Hunting

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters will have opportunities to sight-in their equipment before taking to the field this fall, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The following is a list of sites, by region, offering this opportunity. Visit outdoornebraska.gov/sight-in to view dates and time available to sight-in rifles at these areas: South-central – Fort Kearny Shooting Sports Association, Kearney; Heartland Public Shooting Park, Grand Island Southeast – Oak Creek Sporting Club, Brainard; Eastern Nebraska Gun Club, Louisville; Weeping Water …

LINCOLN, Neb. – With prairie grouse season in full swing, many upland hunters have accepted the Nebraska Upland Slam challenge, harvesting sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie-chickens on both public and private lands throughout the state. “The Upland Slam is meant to bring awareness to the excellent mixed bag opportunities we have in our state,” said John Laux, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s upland habitat and access program manager. The Nebraska Upland Slam concept is simple: Hunters must harvest a …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Youth ages 15 and younger are encouraged to participate in special youth pheasant hunts during the Oct. 20-21 statewide youth pheasant, quail and partridge season. Rooster pheasants will be released at 13 wildlife management areas before the special youth hunt season. The special hunts are open to the public, and the number of participants is not limited. No registration or special permit is required. Special regulations posted at each of the 13 WMAs will apply to all …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reminds hunters that the Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) program has participating meat processors located across the state. The newest addition to the list of participating processors is JM Pack in Bayard. JM Pack is the new operator of the locker that participated at that location in previous years. Other participating processors are: Amherst – Belschner Custom Meats; Blair – Blair Meat Market (starting Nov. 10); Cozad – Busy Bones Butcher …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Donations of deer to the Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) program are expected to rise dramatically this fall. On the other hand, cash donations to fund the program have plummeted. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is seeking cash donations to HHH so it can continue to feed Nebraskans in need. Each dollar donated provides two meals of ground venison. “If each person buying a deer permit donated just $1 each year, we’d have funds to pay …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is offering special antlerless deer hunting opportunities within Eugene T. Mahoney and Platte River state parks (SP), as well as Schramm Park State Recreation Area (SRA). Successful applicants will be issued a special access permit that allows them to hunt antlerless deer in designated areas of a park on certain dates, using specific equipment. Successful applicants and interested alternates must attend an orientation session in order to receive the access permit. …

Preparation exceeds decoy set-ups and camouflage when filming your own hunts By Jake Jadlowski As a high school teacher, I routinely see all things bad about social media. There may be no quicker way to waste one’s time. But as an outdoorsman, social media provides a platform to keep track of what hunters and fishermen are doing all across the country. Hunting and fishing photos and videos dominate my Facebook and Instagram feeds and I’m probably guilty of spending just …

Story and photos by Ryan Sparks The first cool days of autumn bring a nagging urge to be outdoors – a primal upwelling to hear the crunch of leaves underfoot, stare up at migrating flocks and breathe the sweet smell of harvest. Every fall I look forward to days spent hunting deer and quail, Cornhusker football games, trips to the pumpkin patch and rich meals of wild game. Like many Nebraskans who also love wild game, I often look for …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters have until Sept. 28 to apply for a 2019 mountain lion permit. Up to 640 permits will be issued via lottery by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, which has received 435 applications as of Sept. 23. Hunting will be allowed only in the Pine Ridge Unit of northwestern Nebraska, which has an established population that can sustain a harvest. Hunters may apply for a permit in either of two subunits: the South Subunit (south of …

Process allows researchers to monitor changes in survival, abundance and movement over time. By Tim Lyons and Mark Vrtiska Canada geese are perhaps one of the most easily recognized birds in Nebraska. From record lows in the 1960s, the goose population in Nebraska has rebounded, and geese are now common throughout the state. This growth has allowed increased recreational opportunities for hunters and wildlife-watchers, but also created problems in urban areas. Effectively managing the goose population, whether to sustain recreational …