Nebraskaland Magazine

If you have been paying any attention at all to modern sportfishing, you know that forward-facing sonar is THE latest, greatest technology.  There are all kinds of debates ongoing about what this powerful technology means for the sport and for our fisheries.  I am still trying to decide exactly what I think about it. I will tell you that I have always believed that the most important tool any angler can have is the one between their ears.  The mental …

Trail cameras on the Platte River catches sandhill cranes on their bellies. Story and photos by Eric Fowler Do sandhill cranes sleep? On their bellies? In a wooded creekbottom? From what we know about the cranes that stop in the Platte River Valley in Nebraska each spring, none of those ideas seem to make sense. It certainly didn’t to Chris Helzer of the Nature Conservancy, whose tip on this seemingly odd behavior spurred me to spend two days in a …

A championship duck caller shares his methods for success. By Todd Mills It’s one thing to call in ducks from a blind, but to compete and earn a championship title, competitive callers have to excel at a much higher level. After a few years of attending classes, exchanging audio files with other callers, obsessively watching videos and driving my wife crazy by blowing nonstop in our basement, I entered the world of competition calling. In 2011, I competed in the …

We have open water early this spring.  I know, everyone has the fever and cannot wait to hit the water and catch some fish. . . . Then they find out that the water is still darned cold, the weather is erratic and catching fish right now ain’t easy.  In my opinion, early spring is the most challenging fishing of the entire year. I have blogged often about some early spring strategies, so I am not going to repeat that …

It is that time of year again.  Wanna spread the word on this: Join Game and Parks in virtual discussion on fisheries in March Join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in a virtual discussion on fisheries management during meetings March 18-21. These four regional public informational sessions – one for each Game and Parks Fisheries district – will provide local updates on the fishing outlook and special projects in respective areas. The informal, interactive gatherings will provide a chance …

In March, the millions of ducks that move through Nebraska are just as impressive as the gathering of sandhill cranes. By Eric Fowler When it comes to birdwatching in Nebraska in March, sandhill cranes get most of the love. But many don’t realize that a few miles south of the Platte River in the Rainwater Basin there is an equally impressive gathering of millions of ducks. The Rainwater Basin includes nearly 400 wetlands, ranging in size from a few to …

As Nebraska celebrates its 157th year of statehood, an iconic, representative symbol of the state is the official tree — the native eastern cottonwood. The 1972 legislature named the eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) as the state tree, replacing the original selection made in 1937 — the American elm (Ulmus Americana L.). The eastern cottonwood was chosen because many elm trees had been killed by Dutch elm disease and it is rooted in Nebraska’s pioneer history. The cottonwoods are large deciduous …

I am betting many of you were at least a little bothered with the FaceBook outage this week. That reminded me of a meme I had seen.  Some of you are old enough to “get this”. For those of you who do not “get it”, listen close: This chord was struck again on a calm afternoon on the water recently.  Sound carries far over water.  I listened to a guy’s stupid cell phone ring all afternoon, WHILE HE WAS FISHING! …

While you wait for the spring turkey opener, here are a few hunting seasons still open. By Jeff Kurrus There are years when I don’t want to put down my shotgun, even in late winter or early spring. Fortunately, in Nebraska, I don’t have to. While many bird hunters have put away their pumps, semi-autos and over-and-unders, waiting until the spring turkey opener, there are still a few transition hunting seasons to keep you gunning until that first gobble. Eurasian …

As you know we have open water early this year.  Yes, fish are being caught already.  I am also hearing questions about early open water and spawning seasons.  This discussion comes up every spring.  I have and will give the same answers every spring:  Weather will modify spawning activities a bit, but you can count on spawning occurring pretty much the same time every year.  The amount of daylight or photoperiod is the primary driver of spawning activity on most …