Flora & Fauna

LINCOLN, Neb. – Enjoy the wonders of the spring bird migration from scenic Ponca State Park (SP) during Marsh Madness on March 3, 10 and 17. The park’s location adjacent to the Missouri River presents a significant flyway that serves as the feeding, breeding and staging ground for migratory birds. Ponca SP is listed as an “Important Bird Area” by the National Audubon Society, with nearly 300 bird species sighted and more than 70 of those breeding in the area. …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Learn all aspects of spring turkey hunting at free workshops hosted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission across the state. The workshops are designed for individuals with limited experience who want to expand their knowledge of turkey hunting. Topics will include strategies, equipment, turkey biology and ways to increase a hunter’s confidence and success. With lots of birds, a long season and plentiful and affordable permits – including $8 permits for youth – Nebraska offers the …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) events and important dates in March. Get more event details at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and boating safety classes. March 1-14 – Archery paddlefish permit application period March 3 – Volunteer Youth Fishing Instructor Training, St. Mary’s Parish Center, Bellevue March 3 – Citizen Science Workshop, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, Omaha March 3, 10, 17 – Marsh Madness, …

They are not “sky carp,” “lutefisk with feathers,” “an over-cooked catcher’s mitt,” or trash birds.  Your blogger displays snow geese harvested during a recent Light Goose Conservation Order hunt in south-central Nebraska. Photo by Ty Stromquist of Norfolk, NE. They are classified as light geese — snow and Ross’s geese to be exact, and they are to be respected and revered like any other natural resource! In fact, they are a worthy adversary of hunters and actually great to eat! Snow and Ross’s geese, …

CHADRON, Neb. – More than 50 bighorn sheep are carrying new equipment to help the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission track and aid their populations, some of which are struggling in areas of the state. A crew of about 50 people, consisting of Commission staff and volunteers, equipped the sheep with monitoring devices after a helicopter capture crew caught them at five locations in the Panhandle this weekend. The crew set up its mobile staging station at four locations along …

Who says there isn’t anything to do in the off-season? Of course you can work on tree-stands, buy some gear and explore new ground.  What about placing some trail cameras out to see what you can catch on film or video while you’re sitting in the office? Trail cameras can be a prized possession and useful tool for hunters. They keep track of deer, turkey and other critters that roam your hunting grounds throughout the seasons. I found a few …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer has been detected for the first time in the southwestern Nebraska counties of Chase, Dundy, Hayes, Frontier and Franklin, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The Commission conducted a CWD sampling operation in its Northwest and Southwest District deer check stations during the 2017 November firearm deer season. There were 203 positives from 1,807 deer sampled primarily in the Frenchman, Platte, Republican, Pine Ridge, Upper Platte …

LINCOLN, Neb. – In 2017, a record 209 active bald eagle nests were estimated in Nebraska by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Bald eagles were on federal and state endangered species lists as late as 2007 and 2008, respectively. In a little more than quarter century the species has gone from a nonexistent breeding species in the state to one that is relatively numerous, according to Joel Jorgensen, Nebraska Game and Parks’ nongame bird program manager. In the early …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Educators seeking ways to incorporate mammals into their curriculum are encouraged to attend a free workshop Feb. 15 in Hastings. Participants in the WILD About Mammals workshop will explore different topics that meet Nebraska standards regarding mammals. The workshop will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. the Hastings Museum, 1330 N. Burlington Ave. Topics will include food chains/food webs, adaptations and characteristics, habitats, anatomy, life cycles, etc. Contact Monica Macoubrie at monica.macoubrie@nebraska.gov for more information or …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Tax season provides a unique opportunity for Nebraskans to contribute to wildlife and habitat conservation. The Nebraska state income tax form allows individuals to donate all or a part of their tax refund to the Wildlife Conservation Fund, which is used to maintain adequate habitat and healthy populations of wildlife across the state, particularly those that are rare, endangered or threatened. Tax refund donations have helped many species over the years including river otters, monarch butterflies, swift …