UNL students can now rent hunting equipment on campus. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is now offering hunting equipment rentals at its Outdoor Adventure Center to any registered student on campus. In addition to bike, hike, camping, climbing and paddling gear, student hunters can now rent pop-up blinds, layout blinds, turkey decoy or waterfowl decoy combinations from the university for a small fee: $3 per day or $6 per weekend (3 days). The equipment is available through a grant partnership between …

Fundraising trail ride in Nebraska National Forest at Halsey celebrates 20th anniversary. Head, Heart, Hands and Health – since 1958, the Nebraska 4-H Foundation has been supporting youth through hands-on projects that encourage them to stay active and engaged in their communities, and prepare them for the future. With programs ranging from animal science to business to the arts to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the foundation’s mission is to help provide the financial backing and manpower needed to …

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook blogger Hank Shaw will visit Nebraska on this latest book tour. By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley Award-winning Hunter Angler Gardener Cook blogger Hank Shaw will visit the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln to talk about wild game on Oct. 4, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The seminar will show hunters how to get more out of their wild game and fish through new cooking tips and techniques, with a focus on upland birds. Shaw will …

Dakota County’s Budding State Recreation Area Tucked away among the rolling hills of Dakota County, Danish Alps State Recreation Area (SRA) derives its name from the early Danish pioneers who first settled in the area. Its creation was part of a two-fold plan by the Papio-Missouri Natural Resource District (NRD): to stabilize the Pigeon/Jones Creek Watershed and to build the most thoughtfully planned recreation area possible. Plans for the SRA were drawn up in the fall of 2009, and the …

A French technique called “en papillote,” this walleye dish is cooked “in parchment” paper. Fish gently cooks in these parchment packets, creating their own steam and staying moist. Allow each guest to open up their own packet at the table. The aromas that fill the room will be a fun surprise. If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, then heavy-duty foil would work just as well. The vegetables listed below are only suggestions. Use whatever greens and herbs you …

Don’t have time to age your meat? Try this. I had more than half a wedge of blue cheese sitting in my refrigerator, and I racked my brain hard on what I should do with it. Cheese is not cheap, and unfortunately, blue cheese is one of those items that I’d buy just to make one dish – usually salad – and the rest ends up in the trash because a little goes a long way. As far as stinky …

An Interview with Jeff Kurrus, author of Can You Dance Like John? Article by Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley What was the inspiration behind the “crane books?” How did these stories develop? The first time I saw the sandhill cranes, there were a couple of things that stuck out. One was that there are 500,000 to 1 million of them on the Platte River each spring. Two, they all look alike. After doing a bit of research and finding out that they mate …

Few things peeve me more than dull knives. As someone who spends a lot of time breaking down game animals and cooking them, having the right tools to complete the job is critical; my food is already dead, and the last thing I want to do is fight with it again in the kitchen. So over the last few years, I’ve put together a collection of knives that I enjoy using most: knives that will take me from field to …

A pasta casserole with turkey, mushrooms and bacon Simple to put together and filling, I love a good baked pasta dish. And having discovered some beautiful velvet pioppini mushrooms at the grocery store, I added them to this casserole for texture and a woodsy flavor that complemented the ground turkey meatballs. However, you may use any mushroom you prefer. The ground meat came from the thighs and legs of a wild turkey, and I didn’t miss the red meat. This …

An easy wild game breakfast pie. This is, hands down, one of my favorite pheasant recipes. If you have guests over for the holidays and need to feed breakfast to a large crowd, quiche is the way to go. Cook the sausage, pheasant and shallots beforehand and allow the spinach to thaw and drain overnight. Assemble quiches the next morning and bake. Think of it as a breakfast pie. Servings: 8 (2 pies) Prep Time: 20 minutes    Cooking Time: 1 …