Hunters may begin purchasing 2024 Nebraska fall turkey permits at 1 p.m. Central Time Aug. 12.

A fall turkey permit still is valid statewide, but hunters are reminded of the significant changes that began with the 2023 fall season.

  • Each hunter may only have one fall permit.
  • The fall bag limit allows the take of one turkey of either sex with a shotgun or archery equipment.
  • All turkey harvests must be reported via Telecheck.
  • The fall turkey season is Oct. 1-Nov. 30.

New for 2024, the price of a nonresident turkey permit, including issuing fee, has increased from $128 to $143. The nonresident landowner permit cost rose from $65.50 to $73. All youth turkey permits remain $8.

Visit the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s permitting site, GoOutdoorsNE.com, or a permitting office to purchase permits starting Aug. 12.

For more information on turkey hunting in Nebraska, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov. View the 2024 Turkey Guide on the website.

Leftover big game permits available Aug. 7

Hunters may purchase leftover Nebraska big game permits beginning Aug. 7.

These 2024 permits, which remain from earlier application and purchase periods, may be purchased within permit limits starting at 10 a.m. Central Time. Eligible landowners may purchase any remaining limited landowner permits.

The following permits are available, by species, type and quantity:

Landowner Antelope

Box Butte West, one; Cherry, one; Garden, two; and North Sioux, one.

Landowner Elk

Unit 4 Antlerless Only, one; Unit 6 Antlerless Only, two; and Unit 7 Antlerless Only, one.

General Elk

Unit 10 Antlerless Only Resident, three.

Deer

Calamus West Nonresident, 22; Loup West Nonresident, nine; Statewide Archery Nonresident, 177; Statewide Muzzleloader Nonresident, 75; Buffalo Mule Deer Conservation Area Nonresident, 16; and Upper Platte Nonresident, eight.

Unsold permits will remain available through the close of all seasons.

Purchase available permits at GoOutdoorsNE.com.

Public asked to report dead, sick big game animals

Wildlife officials say conditions in certain areas of Nebraska are suitable for the spread of deadly viral diseases among big game populations. They are asking the public to report unexplained death or illnesses of deer, pronghorn, elk and bighorn sheep.

Observations of unhealthy big game animals or unexplained deaths should be reported to the nearest Nebraska Game and Parks Commission office. Locations include Alliance, Bassett, Kearney, Gretna, North Platte, Lincoln, Omaha and Norfolk.

In big game animals, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, often causes high fever, internal bleeding, swelling, lesions, lethargy, increased heart rate, dehydration, salivation, incoordination and loss of fear of humans. The symptoms and spread are similar to bluetongue disease, another disorder that can kill certain wildlife and affect livestock.

Both are hemorrhagic diseases and indistinguishable without laboratory analysis. While the diseases do not affect humans, they can be destructive to big game populations.

The diseases are most prevalent in late summer until the first frost. For EHD and bluetongue, tiny midges or gnats bite a host and move the virus to nearby animals. When animals congregate at water during drought, the insects have potential to spread the virus to more animals. Additionally, infected animals often seek water for relief and die in or near it.

Most of Nebraska has received ample rain this summer, but the Aug. 1 report from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows conditions in portions of southwestern Nebraska and the western Panhandle range from abnormally dry to severe drought.

For contact information and more details about wildlife diseases, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Cowboy Trail closing for repairs near Long Pine

Starting Aug. 7, the Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail will close temporarily for approximately 1.5 miles starting at Long Pine to repair damage caused by the 2019 flood.

The project will involve repairing the existing embankment and installing new culverts along the trail. The trail segment, from Main Street in Long Pine to 440th Avenue east of the city, is anticipated to re-open this November.

Eastbound through traffic may take Main Street in Long Pine north to U.S. Highway 20, use the shoulder to detour 1.5 miles east to 440th Avenue, then ride south approximately a quarter mile to find the trail again.

The trail closure is available online on our Nebraska State Park Trails map; find it at OutdoorNebraska.gov/guides-maps/maps/.

Beginning in Norfolk and spanning 321 miles west to Chadron, the Cowboy Trail is one of the largest Rails-to-Trails projects in the United States. The trail is developed between Norfolk and Valentine, consisting of 187 miles of crushed limestone surfacing. Recently, an additional 15 miles of trail has been developed between Gordon and Rushville, which is now open. See more about the Cowboy Trail at OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Hunters Helping the Hungry looking for processors

Meat processors have until Sept. 1 to apply for participation in the charitable Hunters Helping the Hungry program for 2024-2025, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The program pays participating processors to accept and process deer donated by hunters. This program serves Nebraskans in need as processors deliver ground venison to participating food banks.

The application form is available at OutdoorNebraska.gov/HHH. Processors can apply to participate in any or all the Nebraska 2024-2025 deer hunting seasons.

Contact Jordyn Riha at 402-471-5431 or [email protected] for more information.

Game and Parks wins 17 awards at annual ACI conference

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission earned 17 awards at the Association for Conservation Information annual conference July 22-26 in Arlington, Virginia. The awards recognized excellence in outreach, education and communications for the prior year.

ACI is a nonprofit organization of natural resources communicators representing wildlife conservation and parks and natural resource agencies. Its annual awards contest recognizes excellence and promotes craft improvement through peer critiques.

The awards are:

First place

  • Communications Campaign: Marketing, for Beneath Nebraska Skies, state parks promotion, by Jane Gustafson, creative team, and Swanson Russell.
  • Conservation Post of the Year, for Conservation Officer Screech Owl Rescue, Kristin Carder and Hunter Pearson.
  • Education, for Nebraska Nature Nerd Trivia, Monica Macoubrie.
  • Graphics: Advertising/Display, for Track Chair Trailer wrap, by Tim Reigert.
  • Magazine: Destination, Historical or Cultural Article, for The Last Relic (Nebraskaland July 2023 edition), by Eric Fowler.
  • Photography: People, for Foggy Fishing, by Eric Fowler.
  • Photography: Studio/Enhanced, for Milky Way Pine, by Eric Fowler.
  • Video Feature: Natural Resource Conservation, for Riverine Wetlands of Nebraska, a video project produced by the Platte Basin Timelapse Project and Nebraska Game and Parks.
  • Video Feature: Outdoor Recreation, for Urban Wetlands of Nebraska, a video project produced by the Platte Basin Timelapse Project and Nebraska Game and Parks.

Third place

  • Best Social Media Campaign, for Wetlands of Nebraska, a collaborative campaign with the Platte Basin Timelapse Project and Nebraska Game and Parks.
  • Calendar, for the 2024 Nebraskaland Calendar by graphic designer Tim Reigert and photographers Eric Fowler, Jeff Kurrus and Justin Haag.
  • Education, for Reptileology Magazine, by Monica Macoubrie and Donna Schimonitz.
  • One-time Publication: Book/Report, for Focus on the Future Strategic Plan, by Mel Severin and Game and Parks leadership.
  • Photography: Scenic, for Sandhills Fog: Ethereal Embrace, by Justin Haag.
  • Poster, for Nebraska Reptile Diversity Poster, by Monica Macoubrie.
  • Video Feature: Natural Resource Conservation, for Saline Wetlands of Nebraska, a video project produced by the Platte Basin Timelapse Project and Nebraska Game and Parks.
  • Website, for OutdoorNebraska.gov by Shawna Richter-Ryerson, Kristin Carder, Mel Severin, Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley, Renae Blum and Jaclyn Vogt.

“Connecting Nebraskans to conservation and outdoor recreation is essential to our mission,” said Christy Firestone, Game and Parks’ communications director. “Our talented and enthusiastic team works in creative ways to educate, engage and inform people about natural resources, and ways to get involved in conservation and have fun in the outdoors.”