Nebraskaland Magazine

By Justin Haag A weekly radio segment featuring outdoor topics of the Nebraska Panhandle. This week, nightcrawlers are the topic. Justin Haag · Panhandle Afield: Nightcrawlers Air Dates: March 29-April 5 Length: 3:00 Episode 313

The Cope’s gray treefrog plays a vital role in forest and wetland ecosystems of Nebraska. By Monica Macoubrie, Wildlife Education Specialist Meet the Cope’s gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis), a captivating amphibian found across eastern North America. Sporting subtle grays and greens adorned with intricate patterns on its skin, this arboreal frog is celebrated for its adaptability and enchanting calls. Despite its small size, this treefrog plays a vital role in the forest and wetland ecosystems where it lives. Appearance When …

Rockhounds spend hours, days searching for rocks, minerals, artifacts and fossils. Story and photos by Renae Blum Over 35 years of searching Nebraska for rocks, minerals, fossils and artifacts, Charles Wooldridge’s biggest find wasn’t even his. It was his dog’s. Wooldridge — who goes by “Wooly” and lives in Lincoln — was in the north-central Sandhills, trying unsuccessfully to relocate an earlier find. And then his dog Hank, a 7-year-old Plott hound, began barking and wouldn’t stop. Hank was standing …

Going to mention something today which many of you are already aware.  On the other hand, I know that not everyone knows because I continually answer questions about it. You know about the annual Fishing Forecast: For those of you who are interested in a little more information, information specific to individual waterbodies, make sure to check out our Sampling Summaries. I will always tell you that the fish population sampling that fisheries biologists collect are indices.  Any one year’s …

Nebraska weather. Don’t like it? Wait a short while. It’ll change, maybe. Reality is rarely so kind. The Cornhusker State’s spring archery wild turkey hunting season is in full swing and soon the spring shotgun wild turkey hunting seasons will be getting underway (Youth – April 6 and Regular Shotgun – April 13). These seasons for turkey take place in the spring amid the ever-changing, ever-fluctuating, and sometimes unpredictable weather patterns and conditions we deal with here in Nebraska.  But …

Do not know that I have a “mix tape”.  Nevertheless, I do have a few fishing-related songs that I like to listen to.  Some of them may be a little obscure, some of them corny. . . . Good subjects for a weekend blog post. This one pretty much nails it, especially for the weekend: Hope you get a chance to do the same this weekend!

The work of wooden lure carver Vince Gewinner Story and photos by Jeff Kurrus Wood-carved praying hands for his mother and obscene gesturing fingers for his father. This is the talent, and personality, of Weeping Water creator Vince Gewinner. Yet despite the multitude of carvings he’s made — from recurve bows and backwoods utensil sets to keychain ceramics and home décor — his current passion is homemade fishing lures. But they’re not fishing lures to set on the shelf. They …

A scenic drive at Fort Robinson State Park has a colorful, and sometimes treacherous, history. Story and photos by Justin Haag Smiley Canyon Scenic Drive has long allowed visitors to immerse themselves in the grandeur of the Pine Ridge without leaving their vehicles. The winding road has surely brought some smiles to drivers — and, yes, some frowns in its early years. Believed to have been named for a family of Smileys that settled in the vicinity in 1893, the …

You can catch any fish that swims on a jig.  Moreover, if you learn to be a good jig angler, you will flat out be a good angler, period. Those statements are a little misleading as especially in today’s angling world jigs come in an infinite variety of shapes, styles, actions, colors, bodies, tastes, etc.  They all work in the right place at the right time.  Like any bait or lure they are all just tools–use the right tool for …

Ways to celebrate new growth in spring. By Alie Mayes, Community Science Specialist This article is part of the Nebraska Nature in Color series. This limited series will run monthly from December 2023- June 2024. Spring has officially sprung! Well in truth, spring has been springing for a while now. The U.S.A. National Phenology Network has volunteers across the nation who help track spring’s progression. According to their Spring First Leaf Index, spring arrived in Nebraska 20 days early this …