OUTDOORS NOTES
Pheasant-release sites hunters were targeting Pheasant chances on 14 select wildlife bobwhites. According to will keep improving management areas continue recent surveys, Nebraskas to be popular in eastern bobwhite population was Pheasant and quail Nebraska, with an additional impacted negatively by severe hunters took to the fields 721 hunters encountered in winter weather this past for the season opener last those areas. They bagged spring. Although this years weekend, and upland hunting 438 pheasants and six quail. production may have offset opportunities should continue More than 85% of roosters some of these apparent to improve as the season harvested on release sites losses, hunters should progresses. were pen-released birds. expect to find lower densities Early season hunting can Based on field reports, compared to past years. be challenging. Birds are hunter success for pheasants Field reports indicate typically spread out due to on the opener was highest that the corn and soybean the abundance of cover, and in the Panhandle (0.73 harvests were highly variable warmer daytime temperatures birds per hunter). Hunters across the state. According limit hunter effort, said John also found good pheasant to the U.S. Department of Laux, the Nebraska Game and numbers in the southwest Agriculture, Nebraskas corn Parks Commissions upland and portions of the northeast harvest was 44% complete, game program manager. where Conservation slightly below the five-year As harvest corn progresses Reserve Program fields were average of 50% by this point and temperatures cool, birds abundant. in the year. Soybean harvest will be more concentrated Public lands were popular, was on schedule at 85% and accessible to hunters. including WMAs and private complete. Hunters had pleasant lands enrolled in the conditions and temperatures Commissions Open Fields in the 70s on opening day. and Waters Program. Overall, Calendar That changed last Saturday hunter activity on the opening MONDAY Tickets on sale for Historical Christmas night with the arrival of a cold weekend was slightly lower Dinner, Fort Robinson SP , Crawford front, which brought low wind compared to previous years, FRIDAY Project WILD/Aquatic WILD educator work- chills and some ice. but harvest success on wild shop, Lincoln Game and Parks staff pheasants (0.56 birds per SATURDAY contacted 840 upland hunter) higher compared Project WILD/Aquatic WILD educator work- was shop, Ponca SP , Ponca hunters while making bag to 2018 (0.40 birds per Rail hunting season closes checks. These hunters hunter). To share your trophy picture or calendar item, harvested 471 pheasants, Across the state, hunters send it to Outdoor Sports, World-Herald Sports 25 quail, two greater prairie- observed fewer quail Dept., 1314 Douglas St., Suite 700, Omaha, NE chickens and a sharp-tailed compared to previous 68102 or email the photo and details to out- [email protected]. A daytime or cellphone number grouse. years, but relatively few musict be included.