Conservation

Help document rare butterflies across Nebraska by getting trained to monitor for regal fritillaries and monarchs at one of three upcoming events. Trainings for the community science effort are: May 21: 1-5 p.m. at Schramm Park State Recreation Area, 21502 W. Highway 31, Gretna May 26: 1-5 p.m. via Zoom June 4: 1-5 p.m. at Homestead National Historical Park, 8523 NE-4, Beatrice Register to attend one of the trainings through their event listings at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Only one training session is required …

There is no doubt that Nebraska’s muskie fisheries have garnered more attention from anglers in recent years.  They should, we have some excellent opportunities to catch this greatest North American sport fish trophy. In addition, northern pike continue to be a popular target among many Nebraska anglers.  Pike also are top-of-the-food-chain, apex predators that can be large fish and a prized catch. I hope anglers fishing any Nebraska waters where the big toothy predators are present will treat those fish …

The timing is right, this is happening now: Goose Lake Wildlife Management Area temporarily closure; lake to be chemically renovated May 3 Goose Lake in Holt County is scheduled to be chemically renovated, weather depending, May 3 to remove the existing fish population. It will be closed to the public that day. The rotenone treatment is aimed to eliminate common carp, an undesirable species detrimental to aquatic habitat and water quality. Because rotenone is a restricted-use pesticide, the area will …

Every year about this time I get the feeling that everything is happening way too fast!  I look for ways to slow down the clock, the calendar, and make spring last as long as possible.  For a couple of years during the stupid pandemic, it was a slower pace because of this restriction or that closure.  This year it has been back to full bore!  Love it! I really do not have a long blog post today, nor a lot …

Here are some news items that I want to spread around: Work at Summit, Wagon Train affecting angler, boater access Aquatic Habitat improvement projects are underway at Summit Lake and Wagon Train Lake in eastern Nebraska that affect angler and boater access. Summit Lake’s water level is 8 feet below normal. Removal of sediment from the lake’s south basin is almost complete; construction will move to the west sediment basin. The Summit project is nearly 50% complete, but boaters can …

By Allison Barg, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Graduate Assistant “I put pheasant habitat on my property. Why don’t I have any pheasants?” University of Nebraska-Lincoln biologists are trying to answer this question. Many Nebraska landowners and wildlife managers have noticed that in parts of the state where there are swaths of land covered in what looks to be ideal pheasant habitat, there are no pheasants. It turns out that the “if you build it, they will come” approach doesn’t always …

Billy Chromy is a big picture kind of guy when it comes to wildlife habitat. That likely comes from his background, which includes growing up on his family’s farm in the hills near Linwood, and working as a conservation technician, game warden and park ranger before returning home, where he now farms with his father and is also a contractor who helps landowners implement conservation practices on their land. An avid hunter, Chromy has been managing the woodlands, pasture and …

I have been making the circuit of radio shows this week.  For some reason, this old Stooges’ line runs through my head: Talked spring crappie fishing and of course spring turkeys with Hershey and Rawlinson last night.  If you wish, you can catch the podcast, KFOR, Nebraska Outdoors. Tomorrow morning, 9:00 central time, I will be on The Great Outdoor Radio Show on Boomer Radio with my buddy Greg Wagner.  You can listen live there, or catch the podcast after …

Spring is coming along darned slow this year.  As a result, there are a lot of anxious crappie anglers still waiting for nice weather and a good crappie bite.  Eventually it will come.  It may come in “fits and starts”, or maybe our weather will finally shift and it will be “on”. Regardless, I know the spring crappie bite is on a lot of angler’s minds right now.  Our communications staff here at the Game & Parks thought it was …

Our Take ‘Em Fishing challenge is back for another year! Win adventure in 2022 Take ’em Fishing challenge Take ’em Fishing is all about sharing the experience of the sport. It’s about the excitement of feeling the tug of the line in your fingers for the first time. About the sound of someone’s first catch — big or small. It’s about the memories made. And the adventures to come. Participants in the 2022 Nebraska Game and Parks fishing challenge will …