LINCOLN – Get outside for some holiday exercise during Platte River State Park’s First Day Hike on Jan. 1. Hikers will meet at 2 p.m. at the Walter G. Scott Lodge for the moderate 1-mile hike on the Observation Tower Trail. Park staff will lead the hike to the top of the tower, then down toward a waterfall before looping back to the lodge. Hikers should dress for the weather and can bring water, snowshoes and snacks. Call 402-234-2217 for …

LINCOLN – Enjoying the Nebraska winter can be some of the most fun a person spends outdoors. Whether it’s hunting, ice fishing, cross country skiing, sledding or snowshoeing, the state has great outdoor opportunities. Being outdoors in the winter also means being safe in the coldest of temperatures. Avoiding hypothermia is key. Hypothermia is a low body temperature most often is caused by exposure to cold weather or immersion in a cold body of water. Left untreated, hypothermia can lead …

LINCOLN – Stay safe on the ice this winter while enjoying a day of ice fishing. Follow these Nebraska Game and Parks Commission tips for safety on the ice: — There should be at least 4 inches of clear, solid ice before an angler ventures onto a frozen lake or pond. — Wear a life jacket. — Commercial or homemade ice picks should be worn around your neck in case you fall through and need something to grip the ice …

LINCOLN – Learn how to score a trophy at a free workshop Jan. 8 in Lincoln. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center. Randy Stutheit, Nebraska big game records coordinator and certified Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young Club scorer, will cover the basics of measuring typical and nontypical whitetail and mule deer and antelope. Participants may bring their own trophies to measure. This workshop is limited to 20 participants. Visit …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will burn brush piles, as weather and snow cover allow, at several sites across the state. Brush piles are created by the removal of invading trees in grassland or timber stands or from trees damaged in storms. Removal of brush piles will open grasslands and timber for continued management, eliminate a wildfire fuel source and eliminate sites conducive to the germination of noxious and invasive plants. The following list includes scheduled prescribed …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission invites hunters and landowners to attend a rescheduled public informational meeting to discuss big game issues Jan. 8 in Ord. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Valley County Fairgrounds Extension Building, 801 S St. Game and Parks biologists will explain and take questions on several topics, including deer management, deer damage and depredation permits, antlerless harvest, trophy management and diseases. The meeting was initially scheduled for Dec. 15 but …

LINCOLN – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events and important dates in January: Jan. 1 – First Day Hike, Ponca State Park (SP), Ponca, 8 a.m., 402-755-2284 Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day; Game and Parks offices closed Jan. 2 – Indoor 3-D Archery Target Showcase, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, 4703 N. 44th St., Lincoln, noon-8 p.m., 402-471-6141 Jan. 2-3 – Roger G. Sykes Outdoor Heritage Education Complex open, Platte River …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is seeking information on a female mountain lion that was illegally shot and left lay in the Pine Ridge National Forest south of Chadron in Dawes County. An individual hunting in the area reported finding the mountain lion, which was estimated to be about a year and a half old, late last week. Officials immediately began an investigation and have collected evidence at the scene. They believe the animal was shot in …

LINCOLN – The access road that passes under Interstate 80 on the west end of Bassway Strip Wildlife Management Area in Buffalo County will be temporarily closed during construction of a hike/bike trail bridge across the Platte River. Bassway Strip WMA will remain open to hunting and other allowable uses, but access may be gained from the parking area just off Nebraska Highway 10.

LINCOLN – Learn the basics of ice fishing or pick up a few new tips at three Discover Ice Fishing clinics in January. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will host free clinics Jan. 10 at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park’s (SP) CenturyLink Lake and Jan. 17 at Kearney’s Yanney Lake. Both events will run 1-4 p.m., and registration is not required. The Nebraska Fish and Game Association will host a free classroom clinic Jan. 16 at Yanney Heritage Park’s …