If you live near some of our deciduous forests in eastern Nebraska, or if you are visiting there, you right now have an opportunity to experience an amazing and rare wildlife experience. In fact I would rank this right up there with the annual sandhill crane migration, turkeys gobbling, elk bugling, or a surface-feeding frenzy of big wipers. This is even more amazing because it only occurs once every 17 years! The year 2015 is the year of the emergence of …
Read More »Promoting Pollinator Habitat Week
“Pollination is one of the most important mechanisms in the maintenance and promotion of biodiversity and, in general, life on Earth. Pollination benefits society by increasing food, security and improving livelihoods.” – Convention on Biological Diversity, Sustaining Life on Earth. We are in the midst of National Pollinator Habitat Week (June 15-21) here in Nebraska and elsewhere in this great country. I am promoting it and proud to say that our family farm in southeastern Nebraska is enrolled entirely …
Read More »State Record Update, June 2015
I have a few state record applications sitting here on my desk; time to give you an update. Let me just take ’em in order. . . . Tiger Trout Tiger trout are a brown trout X brook trout hybrid. Tigers have never been stocked in Nebraska waters, but we have a few Pine Ridge streams where both brown trout and brook trout are present and hybridization in the wild is a possibility. We had the first rod & reel …
Read More »Habitat Assistance Available to Pine Ridge Landowners
Landowners in the Pine Ridge region are being encouraged to explore opportunities for cost-sharing and technical assistance in habitat enhancement projects available through a partnership between Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Katy Kuhnel, a shortgrass prairie coordinating wildlife biologist for the Nebraska Natural Legacy Program, is available to assist landowners with a wide variety of projects to improve the landscape for wildlife. They include prairie restoration, invasive tree removal, grazing management, infrastructure development and …
Read More »Bioblitz Putting Focus on Wildlife at Oliver Reservoir
Western Nebraska’s unique and diverse wildlife will again be the focus of Bioblitz, an annual event at Oliver Reservoir Recreation Area near Kimball on Friday and Saturday, June 19-20. Scientists and other naturalists will tell attendees about local wildlife and practices to improve habitat and monitor species. Educational and entertaining demonstrations and activities, including trapping animals for observation, are scheduled between 3 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday. Attendees who don’t want to miss any part of the event are …
Read More »Troubled Waters
I try to keep things positive on my blog, most of the time. There also are certain topics that have politics written all over them and I have to be careful what I say about those too. On the other hand, Nebraska fish and fishing is what I do, both professionally and personally, and there are certain issues that Nebraskans, Nebraska anglers in particular, need to know about. This story ran in the Omaha World Herald this past Saturday. If …
Read More »Really care? Leave them there!
It’s the time of year when lots of baby wild animals and birds are now on the outdoor scene in Nebraska. Interactions with these cute animals at a distance can be fun and educational. However, please remember that it is illegal and unsafe (for both you and the little critter) to harbor or possess young wildlife. It’s also inhumane to remove young wildlife from its natural surroundings/habitat (including your own backyard)! What’s interesting is that, although you may not see it, there’s a parent animal or …
Read More »Oh Happy Day!
Without a doubt Burchard Reservoir is one of our best fisheries in southeast Nebraska. The reservoir has a watershed comprised almost entirely of grass and because of that, even though it is a relatively old reservoir, it maintains excellent water quality, great habitat including an abundance of aquatic vegetation, and quality fishing for largemouth bass, panfish and channel catfish. Over the years, the outlet structure on the Burchard dam had deteriorated to the point that it needed replaced. That project was …
Read More »Summer Camp Special
Just received this note from Lindsay Shearer, Nebraska 4-H Camp Operations Coordinator, about a special offer on the 4-H Outdoor Skills summer camps listed here. I recently wrote about these camps, and others, on the blog The Power of Summer Camp. hershy “We still have several spots available in the Outdoor Skills Sessions that are hosted in partnership with Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, at all 3 of our locations (State 4-H Camp, Destination Camps and Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center). …
Read More »Hot Pink the New Hunter Orange?
As you may have heard, Wisconsin lawmakers are currently looking into expanding their blaze orange requirements for deer hunters to allow hot-pink to be worn as well. The Wisconsin’s Sportsmen’s Caucus – a bipartisan group of lawmakers – hopes the introduced legislation could encourage an even greater breakdown of the gender-divide often seen in hunting, while maintaining the safety aspect of the blaze orange rules. Females make up about 10% of the deer hunters in Wisconsin, but represent the fastest …
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