Unquestionably, fall in Nebraska is one of the best times of the year to spend outdoors. Truth be known, it is my favorite season! The days are definitely getting shorter, the air is getting crisper, the crop harvest has started; the leaves and other foliage are beginning to transform into canopies of deep orange, bright yellow, and brilliant red. The brilliant red leaves of smooth sumac in the fall at Schramm Park State Recreation Are near Gretna, NE. Photo by …

National Hunting and Fishing Day is this Saturday, Sept. 25. This is a significant day. No, this is not just another one of those celebratory days, not by a long shot. I grew up fishing, trapping and hunting in rural Nebraska. So this day is deeply personal to me and many others as we are devoted hunters, anglers, trappers and landowners. Your blogger is pheasant hunting the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassland acres of a private farming operation in east-central …

Nebraska has oranges? Well, no, not really. But, sort of. Osage orange isn’t an orange though it may look like a bright yellow to yellow-green, grapefruit-sized, brainy-looking type of orange fruit. It is a fruit of the Osage orange tree, that is. However, the tree is more closely related to the mulberry tree. Enter its primary nicknames; hedge apple, hedge ball, and mock orange. Confused? A bit perplexed, are you? Allow me to continue. I bet you’ve seen these wrinkled, …

I am one of you. I am among the thousands of you who hunt deer and turkey with archery equipment. I want you to join me once again in voluntarily participating Nebraska’s  Bowhunter Survey. Bowhunter survey? Hmmm … Another survey? Yes! So why should you, an archery deer hunter, consider maintaining a diary and counting free-ranging, wild deer and turkeys for us at Game and Parks? The answer: Because, like me, I know you passionately care about wildlife. Think about …

With September just a one more quick flip my on NEBRASKAland magazine calendar, it is time once again to reflect on the age old question of why hunting is so important. Yeah, I know hunting is important. But, why do you think hunting is important? Give it some more thought. Really think about the question: Why is hunting important? Why is hunting important to you, if you hunt? If you don’t hunt, why do you think hunting is important? Sure, hunting offers a multitude of benefits. Hunting is quiet …

It is a season that is open here in eastern Nebraska. It is an unusual season, but one that just flat out reeks of adventure, challenge and tremendous entertainment value. It is a season tailor-made for kids. And, trust me, this is the season that will create memories and stories like no other! No, it is not a hunting season. IT is Nebraska’s bullfrog season. “Bullfrog season,” you say, “really?” Yep. I know what you’re thinking at this point. Why …

We are in the “dog days” of summer. Ears of sweet corn have already been harvested. Elderberries are ripe. School is starting. Boating, swimming, tubing and fishing are being widely enjoyed now on the weekends. And, Nebraska’s first official hunting season that carries into fall – the squirrel hunting season – is open! But, wait a second. Hold on for a moment. For those of us who are avidly involved in the hunting lifestyle and its process, late-summer means a …

Chug bug. Jitterbug. Hula popper. Creek chub knuckle-head. Zara spook. They all have very creative names and designs by the companies that manufacture them. They imitate every conceivable critter that could be on, around or just under the surface of the water in a wild environment from baitfish or bugs to mice or lizards to frogs, toads or even small flying mammals. They are the “go-to” fishing lures of late-summer. They are top water lures or surface lures, some call …

Maybe it’s because I am a lifelong Nebraskan with deep farm roots and help my brother manage his farm. Maybe it’s because I am a person with an outgoing, assertive personality who thoroughly enjoys interacting with people. Maybe it’s because of what I do for living and my employer. Maybe it’s because I pride myself on being a legal hunter and an ethical one at that. Maybe it’s because I work at it. I don’t know for sure. But honestly, …

I always get rather impatient this time of year. Is it because of the weather being so hot, humid and hazy? No. Is it that the hunting seasons are just around the bend? No. Then, why? Well, I am a gatherer, a prairie wanderer – if you will, and I am anxiously waiting to harvest elderberries during these dog days of summer. Here I am checking out wild elderberries for ripeness on a Saunders County, NE farm in mid August. …