Hunting

Our Nebraska hunting seasons are in full-swing right now.  I know this has been floating around the internet and many have seen it already, but it is funny and it is a good Friday blog post: What is funny about stereotypes is that they are so true.  I am betting you can see these stereotypes in your hunting partners.  I am betting you can look in the mirror and see at least one! GO FISH, GO HUNT, get outside and …

I am a bird hunter. Shaped by my experiences.  A product of my surroundings.  As I was growing up the opening of bird season was a grand celebration that rivaled any holiday gathering or football game.  Family reunited, old friends came back and you even had a chance of running into an orange-vested celebrity or two.  In fact, as a hunter you kinda felt like a celebrity with all the welcome signs and hunter breakfasts. Read a couple (or more) …

Ring-necked pheasants are really a lot like us humans. They live their lives on a fairly predictable, routine basis. When a pheasant hunter learns to understand that schedule and interrupt the pattern, he or she will be on the path to having increased opportunities for success. Pheasants begin their day waking at roost sites, usually in areas of short to intermediate height grass or weeds where they have spent the night. At first light, they head for roadsides or other areas …

You’re walking in chest-high grass along the edge of a harvested cornfield when suddenly the hunting dog freezes and then leans toward a patch of thicker grass and bramble. You approach it with stealth. A flash of color suddenly rises out of the grass. Everyone yells: “Rooster!” It’s a rooster ring-necked pheasant. You know that you have a scenario for a safe shot. You raise your shotgun reminding yourself to aim slightly beyond the target and follow through with the shot.” You squeeze the trigger. The shot rings out. “Boom!” The rooster goes down. The dog retrieves the …

One of the most rewarding experiences for me has been making time to take my own kids out hunting. I have worked hard to pass along that great Nebraska hunting heritage and to instill in them an interest in hunting with an appreciation for nature. Consequently, today all of them enjoy various hunts here in the Cornhusker State. Having four kids ages 27, 23, 21 and 18, I know what it is like to usher in, nurture and train young hunters. …

Beginning this fall, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is prohibiting use of centerfire rifles on the west unit of the Bordeaux Creek Wildlife Management Area three miles east of Chadron. Safety concerns about the proximity of several homes to the popular hunting area prompted the Commission to prohibit use of the long-range weapons on the 294 acre tract located between Bordeaux Road and Pineview Road. New signs at the property advise hunters of the restriction. Deer hunters can still …

It’s long been known by businesses that hunting can be a stimulator for the economy. When the big summer tourism season winds down, motel owners, restaurants and retailers look forward to the influx of people dressed in camouflage and orange to keep those dollars flowing. A study by Southwick Associates estimates the annual economic impact of hunting to be $848 million in Nebraska, with $562 million in retail sales and 8,856 jobs supported. Those are big numbers and, considering what …

The air is crisp and cold. Hardwood trees stand motionless and silent — faint brush strokes against the slowly lightening predawn sky. Small sounds begin to carve the creek bottom. A raucous calamity of crows can be heard in the distance. An assertive blue jay appears on a limb. Two fox squirrels squabble amid the leaves on the woodland floor. In the grass beyond the trees, a rooster pheasant cackles; greeting the first full rays of the sun. Suddenly, and …

Outdoor writers, wild game cookbook authors – Jenny Nguyen and Rick Wheatley of rural western Douglas County, NE – pay a visit to Saturday Morning’s Great Outdoor Radio Show to talk about their new, hit wild game cookbook – Hunting for Food. This isn’t your typical, run-of-the-mill wild game cookbook, it’s different. Amazon writes: “Hunting for Food is a practical field guide that will teach new and experienced outdoor enthusiasts how to hunt, fish, clean and cook delicious, hearty meals of wild game. Learn …

I’ll be highlighting the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Hunter’s Helping the Hungry (HHH) Program on my Weekly TV Outdoor Report airing on Omaha’s WOWT 6 News this evening! I’ll be encouraging licensed deer hunters in Nebraska to support this wonderful program that helps folks less fortunate. HHH is funded completely by donations from the public. The program pays for the processing of whole field-dressed deer that hunters donate at any participating HHH deer processor.  The ground venison then is distributed to local food banks and non profit organizations, cooked in …