I’ve never caught a walleye. I’ve never even eaten one. But I’ve sure learned a lot about them in the last month… from setting out lines, to egg collection, hatching, treating, marking and stocking. They’re such amazing, resilient little fish. I kind of feel like a proud mamma– even though the guys did all the work. Shout out to the guys at the Calamus Fish Hatchery. I think you are all the bee’s knees. Thanks for putting up with me.  …

Niobrara State Park is one of my favorite places to visit up in this part of the state. Situated on at the confluence of the Missouri and Niobrara Rivers, the landscape in this region is constantly changing– so much that the town of Niobrara has had to relocate twice. Between Nebraska and South Dakota, there is the river and the floodplain, so open, wide and saturated with water. Its marshes holds some of the best water-fowling opportunities in the state. …

Looking back on the last few weeks, I can hardly believe all that I’ve experienced… seeing pronghorn antelope for the first time, shooting my first snow goose, shooting my first pheasant and quail, shooting a Civil War cannon(!), holding a pallid sturgeon for the first time and getting to spawn walleye! Here I am with my first snow goose, thanks to Scott Wessel who took me out hunting. To keep warm, I like to wear my warm bunny bomber hat …

Bringing Fort Hartsuff back to life, 67 Civil War re-enactors from Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa gathered this past weekend, April 13-14, to portray Fort McPherson in 1867.  In this semi-immersive event, re-enactors lived, ate and slept like 19th century Union soldiers and civilians to offer visitors an accurate representation of military life post-Civil War. Superintendent Jim Domeier of Fort Hartsuff reported approximately 530 visitors for the weekend— a great turnout despite the cold, wet weather. “I was very pleased with …

I know. You’re probably tired of reading posts about the cranes. But I saw them for the first time Sunday morning, so one more post won’t kill you… Prior to the experience, my knowledge of the sandhill cranes was limited to Michael Forsberg photos and people telling me that I simply had to see them. I had never even heard of them until I came to Nebraska, where these birds are considered magical and special– an annual marvel that arrive …

As a Public Information Officer and NEBRASKAland Regional Editor, I spend the majority of my time out in the field. Being new to the region, I’ve been on a whirlwind mission to hit as many locations as I can. I’m usually out taking photographs by myself, meeting with local park superintendents and biologists, coordinating with local media, or spending unending amounts of time in front of a computer culling through photos. Through all the hustle and bustle of trying to …

If there’s any fish that has a special place in my heart, it would be trout. While backpacking in the Sierras during high school, my weary companions and I came to a small pool that peacefully shimmered in the sun. A creek– a tributary from the great Kern River– ran through it, gently rippling the cold, crystalline surface that held a handful of unknowing golden trout underneath. So we threw down our packs, and my friend handed me his fishing …

Last week, I experienced pheasant hunting for the first time. Well, it wasn’t really “hunting.” It was a training session for a couple dogs at Pheasants Bonanza. Jeff Kurrus thought it would be a great opportunity to get GoPro footage of dogs on the prowl. Even though it wasn’t a real hunt, it was a first for me. Prior to this experience, I have only seen a total of two pheasants in my entire life! And never have I witnessed …

The title was Jeff Kurrus’s idea. Lame, huh? Anyway, here’s what Jeff and I did this past Monday: NOT ruining a $400 GoPro camera. Although, I almost wished we had because it would’ve been so doggone funny. My only job was to push the button and to stand back. It wasn’t my idea. What do I care? I can see Jeff trying to explain that one. Fortunately for him, the camera survived. We did get this really cool photo below. It …

As much as I don’t like the cold, I must admit… I had a TON of fun this past weekend! Below is a photo taken from inside my apartment in Northeast Nebraska last Thursday. The snow did not fall until after 1:30 PM, and once it did, it kept falling and falling like nobody’s business. But nothing catastrophic happened. My windows did not shudder. It was hardly  the “blizzard,” “storm” or “snow-mageddon” as projected. To me, it was a nice …