LINCOLN – Calamus Reservoir has been reopened to boat traffic as efforts to find a missing boater continue. The Homestead Knolls boat ramp remains closed, however. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office and Burwell Fire Department are searching for Wesley Sell, 38, of Arcadia. Sell has been missing since the fishing boat he was riding in sank amid high winds on the afternoon of Oct. 11. Calamus Reservoir is located 5 miles northwest of Burwell in …

LINCOLN – Agriculture producers are encouraged to visit their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to see what continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) opportunities are available. Continuous CRP is a great option for those areas of a farm that are underperforming or difficult to farm. This is also a great time to consider enrollment in the General CRP Sign-up, which starts Dec. 1. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and other partners offer a variety of additional incentives that can …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider amendments to fishing and wildlife regulations at a meeting Oct. 23 in Fairbury. The meeting is set for 8 a.m. at Union Bank, 1313 K St. There will be public hearings to consider: — proposed changes to sport fishing regulations, which include bag, possession and length limits; black bass; walleye, sauger and saugeye; northern pike; panfish; bullheads; transportation and possession; archery fishing; set lines; border waters; and areas where it …

LINCOLN – A portion of Calamus Reservoir is temporarily closed to public access so the search for a missing boater can continue. Garfield County Sheriff Larry Donner said the reservoir is closed from the dam westward to a line from the Homestead Knolls boat ramp to Buckshot Bay. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office and Burwell Fire Department are searching for Wesley Sell, 38, of Arcadia. Sell has been missing since the fishing boat he was …

LINCOLN – Deer are more active this time of the fall. Crops are being harvested and deer breeding season is in full swing. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has suggestions to help drivers avoid deer-vehicle accidents and lessen the risk of personal injury or vehicle damage. — During the breeding season, bucks become more active searching for does with which to breed. Bucks are bolder, less wary and more susceptible to collisions with vehicles. Deer movement peaks each day …

LINCOLN – The entire population of whooping cranes in the Central Flyway is expected to migrate through Nebraska over the next several weeks. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission encourages the public to report whooping crane sightings. Information on crane sightings is used to positively affect whooping crane conservation and recovery efforts. Report any sightings to Game and Parks (402-471-0641), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (308-379-5562), or The Crane Trust’s Whooper Watch hotline (1-888-399-2824). Emails may be submitted to joel.jorgensen@nebraska.gov. …

LINCOLN – Plenty of deer hunting opportunities are available this fall for Nebraska big game hunters. Archers have been in the field since the start of September and rifle hunters are preparing for the Nov. 14–22 firearm season. Permits still remain in 38 of the 53 deer permit types. Most of the permits that typically sell out do not do so until early November or later. Frenchman, Republican and Platte mule deer are among the sold out permits. Archery, muzzleloader, …

LINCOLN – The reservoir that supplies water for the Valentine State Fish Hatchery, also known locally as the lower dam, will be drained this fall for repairs to the dam structure. The complete draining of the reservoir is scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 19. Work should be completed within a few weeks and refilling will begin as soon as that work is done. Some of the fish that were present in the reservoir were captured and moved upstream …

LINCOLN – The rehabilitation of the reservoir at Conestoga State Recreation Area is underway. The outlet structure will be modified in preparation for a project to improve aquatic habitat, water quality and angler access. Visitors can expect to encounter areas closed to public access near construction equipment and work areas. The reservoir has experienced the degrading effects of years of sedimentation and nutrient accumulation. The combination of these has been partially responsible for the dense algae blooms in recent years. …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is offering special antlerless deer hunting opportunities within Eugene T. Mahoney and Platte River state parks (SP), as well as Schramm Park State Recreation Area (SRA). Successful applicants will be issued a special access permit that allows them to hunt antlerless deer in designated areas of a park on certain dates, using specific equipment. Successful applicants and interested alternates must attend an orientation session in order to receive the access permit. Applications, …