NGPC News

LINCOLN – Users of the state’s wildlife management areas should be aware of the presence of hunters on those areas during all hunting seasons, but especially for the Nov. 15-23 firearm deer season, when approximately 70,000 hunters will be in the field. Bird watchers, horseback riders, hikers, wildlife viewers and anyone else using those areas are encouraged to use common courtesy by being aware of hunters using the area for the safety of all. Hunter numbers are highest on the …

A special group of workers completed four and a half weeks of sprucing up Nebraska Game and Parks Commission properties in northwestern Nebraska this week. The seven workers of the team were enrolled in AmeriCorps, the federal National Civilian Community Corps program that provides intensive service learning opportunities for adventurous workers ages 18-24. The group joined Commission staff in completing a variety of projects to improve Walgren Lake State Recreation Area, Chadron State Park, Metcalf Wildlife Management Area and Chadron …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will conduct prescribed burns of woodlands and grasslands at state-owned areas as weather conditions allow. Burns are scheduled for Ponca State Park (SP), Dixon County; Rock Creek Station State Historical Park, Jefferson County; and Indian Cave SP, Richardson County. The woodland low-intensity burns are designed to reduce brush and small tree densities to allow for oak tree regeneration, increase native wildflowers and enhance wildlife habitat. The grassland burns will stimulate the growth …

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will host a field dressing and skinning workshop to help hunters get ready for the upcoming deer season. The workshop will take place on from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the Nebraska Outdoor Education Center, 4703 N. 44th St., in Lincoln. The event is designed for new deer hunters or those with very limited experience, and will be a hands-on game care demonstration. The workshop is free …

LINCOLN – Visit Ponca State Park on Nov. 8 for a day of crafts and archery. At 10 a.m., learn about the owls that live in the park while you make an ornamental pinecone owl. At 1 p.m., learn about the history of wreaths while you create your own using natural materials. At 2 p.m., learn about the history of archery hunting and then shoot some arrows yourself. Fees apply for all events. A park entry permit is required of …

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is planning a prescribed burn to improve wildlife habitat on Basswood Ridge Wildlife Management Area near Homer, Neb. on Thursday, November 6. Approximately 150 acres of this site will be burned to reduce the presence of undesirable plants. Area users should expect the prescribed burn to start in the late morning and last the remainder of the day. This prescribed fire is expected to be a low intensity burn, primarily consuming leaf litter and …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a hunting accident that occurred at approximately 6 a.m. on Oct. 31. Three brothers were reportedly hunting turkeys when the incident occurred on private property approximately 6 miles west and 5½ miles south of Auburn. A 48-year-old Auburn man was injured and transported via helicopter to BryanLGH West Hospital in Lincoln. As of late afternoon on Oct. 31, officers were still gathering evidence on …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reminds hunters that there are two programs that support deer donation in Nebraska: Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) and the Deer Exchange. HHH pays for the processing of whole field-dressed deer that hunters donate at any HHH processor, and the Deer Exchange program allows hunters to sign-up with the exchange to find individuals who have also signed-up and want to receive venison. The Deer Exchange is free to use for anyone, but …

The 20th annual Historical Christmas Dinner at Fort Robinson State Park is set for Saturday, Dec. 6. To mark the special anniversary, the dinner’s theme will step back 100 years with attire and the menu from the 1914 Christmas dinner at the Fort. Only 200 tickets will be sold for the dinner, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3. Tickets will be available by cash or check at the Fort Robinson …

LINCOLN – Hunters in several areas of the state enjoyed good success during the opening weekend of Nebraska’s pheasant and quail seasons, Oct. 25-26. With the number of birds seen up throughout much of the state, prospects for success improve as hunting conditions improve. Opening-weekend temperatures were unseasonably warm and unharvested crop fields gave pheasants ample cover. Some of the best opening-weekend success was on wildlife management areas (WMAs) where pheasants had been released for the Oct. 18-19 youth pheasant …