Manufactured bump boards tend to be too short. Here’s how to make your own to measure fish. By Justin Haag Measuring fish is important. For one, a measurement is often needed to abide by regulations, especially for those who harvest fish. For another, it gives a boastful angler baseline information for bragging to friends who weren’t there. Many waters in Nebraska have special size regulations dependent on species and location. They can all be found in the Nebraska Fishing Guide, …

Nebraskaland regional editor Justin Haag pays tribute to Carter P. Johnson Lake at Fort Robinson State Park. By Justin Haag I always look forward to June, but this one is a little bittersweet because it’s the first without an old friend, “Carter P.” Carter P. Johnson Lake, that is. The once beautiful 20-acre lake at Fort Robinson State Park is now gone after the dam along Soldier Creek was purposely breached last fall. The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources had …

Campground is second home for Gering woman By Justin Haag If you’re looking for Eleanor Shimek in the summer, your best bet is to check the campground. The Gering resident has served as a campground host at Nebraska state recreation areas in the Panhandle and central Nebraska since the late 1990s and continues to make the most of her time doing it. Dan Thornton, superintendent at Lake Minatare State Recreation Area, considers Shimek to be one of the park’s outstanding …

More than 230 waterfalls adorn the Niobrara Valley, but one state park attraction still stands above them all Story and photos by Justin Haag It’s reassuring to return to places that don’t change much over time. While such can be said of other Nebraska rivers and streams, there’s something exceptional, and especially enduring, about this spot tucked away in a canyon 250 yards from the Niobrara River. A place where one can rely on the water flowing from more than …

Program helps corn grower manage deer population By Justin Haag It’s no secret to those living in the Cornhusker State: Nebraska is serious about its agriculture. Also evident: Nebraskans are proud of their populations of deer and other big game species. Unfortunately, those animals can sometimes be at odds with landowners’ agricultural goals. Aaron Schott of Silver Creek is among the many agriculture producers who work with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to strike a healthy balance between wildlife …

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

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 …

When the weather grows cold, animals have special adaptations and behaviors to battle the elements. Story and photos by Justin Haag When the mercury dips down around zero, most of us are fortunate to have heated spaces to take refuge. Wildlife aren’t so fortunate, but do have special adaptations and behaviors to battle the elements. Some escape the cold by migrating south. While such travel is certainly effective, and attractive to us humans, it comes at the expense of a …

Four budding hunters were given the special opportunity to hunt on pristine ranch land in the Sandhills. By Justin Haag The description would surely get attention from near and far if posted by a real estate agent: “Outstanding mule deer property with 7,000 acres of pristine ranch land in the Sandhills of northwestern Cherry County. Has not been hunted in decades.” Four budding hunters were given the special opportunity to hunt such a property in December 2022 during the Nebraska …

The bighorn sheep pre-rut provides an incredible show on Nebraska’s wildlife scene. By Justin Haag Nebraska’s Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and their amazing climbing capabilities are enjoyable to watch throughout the year, but there’s arguably no greater show than when they put their heavy headwear to use during fall. It’s the headwear, after all, that gives the species its name. With a spread that can reach almost 3 feet wide, the horns on a mature ram can weigh …