Outdoors in brief (Dec. 1)

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Deer harvest slightly lower than 2019
Preliminary Nebraska check-in numbers indicate the state's firearm deer harvest was down 3 percent from the 2019 season, according to a recent Game and Parks Commission release.
Last year's nine-day season resulted in 43,418 harvested deer, while this fall's brought in 42,024.
The harvest in southeast Nebraska was was up 7 percent from 2019, but the southwest corner of the state was down 10. The northwest and northeast corners, meanwhile, were down 2 and 3 percent, respectively.
The mule deer buck harvest decreased 17 percent this November, while the whitetail buck harvest was down 487 animals from 2019, 24,301 to 23,814. The anterless mule deer harvest was down 15 percent, but the anterless white-tailed deer harvest increased by 5 percent.
“Many factors can be related to the variations in numbers of checked deer,” said Luke Meduna, Game and Parks big game program manager. “Considering the increases in antlerless harvest in the southwest due to depredation complaints over the past few years, it's not surprising harvest numbers would start trending downward at some point. In contrast, deer numbers in southeast Nebraska have been inching upward in recent years, and we're seeing that in our harvest.”
Hunters checked-in harvested deer via Telecheck this fall due to COVID-19-related concerns.
“Our hunters adapted quickly and did a great job at utilizing the Telecheck system,” Meduna said.
Game and Parks plans to go back to in-person check stations in 2021.
The 2020 Nebraska archery deer hunting season continues until Dec. 31, while muzzleloader season begins today and goes through Dec. 31 as well. The late antlerless season will run Jan. 1-15.

DeSoto Refuge to close for hunts
All DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge roads and nature trails will be closed Saturday and Sunday and again Jan. 2-3 for antlerless muzzleloader deer hunts on those weekends.
The refuge facilitates the hunts in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Hunting is used as a management tool to control the number of deer on the refuge.
The scout day for this weekend's hunt was last Sunday, while the January hunt's will be Dec. 26. Hunters may scout the refuge, hang tree stands and put out blinds on that day.
To participate in the Jan. 2-3 muzzleloader hunt, Nebraska residents must purchase Season Choice Wahoo Unit Permit through Game and Parks. They must also acquire a DeSoto NWR Hunting Regulation Access Permit, which can be obtained online at fws.gov/refuge/desoto/ or by contacting Peter Rea by email (peter_rea@fws.gov) or by phone (712-388-4803).
The DeSoto visitor center remains closed due to COVID-19 concerns.

— Staff reports

Outdoors in brief