hen I worked for The Nature Conservancy near Wood River, Nebraska, I lived close to a restored wetland. In late winter I would gaze longingly out my window at the clouds of migrating waterfowl whirling above the calm water. I wanted to photograph this spectacle, but approaching the skittish birds through the open prairie seemed an impossible task. Then I met Michael Forsberg, famed Nebraska wildlife photographer. I learned how Forsberg builds blinds out of garden fence and grass and …

ne day while attending graduate school in Montana, I wandered into the Slide Inn a fly shop on the banks of the Madison River. The shop’s owner, Kelly Galloup, had a reputation as a trout-crazed wild child, and his fly-tying abilities and patterns are known all over the world. The shop displayed an eclectic collection of fishing memorabilia – antique bamboo rods, replicas of enormous brown trout, and photos of legendary anglers from days gone by. There was a ton of …

Ponca State Park tree is one of the oldest in Nebraska Ponca’s 373 Year Old Tree Ponca State Park, one the agency’s flagship parks, is located on bluffs overlooking the Missouri River just 2 miles north of the town of Ponca. Growing in the interior of park woodlands is a bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) estimated at a whopping 373 years old. This “Old Wolf Tree” was so named and designated as a “Nebraska Heritage Tree” by the Nebraska Community Forestry …

“How about the spinnerbait?” Brad Feeken of Gretna asked as we fished from a john boat on a small pond in Cass County. “Buzzbait,” I responded. “Buzzbait?” “That’s the name of that lure,” I said.  “A spinnerbait is a little bit different.” These are the types of conversations that I have with my newest fishing partner, 41-year-old Brad Feeken, during our times on the water during the spring and summer – times that he would have never imagined having even a few years ago. Sit Still? No …

The University of Nebraska (UNL) – Lincoln Wildlife Club extends an invitation to the public for their annual Wildlife Club Awards Banquet on April 11 at the Izaak Walton League, with the social hour beginning at 5:30pm. This year, UNL Lincoln Wildlife Club will be hosting John Chapo, the president and CEO of The Lincoln Children’s Zoo, as the keynote speaker. His presentation is titled “The Lincoln Children’s Zoo- Small Zoo, Large Success.” The banquet, which includes a catered dinner, is $20 …

Photographer Ben Placzek takes us to the heart of the Sandhills for an afternoon with cowboys at work.

In Nebraska, white-tailed deer antler growth begins in the Spring. By early September, growth has ceased as bucks begin to rub their velvet-covered antlers on trees, shaping their newly created bones into fine points. The antlers are typically cast, or shed, between December and March. Hunters eagerly await the November firearm season, which begins November 15.

Anything we do outside stands out in our minds when cast against a white background. We marvel at how blue the sky looks after a fresh fallen snow, and how every species of wildlife walking the fringes of our lives seemingly stand out for all to see.

50 MPH Stagecoach (Held her at 50 most of the way) We drove 600 miles this way to Estes Park, making it in 16 hours in 1939 (& back). On top were 5 blanket rolls covered with heavy canvas which was tied with rope running to bumpers both “fore” and “aft.” On back was a platform that carried all of the grub, army cots, and cooking utensils. On the left running board – carried all the suitcases and any additional …