LINCOLN, Neb. – Couples and families can take advantage of several special Valentine’s Day offers, including reduced lodging, at Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area and Eugene T. Mahoney, Ponca and Platte River state parks. Guests who reserve a cabin or lodge room at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park between Feb. 10 and 14 can add a Valentine’s Special package to their reservation. Cabins and lodge room rates from Feb. 9-13 are priced at a 30 percent discount. The $25 …

LINCOLN, Neb. – A series of workshops across the state will provide information for completing safe and effective prescribed fires. These workshops are for landowners, resource professionals, volunteer fire departments and others interested in burning. No experience is required. Workshops, scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m., will be held Jan. 15 at the Red Cloud Community Center, Jan. 16 at Lincoln’s Lancaster County University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Jan. 17 at Thedford’s Upper Loup Natural Resources District (NRD), Jan. 21 at Scottsbluff’s …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has canceled the Discover Ice-Fishing Clinic scheduled for Jan. 11 at Holmes Lake in Lincoln because of a lack of safe ice. It will not be rescheduled. A similar event is scheduled for Jan. 19 at Kearney’s Fort Kearny State Recreation Area Lake No. 6 from 8 a.m.-noon. While the event has not been canceled yet, conditions do not appear promising. These clinics are for young or new anglers to gain …

LINCOLN, Neb. – A public informational open house will be held Thursday, Jan. 16 at the Lake McConaughy Visitor Center and Water Interpretive Center regarding proposed changes to visitor management at Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala. The open house is scheduled for 3-6 p.m. Mountain Time. Caring for natural resources and providing exceptional opportunities for safe and fun recreation are top priorities for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala state recreation areas (SRAs) hosted an …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Spring turkey hunting permits for 2020 will be available from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission beginning Jan. 13. Nebraska offers the best turkey hunting opportunities in the entire country. Nebraska offers birds in every county of the state. The state also offers plentiful and affordable permits, long seasons, great public access and $8 permits for youth. Wild turkey hunters in Nebraska enjoy high success rates. In the spring, hunters can purchase as many as three permits, …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Anglers should be aware of changes to Nebraska Game and Parks Commission sport fishing orders that will take effect Jan. 1, 2020. The changes pertain to daily bag limits, possession limits, length limits and open areas. The changes are: Trout – The daily bag and possession limits on cutthroat trout change from five and 12, respectively, to two and four, respectively, and only one fish in the bag can be 12 inches or longer. Cutthroats do not …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Duck and coot season dates are incorrectly stated on page 6 of the 2019-2020 Small Game and Waterfowl Guide. The dates are correctly stated on page 19 of the same guide. The list of duck and coot hunting season dates on page 6 incorrectly omit the Low Plains and High Plains unit distinctions for Zones 2 and 3. The correct season dates for duck and coot seasons are: Zone 1 — Oct. 12 – Dec. 24, 2019; …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has declared a fish salvage for Hackberry Lake on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge south of Valentine from Dec. 20, 2019 through Sept. 30, 2020. The lake was scheduled to have its existing fish population renovated during 2019 as part of an Aquatic Habitat Project to eliminate common carp on the refuge. However, the renovation was not completed due to wet conditions and unsuitable water levels. Fish salvages are implemented to …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Get the family outdoors, learn about wildlife and contribute to science Jan. 3 at the Christmas Bird Count for Kids, hosted by the Schramm Education Center. Staff will lead families on bird walks and bird feeder watches, help tally results and share them with the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count project. The Christmas Bird Count is a 119-year-old event where bird lovers of all ages and skill levels count all the birds they can see …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Visitors to Fort Atkinson State Historical Park can see a special presentation, “Custer and the Royal Buffalo Hunt of 1872,” on Jan. 4. Using newspaper accounts and images of the period, historian Jeff Barnes will narrate the 1872 meeting of Lt. Col. George Custer, Gen. Phil Sheridan, the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia and “Buffalo Bill” Cody in Nebraska. Barnes’ presentation will include the visit of Custer, Sheridan and the Grand Duke in Omaha, followed by their …