OutdoorNebraska

30 2023 Annual Report • Management Wildlife in urban areas brings chance to educate In 2023, Nebraska saw several high-profile cases of wildlife in various towns and cities, which provided the opportunity to educate the public about wildlife management. When animals such as elk, moose and mountain lions enter urban areas, they get noticed. How Game and Parks handles those animals must balance the needs of the animal with keeping people and communities safe. Game and Parks has wildlife management plans that address these issues and guide its actions in situations where large wildlife enter and affect urban or rural locations. In urban settings, moving an animal or attempting to move an animal can pose additional dangers to the community; a tranquilized animal can pose a traffic hazard, damage property or be a danger to people themselves since the effect is not immediate. Relocating wildlife either in the city or in the country also poses challenges and risks. Challenges include that Nebraska, which is 97% privately owned, does not have large tracts of public land to move them to, and animals, such as mountain lions, travel great distances as part of their lifestyle. Risks include the potential spread of wildlife diseases and that the animal may not be able to establish territory — this is often the reason the animal moved to start with — or have an established food source. Game and Parks works with local law enforcement to monitor the animal and its behavior. Often, the animal moves out of a community and no action is required. If the animal poses a risk to public safety, the Commission has protocols to humanely remove the animal. The Commission also has strategies to address wildlife causing issues with crops and livestock in rural communities. A herd of elk cross a pasture next to Kewanee Public School near Valentine in Cherry County. Record number of fish stocked in Nebraska waters Nebraska Game and Parks' five state fish hatcheries supplied more than 68 million fish that were stocked into 299 Nebraska waters in 73 counties; this was a record. These stockings included 20 species of fish, including hybrids. Spring and fall trout stockings continue to be popular with anglers of all ages, including the Two Rivers State Recreation Area Trout Lake and many waters hosting community events across the state. More than 265,000 trout were stocked in 2023. The agency's fish production section continues to supply fish to meet growing demand statewide. In addition to producing and supplying fish, fish production staff continue to make strides in mussel propagation for the state's mussel program at the agency's Aquatic Species Conservation facility at the North Platte Fish Hatchery. Stocking walleye fingerlings at Calamus Reservoir.

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