How To

Fall flowers are in full bloom in the wild places and in our gardens, the cicadas have ceased their droning in the trees while late nectaring bumble bees and butterflies are still active on fall favorites like asters, tall sedums and goldenrods. Not too far around the corner are much cooler temperatures and late fall garden clean up. After a frost there will be leaves to rake, grasses and perennials to cut back and downed limbs to pick up left …

Youth-only waterfowl seasons are nothing new.  They have been around for about a decade and a half.  I took part almost religiously for the first half of their existence, thanks largely to my involvement with the local Ducks Unlimited chapter and my excitement for being in the marsh.  Though, my interest in the special event has not waned, my fall work obligations have all but kept me from taking part.  Not this year.  This year will be different…in more than …

I’m hearing from a few reservoirs around the state that the fall pattern is starting to show itself. Slabs and blade baits are producing some fish once in a while, and it’ll only improve. Big Mac remains slow from what I’ve heard from numerous friends. A blade bait did produce a 63 pound flathead for my friends at Sherman Reservoir last week, though. What a blast that had to be! Elwood is still a bit behind, it seems. We looked …

Don’t miss Executive Chef Gene Cammarota of Omaha, NE on this week’s edition of The Great Outdoor Radio Show I host! Gene is a chef with a dynamic personality and is well known in professional cooking circles. He is also an instructor at Iowa Western Community College’s Culinary Arts Program and hosts his own cooking show called “What’s Cookin’?” from 10-11 a.m. CST on Omaha radio station 1180 AM. Gene will take your questions LIVE about wild game and outdoor …

By: Jon Morgenson, Assistant Horticulturist  Now through the end of October is the best time for a few turf improvement projects. Weed Control If dandelions and other broadleaf weeds like white clover or creeping Charlie are invading your cool season turf areas, now is the best time of year to control them. These weeds are more noticeable when they are flowering earlier in the season but controlling them then versus now is less effective. Perennial weeds like dandelions are moving …

I won’t lie; the fishing has been real hit-and-miss as of late. There are lots and lots of shad everywhere you look, which naturally makes things difficult to begin with. Add in the cool weather and several inches of rain we’ve gotten, and conditions have gotten a bit tougher. Traditional patterns like live-baiting shad and trolling crankbaits are not producing the fish we are used to this time of year, and success has been spotty. The nice thing about this …

It may destroy my reputation, but I will admit to you that I have not been on the water a lot in recent weeks.  Yes, it has been the “summer doldrums” and frankly, there have been some other issues in life that have taken priority.  But, I have been able to spend a couple evenings on an interstate lake lately and I want to give you a quick report. I have mentioned this a couple of times this summer, but …

At thirty minutes before sunrise this past Saturday one of my favorite events arrived in Nebraska – teal season.  The short season gives me an annual opportunity to renew the fondness I hold for this small duck and a chance to try out new excuses for missed shots. Blue-winged, green-winged and even cinnamon teal pass through Nebraska but they can all be summed up in one word – quick.  Teal are quick to arrive on the scene, sometimes quick to …

This blog was originally posted on August 31, 2009 but it has been updated with new information.  I like to dabble with dove decoys. That’s really all I do, it seems. Bagging doves for the grill during Nebraska’s popular dove hunting season (which opens on Sept. 1) is, well, just a bonus actually. Normally, I run out of shells before even getting close to reaching my daily bag limit during the season. I get those erratic, fast-flying doves close enough for shots, but connecting …

We’re deep into our Nebraska summer and that means one thing regarding wild edibles — tasty, ripe plums! Have you checked your rural wild plum thickets yet? You should. The deep hues of purples, red and yellows are now apparent on the wild plum trees growing on my buddy’s farm in eastern Nebraska long the Elkhorn River. Look closely. You’ll know when the wild plums are ready for harvest because their flesh will be firm, but somewhat soft when pinched and they’ll almost drop from the thicket with the barest touch or …