How to make a home made bowfishing kit: Step 1: Find an old bow you wouldn’t mind using as your ‘fishing bow’. Step 2: Either buy a bowfishing arrow or make your own bowfishing arrow. Step 2.1: To make your own bow fishing arrow, I would recommend selecting an aluminum arrow to avoid carbon splinters as the slide lock slides up and down the shaft of the arrow. Step 2.2: Make a slide lock with a washer that fits comfortably …

LINCOLN – The fishing bridge located at the north end of Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area soon will be removed because of wind damage. In late February, extremely strong winds caused irreparable damage to the aging docks that made up the fishing bridge. Nebraska Game and Parks staff assessed the damage and determined the bridge was not safe for use. The bridge will be removed in the next few weeks. Game and Parks was already planning to replace the bridge. …

LINCOLN — Teams of runners and avid individuals are invited to participate in the first ultramarathon to be held on Nebraska’s Cowboy Trail. The Cowboy Ultra will take place on Saturday, June 11. This race will guide runners across 187 miles of the Cowboy Trail from trail from Valentine to Norfolk. The event, organized by Angry Cow Adventures, is limited to 75 people. Registration is $65 per person and closes either May 25 or when the limit of 75 people …

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has awarded six grants to enhance watchable wildlife and nature-based opportunities in Nebraska. The watchable wildlife grant program is administered by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, with support from the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund. This year’s grants totaled more than $13,000. Groups awarded grants in 2016 include: Project Grow; Omaha Youth Birding Group; The Audubon Society of Omaha Experiential Education Program; Prairie Loft Center for Outdoor and Agricultural Learning Sacred Hoop …

The following blog post was written by Nebraska Game and Parks District 3 Commissioner Mick Jensen.  Serving as a Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioner, I have the great privilege and opportunity to help introduce people to outdoor recreation and the excitement of hunting and fishing. Last year, Clint Kantor and I became acquainted at the Big Game Society dinner and auction in Lincoln.  The Big Game Society auction raises funds for big game habitat in Nebraska. The event brings together …

Kit Hams, a Fisheries and Wildlife Program Manager at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, offered up a few experiences of the most exciting events that make even the most routine hunting trip memorable. Hams defines an unforgettable trip as “usually not by what went right, but about what was unique or, in many cases, what went wrong:” 1. Getting stuck, lost, and scared are usually memorable events that we laugh about later. You had to be there… 2. Finding your …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center will host a .22-pistol league for shooters of all abilities ages 12 and up on Thursday nights, Oct. 22 through Dec. 10, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The league consists of a 50-round course that is both fun and challenging to shoot for both advanced and novice shooters. Each session is $12, which includes targets and lane fees. Shooters must provide their own handgun and ammunition. Minors must be …

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has received a $150,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to provide habitat for Monarch butterflies. The grant will allow the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to plant milkweed along stretches of the National Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail. Milkweed is essential to the Monarchs; they lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and larvae feed on milkweed. In recent years, the amount of milkweed along Monarchs’ migration path has declined. …

LINCOLN – All Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offices will be closed Oct. 12 for Columbus Day and Nov. 11 for Veterans Day. The closures include Game and Parks headquarters in Lincoln, district offices in Norfolk, North Platte and Alliance, service centers in Bassett and Kearney, Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium and the Omaha office. The Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln will be open on Columbus Day. It will be closed on Veterans Day, which falls on a Wednesday …

LINCOLN – Hunters should be aware of high levels of blue-green algae that were recently detected at Smith Lake Wildlife Management Area in Sheridan County. It is recommended that visitors to the lake, especially waterfowl hunters, avoid contact with the water and should not let dogs or other pets drink from the lake, as high levels of blue-green algae can be lethal if ingested. Non-contact activities such as boating, fishing and camping are not affected by this caution. The area …