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Happy New Year and thank you for being a reader of the North Platte Telegraph and my columns!

Nebraska’s late antlerless deer season got underway Jan. 1 and runs until Jan. 15. Our recent snow should be a big help with figuring out the movement of deer where you are hunting and for tracking if you get a shot.

This late season is one where I like to introduce people to new ways to hunt. Many people use the same rifle for all their deer hunting. There is nothing wrong with that, but changing things up a bit can add a new challenge to a hunt.

Over the years, my core hunting group has allowed me to pick the type of weapon we would use for our late season hunt. We’ve used various rifles, pistols and shotguns for this hunt. The year of the shotgun was fun. Everyone used 12- or 20-gauge slug guns. No one had ever hunted with a slug gun before, but the results sure made believers out of them!

I have been asked a few times why we even have a late antlerless deer season. Well, the primary purpose of this season is deer herd management, more specifically to reduce the number of does within the deer population. The best way to control deer numbers is to reduce the number of breeding does within the herd. I hunt this season because I want to do my part to help manage overall deer numbers, but I also want the meat. Venison is an excellent meat source. It is everything the “food experts” say you’re supposed to eat. It is lean, low fat and organically grown. What more could you ask for?

This season is also a great time to introduce new hunters to the sport. Since you are targeting does, you don’t have that self-imposed pressure to shoot a big buck. I think that fact alone makes it a more relaxed hunting season. Your chances of filling a permit are fair, even as a new hunter. However, with the low numbers of deer that were seen in the November firearms season, particularly mature bucks, I think we may need to rethink how many antlerless permits are issued.

Ice fishing is in full swing around the region. Our recent Arctic blast put adequate ice on most bodies of water in the region. The few test holes I’ve bored tell me that these spots had adequate ice to stand on, but never trust the ice on any body of water until you test it. It only takes a couple of minutes to make sure you can be safe.

Ice anglers on Lake Maloney have been catching walleye and perch. The Interstate Lake at Hershey has been productive. Anglers have pulled largemouth bass, bluegill and perch through the ice. Birdwood Lake is entertaining trout anglers. Fremont Slough has been a fair spot to catch panfish. Don’t overlook our Interstate lakes. They are a smorgasbord of freshwater fish species.

Keep in mind that most lakes in the valley fill by groundwater, and they have a flow through them, although it may not be visible. The prevailing flow is northwest to southeast. Water entering a body of water is about 40 degrees. Warm water rises, so the ice at the west and northwest parts on any valley lake is thinner than ice at the west end. Test the ice thickness often before you get too far from shore.

Have a safe and fun time outdoors this weekend.

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If you are going out on the ice for the first time on any body of water keep checking the thickness of the ice.

There is good ice almost everywhere right now, but ice anglers need to keep safety in mind while fishing the hard water. Ice fishing can be ex…

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