Conservation

The equipment advances on the ice-fishing front in the past decade or two have literally been mind-boggling.  There is so much modern ice-fishing equipment available now that makes it a lot easier to ice-fish and makes us a lot more effective catching fish through the ice.  It all works, they are all different tools for different jobs, the key is using the right tools. A variety of small jigs have been the standard for catching panfish through the ice for …

LINCOLN – Waterfowl hunters are reminded that they must identify their target when hunting this winter. Trumpeter swans recently were shot in southeastern Nebraska after allegedly being mistaken for geese. Trumpeter swans are listed as an At-Risk species in the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. They are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and state game laws, making it illegal for anyone to shoot them. The trumpeter swan is one of North America’s largest birds. All swans should be …

Back in November I gave what I believed was my final “State Record Update” for 2016.  Nope.  Wouldn’t you know it, no sooner had I got that done and another state record application showed up on my desk.  This one was another fish taken by rod & reel, but it was a bit of an unusual catch–a grass pickerel! On October 17 this fall, Christopher Butts of O’Neill captured his state record pickerel from a highway borrow pit in Holt …

I had a blog ready for today, but it can wait, because I know a whole bunch of Nebraska anglers will be waiting for this, hot off the press! 2017 Fishing Forecast Click the link, or click the cover, it will take you to the 2017 Fishing Forecast!  The “hard copies” will not be ready until around the first of the year, they are at the printer right now, but you can look on-line all you want! Let me add …

There is a very interesting story in this month’s issue of NEBRASKAland.  It is a story that Jeff Kurrus wrote.  Let me tell you a little bit about Jeff. . . . Jeff is a Tennessee boy, hard-core fisherman, but he had a whole new world to experience once he moved to Nebraska.  I had done some “stuff” over the phone with Jeff before he moved here and started working for NEBRASKAland.  Naturally, as soon as he got here, he …

LINCOLN – This holiday season, give someone you love the gift of the outdoors with lifetime permits and stamps. Order now to take advantage of current prices; new pricing will go into effect Jan. 1, 2017. The permits and stamps offer virtually unlimited recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts, and eliminate the need to purchase annual hunting (small game) and fishing permits. Lifetime permit options include hunt, fish, hunt/fish combination, and fur harvest; stamps include habitat and migratory waterfowl. They are …

LINCOLN – Consider supporting Nebraska wildlife and habitat conservation in your holiday giving this year. Since 1984, tax-deductible donations to the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund have helped the thousands of nongame species that call Nebraska home. Your contribution will assist the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in protecting species like the swift fox, northern river otter and peregrine falcon through research, habitat restoration, public awareness programs and more. Donated dollars have a big impact, since Wildlife Conservation Fund dollars are …

If you are like me, your calendar is full of “stuff” to do this time of year.  I am trying get stuff finished up here at the office so I can get outta here so I can get other “stuff” done at home.  Ah, the holidays, don’t ya love ’em? Our family has been a little later with the holiday illumination this year; we have been waiting for my daughter to get home from college.  She’s home now, think I …

As I sit here “blogging”, I am pretty sure my open-water fishing for this season is done.  Sure you could still find a few areas of open-water and dry off some fish, you can all winter long if you wish, but most Nebraska anglers are going to be hitting the ice soon, very soon. So, that means it is time for me to give a report on my and my son’s fall fishing.  In recent weeks I have showed you …

Last winter I blogged about the world ice-fishing championship held in Europe, USA! USA! .  I am not going to tell you that I am completely familiar with international fishing competitions, but I know that at least some of them are quite different from what we have here in the United States. Some international fishing competitions, like the ice-fishing championship held last winter, are match-fishing competitions where teams compete, and anglers fish as teams.  In a match fishing format, anglers may …