Hunting

Youth-only waterfowl seasons are nothing new.  They have been around for about a decade and a half.  I took part almost religiously for the first half of their existence, thanks largely to my involvement with the local Ducks Unlimited chapter and my excitement for being in the marsh.  Though, my interest in the special event has not waned, my fall work obligations have all but kept me from taking part.  Not this year.  This year will be different…in more than …

Imagine taking a bucket of stirred-up hornets and throwing them in front of a hunter. That’s what it’s like when a flight of blue-winged teal suddenly swarms in over a decoy set. – Wade Bourne, Colin Moore, Outdoor Life Magazine. On the waterfowl hunting front, Nebraska’s early teal hunting season has drawn to a close in the Low Plains zone. I wanted to share some photos of my very first early season teal duck hunt this past week in that zone. Yes, it …

Bob Grier wrote a story called Horses and Hounds in the 1994 April issue of NEBRASKAland Magazine. Twenty years later, I’m revisiting the same subject, except this time, I will be telling the story and photographing from horseback. My story on Nebraska fox hunting is still a work in progress, but since our bloggers here love to write about themselves, I guess this is a perfect opportunity for me to do the same. If there is one thing I love …

I know we have had a lot of rain recently.  In fact we have had so much rain in some places that our fishing waters are running a little high right now.  Anytime the water is high, fish are likely to move right up into newly flooded areas, right to the water’s edge. . . . In some cases right up into the parking lot. One of the best times of year is upon us, you can hunt or fish right …

Award-winning  taxidermists Mike and Greg Dinges of Dinges Taxidermy in Omaha, NE are my very special guests on this week’s edition of The Great Outdoor Radio Show I host.  The guys will be offering tips for those of us who enjoy hunting on appropriate game care in the field for mounts as well as a plethora of other helpful, useful advice regarding taxidermy work. The Great Outdoor Radio Show airs Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m. CST on Omaha’s KOZN Radio 1620 AM “The Zone.” You’re welcome to join the …

At thirty minutes before sunrise this past Saturday one of my favorite events arrived in Nebraska – teal season.  The short season gives me an annual opportunity to renew the fondness I hold for this small duck and a chance to try out new excuses for missed shots. Blue-winged, green-winged and even cinnamon teal pass through Nebraska but they can all be summed up in one word – quick.  Teal are quick to arrive on the scene, sometimes quick to …

I’ll be covering key messages for Nebraska’s popular archery deer hunting season opener on my WOWT 6 News 6 Outdoor Report this week. The season is well underway, it opened Sept. 1!  One of the messages I’ll be relaying to fellow deer hunters this season is the importance of wearing a tree stand safety harness. My friends at Outdoor Life magazine say it’s vital to be an educated “smart dummy” and use a safety harness if you’re going to be hunting from an elevated …

Absolutely my favorite time of year has begun. Husker football on the tv/radio and cool mornings afield. This is what I dream about all year. Granted, I will say the same thing about winter but just let me digress for a moment. The Dove opener lived up to the hype for some while a bit spotty for others. This year, resources are good and the birds are spread out in many areas. Regardless, we have had a few good hunts …

You’ve been sitting there quietly enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of nature while waiting for the wild game specie you’re hunting to appear. Then the moment comes when the sky is full of color as the top of the sun’s disc first breaks the plane of the horizon in the morning, or when the top of the sun’s disc sinks below the horizon in the evening. You marvel at the color in the sky while the  stresses of life leave you. The draw of sunrises and …

Nebraska’s early teal duck hunting season opener occupies center stage on my Weekly TV Outdoor Report airing LIVE Thursday evening at 6 p.m. CST on Omaha’s WOWT 6 News during the sportscast. Fast-flying teal, such as these blue-winged teal pictured below, present a real challenge to the Nebraska waterfowl hunter! Proper waterfowl identification is critical during the special season because only teal are legal. This is especially crucial in the experimental early teal hunting season area of northern Nebraska where the harvest of hunters will be closely monitored and …