LINCOLN, Neb. – Rainbow trout are being stocked in city ponds and state park and recreation area lakes across the state by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. These stockings will enhance fishing opportunities this fall and winter.

Cutthroat and tiger trout stockings also are scheduled for a select number of water bodies.

Stocking schedules can change on short notice for a variety of reasons. The following is a tentative rainbow trout stocking schedule, including quantities:

Week of Sept. 27 – Fort Robinson State Park ponds: Lower Ice House, 500; Middle Ice House, 250; Cherry Creek, 250; Grabel No. 2, 1,200; Grabel No. 3, 650

Week of Oct. 4 – Humphrey Pond, Ogallala – 600; Bridgeport State Recreation Area middle lake – 2,000; Laing Lake, Alliance – 1,500; Bridgeport SRA northwest lake – 1,400; Lake Carter P. Johnson, Fort Robinson SP – 2,500; Elm Creek, Webster County – 1,000

Week of Oct. 11 – Northwest: North Morrill pond – 2,250; Middle Morrill pond – 450; South Morrill pond – 400; Riverside Park Pond, Scottsbluff – 900

Southwest: Holdrege City Lake – 1,800; Fort Kearny SRA No. 6 – 1,080; Curtis golf course pond – 150; Oxford City Lake – 300

Northeast: Crystal Cove Lake, South Sioux City – 2,500; Ta-Ha-Zouka Park Lake, Norfolk – 1,500; Pawnee Park west pond, Columbus – 1,500; Fremont Lakes SRA No. 2 – 3,000; Niobrara State Park Pond – 750

Southeast: Fontenelle Park Pond, Omaha – 1,200; Benson Park Pond, Omaha – 1,050; Hanscom Park Pond, Omaha – 450; Towl Park Pond, Omaha – 300; Lake Halleck, Papillion – 1,200; Steinhart Park Pond, Nebraska City – 800; Weeping Water Park Pond – 1,500

Week of Oct. 18 – Southwest: Lake Helen, Gothenburg – 1,900; Windmill SRA No. 2, Gibbon – 540; Plum Creek Park Pond, Lexington – 675

Northeast: Grove Lake Wildlife Management Area, Royal – 1,500; Fremont Lakes SRA No. 2 – 500

Southeast: David City Park Pond – 600

Week of Oct. 25 – Northwest: Bessey Pond, Halsey – 600

Southwest: Birdwood WMA, North Platte – 2,500; Heartwell Park Lake, Hastings – 810; Suck’s Lake, Grand Island – 585; Ansley City Pond – 750; Central Nebraska Veterans’ Home pond, Kearney – 200

Northeast: Auble Pond, Ord – 1,000

Southeast: Wilber Reservoir No. 1 – 300; Bowling Lake (south pond), Lincoln – 400; Holmes Lake, Lincoln – 3,000; CenturyLink Lake, Eugene T. Mahoney SP – 1,500; Optimist Lake, Auburn – 800; Stanton Lake, Falls City – 200; Pawnee City Park Lake – 300; Humboldt City Park Lake – 600; Melham Park Lake, Broken Bow – 750

The Lake Ogallala fall rainbow trout stocking will take place in early November.

Game and Parks also stocked cutthroat trout the week of Sept. 27 at: White River, Fort Robinson SP – 750; Lake Carter P. Johnson, Fort Robinson SP – 950; Bridgeport SRA middle lake – 1,000; Alliance golf course pond – 300; Grove Lake WMA sandpit, Royal – 50.

Tiger trout, a hybrid of the brown trout and the brook trout, will be stocked the week of Oct. 11 at the Curtis golf course pond (300) and the week of Oct. 25 at Rock Creek Lake, Parks (1,000) and the Chadron State Park Pond (500).

Fishing for trout is a great way to introduce children to fishing because simple and inexpensive equipment may be used. A spinning or spin-cast rod and reel with a hook baited with a worm will work well. Add a split shot a couple of feet above the hook and a bobber a couple of feet above the split shot. Spinners, salmon eggs, dough baits and artificial flies also can catch trout.

If you are just getting into fishing, a helpful resource is Game and Parks’ Going Fishing Guide, available at OutdoorNebraska.gov/howtofish. For information on Fish Stocking, including the dates pf upcoming trout stocking, OutdoorNebraska.gov/fishstockingreports.

Visit OutdoorNebraska.gov/fishing for more information on fishing in Nebraska.

Hunters urged to stay safe in the field this season

LINCOLN, Neb. – Another action-packed hunting season has begun, and hunters are excited, but safety should be first and foremost.

Hunters should remember these key steps to ensure safety for them and those around them.

Firearm safety rules

Many dove and teal hunts are in a group setting with friends and family. Be sure to know where everyone is located. Establish shooting lanes and do not swing your firearm outside of your safe zone of fire. Be in constant communication with your group.

Nebraska Hunter Education Coordinator Jackson Ellis said nearly all firearm incidents can be prevented by following four rules:

• Control the muzzle, ensuring that a firearm never is pointed in an unsafe direction.

• Keep your finger out of the trigger guard and away from the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

• Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.

• Be sure of your target, and what is beyond it.

“Whether you miss your target or the bullet travels through it, be sure that your target has a safe backstop behind it to stop the bullet,” Ellis said. “Never shoot a rifle at sky-lined game, or toward water, a roadway, house or feedlot, or at sounds or movement through brush. Make sure to identify your target as legal game before aiming and shooting.”

Tree stand safety rules

Many archers choose to hunt deer from an elevated position for a multitude of reasons, but these heights do include some necessary safety precautions.

• Don’t hang stands alone; bring a friend or family member to help.

• Ensure that your straps connecting the stand and ladder to the tree are in good shape and aren’t frayed or torn.

• Always wear a safety harness when hanging stands and hunting. Read the instructions and make sure the harness is sized correctly. Use a lifeline to ensure you’re connected from the time you first step off the ground until you return.

• Use a haul line to bring your bow or firearm into the tree after you climb up and get situated. Never climb with your bow or firearm in your hands.

• Always use the “three-points-of-contact” rule when climbing the tree.

Sen. Fischer supports bipartisan bill to benefit wildlife

LINCOLN, Nebraska — Sen. Deb Fischer has signed onto a bipartisan wildlife conservation bill, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which will dedicate $1.4 billion annually to locally-led efforts to help at-risk wildlife species in Nebraska and nationwide.

Approximately $17 million would go to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and be used to implement its wildlife action plan, a cooperation with organizations and landowners interested in financial and technical assistance to address conservation concerns and improve fish and wildlife habitat. Private lands could receive funds for efforts that focus on Nebraska’s species of greatest conservation need and maintain diverse ecosystems, such as the Sandhills and other important grasslands.

Roughly 770 local at-risk species would benefit – including long-billed curlews, swift fox and Blanding’s turtles.

Several wildlife conservation organizations expressed their gratitude for Fischer’s support of the bill, a historic effort bringing together fish and wildlife agencies, businesses, organizations and landowners for common goals.

“We thank Sen. Fischer for co-sponsoring this landmark bipartisan effort,” said Nebraska Game and Parks Director Jim Douglas. “This bill provides needed funding for the conservation and care of all of Nebraska’s fish and wildlife through collaborative, voluntary efforts among private landowners and our many partners. This funding source will help recover at-risk species and ensure future generations can enjoy thriving fish and wildlife populations.”

The Nebraska Audubon Society noted the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would be an important part of how it responds to the three billion birds lost over 50 years in North America due to a variety of factors, including loss of nesting habitat. That loss has negatively impacted grassland birds particularly.

“The dedicated funding provided in this bill will use practical solutions that are a good fit in Nebraska,” said Kristal Stoner, vice president and executive director in Nebraska for the National Audubon Society. “It is critical to proactively conserve vulnerable species, such as the Sandhill crane, golden eagle and greater prairie-chicken. We thank Sen. Fischer for her leadership.”

Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, echoed that sentiment.

“Saving the thousands of at-risk wildlife species requires bold, bipartisan leadership and unprecedented collaboration,” O’Mara said. “We are so grateful to Sen. Fischer for leading the way on the historic Recovering America’s Wildlife Act that will have an immediate impact – saving species and creating jobs in Nebraska and all across the country.”

Federally recognized tribal nations, such as the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, would share $97.5 million annually to fund wildlife conservation efforts on tribal lands.

Representative Jeff Fortenberry is one of the lead sponsors of the House version of the legislation, and Representative Don Bacon is among the more than 100 bipartisan supporters of the bill.

For more information on the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, visit NWF.org.

Variety of events help celebrate Nebraska Reptile Month

LINCOLN, Neb. – October is Nebraska Reptile Month. By a proclamation from Gov. Pete Ricketts, Nebraska is recognizing the month as Nebraska Reptile Awareness Month.

Reptiles benefit Nebraska by maintaining rodent and insect populations, serving as biological indicators of ecosystem health, and are predator and prey and aid in energy flow in a variety of habitats.

The following are a few events in October to celebrate the proclamation:

Nebraska Reptile Month K-12 Art Contest continues

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is hosting the Nebraska Reptile Month K-12 Art Contest, in which young artists in those grades may submit their original artwork of a Nebraska native reptile.

Artists may submit their work at outdoornebraska.gov/reptileart through Oct. 18. Each student who submits a photo of artwork will receive reptile swag.

Winners from each grade level, selected by Game and Parks staff, will be showcased at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Hardin Hall on National Reptile Awareness Day, Oct. 21.

To learn more about Nebraska’s native reptile species, or for inspiration for artwork, visit outdoornebraska.org/reptiles. For more information, email [email protected].

Snacks and Facts virtual series to discuss reptiles

Learn about reptiles over your lunch hour. Snacks and Facts is a virtual learning series from 12:30-1:20 p.m. every Tuesday in October

Since October is Nebraska Reptile Month, Game and Parks will discuss an array of topics about the state’s native reptile species. The schedule and topics: Oct. 12 – Reptile defenses; Oct. 19 – Reptile communication; Oct. 26 – Reptile conservation.

Registration is required. Get the link by visiting the calendar event listing at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov. Email [email protected] for more information.

Reptile Craft Night at Cosmic Eye Brewing is Oct. 13

Game and Parks, in celebration of Nebraska Reptile Month, is co-hosting Reptile Craft Night at Cosmic Eye Brewing Company in Lincoln at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13.

The first 100 participants, with a purchase from Cosmic Eye, may paint a wooden snake, then enter them in the Reptile Month Art Contest.

Game and Parks will have a few live snakes on hand from which participants can gain inspiration for their work.

Email [email protected] for more information.

Nebraska Nature Nerd Night to discuss venomous snakes

Venom is one of nature’s most powerful weapons and is found across the animal world. Join Nebraska Nature Nerd Night at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 for a virtual chat with herpetologists Dennis Ferraro and Chris Visser about venomous snakes.

Learn how these snakes got their venom, how venom works, and how venom can be useful for humans in the field of medicine.

The event is part of the monthly Nebraska Nature Nerd Night virtual series for curious adults. These webinars, on the third Tuesday of each month, explore the secrets and science of nature through storytelling and conversation.

Registration is required. See the calendar event entry at calendar.outdoornebraska.gov for the registration link or more information. Questions for the guest may be submitted during registration.

Halloween festivities planned at Fort Robinson

CRAWFORD, Neb. — Horse-drawn wagon rides, trick-or-treating and a chili feed will highlight the new Haunted Halloween festivities at Fort Robinson State Park on Saturday, Oct. 30. The activities will occur at the park’s Soldier Creek Campground near U.S. Highway 20 from 4:30-7 p.m.

For the trick-or-treaters, the park is planning “Camp & Candy” — an activity in which the public is invited to decorate campsites, campers or other vehicles.

The wagon rides and chili feed will be based at the picnic shelter at the entrance of the campground. The wagon will pass through the decorated campground, splash through the creek and roll past the fort’s historic cemetery.

Those who show up in costume will have a chance to win a prize, and a photo booth will be available for those who would like to have a picture taken and emailed to them.

To reserve a site for “Camp & Candy,” contact the park’s headquarters at 308-665-2900. Site hosts may enhance their creativity with the campground’s electrical connections.

The activities and chili are free of charge but a Nebraska park entry permit is required for vehicles. The permits may be purchased at outdoornebraska.org, the park’s headquarters or other vendors throughout the state.