Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, a program that empowers women with the knowledge of outdoor skills, will host Ladies Day on the Range on April 26 at six locations across Nebraska.

This program, which runs from 9-11 a.m., offers women the opportunity to shoot shotgun, archery, pellet gun, .22 handgun and .22 rifle. Not all disciplines will be offered at each location.

The day, which is for seasoned shooters and new ones, is designed to blend education, camaraderie and fun. Certified instructors will provide participants with a solid understanding of safety, aiming techniques and firing basics.

Equipment and materials will be available or participants may bring their own.

The locations and shooting disciplines available are: Big Mac Sports Club, Ogallala, shotgun; Chadron State Park, archery and pellet gun; Ponca SP, archery, .22 handgun and shotgun; Kearney Outdoor Education Complex, shotgun and archery; Platte River SP, Louisville, archery and pellet gun; and Turpin Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, archery, .22 rifle and .22 handgun.

The fee is $15 in advance or $20 on the day of the event.

Register through the calendar event entries at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Make safety part of your spring turkey hunting plan

As hunters plan their spring wild turkey hunt, safety reminders need to be included to ensure a fun outing.

Kyle Gaston, hunter education coordinator with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, reminds hunters to practice the four basic rules of firearm safety.

“With the excitement of a new season beginning, never let your emotions distract you and get in the way of a safe hunt this spring,” Gaston said.

The four basic rules of firearm safety are:

  • Treat every firearm as if it is loaded;
  • Always point the muzzle of your firearm in a safe direction;
  • Be sure of your target, what is in front of it, and what is beyond it; and
  • Keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until you are ready fire.

The youth shotgun turkey season opens April 5 and the regular shotgun season April 12. Archery season opened March 25. All spring seasons close at sunset May 31.

Spring turkey hunters also should practice these safety tips:

  • Never shoot at movement, always positively identify your target, and check your surroundings for other hunters before picking up or moving your decoys.
  • If you encounter another turkey hunter, remain still and speak in a loud clear voice to announce your presence. Avoid making sudden movements to alert others that you’re there.
  • When hunting turkeys in the timber, sit against a tree or stump wider than your shoulders and taller than your head.
  • Do not wear white, blue or red while turkey hunting, as these are the colors of turkey’s head in the spring.
  • Carry decoys and any harvested birds in a bag when moving or packing in or out of your hunting spot. Wear a blaze orange cap and vest when you’re on the move to increase your visibility to other hunters.

“Be sure to review these basic safety practices with your friends and family before you hunt this spring,” Gaston said. “It will mean being able to relive the hunt and the great memories it provides – until your next turkey hunt.”

Construction begins at Hyannis area lakes

Construction has begun on new amenities at Frye Lake and Avocet Lake near Hyannis. If all goes according to schedule, anglers will have an easier time launching boats at both locations by the end of the summer.

Joe Rydell, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission northwest district fisheries manager, said the two Sandhills lakes on state wildlife management areas are easily accessible from paved highways, but getting on them for fishing and hunting is often challenging because of fluctuating water levels, thick shoreline vegetation and a gentle slope not conducive for launching boats.

For both locations, Game and Parks has hired contractors to improve the parking areas and install concrete boat ramps and docks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A new vault toilet also will be installed at Frye.

The new ramps will be built on elevated peninsulas that extend into the lake, which will be functional for varying water levels.

The construction is beginning at 120-acre Avocet Lake just east of Hyannis. The east access point, the location of the new ramp, will be closed during construction, but anglers will be able to use the middle and west access sites. 

The 243-acre Frye Lake just north of town will remain accessible while the Avocet boat ramp is being constructed, but parking may be limited. Trucks will be coming in and out as they remove soil from Frye to be used at the Avocet project.

When Avocet is complete, Frye Lake access will be closed to the public until its improvements are finished.

Funding is provided through the Recreational Boating Safety grant program managed by the U.S. Coast Guard, with matching funds from the Game and Parks game cash fund. The total construction cost for both locations is $690,000.

Last year, Game and Parks employees also made improvements at DeFair Wildlife Management Area, the site of the 70-acre lake 2 miles south of Hyannis. They added rock to the boat launch and parking area and constructed two new cattle guards at the fence crossings.

Rydell said that lake is not suitable for big boats, but the improvements make launching johnboats, kayaks and other small watercraft easier.