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Tips for Early Open-Water Fishing

Green grass shoots are sprouting in my Elkhorn, NE yard. The days are getting longer. Water temperatures are warming. The time is now to get ready for some early open-water fishing action! Emma Wagner-Nichols, your blogger’s daughter, caught this crappie in chilly, sunny early spring weather in a private sandpit lake in Dodge County, NE. Photo courtesy of Emma Wagner-Nichols of Elkhorn, NE Have you put new line on your reels? Have you gone through your tackle box yet? Sharpened …

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Volunteer Spotlight – The Geocaching Duo

Husband and wife team design and place 60 geocaches at Niobrara State Park. By Renae Blum Thanks to Liz and Gary Doerr of Creighton, guests at Niobrara State Park in northeastern Nebraska have new ways to enjoy their visit. The couple has designed and placed about 60 geocaches at the park, allowing visitors to use their GPS or phone to discover hidden treasures – containers of various shapes and sizes holding a logbook and, sometimes, small trinkets for trade. Geocaching …

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Celebrating 40 Years of the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation

If you love Nebraska’s natural and recreational resources, the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation is a perfect way to show your appreciation By Jeff Kurrus Core values. The Nebraska Game and Parks has many. Access. Opportunity. Stewardship. Providing opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, camping and outdoor education and recreation. They have an economic value of $3.8 billion in our state. These activities are the backbone of introducing Nebraskans, and visitors alike, to the outdoors and keeping them outdoors, and …

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Volunteer Spotlight – Windmill State Recreation Area

An interview with Helen Brazee, campground host at Windmill State Recreation Area By Eric Fowler How long have you been a campground host? I started as a camp host in the year 2000, when I retired, but we used to come out here and camp, from the mid-70s all the way until now. It was in the early ’70s when they made this a park because of the interstate and the sandpits. We’ve got six fishing lakes. People love it …

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16 Ways to Cure Cabin Fever

It’s winter. The daylight is short. The nights are long and dreary. Air temperatures outside are cold, downright frigid at times. Most likely, there’s some snow cover. We are all spending more a lot of time indoors this season, aren’t we? It is that time of year when we get that cooped-up, restless, nothing-to-do feeling that is referred to as “cabin fever.” Stuck inside, too many of us get weary and lethargic and spend long, endless hours watching TV re-runs, …

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Why would someone go ice fishing?

Frigid winter weather has descended on Nebraska, and ice fishing is taking center stage in the outdoor community. In casual conversations, whenever the topic of ice fishing is brought up, and I’m visiting with folks who don’t ice fish, predictably many questions arise. The most common one: “Why do you even go ice fishing, it’s not safe, is it? Then, there are these:  “It looks so cold, why on earth would any reasonable person consider going fishing sitting on a big ice cube?” …

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My 45th Year at Game and Parks

Forty-five years is very long time for anything, isn’t it? Forty-five years is an exceptionally long time for working at the same organization. Think about it — four-and-a-half decades. WOW! This year, 2024, marks the beginning of my 45th year at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. My career spans a few different divisions within the agency – Fisheries, Parks and Information and Education (now Communications). I will be 62 years of age this year and I started working at …

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Ways to Give Back to the Outdoor Community in 2024

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The holiday season is upon us and the arrival of 2024 is just around the bend. The holiday period with the new year beckoning gives us a segue to pause and reset, recharge and re-focus our energies. In all sincerity, this season coupled with the new year allows us to curb our bad habits, improve ourselves, change our outlook on life to a positive one and see how we can make a difference. As avid outdoors-persons, this time of year …

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Going Outdoors Alone in Winter: Survival and Splendor

I treasure my time spent alone in nature or in a rural setting, especially this time of year in Nebraska. If I don’t get some alone time in the great outdoors, I end up getting a little restless, grumpy and cabin fever-like (just ask my wife, Polly). Alone time is essential with the hustle and bustle of the season and all that is happening in this world. Sure, it is safer and more fun to share your outdoor adventures with …

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Your Nebraska State Parks — Indoor Style

When it’s too cold to play outside, check out these fun, indoor activities at your state parks. By Renae Blum When it’s too cold to be outdoors, you don’t have to stay cooped up at home. Try any of these opportunities for indoor fun, where you can learn more about nature and Nebraska history, get active or be entertained. Educational Opportunities Interested in learning more about a particular place? Then you’ll love the Wildcat Hills Nature Center, which explores the …

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