LINCOLN, Neb. – Deer harvest during the 2019 November firearm season in Nebraska is 2% ahead last year’s pace. During the nine-day season, there were 43,346 deer taken, compared to 42,466 in 2018.

Mule deer buck harvest decreased 9%, with 7,172 taken, compared to 7,925 in 2018. The average age of mule deer bucks is very good, with 50% of bucks at age 3 or older; the all-time high was 52% in 2018. Only 11% percent of the bucks were yearling bucks, which is an all-time low.

Whitetail buck harvest is up almost 8%, with 24,273 adult whitetail bucks harvested, compared to 22,562 in 2018. The average age of whitetail bucks also increased, with 40% of whitetail bucks estimated at age 3 or older, up from 37% in 2018.

Biologists also collected lymph nodes for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing from more than 1,500 deer in Panhandle and northeast management units. Results should be available within the next two weeks. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will only notify a hunter if his or her deer tested positive for CWD.

Archery and muzzleloader seasons close Dec. 31. The late antlerless season ends Jan. 15.

Hunters are reminded that mule deer does are protected in many management units and public lands across the state. Refer to the 2019 Big Game Guide for details.

Hunters who wish to donate venison can use the Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) and Deer Exchange programs. As of Dec. 4, Oakland Meat Processing in Oakland and Kelley’s Custom Pack in North Platte have limited processing abilities, so hunters should call ahead. Go to OutdoorNebraska.org for more details and to make cash donations to HHH.

Also, the Antlerless Hunter Database is a new online tool that connects hunters who wish to harvest antlerless deer with landowners who are experiencing damage from deer on their property. Visit OutdoorNebraska.gov/AntlerlessHunterDatabase for more information.

Game and Parks and Southeast Community College to offer turkey hunting course

LINCOLN, Neb. – Join Nebraska Game and Parks Commission professionals and local hunting experts to learn the basics of turkey hunting at a Southeast Community College course.

Held at the college’s Hebron campus, the non-credit course, Learn to Hunt – Turkey, will be held Feb. 3, 10, 17 and 24 from 6-8 p.m., and is presented by Nebraska Game and Parks in partnership with Southeast Community College. Instructors will cover turkey habitat, equipment, what to wear, how to call birds in, and how to properly clean and process birds.

Adults who register may bring a youth age 12 and older with them at no additional cost, and registered youth age 12 and older may also bring an adult with them for free. Those who complete the course may attend a mentored turkey hunt.

Registration for the class is $59. Space is limited. To register, visit southeast.edu/continuing and search using the keyword “Hunt.”

Schramm Education Center to offer monthly speaker series

LINCOLN, Neb. – Guests to Schramm Education Center will soon have the opportunity to attend the Schramm Sunday Speaker Series, a monthly program featuring experts on the natural and cultural history of Nebraska.

The series is free and open to the public, and is designed to encourage lifelong learning for all ages and to promote conversations that facilitate scientific literacy. The spring schedule is:

-- Birding by Ear, Jan. 19: Jason St. Sauver, director of education and outreach at Audubon Nebraska, will discuss tips on improving your bird song and sound identification, with sample sounds from local Nebraska birds.

-- Wild Bees of Nebraska, Feb. 16: Hear from Bumble Bee Conservation Specialist Katie Lamke of the Xerces Society about the diversity of wild bees in Nebraska, and how to take a role in pollinator conservation.

-- People Powered Science, March 15: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Watchable Wildlife Biologist Alie Mayes will share how people who love science and the natural world can contribute to scientific research in Nebraska and across the globe.

-- Geology Underfoot: Rocks of Schramm Park and Global Connections, April 19: Rocks that outcrop at Schramm Park State Recreation Area record a snapshot in geological time. Learn more at this presentation by Dr. David Harwood, professor and research scientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The speaker series will be held on the third Sunday of every month from 2-3 p.m. All presentations are free, and are located in the center’s classroom, accessible through the west entrance. Visitors who wish to also tour Schramm Education Center will need to pay admission and enter through the main entrance. No park permit is required in the center’s parking lot.

Schramm Education Center is located at 21502 W Highway 31 in Gretna. For more information contact Amber Schiltz at amber.schiltz@nebraska.gov or 402-332-5022.