Conservation

Never in my outdoor life have I ever endured so much negativity, so much criticism, and taken so much flak for an action. It all was the result of a photo and video I shared recently on my personal social media accounts. Both were of a large, master angler-sized flathead catfish that I caught in an eastern Nebraska sandpit lake and then duly released back into it. Here are the photo and short video clip shot by my fishing partner, Rich Berggren of Waterloo, NE. Alright, I know what you’re thinking: “Nice fish, good job on the release,” …

A couple weeks ago I had a little fun with a story I read about researchers getting crayfish drunk, And Now Even Our Crayfish Are Drunk!  Sometimes I wonder if anyone appreciates my pointy-headed sense of humor?  Previously in my blog, I have warned that fish biologist types tend to be a little warped. Hey, I resemble that remark! Then I got to thinking, there is some serious crayfish biology I can tell you about, should tell you about . …

Update: This version changes the date of a Family Fishing Event in Broken Bow to July 21 and adds a Fishing is Fun Event at Victoria Springs SRA on July 22. LINCOLN, Neb. – The following is a listing of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission events and important dates in July. Get more event details at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and boating safety classes. July 1 – Archery fishing of game fish is allowed …

Happens every year about this time, I hear reports of folks catching “blue” catfish, here, there, lots of different waters.  Problem is, they really ain’t blue catfish.  They are just big ole male channel catfish getting ready to spawn.  So, if you will bear with me playing the role of pointy-headed fish biologist, again, for a bit, let me give a little lesson in fish identification. . . . We have three large catfish species in Nebraska waters, channel, blue …

I want to call attention to some news from the past week.  Let me repeat the news release here: Low water levels at Ice House Pond on Fort Robinson State Park CRAWFORD, Neb. – A broken dam board in the outlet structure at the lower Ice House Pond on Fort Robinson State Park caused the water level to drop about 10 feet during the weekend. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has been in the process of designing aquatic habitat …

CRAWFORD, Neb. – When tourists catch sight of a bighorn sheep in the Pine Ridge, or a herd of bison grazing at Fort Robinson State Park, they likely give little thought to the people responsible for those animals being there. One such person is Lon Lemmon, a life-long resident of the Crawford area who was at the forefront of many projects resulting in the wild animals and lands people enjoy today during his 39-year career with the Nebraska Game and …

I do not think I am that old, but I suppose I am old enough that this old dog has new tricks, new technology, to learn about.  I was forced to upgrade to a “smart” phone a few weeks ago, still learning how to use that.  Thank goodness I have kids that can teach me! Gonna branch out and try something else new tomorrow.  I am going live on FaceBook! Yep, tomorrow, June 22, 12:00 noon, central time, FaceBook Live …

Why do some people get perplexed when they see someone release a massive, master angler-sized catfish? After all, catfish, even the larger ones, sure taste good, don’t they? So why is it every time we see an angler report or a social media post mention or show a picture of a large catfish they have put back in the water, a spirited discussion most likely ensues over what should or should have not been done with that whopper? So how …

I always say that every body of water in Nebraska is a vital resource and is important to Nebraska anglers.  Most of our rivers and streams are warm-water, prairie rivers and streams; they may not have trout and salmon swimming up and down them, but they do have a variety of fish species and are important resources.  Surprisingly, fish in some of those warm-water rivers and streams have some of the same challenges that folks are more commonly aware of …

A few weeks ago I stumbled across this headline:  “Sociable crayfish get drunk more easily than loners”.  OK. . . . WAIT, WHOA, Say what????? Drunk crayfish? No, seriously, you can read all about it HERE. Apparently, some very pointy-headed scientists have been studying the nervous systems of crayfish and how they react to various stimuli.  Some of those reactions vary depending on the social status of the crayfish, friendly or curmudgeon.  You can read the article if you really …