Tag Archives: Pine Ridge

LINCOLN, Neb. – The 2022 mountain lion hunting season in Nebraska’s Pine Ridge closed Jan. 6 when the harvest limit of four (three males and one female) was met. The season opened Jan. 2. Excellent snow tracking conditions likely helped hunters find success during the season. In accordance with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s management objective, the harvest of mountain lions allows the population to remain resilient and healthy, while halting growth or moderately reducing the population size. “This …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The 2021 mountain lion hunting season in the Pine Ridge closed Jan 24 when the harvest limit of four (three males and one female) was met. Season 1 opened Jan. 2. The harvest of mountain lions allows the population to remain resilient and healthy, while halting growth or moderately reducing the population size. This maintains the population density in the Pine Ridge at a similar level to that of other states that allow mountain lion hunting. For …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved recommendations for a 2021 mountain lion hunting season at its June 19 meeting in Lincoln. Staff recommended a mountain lion season in the Pine Ridge that will have a maximum harvest of four mountain lions, down from eight in 2020. In addition, the number of permits available will be reduced by half compared to 2020. The 2021 Season 1 in the Pine Ridge Unit, which no longer is divided into …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The trumpeter swans of the Sandhills and forestry work in the Pine Ridge are among the many topics featured in the 74-page June issue of Nebraskaland Magazine. Mark Vrtiska, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission waterfowl program manager, writes about the research of trumpeter swan reproduction in the Sandhills. Regional editor Justin Haag’s article about forestry in the Pine Ridge details the collaborative work between landowners and governmental agencies for a more sustainable future for the region’s landscape, …

CHADRON, Neb. — Bighorn sheep in the Panhandle are sporting some new hardware this week thanks to the work of a helicopter capture crew, wildlife professionals and volunteers. South Dakota State University joined the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in capturing and processing a total of 44 sheep Thursday, Friday and Saturday — 28 in the Wildcat Hills near McGrew and 16 at three locations in the Pine Ridge near Chadron and Crawford. Wildlife professionals have ramped up monitoring efforts …

Last weekend, Melissa Panella, a fellow NGPC biologist, and I took the long drive from Lincoln to East Ash Creek Canyon in the Pine Ridge, southeast of Chadron.  We were on a mission to find an American Three-toed Woodpecker.  This species is a major rarity for Nebraska and major rarities are always a source of excitement.  We hiked through the canyon for a mile or two and, as though we had inside information, we found the bird!  We were afforded some great views, …

LINCOLN – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission employees used a bird’s-eye view of the rugged high country of the Pine Ridge last month to obtain more accurate deer population data for northwestern Nebraska. During five days in early February, Game and Parks staff members boarded a contracted helicopter and surveyed eight areas of the Pine Ridge Management Unit, which encompasses 429 square miles. The project marked first time Game and Parks has used a helicopter to survey mule deer. In …

LINCOLN – A total of $50,000 is available to landowners of the Pine Ridge and Oglala Grasslands regions of the Nebraska Panhandle for the installation of wildlife-friendly fence on their properties. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will award up to $1,000 per mile to landowners on a first-come, first-served basis. With a signed contract prior to fence construction, landowners will receive funds to help build fences that both border other properties and those within their property’s boundaries. All projects …