How To

Anyone can appreciate the mountains but it takes a true outdoors person to appreciate the Sandhills.    They are as beautiful as they are rugged.   Inviting yet unforgiving.    Gentle to the eye yet harsh to all who inhabit this rugged and scenic landscape.  Filled with incredible flora and fauna along with some of the coolest people Nebraska has to offer.   Each year I have the good fortune of heading out into the Sandhills, shotgun in hand, to chase sharp-tailed grouse and …

A few of us were talking a week or so ago about “scary” outdoor experiences we have had, you know, Halloween-type stuff.  I spend a lot of time fishing after dark, and usually try to use lights as little as possible (do not want to spook the fish), but honestly, I can recall very few incidents in the dark that had me spooked.  Oh sure, there have been bats fluttering right over my head, spiders, hooting owls, howling coyotes, and …

Let me say a few things about our Master Angler Award program in my blog today. . . . First of all, yes, we are running a little behind in getting Master Angler certificates mailed out.  If you sent in a Master Angler application since late summer and are wondering what happened to it, please be patient.  We are working a body short here in the office right now, and had to re-order the pins we send out for catch …

Last winter I told you about a little trip I took to the beautiful Nebraska sandhills; a trip to assist with some filming for a TV fishing show, TV Ice Fishing. Obviously, that filming was done for a couple of ice-fishing episodes for Jason Mitchell Outdoors.  The filming last winter was done for ice-fishing episodes that will be airing this ice season.  Well, they started airing ice-fishing episodes on Jason Mitchell Outdoors a couple of weeks ago, and the second …

I’m going to be truthful, this week has been tough to stay on task at work.  My mind has constantly been wandering out to some of Nebraska’s uplands in search of birds that cackle and those that covey.  My mind is being fueled by memories of opening days past and the birds, people and places that have become forever part of me.  It’s also being driven by the anticipation of memories to be made this year. As we near Saturday’s …

It is like no other form of hunting. It is exhilarating, action-packed, and humbling to even the most practiced shotgun shooter! I should know. I grew up with it on our southeastern Nebraska farm. What kind of hunting is it? IT is hunting the northern bobwhite quail. Have you ever hunted quail? It’s awesome! You need to try it. And, their numbers this year look outstanding! Flushing a covey of quail is as exciting as any outdoor activity gets! However, from years of first-hand experience I will …

When do you know you’ve become an outdoors-woman? This question was posed to game and parks staff during the panel question and answer session at this year’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) weekend. Certified outdoors-woman Julie Geiser explained you’ve become an outdoors woman when you are comfortable outside and have a firm grasp on outdoor skills like hunting, fishing, shooting or cooking. It’s about being self-reliant in your outdoor pursuits and is a lifelong journey developed with new experiences. I’ve still …

October means paddlefish snagging season below Gavins Point Dam for those who drew a tag.  I have not said anything about this year’s season, but I want to mention that I have heard some great reports!  From what I have been hearing, the catch rates have been very good, and fish of a variety of sizes have been caught. I know a couple of guys who had tags this year, one of them his first paddlfish tag ever, and they …

Fall is big fish time, some of my biggest fish every year are caught in the fall.  With big fish in mind, I am a believer in big baits = big fish, all the time, but especially in the fall.  Go big, or go home. Sometimes a guy just needs to tackle-up to some heavier, bigger tackle to handle those bigger baits and big fish.  I guess the professional bass fishing circuit finally got with the program and are now …

Got out of the office for a bit today; ran over to Mahoney State Park and met one of our stocking trucks at the Century Link Pond.  Josh C. from our Calamus State Fish Hatchery was hauling some of the catcable-size, put & take rainbow trout today.  We met him there and did a quick “FaceBook Live”, while the trout were stocked. I know, the audio and video was not the best, but we were LIVE! https://www.facebook.com/NEGameandParks/videos/10154989546958513/ If you want …