LINCOLN – Prepare for the upcoming firearm deer seasons by attending one of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s two deer hunting workshops this month.
The free workshops will be held Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln and Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Chalco Hills Natural Resources Center in Omaha.
Both workshops are open to anyone interested in deer hunting, regardless of skill level. Game and Parks specialists will discuss strategies, equipment, biology, techniques and other topics that should increase the success and enjoyment of a hunt.
Space is limited, so early registration is required. Register at HuntSafeNebraska.com. For more information, contact Aaron Hershberger at402-471-6144 or [email protected]
Tag: Hunting
Special Deer Hunts at Mahoney SP, Platte River SP, Schramm Park SRA
LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is offering special antlerless deer hunting opportunities within Eugene T. Mahoney and Platte River state parks (SP), as well as Schramm Park State Recreation Area (SRA).
Successful applicants will be issued a special access permit that allows them to hunt antlerless deer in designated areas of a park on certain dates, using specific equipment. Successful applicants and interested alternates must attend an orientation session in order to receive the access permit.
Applications, limited to one per person, will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Oct. 31. If more applications are received than can be accommodated, a drawing will be held Nov. 5.
Hunters may obtain an application at OutdoorNebraska.org or by calling Mahoney SP at 402-944-2523, ext. 7122, Platte River SP at 402-234-2217, Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium at 402-332-3901 or the Lincoln district Game and Parks office at 402-471-5597. Individual, mentor and buddy applications are available.
Legal equipment at Mahoney and Platte River state parks are archery and muzzleloaders. The legal equipment at Schramm Park SRA is archery.
In addition to the appropriate deer permit and habitat stamp, hunters must have the access permit, as well as a park entry permit for each vehicle entering the park.
The following are the hunting opportunities, with park, legal equipment and dates:
Mahoney SP, Platte River SP – archery, Dec. 1-4, Dec. 8-11, Dec. 15-18
Mahoney SP, Platte River SP – muzzleloader, Jan. 5-8, Jan. 12-15
Schramm Park SRA – archery, Dec. 1-4, Dec. 8-11, Dec. 15-18, Jan. 5-8, Jan. 12-15
Successful applicants will be assigned a hunting period at a park, according to their preference, and they will be assigned to zones or tree stands. Hunting sites for the disabled hunters will be available at Mahoney SP.
Only antlerless deer will be allowed for harvest. Appropriate deer permits for archery hunters are: statewide archery, antlerless-only Season Choice Wahoo or statewide youth. Muzzleloader hunters must have either an antlerless-only Season Choice Wahoo or a statewide youth permit. Some permits are limited and may sell out prior to these park hunts.
Orientation sessions will be Nov. 25 at Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium for archers andDec. 16 for muzzleloaders. Both begin at 7 p.m. For more information, contact the Lincoln district office or the parks.
NWTF Sponsors National Hunting and Fishing Day
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) encourages everyone to participate in National Hunting and Fishing Day by introducing new individuals to the variety of outdoor opportunities available this weekend.
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On Saturday, Sept. 27, NWTF-sponsored National Hunting and Fishing Day events will take place across the country allowing the general public to experience hunting, fishing and shooting sports while learning about America’s conservation successes.
“Our country has a rich heritage of hunting and fishing and National Hunting and Fishing Day helps celebrate the tradition,” said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. “Invite someone to join you. If you have no experience in the outdoors, step outside your comfort zone and find an event near you. You may be surprised to find out the important role that hunters and anglers play in the conservation of our wildlife and other natural resources.”
The NWTF Hunting Heritage Programs — JAKES, Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin’ Sportsmen — host events throughout the year to help people of all ages and experience levels enjoy a day outdoors. NWTF events feature expert instructors who guide participants in the safe participation of a wide range of activities, including shooting, archery and fishing. To find an NWTF Hunting Heritage event in your area, visit www.nwtf.org/in_your_state.
Outdoorsmen and women are responsible for the majority of conservation funding. The NWTF realizes the introduction and creation of hunters through National Hunting and Fishing Day events and NWTF Hunting Heritage Programs will ensure the future of our habitat and wildlife.
The NWTF Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative is a charge that mobilizes science, fundraising and devoted volunteers to give the NWTF more energy and purpose than ever. Through this national initiative, NWTF has committed to raising $1.2 billion to conserve or enhance more than 4 million acres of essential upland wildlife habitat, create at least 1.5 million hunters and open access to 500,000 acres for hunting, shooting and outdoor enjoyment. Without hunters, there will be no wildlife or habitat. The NWTF is determined to Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt.
To learn more about the NWTF Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative, visit www.nwtf.org.
Dove Season Opens in Nebraska
LINCOLN – The statewide dove hunting season opened in Nebraska on Sept. 1 and will run through Oct. 30.
The daily bag and possession limits are 15 and 45, respectively. Bag limits are for mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared doves in aggregate.
Nebraska residents 16 years and older and all nonresidents are required to have a valid Nebraska hunting permit, habitat stamp and Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. Register at nehip.com, OutdoorNebraska.org/HIP, at any Nebraska Game and Parks Commission district office or by phone at 1-877-NEHUNTS. Hunter education certification is required for some hunters.
Dove hunters who find a leg band on a dove should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banding office at 1-800-327-BAND or report it at reportband.gov. In addition, randomly selected hunters will be asked to save one wing from each dove during the first week of the season and mail the wings postage-free to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Nebraska Waterfowl, Crow Seasons May be Set
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Game and Parks commissioners are scheduled to consider recommendations for this year’s crow and waterfowl seasons at their meeting in Grand Island on Friday.
Commissioners also will consider the department’s operating and capital improvement budget request for fiscal years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 and a recommendation to allow hunting in some state parks and state historical parks.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at the Fairfield Inn and Suites, 805 Allen Drive, Grand Island.
Pheasant Show Some Improvement in 2014, Quail Outlook Good
LINCOLN – Nebraska pheasant hunting opportunities in 2014 should be on par with last year or slightly better, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s upland game hunting outlook.
The consensus among Game and Parks’ field staff is that habitat conditions have improved across most of the state, providing suitable nesting and brood-rearing habitat for pheasants. However, spring storms seem to have negatively impacted pheasant hatch. Replacement nests for those lost to these early storms might yet compensate for some of the losses.
Pheasant populations are beginning to recover from the drought of 2012-2013. The southwest and Panhandle regions should have the best hunting opportunities. The abundance of pheasants in the southwest should be similar to 2013 but still lower than before the drought. Habitat loss in the eastern part of the state continues to be a concern, particularly east of U.S. Highway 81.
The outlook is based on spring and summer upland game surveys, and conditions reported by biologists. Regional weather events that could impact populations are considered.
Bobwhite quail abundance was higher across the state based on surveys and field observations. Southeast Nebraska, especially Johnson, Pawnee and Richardson counties, should offer the best opportunities for hunting quail, but conditions should be good rangewide.
Abundance of grouse is higher in the Sandhills and central part of the state than in any other region and is higher than 2013 in both regions. Cottontail abundance is higher overall than in 2013, with the highest abundance in the northeast and central parts of the state, where the best hunting opportunities should exist.
To view the full report, visit OutdoorNebraska.org, then click on Hunting, Upland Game, and Forecast.
Nebraska Game and Parks Issues Pheasant Outlook
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska game officials say pheasant hunting in the state this year should be on a par with last year or slightly better.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s upland game hunting outlook says habitat conditions have improved across most of the state. But spring storms seem to have harmed the pheasant hatch. Pheasant populations are beginning to recover from the drought of 2012-2013.
The commission says bobwhite quail numbers are up across the state, and the number of grouse is higher in the sandhills and central part of the state than in any other region.
To view the full report, go online at OutdoorNebraska.org and click on Hunting, Upland Game, and Forecast.
Dove Hunting Season Just Around Corner
LINCOLN – Dove hunting season begins soon and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has some reminders for those hunters, as well as recommendations for areas to hunt.
Doves may be hunted statewide. The season is Sept. 1-Oct. 30, with daily bag and possession limits of 15 and 30, respectively. Bag limits are for mourning, white-winged and Eurasian collared doves in aggregate.
Nebraska residents 16 years and older and all nonresidents are required to have a valid Nebraska hunting permit, habitat stamp and Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. Register at nehip.com, OutdoorNebraska.org/HIP, at any Game and Parks district office or by phone at 1-877-NEHUNTS. Hunter education certification is required for some hunters.
Dove hunters who find a leg band on a dove should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banding office at 1-800-327-BAND or report it at reportband.gov. In addition, randomly selected hunters will be asked to save one wing from each dove during the first week of the season and mail the wings postage-free to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Sunflower, millet or wheat, which generally provides good dove-hunting opportunities, have been planted at the following wildlife management areas (WMA) across the state. Planting and weather conditions may have reduced seed production in some plots:
North-central – Pine Glen, Thomas Creek, Bobcat, Plum Creek, Calamus Reservoir and Myrtle Hall
Northeast – Oak Valley, Wood Duck, Black Island, George Syas, Don Dworak and Elk Point Bend
Southeast – Branched Oak, Yankee Hill, Little Salt Creek West, Olive Creek, Little Salt Creek, Helmuth, Wildwood, Pawnee, Twin Lakes, Stagecoach, Osage, Kansas Bend, Peru Bottoms, Schilling, Rake’s Creek and Tobacco Island
Southwest – Cedar Valley, Wapiti, Clear Creek, Red Willow, Medicine Creek, Swanson Reservoir and Enders
South-central – Alexandria, Alexandria SW, Flathead, Little Blue, Little Blue East, Rose Creek, Rose Creek West, Arrowhead, Diamond Lake, Divorky Acres, Dry Sandy, Meridian and Sacramento-Wilcox
No fields were planted specifically for doves at Panhandle WMAs, but Buffalo Creek, Bordeaux Creek, Chadron Creek and Cedar Canyon provide good hunting opportunities around ponds or water sites.
Other WMAs throughout the state can provide good dove hunting opportunities, depending on local conditions. Contact the nearest Game and Parks office for area-specific information.
Eurasian collared doves may be harvested Oct. 31-Aug. 31. The daily bag and possession limits are 15 and 30, respectively.
Game and Parks, UNL to Survey Hunters About Public Land Use in 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 begin a three-year survey of 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 gained from the surveys to improve opportunities and access on existing public hunting lands, as well as to help guide future land purchases. Hunters’ participation in the survey is voluntary, but they are encouraged to share their experiences and opinions.
“Hunters are important conservation partners, and we want to ensure that they have ample hunting opportunities in Nebraska,” said Karie Decker, assistant wildlife division administrator for Game and Parks. “Learning more about how hunters use and perceive public lands is a critical component of making sure our hunters have quality places to hunt.”
The research is funded by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Restoration Grant administered by Game and Parks. More information on the project is available at FishHunt.unl.edu.
Archery Deer Season Opens Earlier in 2014
LINCOLN – Archery deer hunting season opens Sept. 1 in Nebraska.
The early opener was requested by archery hunters to allow hunting of deer when bucks are still in velvet. Opening day had been Sept. 15 for the past 35 years.
“For those who don’t mind hunting what could be warm days, with lots of leafy vegetation, this is a good time to be out in the woods, when hunter numbers can be expected to be low,” said Kit Hams, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s big game program manager.
The archery deer season runs through Dec. 31. Archery permits are valid statewide, with restrictions, and unlimited in number. The permit bag limit is one deer of any kind. To purchase permits or view the 2014 Big Game Guide, visit OutdoorNebraska.org.