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A couple of weeks ago I shared a story with you about a largemouth bass caught recently by the son of one of my co-workers, It Is a Fish Eat Rat World.  That fish had consumed a kangaroo rat not long before being caught.  Recently, there has been another picture making the rounds on the internet, I was pointed to it on the Ice Team FaceBook page. This time the fish was another top-of-the-food-chain, apex predator, and one of my favorite fish, …

This may be the weekend to introduce your next duck hunting buddy to the sport.  Nebraska’s Youth Waterfowl Days take place Sept 26 & 27 (in duck zones 2 & 4), Oct 3 & 4 (in zone 1) and Oct 17 & 18 (in zone 3).  These extra days are an incentive for young hunters (15 years old and under) to get a head-start on the regular season when they are accompanied by their adult buddy (19 years or older). …

You probably are not going to see or hear anything about this, probably not going to be parades and news conferences like there should be, but tomorrow, September 26, 2015 is National Hunting and Fishing Day!  Governor Ricketts signed the proclamation! So. . . what does that mean?  This will give you a little bit of an idea. . . . Here is why it is worth a proclamation! You have probably heard me say that hunters, anglers and trappers …

In recent months I have highlighted at least a couple of national publications or organizations that have mentioned some of the excellent fishing opportunities we have in Nebraska (e.g. McConaughy Makes Top 10!, Nebraska Waters Make Top 100!).  I was surfing the web recently and found another one! 10 Top Trophy Bluegill Destinations That title caught my eye, and I had to read the entire article.  If you are talking trophy bluegills, fish that honest-to-goodness weigh in excess of 1 …

On my Weekly WOWT 6 News Outdoor Report, while you’re watching some neat video of wild turkeys, I’ll be verbalizing why you – the hunter of any game species – should consider buying a turkey permit this fall in Nebraska and then taking to the field after a couple of birds. One of the main reasons for going turkey hunting in the fall is that it presents a wonderful opportunity to take a youth outside. He or she would really enjoy a 2015 …

As a longtime hunter, landowner and natural resources professional, I still just don’t get why some hunters feel the need to bait areas with artificially made materials/substances to bring game animals in to a particular area to be harvested within the confines of our laws/regulations (for info on Nebraska’s new baiting laws/regulations with reference to hunting, click here.) Why? Is it because it involves minimal effort and is cheap? Is it because you saw the flashy advertisement for the product …

My blog is all about the fish most of the time.  As such you can count on my calling attention to the current issue of NEBRASKAland magazine and the picture of a cutthroat trout on the front! The cover refers to an excellent story on the inside–Justin Haag’s Pine Ridge Streaming.  Be sure to check it out on pages 52-57!  Justin’s story highlights some of the trout fishing opportunities that can be found in Nebraska’s great Pine Ridge region.  In addition …

The weather has been relatively hot in Nebraska the past couple of weeks, but the calendar says it is fall.  The calendar is not wrong.  The fall bite has started and I have been trying to spend as much time on the water as possible the past several weeks.  Some evenings, as I stand in the water waiting for a big fish, my mind wanders back to autumns past, of fish caught and memories made. I guess I am old enough …

If you’re a hunter, an angler or an outdoor enthusiast of any kind, don’t miss Scheels outdoor expert and Omaha Police Bomb Squad Sgt. Matt Manhart on The Great Outdoor Radio Show. Matt is an avid outdoorsman and loves to share his knowledge of hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities with others, most notably youth. Matt will be with me LIVE AND IN-PERSON Saturday morning! He’ll be stopping by to answer any outdoors-related questions that you may have, especially those pertaining to hunting. You may recall Matt who …

Time for a state record update.  This is the time of year when we see the most activity in the spear-fishing and bowfishing state record categories.  I have a few bowfishing updates to share with you. . . . Hybrid Sunfish The first one is a hybrid sunfish, a green sunfish X bluegill hybrid that was taken on July 1 by Zachary Welch of Ainsworth.  Zachary found his 14.4 ounce, 10-inch hybrid sunfish in a private sandpit in Brown County. …