My ice-scraper went to work this week for the first time in months. Some may lament this annual milestone and the coming of winter, but each scrape gets me more excited for ice-fishing and the soon-to-come season of fun on the hardwater – even if I am just a few days removed from a more summer-like scene of comparable enjoyment. With abundant sunshine and near perfect temperatures Sunday, Smith Lake Wildlife Management Area in Sheridan County reeled in my son …

It may be the season of pumpkin patches and changing leaves but people should think ahead to a different season if they want a place at the table for the annual Historical Christmas Dinner at Fort Robinson State Park. Tickets for the popular event, which are known to sell in a hurry, will become available at 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2. The dinner will be Saturday, Dec. 5. This year’s menu replicates the bill of fare from the Fort’s dinner …

Beginning this fall, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is prohibiting use of centerfire rifles on the west unit of the Bordeaux Creek Wildlife Management Area three miles east of Chadron. Safety concerns about the proximity of several homes to the popular hunting area prompted the Commission to prohibit use of the long-range weapons on the 294 acre tract located between Bordeaux Road and Pineview Road. New signs at the property advise hunters of the restriction. Deer hunters can still …

It’s long been known by businesses that hunting can be a stimulator for the economy. When the big summer tourism season winds down, motel owners, restaurants and retailers look forward to the influx of people dressed in camouflage and orange to keep those dollars flowing. A study by Southwick Associates estimates the annual economic impact of hunting to be $848 million in Nebraska, with $562 million in retail sales and 8,856 jobs supported. Those are big numbers and, considering what …

About 250 Boy Scouts of the Longs Peak Council will gather at Chadron State Park this weekend to plant trees in areas burned by the 2012 wildfire that entered the popular northwestern Nebraska tourism attraction and burned much of its ponderosa pine forest and surrounding areas. The public is invited to assist in the planting of 3,000 trees in the park Saturday morning. Participants will begin planting trees after an education session at 8 a.m. and are expected to finish …

Kris Ferguson had a lot to celebrate Saturday. It was her birthday, but that milestone came secondary to the party for one of her greatest labors of love. Ferguson is the Gordon cyclist who turned tragedy to triumph after being struck by a motor vehicle while riding along Nebraska Highway 27 south of the Sheridan County city. While recuperating from the 2011 accident, which required her to be flown to Scottsbluff for emergency care, she launched an effort to develop …

The Wildcat Hills Nature Center south of Gering is closing for the season today (Friday, Sept. 18) as construction begins on a large addition to the center. Some services will be moved to a different location. Although the center’s displays and merchandise will be put in storage during the construction, permits for hunting, fishing and park entry will be sold at the Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area’s shop two miles south along Nebraska Highway 71. The park, including its campground, …

With moose being reported throughout the Panhandle in recent months, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is urging hunters this fall to be certain of their target before taking a shot. Moose can be similar in appearance to other big game animals. Elk hunters especially will want to study game closely before firing a shot or releasing an arrow. Since this spring, moose have occasionally been reported at locations from the western edge of the Panhandle eastward to Bridgeport and …

Anyone who has kids knows things can get a little hectic in the fall. My son Sawyer was eligible for hunter education last year, but the limited offerings in the Chadron area didn’t fit into his schedule. Right or wrong, his obligation to his youth football team took precedence to devoting two Saturdays to hunter education – yes, at least in our Nebraska family, the football schedule is on a short list of things that can trump hunting and fishing. …

One of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s premier facilities in the Panhandle is about to become even more impressive. Construction has officially begun on an addition to the Wildcat Hills Nature Center south of Gering. The $2.375 million expansion will add 8,720 square feet to the building, which serves as headquarters for the Commission’s educational programs in the region and the 700-acre Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area. The new construction will more than double the size of the existing …