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Over the past few years I have blogged several times about some of the research being done on Branched Oak flathead catfish; for example, Some Field Work, 71.6 On Your Radio Dial–All Flatheads All the Time!, Branched Oak Flatheads.  A large part of that research has been the tagging of flathead catfish in Branched Oak Reservoir; over 1500 flathead catfish in Branched Oak are swimming around with tags on them. About this time last year I was lamenting that even …

 Quick blog post to let you know that I’ll be offering some important tidbits of information for you – the Nebraska archery deer season hunter – during the “magic window” for deer breeding season movement called “rut” on my outdoor TV segment this week. Photo below by Tanner Podraza. It’s a neat time of year where the bucks are rubbing trees to polish their antlers, marking their territory and leaving scent cues for other deer. Whether you enjoy hunting or not, don’t …

Here is what has been happening lately with our Youth Fishing Program. If you need to see a copy of the .pdf of that newsletter here it is, fall 2014 Newsletter . Now, I fully realize that I am recycling something that some of you may have seen already.  If you are one of our certified fishing instructors, you have already seen the newsletter.  Sorry, but one reason I like to post these newsletters in my blog is to again say “THANK …

I can still remember my fist trip to the incredible Nebraska Sandhills with a shotgun in hand.  It was nearly 25 years ago and it literally changed my life. The Nebraska Sandhills are home to many species of game birds including the northern zone of our ducks coming from the Dakotas into the central part of the state as well as my favorite game bird of all time, Sharp-tailed grouse.   There is no better place to chase this bird …

As I pointed out in a 2012 Blog,  tomorrow (10/25) marks the beginning of a new year for many upland bird hunters.  And according to the 2014 Upland Game Outlook we can expect to do a bit better than last year, especially with quail.  I hope this an upward trend that continues for some time – suitable habitat and weather being the limiting factors – and know I am not alone. I am a bird hunter, with a slight bias …

“Smoky gray” isn’t often a quality we photographers seek in images, but it’s a different story when it comes to turkeys. I was pleased to receive a few photos of smoky gray phase wild turkeys after requesting them in a post last week. While most of the responses I received were from northwestern Nebraska, it appears some really unique birds, ranging from all white plumage to a colorful mix, are seen on occasion throughout the state. The most eye-catching of …

Got a little report to give you about a recent adventure.  I have a buddy from Iowa that I met through some turkey hunting I have helped him with ( Turkeys Down! Turkey Camp , Turkey Camp 2014 ).  I am always telling folks what a mixed bag capital Nebraska is, and this fall Don came back over to sample more of that.  He had a Nebraska archery pronghorn tag in his pocket, and figured while making the trip across our great state he …

I’ll be taking you to what many believe (including myself) is the top spot for viewing fall foliage color in southeastern Nebraska on my Weekly Outdoor Report on Omaha’s WOWT 6 News. Take a look at the photograph below. Any guesses as to where we might be heading? It’s a beautiful state park located about 90 minutes south of Omaha and the fall color peak there is just around the corner! Here’s your answer. The park also has a fun-filled …

I am old-fashioned enough that I still have a Webster’s New World Dictionary sitting on my desk top at all times, it is directly off my right shoulder.  The internet is great and I use it for a lot of my “word needs”, definitions, spelling, synonyms, etc., but the good ole red, hard-covered dictionary is still a very useful tool.  If you look up the word “trophy” in that book, you will find a whole list of definitions.  I like …

It was a fun day yesterday for more than 200 youths and their families at the annual Cops and Bobbers fishing event held at Omaha’s Benson Park Lagoon sponsored by our friends at Omaha Police with assistance from us at Game and Parks.  Here’s a really neat, short video from the event that Omaha Police Officer Kevin Wiese put together: It was also nice to have Omaha’s Mayor Jean Stothert waterside. Of course, I got in on the action helping …