Hunting

It’s the spring and summer storm season in Nebraska. You’re­ on a leisurely canoe/camping trip on Nebraska’s Elkhorn River. It’s a warm, humid spring afternoon. You’re unloading your canoe where you have permission to camp. Suddenly, you feel a few raindrops splat on your forehead as the sky becomes tumultuous and rapidly begins to darken. Then you hear loud claps of thunder in the distance. What should you do or not do? If you find yourself outdoors when a thunderstorm or tornado …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Eligible landowners may apply for one 2019 Nebraska elk hunting permit during the May 20 – June 7 application period. To download an application form, regulations and hunting unit descriptions, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov/huntingseasons. Big game hunters should be aware of a new process for awarding draw permits starting this year. Applicants for deer, antelope and elk draw permits who supply valid email addresses will be notified when the draw is complete. Applicants not providing valid email addresses will …

I am a hunter. I am an angler. I am a bird watcher. I love to watch birds, especially when I am hunting or fishing. I love watching all birds, not just the game birds I hunt. I enjoy viewing them intently and trying to capture some halfway decent photos of them. If you’re a hunter or an angler, you should become a bird watcher. I’ll explain why in a moment. May is a great month to view birds. In …

As promised, I have been trying to spend as little time in the office as possible.  Slipped out west for some family celebrations a while back, and while I was out there managed to sneak away for some quiet time with the turkeys. I grew up in North Platte and in those younger days spent a lot of time roaming the loess canyons southeast of town.  I am old enough to tell you that back then there were no turkeys …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved recommendations for 2019 deer, antelope and elk hunting seasons at its meeting April 24 at Ponca State Park. The most significant approved changes to Commission orders for big game include: — Addition of a second antlerless whitetail bonus tag in the Loup East and Loup East Season Choice Area units to increase antlerless whitetail harvest due to high densities. — Split of the Niobrara River elk unit in to East …

Along with finding and picking morel mushrooms, there is another edible wild fungus growing in your moist woodlands that you should know and consider harvesting and making for dinner — the dryad’s saddle. Dryad’s saddle? Say, what? The dryad’s saddle (Polyporus squamosus) , a.k.a., pheasant back’s mushroom, or hawks wing, is a widespread edible wild fungi that is easy to spot beginning in late April and continuing into May. Found east of the Rockies and potentially throughout Nebraska, it is a common basidiomycete bracket fungus …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska’s shotgun turkey season appears to be off to a good start one month after a catastrophic flood and severe winter storm hit the state. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission continues to assess damage on its properties as cleanup and repairs have begun. For hunters, turkeys that likely had been displaced from traditional spring habitats, such as riparian areas, likely will begin returning to those areas soon. Hunters should find turkeys breaking up and spreading out. …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission biologists are seeking private landowners interested in enrolling in the Open Fields and Waters (OFW) Program this spring. Through the program, landowners can earn additional income for allowing walk-in hunting, trapping and/or fishing access on their properties. With over 97 percent of Nebraska’s land-base in private ownership, obtaining access to private lands continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing hunters and anglers. In 2018, over 700 private landowners participated in …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters should be aware of a new process for awarding big game draw permits starting this year, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Applicants for deer, antelope and elk draw permits who supply valid email addresses will be notified when the draw is complete. Applicants not providing valid email addresses will be responsible for monitoring their status online at OutdoorNebraska.org. Awarded but unpaid permits will result in applicants losing preference points and forfeiting the permit. …

There is no doubt that your morel mushroom hunting grounds along river bottoms and their tributaries in eastern and central Nebraska were greatly impacted by recent catastrophic flooding. This is the most widespread damage the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has experienced due to a natural disaster. In my 40 years with the agency and growing up near the Platte River, I have never witnessed any natural catastrophe to this magnitude. So, as an outdoor enthusiast, maybe you’ve been thinking: …