Flora & Fauna

LINCOLN – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) events and important dates in October. Get more details at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and boating safety classes. Sept. 30-Oct. 2 – Autumn Harvest Art Show, Eugene T. Mahoney State Park (SP), Ashland Oct. 1 – Advance tickets sales begin for Haunted Hollow, Indian Cave SP, Shubert, 8 a.m. Oct. 1 – Archery Fun Shoot, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor …

I know the ‘grass is greener‘ syndrome can be very prevalent in outdoor pursuits and it can be easy to overlook what blessings we have around us.   Even in Nebraska, the mixed bag capital of the nation, we sometimes forget just how good we have it. I’m often reminded of just how much of the outdoor lifestyle makes up ‘the Good Life‘ when talking to hunters that live outside our borders.  Almost invariably, when they find out I live in …

I have just recently arrived back from my first ever pronghorn hunt and I would love to quickly share the story of the adventure before the crispness of the experience is dulled by passed time and the facts become muddled. With enough preference points my wife and I were able to secure a pair of muzzleloader permits in a coveted unit in Nebraska’s panhandle.  We were very excited and talked to many people about pronghorn – some of which were …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is accepting grant proposals that will enhance watchable wildlife opportunities and nature-based experiences in Nebraska. Watchable Wildlife Grants, funded through the Wildlife Conservation Fund, help to develop wildlife-viewing and nature-based experiences in Nebraska. The intent of these grants is to help people build appreciation and stewardship for natural resources through practical experience. Individuals, nonprofit, governmental, and for-profit entities are encouraged and eligible to apply. Potential projects include, but are not limited to, …

LINCOLN – Volunteers in towns along the Cowboy Trail are invited to support monarch butterfly conservation by helping the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission plant milkweed seedlings on the trail right-of-way. Monarch butterflies have seen significant population declines in the past several years. One of the primary reasons for their decline is lack of milkweed plants, which are critical in the life cycle of the monarch. Eggs are laid only on milkweed plants, and caterpillars eat milkweed leaves exclusively. Game …

LINCOLN – The conditions of wetlands across the state is varied, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. On Sept. 1, Game and Parks released a report on the status of Rainwater Basin wetlands, as well as pumping plans. While conditions were good in some areas, they were dry in others. “Conditions are generally good throughout much of the Sandhills and along the Platte River,” said Ted LaGrange, wetland program manager for the Commission. “However, the wetland water conditions …

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.