Game and Parks: Southwest again pegged as one of best for pheasants

    Abundant hunting opportunities and access await hunters when they go afield for the opener of the Nebraska pheasant season this Saturday.
    Game and Parks officials say the southwest part of the state will be one of the best, both in numbers and access.
    According to the July Rural Mail Carrier Survey, this year’s statewide pheasant index was down 14% but hunters should still find good bird numbers where suitable habitat exists.
    Habitat conditions across the state look great going into the fall following the abundant moisture received this spring/summer.
    Hunters will find the best pheasant hunting opportunities in the southwest and panhandle regions.
    Hunters seeking new places to hunt should refer to the 2019-20 Public Access Atlas, which shows nearly a million acres of publicly accessible lands throughout the state.
    Hunters will also have access to more than 347,000 acres of private land enrolled in the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Open Fields and Waters Program.
    For those pursuing upland birds in the southwest or panhandle regions, the Stubble Access Guide displays an additional 40,000 acres of tall wheat and milo stubble fields open to public hunting access. Both publications are available at OutdoorNebraska.gov/PublicAccessAtlas.
    The full upland hunting forecast is available online at OutdoorNebraska.gov/Upland.
Upland Slam continues
    This year marks the second year of Nebraska’s Upland Slam, which challenges hunters to try to harvest all four upland bird species in Nebraska—ring-necked pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie-chicken and northern bobwhite.
    Last year, 140 hunters from 10 states completed the slam, received an official certificate and pin and were entered for a chance to win prizes sponsored by Pheasants and Quail Forever. For more information on the slam, hunters can visit OutdoorNebraska.org/UplandSlam.
Safety points
    Hunters should be mindful of the following firearm safety rules:
    Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.
    Never point a firearm at anything you do not mean to shoot.
    Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.
    Be sure of your target and what lies beyond it.
    The hunting seasons for pheasant, quail and partridge, as well as grouse, run through Jan. 31, 2020.