Parks Statewide Offering Family Halloween Events

October 19, 2015 Leave a comment


The air is crisp, the leaves are changing and Halloween is just around the corner – celebrate the season with one of many seasonal events happening at Nebraska’s state parks and recreation areas.

Ponca State Park, Indian Cave State Park and Ash Hollow State Historical Park will offer haunted hayrack rides and many other family activities, and the haunted barn at Buffalo Bill State Historical Park is back by popular demand in 2015. Visit our website to find spooky activities near you.

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Pistol League Offered at Nebraska Game and Parks

October 19, 2015 Leave a comment


The Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center will host a .22-pistol league for shooters of all abilities ages 12 and up on Thursday nights beginning Oct. 22. Additionally, the center will offer two youth shooting programs — Intro to Gun Safety and Technique for Young Shooters, and Best Shots Youth Rifle Marksmanship.

All programs will meet weekly, and will focus on range safety, skill development and proper technique. More information on these and other events is available online.

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Pheasant Season is Just Around the Corner

October 16, 2015 Leave a comment


Pheasant season opens on Oct. 31 and Game and Parks biologists anticipate 2015 will be a great year for hunting. Mild winter condition and timely spring rainfall have resulted in increases in pheasant abundance statewide. Spring rainfall also resulted in abundant cover, with staff reporting excellent habitat conditions across the state. Rural mail carrier survey results indicated that pheasant abundance was higher in all regions compared to 2014.

Visit our website for information more information on the pheasant forecast, as well as for information on where to hunt.

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Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Offices Closed for Holidays

October 8, 2015 Leave a comment


All Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offices will be closed Oct. 12 for Columbus Day and Nov. 11 for Veterans Day.

The closures include Game and Parks headquarters in Lincoln, district offices in Norfolk, North Platte and Alliance, service centers in Bassett and Kearney, Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium and the Omaha office.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln will be open on Columbus Day. It will be closed on Veterans Day, which falls on a Wednesday this year. The center is closed on Wednesdays.

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Free Hunting Workshops Being Offered This Fall

October 5, 2015 Leave a comment


The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will provide free workshops to novice hunters and trappers this fall.

Game and Parks specialists will cover successful strategies, equipment, biology, techniques and other topics at locations around the state throughout the months of October and November. All workshops run from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. A full list of workshops, along with registration info, is available on our website.

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Outdoor October Calendar

September 23, 2015 Leave a comment


The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events and important dates in October:

Oct. 1 – Crow hunting season opens statewide

Oct. 1-31 – Paddlefish snagging season

Oct. 2-4 – Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop, Nebraska National Forest, Halsey

Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 – Explore Archery, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 4:30 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 3 – Cowboy Trail dedication, Rushville American Legion Club, 206 Sprague St., 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 3 – Dark goose hunting season opens in North Central Unit

Oct. 3 – Light goose hunting regular season opens

Oct. 3 – White-fronted goose hunting season opens

Oct. 3 – Duck and coot hunting seasons open in Zones 2 and 4

Oct. 3-4 – Youth waterfowl hunting season in Zone 1

Oct. 3-4 – Living History Weekend, Fort Atkinson State Historical Park (SHP), Fort Calhoun, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 402-468-5611

Oct. 3-4 – Historic Firearms Display, Fort Hartsuff SHP, Burwell, 308-346-4715

Oct. 3-4, 23-24 – Pioneer Longrifle Rendezvous, Indian Cave State Park (SP), Shubert, 402-883-2575

Oct. 3-5 – Autumn Harvest Art Show, Eugene T. Mahoney SP, Ashland, 402-944-2523

Oct. 4 – Muzzleloader antelope hunting season closes

Oct. 4 – Shootout at Salt Creek, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 10 a.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25 – Living History, Arbor Lodge SHP, Nebraska City, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 402-873-7222

Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Best Shots Rifle Marksmanship for ages 10-16, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 6 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 6, 20 – Ladies Day at the Range, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 6:30-8 p.m., 402-471-5662

Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29 – .22 Pistol League, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 7 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 9 – Trick or Treat at the Town, Indian Cave SP, Shubert, 7-9 p.m., 402-883-2575

Oct. 9-18 – German Short Hair Dog Trials, Fort Robinson SP, Crawford, 308-665-2900

Oct. 10 – Howl in the Hills Night Hike, Wildcat Hills Nature Center, Gering, 7 p.m., 308-436-3777

Oct. 10 – Duck and coot hunting seasons open in Zone 1

Oct. 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 – Hunter Sight-In Weekend, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., noon-6 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 10, 17 – Hallowfest, Ponca SP, Ponca, 7-10 p.m., 402-755-2284

Oct. 10, 17, 24 – Halloween Decorating and Costume Contests, Indian Cave SP, Shubert, 402-883-2575

Oct. 10, 16, 17, 22, 24 – Haunted Hollow Hayrack Rides, Indian Cave SP, Shubert, 7-9:30 p.m., 402-883-2575

Oct. 10-25 – Firearm antelope hunting season

Oct. 11 – Family Rendezvous, Platte River SP, Louisville, 402-234-2217

Oct. 12 – Columbus Day, Game and Parks offices closed; Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center is open

Oct. 12, 19, 26 – First Steps Pistol, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 6:30 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 15 – Introduction to trapping workshop, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 6 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 17 – Living History, Rock Creek Station SHP, Fairbury, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 402-729-5777

Oct. 17 – Pumpkin Carvers, Calamus State Recreation Area (SRA), Burwell, 308-346-5666

Oct. 17-18 – Youth waterfowl hunting season in Zone 3

Oct. 21 – Upland game hunting workshop, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 6 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 22 – Waterfowl hunting workshop, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 6 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 22-24, 29-30 – Haunted Barn, Buffalo Bill Ranch SHP, North Platte, 6 p.m., 308-535-8035

Oct. 22, 29 – Explore Archery, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 4:30 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 23 – Nebraska Game and Parks Board of Commissioners meeting, Fairbury

Oct. 24 – Duck and coot hunting seasons open in Zone 3

Oct. 24-25 – DeSoto October muzzleloader deer season

Oct. 24-25 – Youth pheasant, quail and partridge hunting season

Oct. 25 – Archery and firearm bull elk hunting seasons close

Oct. 25 – Private land and public land antlerless elk hunting seasons close

Oct. 27 – Deer hunting workshop, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 6 p.m., 402-471-6141

Oct. 28 – Deer hunting workshop, Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, Gretna, 6 p.m., 402-471-6144

Oct. 28 – Dark goose hunting season opens in East, Platte River, Panhandle and Niobrara Units

Oct. 29 – Deer hunting workshop, Chadron State College, Chadron, 6 p.m., 402-471-5662

Oct. 30 – Deer hunting workshop, NGPC District Office, North Platte, 6 p.m., 402-471-5662

Oct. 30 – Dove (all species) hunting season closes

Oct. 31 – Eurasian collared-dove only hunting season opens

Oct. 31 – Pheasant, quail and partridge hunting seasons open

Oct. 31 – Raccoon and Virginia opossum hunting seasons close

Oct. 31 – Bullfrog season closes

Contact Game and Parks at 402-471-0641 or visit OutdoorNebraska.org for more information. Visit HuntSafeNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and BoatSafeNebraska.org for a list of boating safety classes.

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Health Advisory at Two Nebraska State Recreation Areas

September 21, 2015 Leave a comment


A health advisory is in effect for lakes at two Nebraska state recreation areas.

During testing earlier this week, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) detected elevated levels of toxic algae at Pawnee Lake in Lancaster County, and at Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County. Both beaches at Pawnee Lake and the beach at Willow Creek Lake are closed to swimming. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission recommends visitors avoid ingesting water and keep pets out of the water. Fishing and boating are permitted at both areas.

More information on algae levels at lakes statewide can be found on the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality website, deq.state.ne.us

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Missouri River Outdoor Expo This Weekend

September 18, 2015 Leave a comment


Come to the 11th annual Missouri River Outdoor Expo at Ponca State Park Sept. 19 and 20.

This annual free event allows families and those interested in spending time in nature to try their hand at all sorts of outdoor activities including kayaking, archery, outdoor cooking, camping, shooting sports and much more. Those who attend can also see various archery and shooting sports exhibitions, wildlife programs and much more. More information about this year’s event is available online.

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Tips for Safe and Successful Fall Turkey Hunt

September 18, 2015 Leave a comment


Nebraska’s fall turkey season is now open, and hunters are taking to the woods and fields for a chance to fill their tags.

“Because toms and hens are both fair game during the fall season in Nebraska, it might make it a little easier to bag a bird, but this fact can make it even more important that hunters keep their eyes open and be certain of their targets before firing,” said Wendy Horine, hunter education coordinator for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Horine has the following additional suggestions to make a fall turkey hunt safe and successful:

Dress the Part – Fall turkey hunting requires a slightly different camouflage scheme than spring, in most cases. Since the woods and fields are loaded with browns, gold and yellows, keep these colors in mind when choosing camouflage. Avoid red, blue or white – the colors of a tom turkey’s head.

Camouflage Everything – Just because the temperatures are dipping doesn’t mean a turkey’s eyesight is any less keen. Be sure to properly camouflage guns, bows and other equipment, including arrow shafts, and use caution in selecting colors.

Make Sure Other Hunters Know You Are There – While you might find it frustrating to give away your position, make sure to call out, not wave, if another hunter approaches.

Take Care When Using Decoys and Calls – Although designed to lure in the birds, decoys and calls can also attract other hunters. Make sure this doesn’t happen by watching for other hunters. In addition, don’t position decoys where your location would be a direct shot for a miss from another hunter’s rifle or bow.

Follow Basic Safety Rules – Remember to treat every firearm as if it’s loaded. Never point your gun at anything you don’t intend to shoot. Keep your finger off of the trigger until you’re ready to fire. Always identify your target and what is beyond it.

Fall turkey hunting can be one of the best times in the woods. Playing it safe and using smart tactics can make it even more enjoyable. The season closes Jan. 31, 2016.

Purchase turkey permits at OutdoorNebraska.org.

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Don’t be Confused by Moose When Hunting

September 15, 2015 Leave a comment


With moose being reported throughout the Panhandle in recent months, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is urging hunters this fall to be certain of their target before taking a shot.

Moose can be similar in appearance to other big game animals. Elk hunters especially will want to study game closely before firing a shot or releasing an arrow.

Since this spring, moose have occasionally been reported at locations from the western edge of the Panhandle eastward to Bridgeport and Sidney, and now farther north. The latest moose report was early this week — that of a young bull near Crawford in the northwest corner of the state.

Game and Parks officials also remind people to keep their distance from any moose they may encounter as some have been known to become aggressive.

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