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Flora & Fauna

Mild weather bringing more sandhill cranes

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LINCOLN, Neb. – Numbers of sandhill cranes on the Central Platte River during the spring migration typically peak in the third week of March. That seems to be changing. Close to 195,000 cranes are on the Central Platte as of Feb. 27, according to an aerial survey by the Crane Trust. That figure was around 66,000 just a week ago. Numbers should continue to build with continuing mild weather and viewing should be favorable going forward. The aerial survey detected …

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Game and Parks earns national conservation award from NWTF

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LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission received the Land Stewardship Award from the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) on Feb. 16 during the 41st annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tenn. The award was presented to the Commission for promoting responsible forest management, wood procurement and manufacturing practices for the benefit of the nation’s forests, wildlife and people. The Commission and the NWTF have a long history of partnering to enhance wildlife habitats across Nebraska. …

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Bighorn sheep tracking effort sets sights on future lambs

Releasing bighorn ewe

CHADRON, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission got up-close and personal with 20 bighorn sheep ewes this week in an effort to track their future offspring. The goal is to get a handle on the species’ population struggles in the Pine Ridge area of northwestern Nebraska. With the help of a helicopter wildlife capturing crew and others, Commission staff on Tuesday through Thursday, Feb. 14-16, equipped 20 pregnant female sheep with a device to immediately detect when lambs …

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View sandhill cranes at Fort Kearny SHP

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LINCOLN, Neb. – Sandhill crane enthusiasts are invited to visit Fort Kearny State Historical Park to enjoy the spring migration. The visitor center will open daily March 3 – April 9 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Staff will answer questions and direct visitors to viewing areas. One popular viewing location is the hike-bike bridge over the Platte River at Fort Kearny State Recreation Area. The bridge is one-third mile from the parking area. The best viewing times are a half hour …

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February is Time

Time is important.  Most of us are constantly wishing for more time to spend doing what we love to do. This is especially true for those of us that pursue our passions outdoors.  In fact, there are many others that would love to do what we do if they had the time. Now as far back as I can recall there’s been 24hrs in a day, 7 days in a week and 52 weeks in a year.  So, why does …

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Mountain lion killed in Scottsbluff

LINCOLN, Neb. – A mountain lion was killed in Scottsbluff on Feb. 1, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission worked with a local veterinarian to dart and then euthanize the 105-pound male mountain lion after it was discovered on the porch of a Scottsbluff home that evening. The Nebraska State Patrol and the Scottsbluff Police Department also responded. Per the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Mountain Lion Response Plan, it is protocol …

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Hunter Surveys: The Importance of Being Heard

Are you a hunter? Have you have received a couple emails from us at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission asking something about hunting surveys? If so, answer them, don’t delete or trash them! But, why? Why does Game and Parks care about what I think as a hunter or what wild game I put in my freezer during these past seasons? Well, let me tell you that our wildlife biologists are genuinely, genuinely interested in what you think about the different aspects of hunting here in Nebraska and how you did in the …

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Birds and Breakfast event set for Feb. 11 at Ponca SP

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LINCOLN, Neb. – Treat yourself and your valentine to birding counts and hikes, breakfast and a scavenger hunt during Ponca State Park’s Birds and Breakfast event Saturday, Feb. 11. Cabin guests and birders can enjoy a breakfast of biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and sausage links, which is free to cabin guests. Call the park at 402-755-2284 to register. The day’s activities also include Great Backyard Bird Count tours with an expert birder from the Loess Hills Audubon Society, a …

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Nebraska’s Other Pheasant Capital

As I wrote a while back, I have roots in a region long considered one of the nation’s premier pheasant-hunting destinations – southwestern Nebraska. Not only did my first hunting experiences involve pursuits of Rowdy Rooster, one of my first jobs was a part-time position at a McCook motel where I witnessed the influence the pheasant season can have on a local economy. Each November, it seemed every bird hunter and his dog from outside the area converged on that …

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Tax check-off benefits wildlife, habitat conservation

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LINCOLN, Neb. – Tax season provides Nebraskans a unique opportunity to contribute to wildlife and habitat conservation. Line 42 on 2016 state income tax Form 1040N allows individuals to donate all or a part of their tax refund to the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund, ¬which focuses on saving Nebraska’s wildlife and wild places. “The check-off is one of the principal sources of state funding used to conserve more than 95 percent of fish and wildlife species that are considered nongame,” …

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