The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will accept submissions for the 2023 Nebraskaland Magazine photo contest starting Oct. 1.

Submissions should be posted via Instagram using the hashtag #Nebraskland2023. To be eligible for the contest, photos should be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time Oct. 28. Make sure your account is public so judges may view your photo.

Photographers of all ages and skill levels are invited to submit photos in four categories:

  • Wildlife — wild mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish
  • Scenic — in which landmarks, scenery or inanimate objects are prominent
  • Recreation — people enjoying the outdoors through hunting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, skiing or other outdoor activities. No traditional sports images will be accepted.
  • Macro — native wildflowers, foliage, fruiting bodies or other parts of plants and the creepy crawly creatures that inhabit them.

All photos must be taken in Nebraska.

Submissions will be judged by Nebraskaland staff, and winning photos will be published in the January/February 2024 issue of Nebraskaland Magazine. First-, second-, and third-place prizes will be awarded in all categories, and a Best in Show prize also will be awarded.

New this year, entrants are limited to a maximum of six image submissions, and images’ colors and composition must appear as they did when photographed.

Find the complete contest rules at Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov/PhotoContest.

With miles of winding rivers, wide-open vistas and wildlife from border to border, Nebraska is a photographer’s paradise. Each year, Nebraskaland Magazine celebrates the state’s beauty and recognizes the outstanding work of photographers across Nebraska during this annual photo contest.

Learn more about the magazine at NebraskalandMagazine.com.

Dedication of Turpin Outdoor Education Center is Oct. 14

Celebrate the legacy of Dick Turpin by enjoying free time on the archery and firearm ranges at the dedication of the Turpin Outdoor Education Center on Oct. 14 in Lincoln.

Dick Turpin was a legendary Nebraska outdoorsman who loved connecting people to the outdoors. In his 40 years with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Turpin was a conservation officer, hunter education coordinator and chief of law enforcement. Turpin, who retired in 1999, had a passion for inspiring a love of the outdoors in all he met, and he loved spinning masterful stories. He died in 2022.

The dedication of the facility, formerly known as the Nebraska Outdoor Education Center, will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with special remarks at 11 a.m. It is located at 4703 N. 44th St.

Tours of the facility and refreshments will be provided. No personal firearms will be allowed in the firearm range.

The outdoor education center opened in June 2014, and its name change was approved by the commission in summer 2023.

The center is known for its outdoors skills educational programming geared toward youth and adults new to archery, shooting or hunting. The center offers educational classes, day camps, workshops, special events, and instruction for all ages and skill levels. It also has indoor and outdoor archery ranges and an indoor firearm range for those seeking to improve their skill level.

Learn more about the center and the programming it offers at OutdoorNebraska.gov. There, you also can find information on Turpin, whose family, along with Game and Parks, created the Dick Turpin Outdoor Education Memorial Fund after his death to support hunter education and outdoor skills programs across Nebraska. Donate at OutdoorNebraska.gov; search for “Turpin Memorial.”

8 processors accepting Hunters Helping the Hungry donations

Hunters may begin donating deer to the Hunters Helping the Hungry program at eight processor locations around the state.

The participating meat processors are: Amherst – Belschner Custom Meats; Elmwood – Elmwood Meat Plant; Lindsay – Melcher’s Locker; Norfolk – R&M Meats; North Platte – Kelley’s Custom Pack; Pickrell – Pickrell Locker & Smokehouse; Ulysses – The Butchery; and Table Rock – Den’s Country Meats.

Hunters should call to check availability before hunting or delivering a harvest for processing. This includes non-HHH processors.

Hunters pay no processing costs for deer accepted by processors for this donation-driven program.

The HHH program is funded solely by tax-deductible contributions. Once processed, the ground venison is distributed by charitable organizations to Nebraskans in need. Since the program’s inception, more than 900,000 meals have been provided.

Processors accept only whole deer in good condition to ensure a good yield of pure ground venison. Hunters should first talk with processors but may keep antlers, head and cape and donate the rest of the deer.

Learn more about the program or how to support it at OutdoorNebraska.gov, search Hunters Helping the Hungry.

Cottonwood-Steverson WMA boat ramp to close for repairs

The boat ramp at Cottonwood-Steverson Wildlife Management Area, located north of Hyannis in Cherry County, will close temporarily starting Oct. 2 so repairs to the boat ramp may begin.

There has been significant undermining, settlement, and separation of the boat ramp and concrete sidewalk to the point that it needs to be repaired.

Construction is expected to last one week; however, the ramp will remain closed for an additional three weeks or until the concrete has had adequate time to cure and support the weight of vehicle traffic. 

This project is made possible through a Sportfish Restoration grant. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

Apply now for antlerless state park deer hunts

Hunters will have a chance to pursue deer at three state park areas along the lower Platte River this fall and winter.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is offering special antlerless deer hunting opportunities within Eugene T. Mahoney and Platte River state parks and Schramm Park State Recreation Area.

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 before receiving the access permit.

Applications, limited to one per person, will be accepted through 5 p.m. Oct. 31. If more applications are received than can be accommodated, a drawing will be held Nov. 3.

Hunters may obtain an application at OutdoorNebraska.gov or by calling Mahoney SP at 402-944-2523, ext. 7122, Platte River SP at 402-234-2217, Schramm Education Center at 402-332-3901, or the Southeast District Game and Parks office at 402-471-5431. 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.

Hunters must have an appropriate deer permit, habitat stamp and access permit. Each vehicle entering the park is required to have a state park sticker.  

The following are the hunting opportunities, with park, legal equipment and dates:

  • Mahoney SP and Platte River SP – archery, Nov. 27-30, Dec. 4-7, Dec. 11-14, and Dec. 18-21
  • Mahoney SP and Platte River SP – muzzleloader, Jan. 2-4 and Jan. 8-11
  • Schramm Park SRA – archery, Nov. 27-30, Dec. 4-7, Dec. 11-14, Dec. 18-21, Jan. 2-4, and Jan. 8-11

Successful applicants will be assigned a hunting period at a park, according to their preference. Hunting sites for disabled hunters will be available at Mahoney SP.

Only antlerless deer may be harvested. Appropriate deer permits for archery hunters are: Statewide Archery, Antlerless Only Season Choice Wahoo or Statewide Youth. Archery hunting in January at Schramm requires an Antlerless Only Season Choice Wahoo permit; archery tags are not valid. Muzzleloader hunters must have an Antlerless Only Season Choice Wahoo or a Statewide Youth Permit. Some permits are limited and may sell out before these park hunts.

Orientation sessions will be Nov. 22 for archers and Dec. 13 for muzzleloaders. Each session will take place at the Schramm Education Center classroom at 7 p.m.

For more information, call the Southeast District Office or one of the participating parks.