Flora & Fauna

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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,” …

LINCOLN, Neb. – In 2016, a record 159 active bald eagle nests were documented in Nebraska by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and its partners. It was the third consecutive year the number of nests has broken the previous year’s record. Bald eagles were on federal and state endangered species lists as late as 2007 and 2008, respectively. The species has gone from a nonexistent breeding species in the state to one that is relatively numerous in less than …

We see them everywhere in Nebraska. They are readily spotted in our yards, acreages, farms, ranches, parks, wildlife management areas and various other places. We see a variety of them when we are hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, biking, camping, picnicking and participating in other outdoor activities. They are “nongame” wildlife species. They number in the thousands and are not hunted, trapped, fished, harvested or collected. They are birds, mammals, fish, mollusks and crayfish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and plants. And, they …

ALLIANCE — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is inviting landowners in the northern Panhandle to discuss their roles and opportunities for pheasant management. The public meeting will be 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, at Newberry’s, 104 West Fourth Street, in Alliance. The Commission will share information about the Berggren Plan, a five-year initiative aimed at improving the pheasant hunting experience in Nebraska. Attendees also will learn about a variety of conservation programs and incentives available to landowners within the …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will hold a big game informational meeting Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Elkhorn Eagles Club, 20276 Wirt St. The public is invited. Commission biologists will begin with a presentation on deer management. Other wildlife management topics will be discussed as time allows. Another big game meeting will be held Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at Wilber’s Sokol Auditorium, 315 S. Wilson St. That meeting will be streamed live on …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Watch bald eagles soar or feed on the ice of Lake Ogallala during Eagle Viewing Days each weekend in January. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will host the event at the Lake Ogallala Eagle Viewing Center, located below Kingsley Dam. A park naturalist will give a presentation at 9 a.m. and noon each Saturday and Sunday in January. The presentation will be followed by open viewing of the eagles and crafts for the kids. Coffee and …