Conservation

You saw the title of this blog post.  It is a title that I have used more than once, but I have never used it in this way. . . . At the beginning of the classroom ice fishing clinic in Kearney a few weeks ago, we started by mentioning some of the reasons we love to ice fish.  I have a hard time talking about that without cracking up.  Yes, I suppose I am soft.  I have so many …

We live in Nebraska.  The wind blows.  If you spend any time at all fishing, you know the wind has a huge impact on fish location and activity.  But, what about underneath the ice?  With a cap of ice to protect from the elements, does wind affect fish behavior? That is a question that Nebraskaland editor Jeff Kurrus posed to me.  Jeff loves to hunt and fish and whenever we happen to be in the office at the same time …

This blog post may not be my most exciting.  The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Annual Report for 2022 has been published, and I want to call attention to that.  You can see it here: Yes, it is a typical annual report.  No, it is not the most exciting reading.  However, I know that folks ask a lot of questions about the “nuts and bolts” of our agency.  That annual report will answer some of those questions. If you look …

I have long known the lengths some will go to discover the spot where someone has been catching fish.  That is especially the case in this day of technology, the interwebs, and cell phones.  It reached a new level (high or low depending on how you look at it) this past week. I will neither confirm nor deny that I was somewhere in the state of Nebraska on the ice while this incident occurred.  I do know that some were …

Yep, I have still been on the ice, have been on it as much as possible.  I will give you a quick report of what I have been catching. . . . I have been out in different parts of the state a couple of times.  Spent a couple hours one evening on a spot, and managed one of these! Then of course, I could only catch one.  Walleyes through the ice can be frustrating.  I would tell you that …

By Jeff Kurrus Helping law enforcement eliminate poaching in Nebraska just got a little easier, thanks to a new program by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Law Enforcement division and continued support from Wildlife Crimestoppers. The program debuts in January and allows people to anonymously report those suspected of wildlife violations. “You submit online,” said Commission Law Enforcement Assistant Administrator Duane Arp. “Describe the situation and the location. Then answer if you want to be contacted by an officer. …

By now you have probably heard reports and rumors of low oxygen levels in at least some of our sandhill lakes this winter.  When I say “low oxygen levels” I mean to the point of causing fish die-offs.  No, I have not said anything until now.  Even now I do not have an official news release to share with you.  Unfortunately, at this time, it is something that needs to be mentioned. Yes, I hesitate to bring the subject up.  …

Calendar says yesterday was “Ground Hog Day”.  That does not mean a lot, but there are some interesting little observances.  Unfortunately, I really do not pay a lot of attention to what ole Unadilla Bill says.  Maybe I should? OK, OK, a guy can hope, right? Seriously, I am planning ice fishing trips a month from now! GO FISH!

Nebraska Game and Parks, in collaboration with the Platte Basin Timelapse project, released expanded wetlands educational content on World Wetlands Day, Feb. 2. These new resources offer the opportunity to learn about Nebraska’s five diverse wetland types, as well as grow one’s understanding of their importance to the state, its people and its wildlife. Expanded content includes: Five documentary films about Nebraska’s wetlands and the wildlife and people who depend on them. These films, created by Platte Basin Timelapse at …

The calendar has turned over, it is a new year.  It is also time to look back at last year and summarize some things.  Things, like state record fish. . . . First of all, I have one update to give.  One application for a state record fish came late in the year.  Noah Jelinek of Waverly caught that fish, a silver carp.  He caught it on November 24.  The fish was caught by rod & reel from Salt Creek …