NGPC News

LINCOLN, Neb. – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) events and important dates in April. Get more event details at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and boating safety classes. April 1 – Youth Fishing Instructor Certification Class, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln April 1-2 – Platte River Art Show, Eugene T. Mahoney State Park (SP), Ashland April 1-9 – Sandhill crane migration viewing, Fort Kearny State …

LINCOLN, Neb. – With nearly 450 lakes and streams open to public fishing, deciding where to fish in Nebraska can sometimes be challenging. Daryl Bauer, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission fisheries outreach program manager, has provided some useful tips for anglers on the agency’s website. A page on Game and Parks’ website lists the best waters to fish for specific species in 2017. It includes walleye, white bass, wiper, bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish, redear sunfish, smallmouth bass, blue …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is hoping to raise awareness for the state’s reptile species by encouraging all citizens to vote for a state reptile. Nebraska’s state symbols include western meadowlark, white-tailed deer, goldenrod, honeybee and cottonwood. The state lacks a designated state reptile, however. Nebraska is home to 48 species of reptiles, including snakes, turtles and lizards. That list has been narrowed to six species: ornate box turtle, common snapping turtle, bullsnake, western hognose snake, …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska’s 2016 fall turkey hunters are encouraged to share their experiences with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission via a survey. Hunters who provided an email address at the time they purchased a permit will soon receive an email invitation to participate in the survey. Those who did not provide an email address can take the survey at Game and Parks’ website. The survey will ask hunters about their turkey harvest, as well as about their hunting …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved 2017-18 waterfowl season dates during a March 17 meeting in Grand Island. The Commission adopted waterfowl season orders that include opening the early teal season on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend – a week earlier than staff had proposed and the same as the 2016 teal season – as well as discontinuing the Public Nuisance and Health Hazard Order for crows in Buffalo, Dawson, Franklin, Harlan, Kearney, Lincoln and …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The indoor ranges (firearm and archery) at the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln will be closed to the public on March 25, as staff will be at the state National Archery in the Schools tournament. The outdoor archery range will be open from sunrise to sunset, as usual. In addition, the center’s indoor archery range will be closed to public on March 18 until 4 p.m. for a tournament. The firearm range and …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will conduct prescribed burns at several state-owned areas to improve grassland and promote wildlife habitat. Prescribed burning stimulates the growth of desirable grasses and forbs and suppresses invasive tree and brush species. Removing residual grass and trees, especially cedars, also will reduce the fire hazard on these areas. Burns are scheduled, as weather conditions permit, for the following areas, listed by county. All areas are wildlife management areas, unless otherwise noted: …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Early spring is a great time to fish for northern pike, and Nebraska offers several great places to do so, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Northern pike are best suited for colder environments; they are one of the first species to spawn in the spring. Spawning is currently underway, which means pike are coming up into the shallows to spawn on rooted vegetation. During and immediately after spawning, pike can be easily caught by …

LINCOLN, Neb. – White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that affects hibernating bats, has been confirmed in Nebraska. The disease was confirmed after several dozen dead bats were discovered during a recent survey of a mine in Cass County. The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, confirmed the disease in three bats from the mine – a little brown bat, a northern long-eared bat and a tri-colored bat. Nebraska is the 30th state to confirm the …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The entire population of whooping cranes in the Central Flyway is expected to migrate through Nebraska over the next several weeks. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission encourages the public to report whooping crane sightings. Information on crane sightings is used to affect whooping crane conservation and recovery efforts positively. Report any sightings to Game and Parks (402-471-0641), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (308-379-5562), or The Crane Trust’s Whooper Watch hotline (1-888-399-2824). Emails may be submitted to …