NGPC News

LINCOLN – A Sheridan County landowner on March 21 shot a young mountain lion that had approached his chicken coop. The lion did not flee when the landowner walked within 15 yards of it. The mountain lion was a 30-pound female. No evidence of additional mountain lion activity was found at the time of the incident. The landowner immediately called the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, as required by law. Landowners are allowed to protect their livestock from predators, including …

LINCOLN – Regulations designed to help deer herds grow in much of the state were adopted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioners at their meeting March 21 in Norfolk. In 2012, a drought and an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) killed off an estimated one third of the state’s whitetail population. Regulations created to help recover the populations began last year and continue in 2014.   The regulations that should allow deer numbers to increase this year include: …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska spring turkey hunting season opens for archers March 25. Spring turkey hunters must use archery equipment March 25-April 11 and may use either archery equipment or a shotgun April 12-May 31. Youth hunters must use archery equipment March 25-April 4 and may use either archery equipment or a shotgun April 5-May 31. Hunters under age 16 need a youth spring turkey permit, hunters age 16 and older need a spring turkey permit, and landowners need a …

LINCOLN – A recent Supreme Court ruling on the ownership of abandoned railways won’t affect Nebraska’s Cowboy Trail. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that after a railroad has abandoned a line, the land should revert to owners of the adjacent property instead of to the federal government. Some fear the ruling threatens Rails to Trails projects across the country built on abandoned railways. The Cowboy Trail, however, is built on land that has been railbanked, rather than …

LINCOLN – Private pond owners are encouraged to report severe winter fish kills to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission following ice-out. Winter fish kills occur when oxygen levels fall too low to support fish under the ice. Ice prevents the direct absorption of oxygen from the atmosphere, so oxygen produced by plant photosynthesis is crucial. Oxygen levels drop because of plant decomposition and respiration by aquatic organisms. Shallow ponds with heavy vegetation are particularly susceptible. Once the ice is …

LINCOLN – Nebraska Game and Parks Commission employees used a bird’s-eye view of the rugged high country of the Pine Ridge last month to obtain more accurate deer population data for northwestern Nebraska. During five days in early February, Game and Parks staff members boarded a contracted helicopter and surveyed eight areas of the Pine Ridge Management Unit, which encompasses 429 square miles. The project marked first time Game and Parks has used a helicopter to survey mule deer. In …

Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area (SRA) will host ATV riding events April 4-6 and Oct. 3-5. Each weekend will include open riding, Poker Run, dealer displays, food vendors and live entertainment. Organizers are planning to add Sand Drag Races and Kids’ Barrel Races to the lineup. The event is open to all ATV/UTV riders age 18 and older. Riders younger than age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian or have a signed and notarized release. Helmets are …

LINCOLN – Southeast Community College (SCC), in partnership with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, is offering a new continuing education class called Fishing Fundamentals. The class is a four-week, family-oriented course that will teach families about equipment, common fish species and how to catch them, regulations, and where to fish. Trained fishing instructors lead the course and accompany the group on a field trip to a fishing area. Courses are scheduled at SCC campuses in Lincoln, York, and Wahoo. …

LINCOLN – Join Audubon Nebraska in celebrating Nebraska’s wildlife and natural resources at the 5th Annual Wild Experience Room on March 22 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Kearney Holiday Inn Convention Center. The event will feature educational stations to engage children and families in nature activities. Visitors will be able to investigate and touch live animals, explore Nebraska’s birds and create their own unique bird species, examine furs of Nebraska mammals, test their knowledge with Nebraska Wildlife Jeopardy, learn …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioners will consider big game recommendations when they meet March 21 in Norfolk. The meeting will be at 8 a.m. at Divots Conference Center, 4200 W. Norfolk Ave. One recommendation would remove 18,420 antlerless deer bonus tags from 12 units. Another would remove 950 buck/either-sex deer permits in the Elkhorn, Platte, Pine Ridge and Sandhills units. Others would raise the River Antlerless deer permit quota from 5,500 to 7,000 and shorten the Late …