Hunting

Please allow me to interrupt my usual subject material here on my blog. . . . It is turkey season and my mind can only concentrate on one thing at a time.  Right now it bounces back and forth between spring turkey hunting, mushroom picking and fishing. Every morning I hear the birds singing, they may not be turkeys and I may be in the middle of town, but as soon as I hear them, my ears are straining to …

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has confirmed that the bighorn sheep ram harvested by Lincoln hunter Terry Bogle in December 2015 is a new state record. The final net score for the ram’s horns is 190 5/8 on the Boone and Crockett Club scale – just over the 189 it measured prior to a mandatory drying period. The previous record of 185 7/8 was set in 1998, the first year of the Commission’s bighorn hunt. The ram, one of …

LINCOLN – Turkey hunting is challenging and fun, and a great way to spend a spring day with family or friends. Spring turkey season opens for shotgunners on April 16 in Nebraska. Wendy Horine, hunter education coordinator with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, has the following tips for making a turkey hunt safe and successful. — Always practice muzzle control. Know where the muzzle of your gun is pointed and never aim at anything you don’t intend to shoot. …

I know it has been W-I-N-D-Y lately.  Typical for spring in Nebraska.  But, on occasion the wind quits blowing and I can stand on my front step, feel it in the air, smell it, and if I listen hard enough I am sure I can hear it. . . .There, there it is. . . . I know I just heard a turkey gobble. Now, I am stationed at our headquarters here in Lincoln, and I live not far from …

LINCOLN – Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation on April 6 declaring that Nebraska is the Best Turkey Hunting Destination in the United States. The governor signed the proclamation in a ceremony at the Nebraska Capitol and presented it to Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Director Jim Douglas and District 3 Commissioner Mick Jensen of Blair (northeastern Nebraska). In a recent survey, 90 percent of respondent Nebraska turkey hunters stated they had a satisfying experience. Several factors contribute to hunters’ …

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will accept applications for a 2016 bighorn sheep lottery permit beginning April 18. Only Nebraska residents are eligible. The application period ends Aug. 5, and the permit, the only one authorized for 2016, will be drawn Aug. 18. Applications must be accompanied by a $25 nonrefundable application fee. Apply at a Nebraska Game and Parks office or at OutdoorNebraska.org. The 2016 bighorn sheep season is Nov. 29 – Dec. 22.

Spring turkey hunting is all about communication.  You make the sounds of a sexy hen and the interested toms gobble back.  Quite simply you are talking to that bird.  Now what you are saying and when you say it is the source of much discussion at turkey camp.  But what you use to make the talk of the turkey can be an important part of the hunt, too. Walk into the turkey call department of any sporting goods store and …

EEEEK! TICK! The ticks are out! In Nebraska, ticks become active early in the spring and are one of the first biting pests we experience as the weather warms. Ticks are part of Nebraska’s environment, and they shouldn’t stop any of us from pursuing our favorite outdoor activities this time of year — wild turkey hunting, morel mushroom picking, bird watching, tent camping, hiking, fishing, etc. We just need to take the necessary precautions to dissuade these little buggers from crawling on us, embedding …

If I had to pick the perfect critter for introducing kids to the incredible pastime of hunting, it would be the wild turkey. They are interesting, challenging and so many of the activities associated with hunting turkeys fit right into a kid’s idea of a good time, like painting your face, hanging out in a fort (blind), saying silly words and making funny noises. I think it’s safe to say, turkeys are just plain fun! Kids love to repeat words …

Our traditions are a major part of us. They help to shape who we are. Indeed, when it comes to the hunting lifestyle, they are at the very core of what we are. The wild places, the game animals and birds we seek, how we do that, when we do that, and with whom we do that, all sculpt our outdoor lives. Whenever I think about creating a new hunting tradition I always find myself in kind of a quandary. The word tradition really isn’t about the new, it’s about the old, isn’t it? Or, …