NGPC News

LINCOLN – The outdoor archery range at the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln will be closed to the public from sunrise to sunset on April 23. The closure is due to a tournament. The education center is located at 4703 N. 44th St. Aside from special closures, the outdoor archery range is open every day and the indoor ranges are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from …

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has confirmed that the bighorn sheep ram harvested by Lincoln hunter Terry Bogle in December 2015 is a new state record. The final net score for the ram’s horns is 190 5/8 on the Boone and Crockett Club scale – just over the 189 it measured prior to a mandatory drying period. The previous record of 185 7/8 was set in 1998, the first year of the Commission’s bighorn hunt. The ram, one of …

LINCOLN – Turkey hunting is challenging and fun, and a great way to spend a spring day with family or friends. Spring turkey season opens for shotgunners on April 16 in Nebraska. Wendy Horine, hunter education coordinator with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, has the following tips for making a turkey hunt safe and successful. — Always practice muzzle control. Know where the muzzle of your gun is pointed and never aim at anything you don’t intend to shoot. …

LINCOLN – Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation on April 6 declaring that Nebraska is the Best Turkey Hunting Destination in the United States. The governor signed the proclamation in a ceremony at the Nebraska Capitol and presented it to Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Director Jim Douglas and District 3 Commissioner Mick Jensen of Blair (northeastern Nebraska). In a recent survey, 90 percent of respondent Nebraska turkey hunters stated they had a satisfying experience. Several factors contribute to hunters’ …

LINCOLN – Wilkinson Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Platte County has reopened to the public following a temporary closure in place to protect whooping cranes using the area. Three whooping cranes present at the WMA since March 25 left the area and continued their migration north on April 5. Whooping cranes are an endangered species and their wild population totals only about 300 individuals. The entire population migrates through Nebraska each spring and fall between wintering sites along the Texas …

LINCOLN – Goose Lake Wildlife Management Area, located southeast of Chambers in southern Holt County, is closed to public access until further notice. The closure by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is necessary because of an infestation of the invasive aquatic plant Eurasian watermilfoil. Eurasian watermilfoil can spread rapidly because a single fragment of stem or leaf can take root and form a new colony, and plants can grow up to 2 inches per day. Once established, the plant …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will certify youth fishing instructors April 24 in Gering. The free workshop will be held at Platte Valley Bank, 1850 10th St., from 2-5 p.m. Youth fishing instructors will receive training and tools to conduct fishing clinics. These volunteers will have access to Nebraska Game and Parks’ loaner fishing equipment and educational materials for events, as well as receive program incentives. They also are encouraged to volunteer for such Nebraska Game and …

LINCOLN – Another summer of family fishing fun is scheduled with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s series of Family Fishing Events. Family Fishing Events provide opportunities for people of all ages who have never fished or have not fished in years to learn and enjoy the activity. Rods and reels, as well as bait and fishing instruction, will be available for free. Look for the Family Fishing Trailer at each site. Appropriate fishing and park permits are required. The …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will accept applications for a 2016 bighorn sheep lottery permit beginning April 18. Only Nebraska residents are eligible. The application period ends Aug. 5, and the permit, the only one authorized for 2016, will be drawn Aug. 18. Applications must be accompanied by a $25 nonrefundable application fee. Apply at a Nebraska Game and Parks office or at OutdoorNebraska.org. The 2016 bighorn sheep season is Nov. 29 – Dec. 22.

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will collect spawning walleyes from Sherman Reservoir, Merritt Reservoir and Lake McConaughy in April. The collection goal to meet 2016 walleye stocking requests is approximately 78 million eggs. As of April 1, a designated area along the dam at Sherman is closed to bank anglers and boats following sunset. The collection at Sherman will begin the night of April 4. Anglers and boaters are asked to avoid Nebraska Game and Parks boats …