I truly love wild turkeys and it’s no secret that I am a hardcore wild turkey hunter. I hunt wild turkeys in spring, fall and yes, in winter. I believe hunting the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the various seasons makes you a better, more knowledgeable, well-rounded turkey hunter because you gain intimate knowledge of the bird’s behavior. I know what you’re thinking. What kind of crazed hunter sets up for wild turkeys in the frigid, snow-covered landscape of a Nebraska December …

The season for gratitude and reflection is upon us. Thanksgiving week is when we remind our families and friends 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 nature. During the nine days of the recent firearm deer hunting season here in Cornhusker State, I selected fourteen elements to be extremely grateful for while I was in the …

Nebraska’s most popular hunt, the 9-day firearm deer season (Nov. 16 through Nov. 24) is in full swing. This is one of the absolute best times of year to be outside with the deer rut happening. My lovely wife of more than 32 years, Polly Wagner, says that everything comes to a grinding halt in the Wagner family with the opening of deer season. It’s a wonderful event, though. For many of us in the hunting lifestyle, the firearm deer …

You are a deer hunter and you’re mentoring a new, young hunter in the field. The young deer hunter has just successfully shot their first deer. Congratulations! Knuckle bumps and high fives! Now, the opportunity is there for you to photographically capture the moment with the young hunter and their deer for all your friends and family to see and to upload a pic to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s website for the new Take ‘Em Hunting challenge and …

“I wish more deer hunters would forget about all the stuff they have read or heard over the years and focus their deer hunting on the does in order to be more successful in the field,” says Jeff Rawlinson, longtime deer hunter and outdoor educator at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. And he’s right! Far too many of us who hunt bucks get wrapped in a rub and scrape lines, grunt calls, rattling antlers, decoys and a multitude of …

Someone once said: “Deer hunting is a lot about nothing.” “Nothing,” really? In my view, that statement is so far from the truth. It is the time of year for archery deer hunters and soon, firearm deer hunters, to be on their stands or in their blinds all day long, up to 12 hours. Doesn’t sound like it’s too difficult to do, does it? But it is. Deer hunting for long periods of time demands complete fortitude, conviction and tenacity. To …

Let’s face it. We are living in an era where people do not fully understand where their food originates. We are living in an era where urbanization is spreading like wildfire. We are living in an era where there is a decline in rural populations. Yes, we are living in an era where for the first time in history most of the world’s population lives in a city. Enter agriculture (ag). Enter youth. Enter my nearly 4-year old grandson – …

It’s a magical time of year, really. As daylight wanes, the temperature begins to drop, frost appears on the pumpkin, leaves turn color and start toppling to the ground, and experienced bowhunters know the deer rut is beginning. Buck rubs on trees and scrapes on the ground are apparent. Deer movement is picking up and the bowhunter’s excitement is intensifying. The timeless tradition of waking up well before dawn compiling gear and walking to deer stands and blinds in the …

It’s the month for pumpkin-spiced everything in coffee shops. It’s the month for Halloween supplies to fly off the shelves at stores. It’s the month when campfires in rings are prevalent in the campgrounds of state parks and recreation areas. It’s the month for the crop harvest to be underway. And, it’s the month when leaves turn color. Eastern cottonwood tree leaves beginning to turn their pretty yellow color along the Platte River in southern Sarpy County, NE. Photo by …

It’s October. It’s the Halloween season. And, a witch’s brew is not complete without a moist, edible fall mushroom or two, right? Just kidding. But, guess what? We have an array of fall fungi in Nebraska perfect for your dinner plate. The cool weather and rain deluges of autumn bring forth a flush of different wild mushrooms in various parts of Nebraska. However, which ones are fairly common? Which ones are simplest to identify? Which ones are best to eat? …