Lincoln, Neb. -- Statewide turkey populations are at a record high, an increase of as much as 300 percent since 2000, and archers, modern shotgun and black powder shotgun hunters can look forward to an exciting fall turkey hunting season again this year.

The 2006 Nebraska fall archery turkey season will be Oct.1 - Nov. 10 and Nov. 20 - Dec. 31; the fall shotgun turkey season will be Oct. 14 - Nov.10 and Nov. 20 - Dec. 31, and there are an unlimited number of permits available for both seasons.

Anyone 12 years of age or older by the date the season opens are eligible to hunt turkeys in Nebraska.

Permits cost $21 for residents and $86 for nonresidents. A $13 Habitat Stamp is required for all resident turkey hunters age 16 and older and for all nonresident hunters. A hunters can obtain no more than two permits, which may include two shotgun permits, two archery permits or one of each.

Fall turkey permits can be purchased at Commission offices in Alliance, Bassett, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha, Lincoln and the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium near Gretna, as well as on the Commissions internet web site at www.OutdoorNebraska.org. Applications that are mailed should be sent to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503.

If youre looking for a good way to cook your bird, try this great “Grilled Wild Turkey” recipe from the NEBRASKALAND Magazine Wild Game Cookbook:

1 wild turkey, skinned
2 cups herb dressing
2 cups sliced onions
˝ cup dry white wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbl lemon juice
3 bay leaves

Fillet the turkey breasts. Remove the legs, separate and bone the thighs.

Place breasts and thighs in a nonreactive bowl. Top with herb dressing, onions, wine, garlic, lemon juice and bay leaves to make a marinade. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 3 days, turning pieces several times per day.

Grill over medium-high heat basting often with the marinade. Slice the meat thinly across the grain and serve with hollandaise or bearnaise sauce or mushroom gravy.

“Grilled Wild Turkey” is just one of a multitude of mouth-watering recipes found in the NEBRASKAland Magazine Wild Game Cookbook. Intended to be used in the kitchen and at the campsite, there are recipes for dozens of fish and game species, along with valuable tips from NEBRASKAland experts on field care, aging game, enhancing the flavors and selecting the right cookware.

The cookbook originally sold for $12.95, but is available from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission while supplies last for only $5 plus shipping and sales tax at the purchasers address. It will be a welcome addition to your cookbook collection and make an ideal gift for the sportsman in your family. To order, go to the Commissions web site at www.OutdoorNebraska.org  then click on NEBRASKAland, then on Gift Catalog; or call the NEBRASKAland toll-free hotline at 1-800-742-0056, 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Lincoln, Neb. – Nebraskas 2006 archery deer hunting season is open and archers are already reporting seeing good numbers of deer in the field.

There is an unlimited number of archery deer permits available, and still plenty of permits for the November firearm season.

The first part of the archery deer season will continue through November 10, the second part of the season will be November 20 - December 31. Nebraskas 2006 regular firearm deer hunting season will be November 11-19, and the muzzleloading deer season will be December 1-31.

Plenty of statewide buck-only permits and season choice permits are still available. The statewide buck-only permit allows the hunter to take a buck from any deer unit in the state during the November firearm deer season. The "season choice" permit allows the bearer to choose when to hunt. Holders of season choice permits can harvest an antlerless deer using archery equipment during the archery season, a muzzleloader during the muzzleloader season, or a firearm during the November firearm season or the special late firearm season in January. The hunter can use a season choice permit to hunt in any or all of the seasons until the permit is filled. Hunters should remember however, that a permit for Season Choice Area 2 is not valid at Harlan County Reservoir.

Nebraska resident deer permits cost $28 and resident statewide buck-only permits are $68.50. Nonresident deer permits are $178, nonresident statewide buck-only permits are $443.50, and nonresident antlerless-only season choice tags are $55.

Permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis both online at the Commissions web site at www.OutdoorNebraska.org, and over the counter from Commission offices in Alliance, Bassett, Chadron State Park (SP), Fort Robinson SP, Kearney, Niobrara SP, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha, Lincoln, Wild Cat Hills State Recreation Area, and at the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium. Completed application forms will also be accepted by mail at the Commissions Lincoln office at 2200 N. 33rd Street, Lincoln, 68503.

2006 Nebraska Deer Hunting Units where permits remain and the number of permits available as of the afternoon of Sept. 21 were:

Buffalo Whitetail, 1,219 permits, 100% either sex

Calamus East, 902 permits, 40% either sex, antlerless mule deer prohibited

Calamus West, 1,265 permits, 80% either sex

Frenchman, 20 permits, 30% either sex

Frenchman Whitetail, 636 permits, 100% either sex

Keya Paha, 1,827 permits, 100% either sex, antlerless mule deer prohibited

Loup East, 825 permits, 50% either sex, antlerless mule deer prohibited

Loup West, 1,378 permits, 70% either sex

Missouri, 258 permits, 100% either sex, antlerless mule deer prohibited

Pine Ridge, 2,017 permits, 100% either sex, one bonus antlerless deer

Plains, 1,082 permits, 100% either sex, one bonus antlerless deer

Platte, 1,390 permits, 20% either sex

Platte Whitetail, 714 permits, 100% either sex

Sandhills, 1,493 permits, 100% either sex

Upper Platte, 865 permits, 100% either s ex

Statewide Buck-Only, 4,061 permits, 100% buck only

Youth Season, unlimited permits, 100% either sex

Statewide Archery, unlimited permits, 100% either sex

Statewide Muzzleloader, unlimited permits, 100% either sex

Season Choice Area 1, 1,706 permits, antlerless only, one bonus antlerless tag

Season Choice Area 2, 1,295 permits, antlerless only, antlerless mule deer prohibited

Season Choice Area 8, 749 permits, antlerless only, antlerless mule deer prohibited

Season Choice Area 9, 646 permits, antlerless only, antlerless mule deer prohibited

Season Choice Area 13, 11 permits, antlerless only, antlerless mule deer prohibited

Season Choice Area 18, 1,944 permits, antlerless only, one bonus antlerless deer

Season Choice Area 19, 239 permits, antlerless only

Season Choice Area 20, 2,847 permits, antlerless only

Season Choice Area 21, 6,462 permits, antlerless only, one bonus antlerless deer

Season Choice Area 22, 313 permits, antlerless only, one bonus antlerless deer

Lincoln, Neb. – Because deer are most active during the fall they pose a greater hazard to both themselves and vehicles traveling highways and country roads, especially during October and November.

With harvest activities underway, crop and cover patterns quickly changing, daylight hours becoming shorter and the onset of the deer breeding season, deer will have a lot of things to distract them. Deer activity increases and movement peaks each day near dawn and just after dusk.

Here are some tips for avoiding deer-vehicle accidents:

-- When driving near shelterbelts, woodlots, creeks, or where crops are still standing, especially during evening or early morning hours, reduce your vehicles speed and watch carefully for deer. When you spot a deer, assume there will be others in the same area either ahead of or behind the one youve seen. Be prepared to stop suddenly.

-- Many places where deer are known to travel are posted with deer crossing signs, but the absence of a sign doesnt mean a deer wont unexpectedly appear about anywhere along the road.

-- Deer often seem to be disoriented or confused by a vehicles headlights. Some react by freezing in the light, some dart into the path of the vehicle, others bolt away in the opposite direction. Sometimes deer that have just crossed the road ahead of the vehicle suddenly change direction and run back into the vehicles path or collide with it.

-- Its a good idea to honk your horn and flash your headlights to frighten deer away from the side of the road. If there is other traffic on the road, you can activate your emergency flashers and tap your brakes to alert other drivers to the potential danger.

-- Anticipate the possibility of a deer unexpectedly crossing in front of your vehicle and plan ahead to avoid swerving, turning or braking the vehicle too sharply if a deer suddenly appears.