Hunting

It is the late period for deer hunting now and things can sure get tougher. In fact, things can even get tougher than they were during the regular firearm deer hunting season. After all, the rigors of the rut are pretty much over. But don’t put away your gear! Hear me out. I want to use a football analogy that many of you who hunt deer will understand when it comes to the late-season. For a football team, it is …

The holiday season is upon us and it’s filled with many hunting traditions as family and friends get together, especially in waterfowl hunting blinds. For most of us, hunting is about much more than a successful harvest. It’s about spending time afield bonding with family and friends, watching the sunrise over a river wetland on a crisp morning or watching the sunset from a harvested cornfield on a warm, windy, brisk evening, plus having exciting stories to tell when you …

Starting this blog post with a disclaimer.  This particular post ain’t going to be about fishing.  If that bothers you, quit reading now.  However, I realize most of you also enjoy our great outdoors in many ways including hunting.  Yes, I love to hunt too, but admittedly end up spending more time on the water, even in the fall. What I really want to do with this blog post is continue with a theme that I mentioned before Thanksgiving.  A …

I know it sounds cliché, but I’ll be the first to admit it. As a hardcore outdoor enthusiast, finding a holiday gift for me is a difficult task. In fact, whether you hunt, trap, fish, boat, kayak, camp, backpack, hike, bike or watch wildlife, I bet you are also in the hard-to-buy-for category. Am I right? We are a picky lot, aren’t we? We are a detailed bunch. We know what we need and desire to have. And what the …

When we introduce newcomers to hunting, we must do so with the individual in mind. By Jeff Kurrus We’ve all messed up at one point here: When introducing a newcomer to hunting — whether it’s a kid or adult — we try to make them love exactly what we love. Some do, but many don’t. To effectively pass on hunting skills, what we need are smarter ways to welcome people to the sport. So, the next time you introduce someone …

Quail wing feathers can indicate a bird’s age, thus providing clues to maintaining high-quality habitat. By Kellie Hayden The features that make our favorite game birds so charismatic also provide details into the ages of these birds. When we read the clues that feathers hold, we can make smart decisions on maintaining high-quality habitat. Feathers take time and energy to grow — two things young birds don’t have much of when they need to quickly learn how to forage, fly …

Something of a mystery, Nebraska’s bobcat population remains healthy. By Justin Haag As I moved among patches of shoulder-high weeds at an abandoned farmstead in search of pheasants, I glanced over to see my younger brother, fresh out of hunter-safety training, become excited as he entered a clearing. “Whoa, what was that? It looked like a lion,” he shouted as an unfamiliar creature scurried into cover. Despite any skepticism by those of us in the hunting party that day, we …

The season for gratitude and reflection is upon us. Thanksgiving week is when we remind our families, friends and close associates how much they mean to us and express our sincere appreciation for what positive things we have been given in life. While you are considering what you are thankful for, don’t forget about Nebraska’s outdoor scene. During the nine days of the recent firearm deer hunting season here in Cornhusker State, I selected thirteen key elements to be very  …

The morning air is crisp and cold. The stalks of corn stubble and hardwood trees along the river bottom stand as stalwarts; motionless and silent. The scene offers a picturesque postcard setting against the slowly lightening predawn sky. An emerging mid-November sunrise on a firearm deer hunt along the Elkhorn River in southeastern Nebraska. Photo by Greg Wagner/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission The sounds of wildlife awakening for the day can now be heard along the river bottom. A raucous calamity of crows is off in the distance. Two fox squirrels …

As Nebraska’s largest hunt by participation – the firearm deer hunting season – comes into view from Nov. 11-19, visions of antlers and venison tenderloins can make the mind wander a bit. So before you take to your stand or blind, please read over these deer hunting safety tips and regulation reminders to keep yourself focused, safe, ethical and within the rules. With 44 years at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and as a rural land manager and longtime …