Flora & Fauna

Join Ponca State Park for the Annual Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, December 14. Experienced and novice birders, nature enthusiasts, and families are invited to participate in this 115-year-old tradition sponsored by the National Audubon Society. Guests are advised to dress accordingly and to bring their binoculars and bird books. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the Missouri National Recreational River Resource and Education Center. A chili feed will be offered at noon amid counting. This event is …

Nebraska’s second Snowy Owl report of the season occurred today (3 December) east of Kearney.  The first report involved a bird recovered by Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery a couple weeks ago in Saunders County.  Today’s Snowy Owl was first reported by Kent Skaggs on NEbirds.  Late this afternoon, I received  an independent report, apparently of the same bird, that included photos provided by Diana Merryman.  One of her photos is provided, below. Today’s report in Nebraska prompted me to check eBird to …

I hope everyone reading this got to spend some time outdoors this past weekend.  Because it was a great extended-weekend to be out.  I got to see pictures of successful waterfowl hunts, archery deer hunts and even got to add some of my own rooster harvest photos. Due to several reasons (mainly food, football and family) my excursions were pretty short-lived – an hour here, a couple hours there.  I probably spent more time driving than I did walking behind …

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  As I wrote in the blog  My Thanks a couple of years ago it is a chance to spend time with friends and family without the stress of gift buying and giving.  Yet, thanks to the special day falling on a Thursday, many of us receive the gift of time during this week.  Time is  something that will be in short supply once the weekend is over and we find ourselves in the …

Snow and cold didn’t keep these hunters away. Early Sunday morning was slow at the deer check station in Hartington, NE. But by 10:30, hunters started pouring in. Here are some highlights of deer that were brought in late morning yesterday.

Few things on this planet can rival the excitement of  opening weekend of the Nebraska Firearm Deer Season.  Small towns all across the state are a buzz with orange clad hunters making the annual pilgrimage to their favorite haunts to chase deer critters, share stories, spend time with families and just live like outdoorsmen and women for a few days. The recent arctic blast should prove to be a huge bonus for deer hunters this weekend.  Plunging temps should result …

Today is the day to join the guys from the Nebraska Game and Parks over lunch and talk all things hunting during the live Twitter Chat (12 noon – 1:00 p.m. CST).  NGPC Hunting Outreach Specialists Jeff Rawlinson and Aaron “Hershy” Hershberger, along with Big Game Manager Kit Hams, will be online to offer up tips for the upcoming November deer season.   Feel free to ask them for thoughts about waterfowl, upland bird or any Nebraska hunting season, too. …

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is planning a prescribed burn to improve wildlife habitat on Basswood Ridge Wildlife Management Area near Homer, Neb. on Thursday, November 6. Approximately 150 acres of this site will be burned to reduce the presence of undesirable plants. Area users should expect the prescribed burn to start in the late morning and last the remainder of the day. This prescribed fire is expected to be a low intensity burn, primarily consuming leaf litter and …

Welcome to November and all it has to offer in its short 30-day span.  For the hunter the toughest part may be choosing just what to chase next. The migration is on and all parts of Nebraska’s duck zones are currently open. There are a good number of local Canada geese around the state and there will be more added as it cools down further north. Bird season is open and you can pursue grouse, chickens, pheasant and quail.  (and …

It’s prime time for hunting in Nebraska and next Wednesday, November 5, over the lunch hour you will have the chance pick the brains of NGPC Hunting Outreach Specialists Jeff Rawlinson and Aaron “Hershy” Hershberger.  Hit them up for tips, tricks and thoughts regarding the upcoming November deer, waterfowl, upland bird or other hunting season. You can be part of the live Twitter Chat (12 noon – 1:00 p.m. CST) by tweeting questions to @NEGameandParks using  #HuntNebraska.  If you are …