Youth ages 11-15 may register for the Ash Hollow Youth Mentored Waterfowl Hunt, scheduled for Oct. 22 at Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area near Lewellen.

In addition to an afternoon hunt, this daylong event includes learning stations, lunch, door prizes and raffles. There will be a drawing for a youth lifetime hunt permit.

Hunters, who must have completed a hunter education course, will be mentored by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission conservation officers. Space is limited to 25 hunters.

Youth must register by contacting Tamara Cooper at Ash Hollow State Historical Park at 308-778-7708 or [email protected].

Hunter check-in begins at 8 a.m. at the Clear Creek WMA office. Then they will go through the following learning stations: firearm safety, decoy placement, zones of fire, blind safety, duck calling, trap shooting, dog demonstration, boating skills and safety, and waterfowl identification.

This free event is sponsored by Game and Parks’ Law Enforcement, Wildlife, Parks, and Fish and Wildlife Education divisions.

Game and Parks reminds hunters of changes for fall turkey season

Fall turkey season is approaching quickly and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has some reminders for hunters, as there are several changes in 2023.

The changes concerning this fall season are:

  • The fall turkey season is Oct. 1-Nov. 30.
  • Each hunter may only have one fall permit.
  • The 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. Turkeys may be checked by internet at OutdoorNebraska.gov/hunt/telecheck/ or by phone at 1-844-279-4564. This information will be on the permit.

Permits, which are valid statewide, may be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.gov and at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission permitting offices.

To improve their chances at success this fall season, turkey hunters should be scouting as much as possible.

There are more than a million acres of publicly accessible lands throughout Nebraska. The 2023-2024 Public Access Atlas identifies and consolidates these lands for hunters. Also, 374,000 acres of private lands enrolled in Game and Parks’ Open Fields and Waters Program are included in the atlas. The atlas is available online at OutdoorNebraska.gov in several formats: interactive atlas map, offline atlas (mobile-friendly), digital flipbook and Google Earth KMZ files.

Stay up to date on all the turkey regulations by reading the 2023 Turkey Guide at OutdoorNebraska.gov/guides-maps/.

Buffalo Bill SHP, SRA closed because of evacuation

Buffalo Bill State Historical Park and State Recreation Area in North Platte are closed until further notice; a train car fire in Bailey Yard along U.S. Highway 30 is producing toxic smoke in the area.

Authorities are evacuating between Splinter and Front roads along U.S. Highway 30 north of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The two Nebraska Game and Parks Commission parks are located in this zone.

Wind speeds are 10 mph and blowing the toxic smoke southwest from the incident, the North Platte Telegraph reported.

The fire is south of U.S. Highway 30 between mile marker 170 and 172 near the west hump in Bailey Yard.

Buffalo Bill SHP, SRA open again after fire, evacuation

Buffalo Bill State Historical Park and State Recreation Area in North Platte have reopened for business.

A train car fire Thursday produced toxic smoke in the area and resulted in an evacuation. The fire is out and the evacuation has ended.

The fire occurred in a car in Bailey Yard along U.S. Highway 30. Authorities evacuated people between Splinter and Front roads along U.S. Highway 30 north of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The two Nebraska Game and Parks Commission parks are located in this zone.