My wife thinks I am a hoarder. I believe I am a collector of things. I tell my wife, Polly, that a collector finds value in one type of thing but the hoarder finds beauty, thus the reason for keeping everything. I don’t keep everything. Just the cool things of value, whether intrinsically or monetarily, that I find outdoors to be displayed. Look, everybody collects stuff, right? Some folks collect baseball cards and other sports memorabilia while still others collect …

I always get rather impatient this time of year. Is it the hunting seasons that are forthcoming? No, not really. Then, why? Well, I am anxiously waiting to harvest elderberries. Elderberries! Yep. I am thinking about that tasty elderberry jelly that a buddy of mine makes. Oh, so good! It is berry picking time in Nebraska or nearing it and not just for elderberries but for other popular wild fruits and berries as well. In fact, I have already gathered …

Maybe it’s because I am a lifelong Nebraskan with deep farm roots. 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 am pride myself on being a legal hunter as well as an ethical hunter. Maybe it’s because I work at it. I don’t know for sure. But honestly, I have never had difficulty obtaining and …

I have exciting to news to share with you. The popular Great Outdoor Radio Show I host is moving and going to a network! That’s right! After more than 25 years at one radio station, the Great Outdoor Radio Show, produced by Gerry Gray/Great Plains Marketing, is moving to the Omaha-based Boomer Radio Network of stations beginning Saturday, July 27th. Coverage is expanding! The Saturday morning, one-hour long, LIVE, interactive show will still run from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. …

A nice package of benefits. A plan for pay advancement. Flexibility with your work schedule. Working outdoors, especially with fish, wildlife, parks and water sports. Sound good? These are all positive facets of being a Nebraska conservation officer or what some still refer to as a “game warden.” And, guess what? Game and Parks is looking to fill up to six conservation officer positions around the state. Interested? You will have until Aug. 26, 2019 to apply. Truly, there are …

You and your family are invited to come join us at a special Game and Parks Community Fishing Night at Lake Halleck in Papillion, NE this Tuesday night, July 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. Come, get some fresh air, sample some Dutch oven cooking and find out how easy and fun fishing is! Hungry sunfish await you! We at Game and Parks will be hosting the event. We will be furnishing loaner fishing tackle and bait as well as …

It’s hot. It’s humid. Yeah, it’s summer alright. Has your fishing success slowed with the conditions? Well, one fish leads the way with lots of action provided to anglers in the good, old summertime — bluegill. Maybe it’s the kid in me, I don’t know. But, at 56 years of age (approaching 57), I still enjoy the constant activity of catching bluegill from the bank in summer, how about you? As someone once said: Bluegill bind us to memories that …

It bothers me to no end that people have such cavalier excuses regarding why they don’t want to wear life jackets on the water in a boat. In my 40 years at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission I have seen my share of boating tragedies. I have seen the victims of boating fatalities who were not wearing their life jackets. You never, ever forget them. Often the victims of those fatalities died right in front of close family members …

The turkey season is long over. Crops are sprouting. The intense heat and humidity of  summer’s “dog days” approach. Nevertheless, for those of us who are avidly involved in the hunting lifestyle, it is truly a year-round process which definitely includes summer! Like me, even though your grabbing your catfish or bass rod, I’m sure that some of your thoughts are now drifting toward cool, crisp mornings, falling leaves and maybe even a bit of snow cover on the ground. …

I am still being called bad names for wearing them. Most recently, I was called a wimp for having them on my hands. I have been labeled an “inadequate angler” since I have donned on them. I have been told that my “bravado” and “edge” have been lost when it comes to fishing because I am handling fish while wearing rubber gloves. Ah yes, THOSE GLOVES. People have also had their curiosity piqued by those of us who wear rubber gloves …