NGPC News

LINCOLN, Neb. – The PATH program mentored youth hunting sites at Lake Wanahoo now may be reserved. Lake Wanahoo, in Saunders County, has seven separate units totaling 1,067 acres available for mentored youth hunting. To locate and reserve a site, and obtain a permission slip, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/PATH/ using the Internet Explorer browser. A mentor must possess a permission slip at all times of the youth hunt. Mentors may enroll for PATH up to five times annually. PATH (Passing Along the …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The state has issued new health alerts for harmful algal blooms, also known as toxic blue-green algae, at Rockford Lake in Gage County and Wagon Train Lake in Lancaster County. An alert continues at Willow Creek Reservoir in Pierce County. The alert has ended at Harlan County Reservoir in Harlan County. Samples taken earlier this week at the three lakes were above the state’s health alert threshold of 20 parts per billion (ppb) of total microcystin (a …

LINCOLN, Neb. – There is still time to apply to become a Nebraska conservation officer. The application deadline is Aug. 26. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is seeking to add new conservation officers. Conservation officers have the important job of protecting our natural resources and helping keep the people who use our state parks and other public lands safe through the enforcement of fish, wildlife, boating, and park laws. As state peace officers, conservation officers also enforce other criminal …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters may enter a lottery to gain deer hunting access to Platte River Recreation Access (PRRA) lands in the central Platte River Valley, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Forty-seven hunters will be chosen from a random drawing in early September and allowed to hunt deer on designated PRRA lands Nov. 16-24, 2019. Applications, limited to one per person, will be accepted by mail or in person at the Game and Parks service center in …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Mid-to-late-summer provides some of the best opportunities to catch white bass and wipers in Nebraska. During that time, white bass and wipers chase baitfish towards the surface, usually early and late in the day. Anglers can look for boils on the surface, baitfish jumping out of the water, and frenzied gull activity above the surface. Anglers will want to ease carefully into casting range without running over the fish and scaring them away. A variety of artificial …

GERING, Neb. – Attendees of a program at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area will observe and learn about the night sky. The program gets underway at the Wildcat Hills Nature Center at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. The presenter is Tom Robinson, a Western Nebraska Community College instructor who teaches astronomy. Robinson said attendees will meet at the nature center for an introductory video provided by Hyde Memorial Observatory of Lincoln, then move to the east end of the park …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Waterfowl hunters are invited to attend a class on hypothermia safety on Aug. 4 at Niobrara State Park. The class covers basic facts of hypothermia, different scenarios hunters might encounter, and how to respond. Then participants will head to the park swimming pool to practice water safety in a controlled environment. Niobrara State Park superintendent Mark Rettig developed the class in response to the numerous hypothermia-related rescues of hunters he sees. “When the water’s cold, it doesn’t …

LINCOLN, Neb. – A health alert is in effect for Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County and the southeast beach at Harlan County Reservoir in Harlan County. The health alert was put in place after high levels of blue-green algae were detected at the lakes during testing by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. It is recommended that visitors to Willow Creek Lake and Harlan County Reservoir avoid full body contact activities such as swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing. …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Several state recreation areas in the central portion of Nebraska have reopened to the public after closure due to flooding. Union Pacific, Johnson Lake and Gallagher Canyon state recreation areas are all fully open to public use. In addition, Medicine Creek SRA has reopened to public use, with the exception of four campsites in the Shady Bay Campground. Sandy Channel SRA is also partially open. The northern half of the park is open to day use only, …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Fort Atkinson State Historical Park will celebrate its bicentennial with a special living history event Aug. 3-4. The event, which will emphasize the relationship between Native Americans and Fort Atkinson’s military, includes special speakers and a traveling Smithsonian exhibit. The exhibit, “Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our Nation’s Armed Forces,” tells the story of the American Indian and Alaska Native men and women who served in the United States military. Native peoples have participated in every major …