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Flora & Fauna

Hunting is about Watching Wildlife, Like “Whitey”

I swear that game birds and animals know when hunting seasons close. Sometimes I think they can actually read our Game and Parks hunting publications, don’t you? I’m kidding, just kidding. Such was the case though yesterday when a lone, wayward snow goose lit near our Canada goose hunting spread  in Dodge County, NE. The goose hung out with us all day, eventually ending up in our decoys. It was wildlife watching at its finest as the Nebraska light goose …

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Ask the Conservation Officer on Great Outdoor Radio Show

Nebraska Conservation Officer Rich Berggren of Waterloo takes your outdoor law and regulation questions on my Great Outdoor Radio Show this Saturday (tomorrow) morning, Jan. 3rd, from 9-10 a.m. CST on Omaha’s KOZN Radio/1620 AM “The Zone.” Rich and I will be covering the gamut of Nebraska’s outdoor scene offering pertinent information on hunting, fishing, state parks, wildlife and much, much more. We’ll also offer regulation reminders for 2015. Here are a couple photos of Rich in the field. You’ll find this program to be …

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A Christmas Wish and the 2014 Holiday Wildlife Tree

First, I wanted to take this time to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas! Second, like last year, I wanted to share photos of my brother-in-law Dean Dennhardt’s unique decorative, holiday wildlife tree. This year though he has outdone himself. He has added even more antlers, more feathers and more creatively done ornaments to it! Of course, all deer antlers, rooster pheasant and wild turkey feathers provided by yours truly here. I wish you the “Merriest of Christmases!”

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Holiday Season: Thankful for the Beauty of Nature

It’s the holiday season and I’m thankful for the beauty of nature in Nebraska. I am thankful for the sky. I am thankful for the breathtaking views of the landscape. I am thankful for the diversity of habitat. Grasslands. Wetlands. Woodlands. Water. And, yes, even cropland. I am thankful for all free-ranging, living creatures. Large. Medium. And, small. I am thankful for being allowed to harvest nature’s bounty. I am thankful for being given the role to become an active participant in the cycle of nature, the …

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Snow Birds

With snow in the forecast last night, and looking to escape the indoor office thing, I snuck in a quick bird hunt this morning.  This was the first halfway decent snow in my hunting area since I was sidetracked by the November rifle deer season.  And as most bird hunters know a new snow on a landscape where there wasn’t any before is a wonderful thing (First Snow). With a chill in the air and snow underfoot, Carrot, my diminutive …

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Outdoor Ideas for Last Minute Santas

Ok…we have officially entered that final week of frenzied gift buying.  But fret not as we are prepared to help you out.  Last week on our radio show – Nebraska Outdoors – we talked good gifts for $50 or less that will help get the gift-getter outdoors. So here we go with a few of them… Nebraska Permits & NEland Subscription.  Just as caller Clyde from Lincoln mentioned on the show, these are no-brainers that keep giving for months.  You …

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Big Game Meeting in The Big “O”

Just a quick reminder to fellow hunters and landowners in or near the Omaha-metro area that a public informational meeting about Nebraska big game  issues will be held tomorrow night, (Wednesday night, Dec. 10th)  at 7 p.m. in the classroom of the west Omaha Scheels Store, 17202 Davenport St.,  in the Village Pointe Shopping Center. NE Game and Parks wildlife biologists will be on hand to explain and take questions on several topics, including deer management, deer damage and depredation permits, antlerless harvest, trophy …

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Christmas Bird Count at Ponca State Park

Join Ponca State Park for the Annual Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, December 14. Experienced and novice birders, nature enthusiasts, and families are invited to participate in this 115-year-old tradition sponsored by the National Audubon Society. Guests are advised to dress accordingly and to bring their binoculars and bird books. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the Missouri National Recreational River Resource and Education Center. A chili feed will be offered at noon amid counting. This event is …

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Snowy Owls Moving Into Nebraska?

Nebraska’s second Snowy Owl report of the season occurred today (3 December) east of Kearney.  The first report involved a bird recovered by Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery a couple weeks ago in Saunders County.  Today’s Snowy Owl was first reported by Kent Skaggs on NEbirds.  Late this afternoon, I received  an independent report, apparently of the same bird, that included photos provided by Diana Merryman.  One of her photos is provided, below. Today’s report in Nebraska prompted me to check eBird to …

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Thanksgiving Weekend Rooster Report

I hope everyone reading this got to spend some time outdoors this past weekend.  Because it was a great extended-weekend to be out.  I got to see pictures of successful waterfowl hunts, archery deer hunts and even got to add some of my own rooster harvest photos. Due to several reasons (mainly food, football and family) my excursions were pretty short-lived – an hour here, a couple hours there.  I probably spent more time driving than I did walking behind …

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