen surveys and activities, which are scheduled to take place at locations throughout the park. The free event will allow participants both young and old to discover and celebrate western Nebraska wildlife. A bioblitz is an event where members of the public become “citizen scientists” …

Each September, I get a subtle first-hand reminder of the influence of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s communications efforts. About 15 or 20 years ago, a how-to story inspired me to construct dove decoys out of plywood, metal hooks and a little paint. I’m not sure who wrote or delivered the narrative, but I’m certain it came from the Commission – NEBRASKAland Magazine or something else. Nobody is going to mistake my work for a Michelangelo or Rembrandt, but …

GERING — The newly constructed shooting complex at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area will open Labor Day weekend. The new facility along Nebraska Highway 71 south of Gering will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.  A grand opening will be scheduled at a later date with the dedication of the Wildcat Hills Nature Center, which is being renovated. “We’re looking forward to showing this new complex off to the public and begin serving the region in …