Friday, May 31.  Final day of the 2013 Nebraska Spring Turkey Season.  And what a season it was.  Each year brings challenges and this year seemed to contain them all.  Snow and cold, wind and dust, rain and flooding – sometimes it seemed as if they all occurred in the same day, too.  But this is Nebraska and there were birds. I was able to get out on the second day of archery season with my brother, the first day …

Time to camp.  For me spring turkey hunting and fishing are the excuses I have given already this year for spending time around the campfire with friends and family at some of our state parks and recreation areas.  During these early season trips the aromas of camp are a simple pleasure that add to the experience.  The smell of a warm campfire at night, the bouquet of hearty meals being cooked and the deep nasal therapy of camp coffee brewing …

Ok, I will admit that I may be a bit biased and I do realize that each turkey hunt is unique. However, I have not been a part of anything quite like the hunt I had with my son Logan this past Saturday afternoon. As I mentioned last week (http://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/2013/04/season-firsts/) Logan is taking in his first spring season as a turkey predator. After an uneventful morning hunt, some yard work and a nap the four of us headed out to …

For many reading this the spring turkey season may not really get underway until early this Saturday morning – the opener of the regular shotgun season.  For me the season kicked off last month when I could begin chasing the birds with my bow and then got really interesting this past weekend.  I have yet to take a gobbler but already I am harvesting memories of this spring’s crop of first’s. In the past few years my brother, Gabriel, has …

It is my educated opinion that those of us afflicted with wild turkeys have an affinity for gadgets.  It likely can be traced to the simple fact that we are in a constant hunt for the perfect call, decoy or camouflaged thingy that will help improve our chances to lure a bearded-bird into range – or at least make him gobble.  And once we buy it we hate leaving it behind. Comfort is another thing we turkey-smitten hunters are big …

In time for spring, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is hosting two Hunt Master – Mentor Trainings for individuals interested in mentoring during the turkey hunting season.  The first will be held on Friday, March 8, at the AkSarBen Aquarium south of Gretna on Hwy 31.  The second will be in Kearney on Friday, March 15, at the ERC Building at Yanney Heritage Park.  Both workshops will run from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. and pre-registration is required and includes …

We are in that great in-between time called February/March as I write this.  We wrap up the winter hunting seasons (cottontail, coyote, etc.) and begin the spring seasons (snow goose and spring turkey).  This is a tough time for a guy like me – and a tougher time for the family’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO).  You see I am still very much in the mindset of hunting, and though the options have become a bit more limited at present, the …

Listen up, men. As you read this there are three days until Valentine’s Day. That means you have just a few more days left to figure out how to make your special someone feel – well, special.  Fear not, as the birds of this great state have many ideas you can capitalize on to make the holiday one that your significant other will not soon forget – even if they wanted to. The first bit of birdly advice is you …

Not sure when it started.  Perhaps when I was 16 and could drive myself.  Maybe I was younger and the day just happened to fall on a weekend.  Regardless, I have tried my best to hunt the final day of the bird season each year, and I have succeeded for a bit over 2 decades. I do my best to spend the full day in the field, but sometimes things get shortened by the weather or by an abundance of …

It arrived yesterday in the mail.  My 2013 spring turkey hunting catalog.  Just last week my hunting buddy from Iowa called to schedule our annual spring hunt.  Then this morning we received a picture of my father in-law’s front yard.  So it’s not entirely my fault that my thoughts are currently turkey-centered.  With several more weeks until we can chase these big birds many of us find ourselves buying turkey gear.  All you springtime tom-chasers reading this can relate.  So, …