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To be a dove hunter you need to be creative.  Most of us have two or three good excuses at the ready for when we miss a relatively easy shot.  Dove hunters on the other hand, should have at least a solid half-dozen new ones anytime they head to the field.  “I’m still seeing dark spots since forgetting my glasses during the eclipse.” For example. However, if you are looking to add some local, wild-protein to your diet while spending …

The morning air is crisp and cold. Hardwood trees stand motionless and silent — faint brush strokes against the slowly lightening predawn sky. As light emerges, wild plants still green are bejeweled with dew. Small sounds begin to carve the creek bottom. A raucous calamity of crows can be heard in the distance. An assertive, vociferous blue jay appears on a limb. Two fox squirrels squabble amid the leaves on the woodland floor. The insistent nasal yammering of a white-breasted …

I will not count it among easiest photo assignments I have had. Mother Nature says, “Hey, I’m going to give you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with challenging lighting situations and because you’re a nature photographer everyone is going to expect you to get great images. You can have from a few seconds to 2½ minutes to get your shot, depending on the spot you choose within this narrow strip through the middle of Nebraska. I may or may not send clouds. …

It will undoubtedly be among the most stunning sights you have ever witnessed. It has been labeled as one of the most awe-inspiring events in nature, and it’s coming! For the first time in 26 years, a total solar eclipse will occur in our great country, and we, in Nebraska, will play host to the world’s eclipse-chasers along with eleven other states on August 21st for about a minute or two around the lunch hour depending on local time. To find out exact times of the …

If the hills and bluffs at Ash Hollow State Historical Park could talk they would have been buzzing about the Convergence on Sacred Ground event last weekend. Perhaps they were pleased to have the Lakota’s with their teepees, dances and sacred dialog being echoed about. Wagons once again rolled along the Oregon/California trail. The sounds of horses and cattle filled the air as cowboys roped and branded cattle on the meadows of the park. And the aromas from Dutch ovens …

Never in my outdoor life have I ever endured so much negativity, so much criticism, and taken so much flak for an action. It all was the result of a photo and video I shared recently on my personal social media accounts. Both were of a large, master angler-sized flathead catfish that I caught in an eastern Nebraska sandpit lake and then duly released back into it. Here are the photo and short video clip shot by my fishing partner, Rich Berggren of Waterloo, NE. Alright, I know what you’re thinking: “Nice fish, good job on the release,” …

Heading north again to meet with my friends in the Siouxland Fly Fishing Club.  They meet every month at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center on the edge of Sioux City.  If I remember right, they get together to do a little fly-tying at 9:00 a.m., meeting starts at 10:00, and I will start rambling some time shortly after that.  This time I have a program on the role of fish stocking in fisheries management to share with them. Once again …

Why do some people get perplexed when they see someone release a massive, master angler-sized catfish? After all, catfish, even the larger ones, sure taste good, don’t they? So why is it every time we see an angler report or a social media post mention or show a picture of a large catfish they have put back in the water, a spirited discussion most likely ensues over what should or should have not been done with that whopper? So how …

Seen many milkweeds lately? I didn’t think so. They continue to disappear at a disturbing rate. But, who cares? What’s the big deal? They’re just milkweeds anyway, right? Monarch butterflies, which migrate through Nebraska, cannot survive without the milkweed. Their larvae, caterpillars, will only feed on it. Female monarchs need it to lay their eggs. According to National Geographic, the trouble is not only in Mexico with deforestation, but fewer and fewer monarch butterflies are crossing North America to winter into Mexico, and the …

Camping trips are some of the most rewarding experiences and times spent in the great outdoors with family and friends. It is hard to pin point what the best part of camping really is. Is it the roaring campfire you find yourself gathered around to toast that perfect golden marshmallow for your s’more? Maybe, it is the serenity felt beneath the starry night sky? Or, maybe, it is the accomplishments you prove to yourself as you set up a home …