NGPC News

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters can apply for the chance to win the hunting opportunity of a lifetime. Applications for multispecies Super Tag and Combo lottery permits will be accepted by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission beginning Jan. 2, 2022. The Super Tag lottery permit will be valid for one elk of either sex, one antelope of either sex, one deer of either sex and two turkeys. One permit will be authorized for residents only, and one permit will be …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Why purchase a new fly rod when you can fish one with the satisfaction of knowing you’ve built it yourself? The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, in cooperation with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and the Cornhusker Fly Fishing Club, is sponsoring a fly rod building class for beginners this winter. The class will be held six consecutive Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Central time, starting Jan. 12, at the Nebraska Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln. The cost …

LINCOLN, Neb. — Kick off the new year in the great outdoors by participating in First Day Hikes at Nebraska’s state parks Jan. 1. Join in one of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s planned hikes and enjoy the activities that go along with it, or create your own adventure by exploring trails, watching wildlife, or snapping photos at any state park. Activities include a fruitcake fling and gnome hunt at Ponca State Park, snowball toss at Indian Cave State …

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska is more than cows and corn — and really may be for everyone after all. The state will get its Discovery Channel debut Jan. 8 when RV There Yet? airs episode two, “Not just Cows and Corn,” featuring Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, Platte River State Park and Chadron State Park. The new reality show comes just at the right time. State and national parks saw record levels of visitors in the past few years, with …

LINCOLN, Neb. — A mountain lion was confirmed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission through trail camera photos taken Dec. 9 east of Lincoln. Mountain lions found in eastern Nebraska typically are dispersing young animals on the move to find new territory. This mountain lion was photographed in a field a few miles east of Lincoln near highway 34 and the MoPac trail. If the animal is observed by the public, or additional photos capture the animal, contact the …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Low water levels along the Missouri River have prompted the closure of the Indian Cave State Park boat ramp in southeast Nebraska. The park near Shubert has one concrete boat ramp offering access to the river. At this time, water levels are too low for safe use. Daily water level fluctuations will occur, but low water conditions likely will continue through the winter. Boat operators should use caution loading, unloading and navigating the river at other access …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters and landowners are encouraged to offer their feedback on big game issues during the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s public informational meetings this winter. Meetings are scheduled in each Game and Parks district. Biologists will discuss big game harvest results and season structure, and take questions on several topics, including big game management, depredation, permits, antlerless harvest, trophy management and diseases, among others. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. local time. The schedule is: Jan. 3 – …

GERING, Neb. – Nebraska’s bighorn sheep hunting season ended this week when a hunter harvested the second of two rams. Both of this year’s tag holders found success in the Wildcat Hills near Gering. Todd Nordeen, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission big game and disease research manager who supervises the hunting program, said each ram harvested this year was 8½ years old with a set of full-curl horns. Grant Smith of Fishers, Indiana, who won his tag in an …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Preliminary Nebraska deer check-in numbers indicate statewide harvest is down 12 percent compared to 2020 for the November firearm season. During the nine-day season, 37,053 deer were harvested, compared to 42,078 in 2020. While the overall statewide trend was down compared to previous years, regions of the state varied. Deer harvest in southeastern Nebraska was even with 2020, while southwestern Nebraska was down 19%. The northwestern district was down 8%, and the northeastern district was down 15% …

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is implementing a three-pronged approach to improve walleye fishing at Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area. These efforts aim to balance the needs and concerns of anglers with successful management of the lake resource. Game and Parks will contract with the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to design and conduct an angler survey in 2022 and 2023. Anglers will be asked about the number of …