NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/581251
18 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2015 By Julie Geiser In Sept. 2015 more than 8,825 new acres of rough canyon land was made available to hunters as part of the Open Fields and Waters (OFW) Canyon Access Initiative. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, working with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), came up with the initiative to offer increased access to the Loess Canyon region in Lincoln County. These canyons are a biologically unique landscape that provide optimal habitat for turkeys, white-tailed deer, mule deer and elk. Previously there had been limited sites within the region open to the public, including Wapiti and Cedar Valley wildlife management areas. Now access to this landscape is available to hunters wishing to pursue game in canyon terrain. Federal dollars raised through an excise tax put on guns, ammo and hunting equipment called the Pittman- Robertson Act provided funding for part of the Canyon Access Initiative. Those funds, along with donations from the NWTF, provided payments to landowners to obtain access in the region. Parking is available along the county roads and all access to the properties is walk-in only. Hunters pursuing big game are responsible for removing all harvested game from the property. Boundaries have been posted on each site and are visible from the road and from within the properties. The OFW canyon access sites are published in the 2015 Public Access Atlas, copies of which are free and available at Commission district offices and local vendors. The atlas is also on the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission website at Outdoornebraska.org. ■ Jake Koenig from North Platte took this mule deer during the archery season soon after the canyon properties became available to the public. The new 2015 Public Access Atlas features public access areas throughout Nebraska. PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER New Acres Made Available in Open Fields and Waters Program Jake Koenig from North Platte took this mule deer during the archery season soon PHOT PHOT PHOT PHOTO BY O BY O BY O BY JUL JUL JUL JULIE G IE G IE G IE GEISE EISE EISE EISER h 201 P bli A A l Funding support provided by: The Open Fields and Waters Program is a joint project of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and valued partners. This atlas valid through July 2016. Learn more at OutdoorNebraska.org PUBLIC ACCESS ATLAS FOR WALK-IN HUNTING, TRAPPING, AND FISHING IN NEBRASKA 2015 Learn mo Learn mo Learn mo earn mo earn m Learn mo arn mo Learn mo earn m re at Ou re at Ou re at Ou re at Ou e at Ou re at Ou at e at Ou a re a r tdoorNeb tdoorNeb tdoorNeb d tdoorNeb tdoorNeb tdoorNeb tdoorN orNe raska.or raska.or aska or raska.or raska.o ska.o aska.or aska.or aska.oo g