Tag Archives: public lands

Hunting public lands. It can be a real challenge. No, scratch that. It is a daunting challenge. I know. I have hunted all kinds of game on various public lands around the state for years. So why is hunting public lands in Nebraska so tough? Well, in a state like Nebraska the overwhelming majority of our total land acreage is privately owned (97%) with only a small percentage of it open to the public (3%). However, Nebraska’s array of public …

Trash. A large amount and variety of trash. Plastic bottles. Plastic grocery bags. Fishing bait containers. Spent fishing line. Cigarette butts. Banana peels. Food wrappers. Diapers. Broken lawn chairs. Old tires. Now, add single-use face coverings and rubber gloves plus empty hand sanitizer containers. Whew! The list of trash items seems endless. So many people are visiting outdoor places and spaces during the current COVID-19 pandemic. In Nebraska, fishing and state park permit sales are up. Float trip outfitters report …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reminds hunters they must first gain permission before hunting on private property. GPS mapping applications are a popular tool with many hunters. These apps may show some properties as public lands, such as the School Trust Lands held by the State of Nebraska. However, these school trust lands are leased by the Nebraska Board of Education Lands and Funds to private individuals and require permission to access them for hunting. Nebraska …

LINCOLN – This fall the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Nebraska will survey hunters who use public lands in Nebraska. Beginning Sept. 1, hunters at wildlife management areas or private lands enrolled in the Open Fields and Waters program may be approached by UNL researchers or Game and Park staff, who will ask a series of questions about their hunting experiences. Game and Parks will use insights …

Hunters and anglers are always on the lookout for places to enjoy their sport – with nearly 800,000 acres of state and federal areas already public accessible in Nebraska, the public access program for hunting and fishing on private lands increases the amount of land available for public use. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) staff and Pheasants Forever work closely with hundreds of private landowners who voluntarily participate in private land access programs. The Open Fields and Waters (OFW) …