Hunting

As the popular hunting seasons in Nebraska draw nearer, I thought you might like to read my perspectives about why I hunt.  I am a hunter. I write and speak about hunting. I take images and record videos of hunting. I interact with hunters. Hunting is a major part of both my personal and professional lives. With my occupation (as a longtime communications and marketing specialist at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission) and through my personal social media accounts, …

By Ryan Sparks It is the time of year when hunters start thinking about deer and preparing for the upcoming season. A part of that process is placing trail cameras to take an inventory of the deer on the property you hunt. The right trail camera in the right spot can be the key to tagging the buck of a lifetime. But getting a trail camera placed just right is easier said than done. Trees rarely grow perfectly straight, and …

Maybe it’s because I am a lifelong Nebraskan with deep farm roots and help my brother manage his farm. Maybe it’s because I am a person with an outgoing, assertive, talkative personality who thoroughly enjoys interacting with people. Maybe it’s because of what I do for living and my employer. Maybe it’s because I pride myself on being a legal hunter and an ethical one at that. Maybe it’s because I really work at it. I don’t know for sure. …

By Jeff Kurrus Some of us like to shoot guns. We look forward to the activity, save money for it, and we definitely don’t see dollar signs disappearing every time a cartridge is ejected. Yet there are others who pay attention to the rising cost of ammo prices, sweating each time a bullet leaves the barrel. If you fit in the latter group, pay attention to these tips when getting your scopes locked in for hunting season. Sighting in a …

I want to mention something new being offered to our Nebraska hunting and fishing permit holders.  Many of you probably already received an e-mail on this, but in case you did not notice. . . . You can purchase a collectible “hard card”: Collectible Hard Cards Make Life Easier! As a lifetime hunting or fishing permit holder, we thought you’d like to know about a convenient, collectible new option that’s only $6: all lifetime permit and stamp information can now …

The intense heat and humidity of summer’s “dog days” are here. Tomatoes are ripening. Ears of sweet corn have begun to be harvested. Boating, swimming, tubing and fishing are being widely enjoyed now. But, wait a second. For those of us who are avidly involved in the hunting lifestyle and its year-round process, summer means a myriad of things to do if we are to have a safe and successful fall hunt. I don’t know about you, but in summer, …

Okay, here’s the scenario. Say you’re a deer hunter and you hunt on your mom’s land. Your mom owns 160 acres of farm land in southeast Nebraska. Therefore, she is what is called the “qualifying landowner,” a.k.a. the QLO of the property. She does not hunt, has never held a landowner deer hunting permit and does not purchase landowner deer permits herself. However, with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s (NGPC) new permit system, she must have an account established …

I was flipping through my turkey hunting scrapbook this spring when I realized this is the 40th year I have been chasing spring toms in Nebraska!  Some of you will say that means I am old.  Whatever, whippersnappers!  Let me reminisce a bit. . . . I am the second generation of spring turkey hunters in Nebraska.  That would be the second generation of turkey hunters since seasons were established and turkeys were re-introduced and recovered in the state.  My …

Yes, I have been spending a lot of time with turkeys this spring, literal, feathered turkeys.  I do every spring. Have not had a chance to blog about it yet.  There have been other items that have been a higher priority and have warranted previous blog posts.  Today it is time to tell a story. . . . If you have read my thoughts on spring turkey hunting before, you know that I consider the key to success to be …

By Jeff Kurrus The majority of the turkeys I’ve shot have come between 10 AM and 2 PM. Lunchtime is primetime, that time of the day when more than a few gobblers find themselves alone and insecurity begins to creep in. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to stay in the woods that long. From real-world obligations to simple impatience, it’s easy to leave the woods and re-enter normal life during some of the most productive turkey hunting hours of the day. …