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/873551
OCTOBER 2017 • NEBRASKAland 61 financial incentives to those willing to allow public walk- in access for hunting, trapping and/or fishing. Participating landowners earn annual, per-acre payments and receive liability coverage through the Nebraska Recreational Liability Act. Annual payment rates are determined based on the property location and habitat types enrolled. Often, additional incentives are available to help improve wildlife habitat on lands enrolled in OFW. Funding for OFW comes from several sources, including hunters. By purchasing a habitat stamp and hunting, fishing or fur harvest permit, you are contributing toward the OFW Program. Other funding is provided through USDA's Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentives Program and the Pittman-Robertson Act, which is a federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition distributed to states to fund programs such as this one. Additionally, conservation groups such as the National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants/ Quail Forever and others also contribute funds to OFW. Increasing public hunting opportunities is one of the top priorities in the Commission's "Berggren Plan" – a five- year initiative aimed at improving the pheasant hunting experience in Nebraska. This year, Game and Parks biologists targeted many of the new OFW enrollments within the eight priority areas identified in the plan. Staff utilized signup bonuses, increased payment rates and targeted promotion to boost enrollments within these areas. For example, OFW enrollments in the Southwest Focus on Pheasants area increased by 18 percent this year. Clearly one of Nebraska's strongholds for pheasants, this region now boasts over 60,000 acres of land open to public hunting through the OFW Program. Much of this land is comprised of Conservation Reserve Program lands and tall stubble fields – both of which provide high-quality habitat for the birds and excellent hunting opportunities. Across the southern and western portions of the Nebraska, hunters will have access to over 21,500 acres of tall wheat and milo stubble enrolled in the OFW Program. Tall stubble is used extensively by pheasants, and outside of CRP fields, it often represents some of the only remaining cover after harvest each year. Although some hunters are beginning to catch on to the opportunities they provide, tall stubble fields generally receive less hunting pressure compared to other types of habitat. Adam Kester, the Commission's southwest district manager of the partners section, said stubble fields are underutilized due to several reasons. "Most hunters just prefer to hunt CRP – even though the birds spend a good portion of their day in the stubble," said Kester. Another reason is because winter wheat acres move around each year due to crop rotations. Kester said, "Hunters tend to hunt many of the same fields year after year – those they are familiar with or where they experienced past success. That's often not the case with stubble; it's always a moving target." Lastly, due to the timing of harvest, tall stubble fields are typically enrolled after the printing of the Public Access Atlas. Hunters are reminded to check the online versions of the Public Access Atlas after Sept. 15 to view all the stubble fields open to public hunting access. For hunters venturing to southwestern Nebraska this fall, stubble fields will also be displayed in the Southwest Nebraska Stubble Access Guide. To learn more about the Berggren Plan visit OutdoorNebraska.org/ PheasantPlan. For a list of areas open to hunting, consult the Commission's Public Access Atlas available at district Game and Parks offices, local vendors, and online at OutdoorNebraska.org/ PublicAccessAtlas. Also look for the Southwest Nebraska Stubble Access Guide, which can be found at the same locations as the Atlas, in mid-October. ■ ka n Last year 220,830.1 acres were enrolled in OFW, which included 82,287.99 acres of CRP. This year 242,148.7 acres are enrolled in OFW including 89,446.03 acres of CRP. These numbers include an estimated 21,500 acres of tall stubble that biologists finished enrolling by Aug. 31 of this year. Statewide this is a net gain of 21,318.6 acres, a 10 percent increase compared to 2016-17. More to Hunt A group of pheasant hunters hunt on Open Fields and Waters property north of Alliance. PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG