Flora & Fauna

Each year on September 1, around sunrise, it happens.  My ego as a hunter and wing-shooter is assaulted by a gray-streak that was a mourning dove. Generally, I stand in open-jaw, amazement with three empty shotgun hulls laying around me as the winged-speedster is off to another location. But every once in a awhile something truly magical happens as I reload and the dove – for reasons still unknown to science –  circles back around, just a little closer, and …

Most that know me will admit the “kid” has never left me.   My wife would likely agree with that and then some.  Part of my childhood was chasing bushy tails in oak trees on my uncle’s farm.  From the first hunt…I was hooked.  I have been ever since! Early season squirrels (our season starts August 1) can be a lot of fun and a real challenge.  We can finally get back into the field and that in itself is …

LINCOLN – Hunters are asked to report observations of sick or dead deer to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission as they head afield this September. Each summer, the Commission monitors for signs of diseased deer; reports from the public help track incidents. Deer populations in Nebraska have been healthy across most areas and last year’s harvest resulted in near-record numbers. Few cases of sick deer have been reported so far this year. However, incidences of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) …

LINCOLN – Join Dennis Ferraro, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln herpetologist, for his program “Meet the Snakes of Nebraska Up Close and in Person” at Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area on Sept. 11. Ferraro will display and discuss snakes that call Nebraska home from 2 to 4 p.m. at the park’s group lodge. Fremont Lakes SRA is located just west of Fremont in Dodge County. A park entry permit is required.

LINCOLN – Learn about the birds that may be found at Fremont State Recreation Area during a guided birding walk Aug. 20. The walk will begin at 8 a.m. at Brick’s Bay Beach on Lake 10. The trip will take birders to the Lake 11 boat ramp and back, a distance of about 1 mile. Birders can bring binoculars and a field guide or use a smartphone birding app. For more information, call the park at 402-727-2922, and visit Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov …

LINCOLN – Nebraska’s upland bird harvest saw a big increase between the 2014 and 2015 seasons, and hunter participation was up as well, according to results from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s annual hunter harvest survey. Pheasant harvest was up by 26 percent. During the 2015 season, 166,285 rooster pheasants were harvested, compared to 131,423 during the 2014 season. Quail harvest increased by 73 percent, with 91,472 quail harvested in 2015, compared to 52,947 birds in 2014. In addition, …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Project WILD program is now accepting registrations for two free workshops for educators. A workshop focused on birds will take place on July 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hastings Museum in Hastings. Nebraska is home to more than 450 species of birds. Birds can be found in nearly every kind of habitat in Nebraska and are also easy to see and fun to watch. For these and other …

According to the calendar, summer officially begins on June 20th and the weather is heating up fast.  So instead of rifles, shotguns, bows, and wild game, most folks are probably thinking about baseball, swimming and barbecues.  But now is the time to start thinking about the various options available for completing hunter education so you are ready for this fall. In Nebraska, all hunters age 12 through 29 who hunt any game species with a firearm or airgun, must carry …

I have always held the opinion that younger adults are a portion of the population that could be recruited into the lifestyle of hunting. After all, they have time and money to spend on it. They just need someone to guide them through the process of becoming a hunter, and then, of course, to take them to the field. I believe involving younger adults could prove to be one of the quickest and most cost-effective ways to generate a new …

LINCOLN – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events and important dates in June: June 1 – Underwater spearfishing season begins at Box Butte Reservoir and on private waters June 1 – Pollinators workshop, Public Library, Norfolk, 6:30 p.m., 402-370-3374 June 1 – Lake McConaughy/Lake Ogallala Master Plan public informational meeting, Quality Inn, Ogallala, 7 p.m., 402-471-5424 June 1-3 – Eligible landowners may apply for one elk permit June 1, 8, 15, 22 – Beyond …