Hunting

CRAWFORD, Neb. — Nebraska’s limited bighorn sheep season wrapped up Thursday afternoon when the second of two permit holders harvested a ram near Fort Robinson State Park’s Cheyenne Buttes. Jack Nemeth of nearby Chadron, who won the permit by lottery, said he was not looking for the “biggest, baddest ram” in the state, but rather a memorable experience with his son Riley, friend B.J. Dunn and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission staff. Nemeth, who placed a successful shot on the …

Canada Goose Hunting in Nebraska and “the Leopold tingle” In his classic 1949 book A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold, the father of wildlife conservation, asked: “What is a wild goose worth? I have a ticket to the symphony. It was not cheap … but I would forego the experience for the sight of the big gander that sailed honking into my decoys at daybreak this morning. I saw him, I heard the wind whistle through his set wings, as …

I am always up on a soap-box promoting the diversity of fish & wildlife, hunting and fishing opportunities we have in Nebraska.  With no closed season for fishing and long hunting seasons for a variety of species, it is very possible, and double the fun, to combine the activities!  Fall is one of the best times to do that. Hunting, fishing, trapping, I love them all and often feel like I have so much to do and so little time.  …

Do  you really need water, pumps, pit blinds, lots of expensive decoys and to be part of a high-priced hunting lease to successfully hunt Canada geese in Nebraska? No, not necessarily. Field hunting for Canada geese is a ton of fun and can be very effective! It’s also much cheaper, easier and quicker than trying to establish a goose hunting spread with a boat blind on a pond, lake, reservoir or river. Waterfowl hunters establish a field spread for Canada goose hunting in a harvested corn field in …

GERING, Neb. – There may be a new state record among bighorn sheep harvested in Nebraska. Archery hunter Jason Bruce of Lockeford, California, claimed success during Nebraska’s bighorn sheep season with a massive ram taken on private property in the rocky Wildcat Hills near Gering on Saturday, Dec. 2. Todd Nordeen, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission biologist who manages Nebraska’s bighorn sheep program, said the mature ram, estimated to be 10 years old, had a gross score of 195 …

LINCOLN, Neb. – Preliminary deer harvest in Nebraska is 3 percent ahead of last year’s pace. From Sept. 1 through Nov. 30, there were 49,923 deer checked, compared to 48,633 in 2016. Mule deer buck harvest has increased for the fourth consecutive year, with 8,609 taken, compared to 8,499 in 2016. “This bodes well for Nebraska, as mule deer buck harvest in 2016 was the highest on record,” said Kit Hams, big game program manager for the Nebraska Game and …

With the onset of cool weather, and presumably sometime soon some actual “cold” weather, since December is just a few days away, my thoughts have turned to “comfort food.” And a major ingredient in comfort food around my house is, of course, wild game. Now there are all sorts of wild critters currently residing in any one of our four freezers (yes, I said “4”), including doves, squirrels, rabbits, various kinds of fish, snapping turtle, and lots of venison. So …

It was the eve of deer rifle season, sitting by the front door were two pairs of boots, two blaze orange vests, a backpack of snacks, binoculars and one rifle.  They were ready to go!  Catching the last few minute of sleep I hear small feet walking towards the bed.  “Mom, I thought dad was getting up early to go hunting?”  Seeing that is was 5:25 am, I reassured him that dad’s alarm clock will be going off any minute.  …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reminds hunters to follow the rules. During the recent firearm deer season, eight Louisiana hunters were arrested after they committed several hunting violations. On Nov. 12, conservation officers responded to two different complaints of deer camps, each with Louisiana hunters. Following an investigation, they cited eight men for illegal activities in Gage and Jefferson counties. Charges include hunting without permits, over-bag on game, borrowing deer permits, and several other deer regulation …

Nebraska has added more opportunities for deer hunters to vary their hunting styles. This gives hunters the chance to choose different forms of harvest to enhance their seasons or to challenge their skills or even both. I respect and admire the ones who want to take things one step further. Hunting with primitive weapons takes practice, patience and brings you close and personal to your quarry. Here are a few hunters who did just that: Garret Tramp has been following …