How To

Water temperatures are at or near their peak in many Nebraska waters right now, and they are going to stay that way for the next several weeks.  That means your fish handling skills have to be at their best right now–a released fish does no one any good if it perishes.  I have blogged extensively about fish handling and catch & release in the past; the July 2018 NEBRASKAland uses some of that material and is a nice reminder! My …

Another of our carp carnivals this weekend! Some more information in the news release: Carp-O-Rama event coming to Lake Maloney SRA NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) will be hosting its annual Carp-O-Rama at Lake Maloney’s main boat ramp area on Saturday, July 14. The free event is open to the public and will start at 8 a.m. and go until 1 p.m. Game and Parks staff will be on hand to answer any questions …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Openings are still available in the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Program’s beginning kayak workshop July 21 at Lake Wanahoo State Recreation Area. The workshop is for women age 16 or older who want to learn the basics of kayaking. Kayak, paddle and life jacket will be provided. Topics will include skills, safety, entering and exiting a kayak, launching and docking, and equipment. The registration deadline has been extended to July 17. Participants can choose from morning and afternoon …

A couple of weeks ago one of my many fishing contacts suggested that there are a lot of misconceptions about the spawn period for our big three catfish species, blue, channel and flathead.  He thought that might be a good topic for a blog post and I agree with him! Our large catfish species in Nebraska are definitely warm-water fish.  In fact, they are some of the slowest-growing fish in our waters because they are warm-water fish, and we are …

Its likely the sound of firecrackers and pyrotechnics at this time of year that gets me thinking about the upcoming hunting seasons.  In particular, I have a desire to dust off the ol’shotgun and break some bluerock.  It never hurts that each year I spend a few days in late June as a shotgun referee at the 4-H National Shooting Sports Championships, held in Grand Island at the beautiful Heartland Public Shooting Park.   This gives me the chance to watch …

While it might be harder to think about hunting season when summer temperatures are getting into the high 90’s, hunting season is just around the corner! Archery deer, dove, and teal seasons will kick off in less than two months and those months can skip by faster than you expect. That’s why some forethought now will make for a stress free slide into the best time of the year. Anyone between the ages of 12 and 29 hunting in Nebraska …

I hate that I even have to blog about this, and I know many have already heard, but everyone needs to be aware of what is happening on our waters.  I am going to spread this even more. . . . Let me again start with the news release: Young zebra mussels detected at Cunningham Lake LINCOLN, Neb. – Microscopic young zebra mussels, known as veligers, recently were detected by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in a water sample …

I have been around, been back and forth at least half-way across the state a couple of times in the past couple of weeks.  As always, the fishing gear went with me, dried a few off along the way. . . . Got a call a year ago from an Oregon State baseball fan.  His team was in the CWS and he was going to be traveling across our great state, wanted to do some fishing along the way.  I …

Just as you ready your firearms for hunting season, you should also ready your knife. Start by purchasing a tri-stone, which is a series of three stone plates that use abrasive particles, called grit, to create an edge on a blade. Hold the knife in your dominant hand and evenly spread the fingers of your other hand across the knife blade. (see image) Angle and pressure are very important. Most people don’t use enough pressure when they start. The wider …

Duck and goose season may not be top-of-mind for many Nebraskans – except for the die-hards that never quit thinking about it.  But that doesn’t mean waterfowl management is on-hold. I was able to tag along with our state’s biologists recently to take part in the annual Canada goose banding efforts.  We were able to capture video of the process and get an explanation by Dr. Mark Vrtiska, Nebraska’s Waterfowl Program Manager, of the importance of banding geese. I haven’t …