Hunting

My sons Pat, Kevin and myself were joined Saturday by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission wildlife chief Scott Taylor for a duck hunt. In a conversation earlier this year Scott had told me he grew up hunting waterfowl. This would be the first hunt of the season from of our pit. Scott arrived at 7:30 to help set out the decoys and last minute prep before hunkering down below ground. I made it a point to arrive early to get …

Did you save the heart of that deer you harvested this season or did you toss it in the gut pile for the coyotes? Next time, save it, trust me! Venison heart is “muscle meat” and is as good as a piece of tenderloin! Packed with B vitamins and protein, with little fat, and a very mild flavor, venison heart is positively delicious if prepared properly! It’s actually simple to make, is best eaten fresh, not frozen, at least within a …

Whitetails Most white-tailed deer live in heavy cover offered by woodlands, and hence, are most abundant along rivers and in forested areas of eastern Nebraska. The easiest way to harvest a whitetail is to spend an evening waiting for one to arrive at its dining room: a crop field adjacent to heavy cover. Chances are you found one of these feeding areas while you were looking for a place to hunt. All you need to do now is find a …

You don’t have to spend much time around a raccoon hunter to figure out the sport has its own vocabulary. Some of the colloquialisms are self-explanatory, but those who don’t know the difference between a bluetick and a deer tick should read on: Strike – When a hound finds the first raccoon scent trail after being sent into the woods at the start of a hunt. Open – The howl a dog lets out when it strikes a track. On …

Two different deer, two different situations. The following “tale of two deer” tells the absurdities and calamities of my pursuit of this most coveted Nebraska hunting species: On a backroads drive through southeastern Nebraska a couple winters back, I spotted what had to be a 400-class buck standing at the edge of a field. Stopping the truck, I greedily stared at the behemoth before he calmly sauntered into the woods. I went home but couldn’t seem to get the deer …

Purchasing a hunting dog can do nothing but add to the pleasure of the sport – if done correctly. I have seen more than one dog point a covey a quail, wait for the flush, then point the first of many singles before the shooter has vested the first bird. On the other hand, I’ve also been on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, Kansas, chasing a dog that refused to hunt or return to the …

I’ve been in the field since Saturday firearm deer hunting in southeastern Nebraska and wanted to take a break to share some of the images of the hunt with you. It’s all about making lasting memories and creating the subject matter for dreams now, isn’t it? I definitely think so! Be sure to take a camera along on your deer hunting adventure and snap some pics! I hope you enjoy mine! Have fun, dress warmly and be safe out there!

Many people will take their entire deer, hide and all, to a commercial processor, turning their $28 deer tag into more than $100 of meat their family may not eat. Not to say that most processors aren’t good at what they do, but they are also working with what you give them. Which is, quite often, an ill-prepared collection of meat that can’t help but taste “wild” or “gamey.” Before you make this mistake again, try these steps to make …

There are few things as thrilling as the sound of air rushing through the cupped wings of a mallard flock or the sight of committed Canadas as they extend those big, black paddles.  These are the things that make waterfowlers leave a warm bed at ungodly hours and put in long hours of work prep.  Now’s the time the effort pays off… To help out a bit for those looking to take their pursuit to the next level the Nebraska …

Since I was unsuccessful at finding any hunting grounds this weekend, I spent opening day helping out at the deer check station at the Norfolk Game and Parks Office. It was a fantastic learning experience. And I also got to meet some really nice people with some really nice deer. The best ones were the kids and the ladies who came in, especially when it was their first deer. All animals we saw were young, all 3 1/2 years and …