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*Blogger’s Note: Once again I am receiving a lot of requests for corned meat recipes because Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the bend. So, I am bringing back my blog about corning beef and wild game. I hope you find it informative and have the time to try one of these delicious recipes. I raise my glass to you and exclaim: “Sláinte!” (slawn-cha), which is an Irish Gaelic term meaning “health.” Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! GW. Saint Patrick’s Day is …

A wildlife biologist I once knew used tell me that to be an effective shed deer antler hunter, you must know white-tailed deer biology and “think like a buck” during winter and early spring. I get the biology part, but “think like a buck?” Hmmm … Luke Meduna who’s the Big Game Program Manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, responds to that shed antler hunting strategy by saying: “Yes, to be successful, a shed deer antler hunter needs …

There are 76 areas in our park system and they truly offer something for everyone. I know. I have firsthand knowledge of all of them. In my 45 years with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. I have been to EVERY. SINGLE.ONE and even worked in our parks division for a time. So I have a good breadth of knowledge about these areas. Our larger state parks, what many call “destination parks” or “resort parks,” get a lot of attention …

If you’re a deer hunter in Nebraska, you have wrapped up your seasons. Now, the fun begins. It is time to post-season scout for deer. Say what? Post-season scout for deer? So, you’re thinking: Why in the world would a deer hunter scout immediately after a season ends through the winter? After all, the next Nebraska deer hunting season doesn’t open until Sept. 1 (archery), right? Plus, deer will completely re-pattern in spring, summer and fall. Hear me out. I …

Ice fishing. Tis’ the season for it. I sure enjoy ice fishing but admittedly I don’t do much of it. I don’t quite have all the equipment needed for it. So, I guess you would consider me an amateur ice angler. Nevertheless, when there’s an invitation to go with seasoned veterans of the hard water fishing lifestyle for a day, you can bet that I will jump at the opportunity. Such was the case a couple years ago in January …

I truly love wild turkeys and it’s no secret that I am a hardcore wild turkey hunter. I hunt wild turkeys in spring, fall and yes, in winter. I believe hunting the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the various seasons makes you a better, more knowledgeable, well-rounded turkey hunter and outdoor enthusiast because you gain intimate knowledge of the bird’s behavior. I know what you’re thinking. What kind of crazed hunter sets up for wild turkeys in the frigid, snow-covered …

“Other than family and close friends, this is what I love and had made me who I am.” – Scott Smathers, Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation When Scott Smathers’ social post came in front of me, it resonated. He’d shared a hunting poem that has been circulating on Facebook since at least 2018, but the original author has not been tagged in those shares. However, the author’s words are worth reading and sharing, and that’s why I share them below.  Because this …

Nebraska’s most popular hunt is the 9-day firearm deer season (Nov. 14 through Nov. 22). This is one of the absolute best times of year to be outside and participate in it with the deer breeding period called “rut” happening. My lovely wife of well over 30 years, Polly Wagner, says that everything comes to a grinding halt in the Wagner family with the “rifle deer season.” It’s a terrific event, though. For many of us in the hunting lifestyle, …

Taking the best photos of you and your deer. One would think in this age of cell phone and digital cameras that it would be pretty easy for hunters to get a quality photo of their harvested deer. However, whether it is the excitement of the moment or the rush to get the animal field dressed, many hunters just flat out fail to successfully capture the hunting images of the day. The opportunity is there though for you to properly …

If you are a white-tailed deer hunter, you are going to see them. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually. I am referring to wild turkeys. Even mule deer hunters will see flocks of wild turkeys in farm or ranch yards, patches of woods, creek bottoms and shelterbelts. The question for you, the Nebraska deer hunter, remains: Have you purchased a fall wild turkey hunting permit? If the answer is no then why have you not bought that permit yet? …