Hunting

As I readied myself for the evening deer hunt the strong west winds kept hitting me with the dried-up corn leaves left behind by the combine that had passed through the field 4 days earlier.  Perfect for the Alli Way stand.  I found relief from the wind, and the dust it was kicking up, once I dropped down beside a tall north-south bluff on my walk in.  The day was warm but I made my elevated perch and hadn’t worked …

It’s nearly impossible for me, or any of NEBRASKAland’s staff, to go in the field on our own time and not photograph if the opportunity presents. The two bucks above are proof of that, as they were photographed on a recent deer archery hunt. In fact, the only way not to work is for us to leave our cameras at home. But why would we do that? There may be a photograph we need to take.

The Pheasants Forever Rooster Road Trip held in northeast Nebraska this past Wednesday was a success! 12 pheasants and 8 quail were harvested in just one morning on public land in the Open Fields and Waters Program. I’d like to thank the Pheasants Forever crew, PF National Board Member Dick Bell, NGPC Commissioners Mick Jensen and Lynn Berggren, Scott Wessel, Josh Konouvsky and Mark Davis from the Omaha World-Herald for making this happen and for inviting me along.

By Mick Jensen, Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioner, District 3 I had a really great day at the 2013 Rooster Road Trip near Orchard, NE.  Commissioner Lynn Berggren and I participated with NGPC staff and Pheasants Forever national board member Dick Bell in an exercise to showcase Nebraska public hunting areas. We hunted two medium-sized fields and with six hunters bagged 12 roosters and 8 quail in about 2½ hours. Dick and I had to make a quick trip to his …

I was informed there were some teal using my friend’s pond, so I decided a hunt was in order. On a crisp morning, I arrived an hour before daylight to set up. With a moderate breeze from the south, I put out six teal decoys, two mallards on a jerk line, and a Mojo teal and mallard. As the sky started to lighten I could see about 40 teal on the middle of the pond. They looked relaxed and in …

For me and my spaniels there are two time designations in the fall – BN & PT.  We are currently in the BN or Before November time period.  The BN period is often characterized by the mostly carefree time one spends outdoors pursuing critters during the early hunting seasons.  These hunts are often rather relaxing affairs with the idea that many are a prelude to the bigger or better hunts yet to come.  Common examples of hunting at this time can …

Like iron filings to a magnet – or teenie-boppers to a Justin Bieber concert – I find myself almost inexplicably drawn to the ring-necked pheasant.  As October nears its end my mind centers more and more on the bird that wears autumn in its feathers. Make no mistake I love the chaos of a bobwhite covey, sing praises for the noble prairie chicken and sometimes swear at the devious sharp-tailed grouse.  However, when the final Saturday of the month arrives I have tunnel vision for the …

My wife and had a great dog, Jazz, for 12 years. A female black Lab, she was an awesome companion and hunting dog. But as things go, we had to put her down a couple years ago. So here we were a year later picking from a litter of puppies whose daddy came from our Jazz. That was a year ago, and that little bundle of puppy has grown to be a big, rambunctious, slobbering hunting buddy. Her official name …

A few years ago while looking for a deer processor, I was referred to Todd Hanson in eastern Nebraska by some folks at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. I called Todd and asked him one very important question: “Do you guarantee that I will get my deer back if I send it to you?” “Absolutely,” he replied, and we have had a wonderful relationship since. I mostly have him grind my shoulders and hind quarters, but he also has …

Whether it’s running down a tree head first or standing on hind legs to inspect an attractive aroma, raccoon behaviors can be fascinating to observe. Though easily identified by their distinctive black mask and ringed tail, witnessing a raccoon in the wild can pose a challenge due to their nocturnal nature. In the city, however, the odds of catching a glimpse of these mammals are considerably greater. With a population density and life expectancy higher than that of their country …