How To

Every season there is something going on if you are a fisheries biologist.  I would not say that there is any “down time”.  However, I would say that spring and then fall it is particularly busy.  Right now, Nebraska’s fisheries biologists are on the water sampling fish populations on a variety of waters across the state. Nebraska’s fisheries biologists conduct what we call “standard surveys”.  Those are fish population surveys that are carried out according to standardized, scientific methods in …

For most upland game bird hunters, taking to the field provides a lot more than just the act of shooting at birds.  It’s a great opportunity for exercise, stress relief, camaraderie and simply enjoying this time of year.  Nebraska Game and Parks encourages all those going afield to remember the basic safety rules of hunting, such as always keeping your gun pointed in a safe direction, treating every firearm as if it’s loaded, keeping your finger off of the trigger …

Want to mention another excellent Nebraska fishing organization, the Cornhusker Fly Fishers.  They meet monthly at our Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium south of Gretna.  If you check their calendar, you will see that this is a very active bunch of anglers doing fly-tying, fishing events, casting classes, meetings and a whole lot more.  Many of them are volunteer fishing instructors and also help with kid’s fishing events, family fishing nights, sport shows, and Expos.  If you are an angler, especially a fly angler, …

Got home Sunday afternoon from our annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman weekend.  What a great weekend it was!!!!!  The weather was the best ever this year, but it was so much more than that. . . . For the first time this year, the workshop was held at Ponca State Park.  If you have never been to Ponca, you should be required to go.  It is a beautiful park in a beautiful location.  Here was sunrise over the foggy Missouri River …

There is no doubt the most common question I have been asked the past couple of weeks would be “When are the Trout going to be stocked?”  When are the put & take, catchable-size Rainbow Trout going to be stocked in urban and parks waters across the state this fall?  Well, now I know: Rainbow trout stockings scheduled this fall LINCOLN – Catchable-size rainbow trout are being stocked in city ponds and lakes across the state by the Nebraska Game and …

I was down in Nebraska City the other weekend for the Apple Jack Festival. I never pass up a chance to climb a tree and there is nothing like picking your own apples from trees rooted in Nebraska soil.  This got me thinking about all the other Nebraska fall treasures I might be under-utilizing.  As I was pondering my many life questions, I felt myself suddenly slipping backwards. I had stepped on a large, round acorn which caught me off …

I have a confession to make:  I stole an issue of Reader’s Digest from my mother-in-law.  Even worse, I stole it while we were there for Christmas last year.  What in the world would cause me to commit such an offense? Well, I read a story there that really hit home, really made sense.  In Reader’s Digest it was titled “A Case Against The Clock”.  However, if you know anything about Reader’s Digest, you know it is a compilation of …

Pickin’ Up Pawpaws in Nebraska Ever tried a paw paw? It is “delish!” The pawpaw or common pawpaw is an oblong-shaped fruit, yellow-green to brown in color, averaging the size of a standard supermarket potato. It produces the largest edible fruit indigenous to North America and is the hardiest member of the custard-apple family. And, guess what? In Nebraska, the highly aromatic, sweet-smelling fruits ripen right about now in late September or early October. Like bananas, they have a narrow …

I was listening to a podcast by KVD last week.  No, not Karl VonDibble, the other KVD, the real KVD.  Kevin is known for his rapid fire “power fishing”, and he often is throwing crankbaits.  One thing he mentioned in the podcast was confidence; we all tend to fish best with techniques and baits in which we have confidence.  I will always tell you that versatility is key to consistent fishing success, but there is no doubt we all have our strengths …

Every now and then I climb up on a soapbox and “preach” a little boating safety.  With fall and cooling waters approaching, this might be a good time to do that again.  I especially like to remind us “tough guys” who might be on the water hunting, fishing or trapping by ourselves, that you really should be using a life jacket and your motor’s kill switch ALL THE TIME.  I have been on the water by myself at times too, and …