NGPC News

The November firearm deer season is quickly approaching, and hunters are reminded to follow the four primary rules of firearm safety: Treat every firearm as if it is loaded; Always point the muzzle of your firearm in a safe direction; Be sure of your target, what is in front of it, and what is beyond it; and Keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until you are ready to fire. Hunters that follow these four rules greatly reduce the …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska American Legion recently donated $16,055 to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for the purchase of an all-terrain wheelchair for state park visitors. Game and Parks currently has two of the tracked wheelchairs at Ponca State Park. The chairs provide people the freedom of mobility to hunt, fish, view nature and enjoy the outdoors in all types of terrain. “This track chair is going to give disabled veterans the kind of mobility and independence they need …

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offices will be open to serve deer hunters seeking permits on two days otherwise closed in November. Offices in Lincoln, Omaha, Norfolk, North Platte, Alliance, Kearney and Bassett will be open for permit sales from 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 5, the Saturday of the Special Landowner Deer Season. The same offices will be open for permit sales from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day. All Game and Parks offices will …

Landowners interested in the Special Landowner Deer Season, now in its second year, should be aware of three changes beginning in 2022. This season gives a qualifying landowner a three-day season on his or her property preceding the regular firearm deer season. The $8 Special Landowner Deer Permit is valid only for the three-day season: Nov. 5-7, 2022. It is not valid for the November firearm season and it is not valid as a Limited Landowner Permit. The changes for …

Olive Creek State Recreation Area and Olive Creek Wildlife Management Area in southwestern Lancaster County will remain open after a wildfire burned through both areas Oct. 23. Visitors should proceed with caution and be on the lookout for hazardous trees and potential hot spots in the burned areas. The boat ramp and campgrounds were not damaged in the fire. Users should be mindful of boundaries, however, as border fences and signs have not yet been replaced. Download the state recreation …

The Yankee Hill Wildlife Management Area boat ramp access road will be closed starting Wednesday, Oct. 26, until further notice so work on the boat ramp may begin. The ramp has suffered significant erosion caused by water and wave action that must be addressed before further damage occurs. Repair work is expected to take one to two weeks depending on weather conditions. All other access points to the wildlife management area just southwest of Lincoln are open. For more information, …

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved a five-year plan to recruit, retain and reactivate outdoor enthusiasts at its Oct. 21 meeting in Broken Bow. This 2023-2027 Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation Plan provides goals, objectives and strategies to help Game and Parks engage outdoor participants in outdoor opportunities. The plan is focused on boating, fishing, hunting, parks, and shooting sports, as well as on maintaining widespread support for conservation and recreation. At the meeting in the Broken Bow Public Library, …

Kissinger Wildlife Management Area is temporarily closed effective immediately due to the presence of two endangered whooping cranes. The area will remain closed until further notice by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Kissinger WMA is about 1 mile north of Fairfield in Clay County. The closure is a standard procedure for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission once whooping cranes are confirmed on a property owned or managed by the agency. The property will be monitored for activity. “We …

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission educators have scheduled interesting and engaging events for the curious in November. Here are some opportunities: Little Saplings early childhood program presents Look at Leaves Adults looking to explore the outdoors with their young children are invited to Little Saplings, a monthly early childhood nature discovery program at Schramm Education Center near Gretna. The series, which continues Nov. 2 with the theme Look at Leaves, is at 9 a.m. the first Wednesday of each month, …

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has been awarded a competitive grant to work with conservation organizations and private landowners to conserve wetlands on two parcels of land in south-central Nebraska. Conservation efforts will benefit the endangered whooping crane and the threatened eastern black rail, as well as common bird and wetland species. The two properties will remain privately owned and will remain in agricultural production, as nonprofit organizations work with the landowners to conserve habitat. The Nebraska Crane Trust …