LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has certified three state fishing records in recent months. — Nicholas Batt of Elkhorn set a hook-and-line record April 12 when he caught a 3-pound, 1-ounce tiger trout on a night crawler while fishing the North Platte River below Lake Ogallala. “Tiger trout are a brown trout/brook trout hybrid. The growth potential for tiger trout is still much more than 3 pounds,” said Daryl Bauer, Game and Parks’ fisheries outreach program …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Openings are still available in the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Program’s beginning kayak workshop July 21 at Lake Wanahoo State Recreation Area. The workshop is for women age 16 or older who want to learn the basics of kayaking. Kayak, paddle and life jacket will be provided. Topics will include skills, safety, entering and exiting a kayak, launching and docking, and equipment. The registration deadline has been extended to July 17. Participants can choose from morning and afternoon …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Bring the family to Indian Cave State Park on July 27-28 for the Fifth Annual Campfire Christmas in July. Activities will include a campground decorating contest, craft fair, appearance by Santa Claus, horse-drawn wagon rides, food vendors, games for families, outdoor movie at the amphitheater, and a half-price youth lifetime permit drawing. A park permit is required for each vehicle entering the park. For more information, contact the park at 402-883-2575 or ngpc.indian.cave@nebraska.gov.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Zachary Welch of Ainsworth and Oren Smith of Parsons, Kansas have been drawn as lottery winners of two Super Tag multispecies big game permits. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission drew the names July 10. Frank Nemeth of Chadron and Gary West of Ridge Spring, South Carolina have been drawn as winners of the Combo multispecies big game permits. The Super Tag and Combo permits are valid in 2018 and 2019. The Super Tag bag limit is …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Summer – well ahead of hunting seasons – is a great time to obtain hunter education certification. Although classes are available year-round, most traditional classroom courses and Hunt Safe Sessions are offered in the fall and spring. Mid-August through mid-November is packed with course offerings throughout the state. February and March also offer many classes. Firearm and bowhunter education covers the safety aspects of firearms and archery equipment, as well as the conservation management and ethics that …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters may begin purchasing fall turkey permits Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. Central Time. Permits will be available at OutdoorNebraska.org and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission permitting offices. A fall turkey permit is valid statewide and allows a hunter to harvest two turkeys of either sex with a shotgun or archery equipment. Each hunter may have up to two permits. There is no minimum age requirement for youth. The fall turkey season is Sept. 15 – Jan. …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters of migratory birds are reminded of their requirement to register for the Harvest Information Program (HIP) beginning Aug. 1. HIP registration is required of residents age 16 and older and all nonresidents who plan to hunt migratory game birds in Nebraska between Aug. 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019. These birds are doves, ducks, geese, snipe, rail, coots and woodcock. Among those who must register in Nebraska are hunters registered in another state and holders of …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Test your archery skills and compete for trophies at the Third Annual Director’s Cup archery tournament Aug. 18 at the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln. This fun event is open to serious archers and novices. This unique outdoor tournament uses a Lake of the Woods format, in which archers shoot at varying distances based on age and discipline. There are 14 divisions of competition for all ages, including a noncompetitive division. Trophies and …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will accept applications for a 2018 bighorn sheep lottery permit through Aug. 3. Only Nebraska residents are eligible. The permit will be drawn Aug. 16. A $29 nonrefundable application fee must accompany each application. Apply at a Nebraska Game and Parks office at outdoornebraska.org. The 2018 bighorn sheep season is Nov. 27 – Dec. 22.

LINCOLN, Neb. – People interested in hunting deer at Gifford Point Wildlife Management Area (WMA) this fall may apply for access permits July 9-30, according to Neal Van Winkle of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Van Winkle, the Gifford Point WMA manager, said 200 authorization permits will be issued to allow deer hunters access to the area. To be eligible to apply, hunters must have at least one of the following valid deer permits: statewide archery, muzzleloader, youth or …