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By Joel W. Helmer, Trapshooting Coach Taking a walk down the quarter-mile long row of trap houses during the Cornhusker Junior/Senior High School Trapshoot is something every Nebraskan should do at least once. It is a unique sensory experience. First is the noise – thousands of rounds of shotgun shells exploding and mixing together with the talking, clapping, and cheering of friends, family, teammates, and coaches. Then the smell of spent gunpowder mingling in the air with grilling burgers, funnel …

Still have an open spring turkey permit?  Me, too.  But with the season running until May 31 (what I believe to be the longest spring turkey hunting season in the U.S.) there is still plenty of time to get out and find a Nebraska gobbler or two.  In fact, I think the best of the season is just getting started.  Here’s why… The spring hunting trips I have been on this year have been filled with talkative toms. Even when …

When out and about capturing photos and stories for NEBRASKAland and other Commission materials, my mind frequently wanders to what the region we now know as Nebraska’s Panhandle looked like long ago. While at Fort Robinson State Park, I cannot help but think about how it must have appeared as an active military post in the 1800s — lively with U.S. Cavalry soldiers instead of today’s tourists. A drive through the ghost town of Orella on the serene and scenic …

I got to surfing the interwebby once and discovered mushroom knives.  Mushroom knives?  Why in the world would anyone need a special knife for collecting mushrooms????  But then I got to looking at them, and you know what?  They are very useful and artful tools!  Here are some examples, mushroom knives from World Knives. There are several knives there that I would love to have in my pocket on a mushroom “hunt”. That got me thinking, mushroom hunting is a …

Stumbled across this on the interwebs this week.  It is corny, but I loved it.  Before I quote it, here is where you can see the “original”:  Ordinary Outdoorsman. https://www.ordinaryoutdoorsman.com/an-open-letter-to-my-old-fishing-reel/?utm_content=bufferd7d8f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer The only thing I would have to change about that little “ditty” is the reel–gotta be one of my beloved “cream and green” Zebco Cardinal 4’s!  Oh, and I ain’t retiring it. Back in my high school days I saved my pennies to buy my first quality spinning reel.  I …

Spring has come alive these last few days.  April is upon us and we have all know that April showers bring May flowers. I don’t mind the cool, cloudy days. Those are the days when I do the most thinking and therefore my best planning. All of the outdoor adventures I could discover this camping season have been dancing around in my mind. This time of year is when I do most of my camping preparations. My method usually goes …

There are three things that I take as telltale signs that spring is here: the chirping of the Boreal Chorus Frog, budding trees, and the sound of gobbling turkeys. The latter of these signs is what excites me the most about spring’s slow arrival. Until recently, I’ve spent much of turkey season sitting behind the barrel of a 20 gauge shotgun. This season will be spent looking through the sites of my Matthews bow. I’ve had great luck hunting for …

The little one in your family is getting bigger. They’re walking. They’re running. They’re climbing. They’re grabbing things. They’re examining things. And yes, they’re even tasting things. The toddler in your family is bubbling over with personality and propelling themselves with their own two legs! Enter the toddler in our family, my grandson, Jackson. He is a restless little ball of energy and doesn’t want to miss anything! Jackson, at 16 months of age, prefers to get down and explore. He is inherently busy …

It is the time of year when folklore and science start to collide. But, about what?  I’ll tell you what. Morel mushrooms! The two aspects of nature begin to clash bout the emergence of the prized, delectable morel mushroom. So, let the coffee shop conversations and the biological banter move forward! Morel mushroom in Elkhorn River bottom woodlands in Sarpy County, NE. Photo by Greg Wagner/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. These are just some of nature’s triggers that prompt longtime gatherers of the succulent …

I had a question on this at the Omaha Sport Show Saturday, so I thought it might be a good idea to spread the word a little more: Sandpit lake management workshop scheduled in Grand Island LINCOLN, Neb. – Persons interested in sandpit lake management are invited to a free workshop March 2 in Grand Island. The workshop will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the Hall County Extension Office, 3180 W. U.S. Highway 34. Registration by Feb. 27 is …