Education

January 31.  It’s here, arriving with little fanfare, if any at all.  Dreaded by some, ignored by most, it is the last day of the upland bird season. And like the many that have come before it, I will be hunting. I am drawn to the final day of chasing birds for reasons I can explain and a few I cannot.  But, the simple fact is this is my last chance to hunt them for 7 months – 9 for pheasant and …

We asked and you responded.  Sportsmen and Outdoor-women heard the call for blaze-orange and camouflage clothes as well as hunting gear to help get new hunters into the field comfortably, safely and back again.  You showed up with bags, boxes and sacks full of it at the drop-off locations in North Platte, Kearney and Lincoln.  Thank you! The latest donation inventory shows over 600 items including: 89 shirts, 76 pair of pants, 77 coats, 44 vests, 26 overalls, 112 hats, …

This morning I had the fortune of spending time afield with my good friend Dr. Scott  Hygnstrom, Animal Damage Control Professor at UNL.  We had a blast chasing late season pheasant and quail!  I am one of those goofballs that actually prefers late season bird hunting.  This last week of January could prove to be the best.  I have often heard hunters complain about late season birds being so jumpy and hard to hunt but more often I have found …

In deer hunting years I am 24 seasons old, as another came to an end just recently. It was a good year that brought with it some challenges, some successes and a whole bunch of memories. Thanks to our partners at the Crane Trust, Inc. near Wood River, I got to end it in the best way imaginable – at the Last Chance Youth Deer Camp. This was the second year for this event, which takes place on the final …

I love the 20 gauge! I still remember my parents giving me a savage 20 gauge pump for Christmas when I was 10 years old. I spent the evening before the pheasant opener going over each shell, placing them in the vest in hopes they would bring birds down the next day..and they did! For some reason, we are in an age of magnum craze and we sometimes forget about the gauges and calibers that still get it done with …

I have had the good fortune of hunting with a number of family and friends over the last few months and it has been a great ride. I have spent more hours in the duck blind than I care to admit and have enjoyed every minute of it. In doing so, I have noticed a lot of different characters and feel they need categorizing….for posterity. SO if you have ever hunted with family and friends in the duck blind you …

If you have been hunting for any amount of time you likely have a garage filled with gear and a closet choked with camouflage and blaze orange.  Chances are some of it doesn’t get used near as much as it should.  Perhaps you even have a significant other that reminds you of such on a regular basis, too. Each year hundreds of participants take part in the mentored hunts across Nebraska.  However, for many that are new to hunting a …

New in Lincoln and a new job with the Nebraska Game and Parks has made me think about some new purchases.  Working in the Outdoor Education department one of the questions asked of me is do I have a good pair of Long Johns (aka Thermal underwear or long underwear) as I spent last Saturday outside at our Catching Fire Archery Event.  My answer of course was no.  I am the type that likes to spend most of the winter …

With the season open few things can compare to the joy a pheasant hunter feels when he or she wakes up to a landscape covered in a few inches of fluffy snow – especially the first such event of the season.  Those of us truly addicted to chasing-the-cackle do our darnedest to be in the field on these special mornings and for some this past weekend was when this glorious happening occurred. For some reason the first snow of the …

Last year I listed my top 5 items to avoid for the outdoor-women & sportsmen on your list.  I still stand by them. However, this year just prior to Halloween I received my first Christmas catalog from a large outdoor retailer.  About the same time a third zipper failed on my deer hunting backpack, I busted through a major seam on one of my favorite pair of hunting boots, and my headlamp took a swim in a nearby duck marsh …