Conservation

Found this meme on Respect the Fish FaceBook page.  I like it.  What’s not to like about a Patrick F. McManus quote? Besides that, I resemble that remark! Am I crazy?  Yep, crazy like a fox! It is “Friday the 13th”.  There was a full moon this week, AND I saw a black squirrel in my backyard this morning. What does it all mean? Hopefully, it means ice, SOON! Have a great weekend!

Starting to hear a few reports of folks venturing onto the ice in parts of Nebraska.  As I warned a few weeks ago, now it is time for my obligatory blog about ice safety. I pretty much will never tell you that the ice is safe, “no problem, go fish”.  Sure, there are times in the middle of the winter when we have plenty of ice, but even then I am not going to tell you it is safe.  You …

A few weeks ago I posted a few photos of fish our field biologists have sampled around the state this fall.  I have all the data now and am putting together next year’s Fishing Forecast.  Wait for it, it is coming, should be sometime shortly after the first of the year. Until then, let me tease you with some more photos of fish that were sampled, and released.  These from eastern Nebraska: OK, for the sake of accuracy, this one …

Maybe you have your Christmas shopping all wrapped up already (pun intended).  But, I am betting like me, most of you are still wondering what to buy.  Good thing we still have time! I am not going to post links to this fishing tackle company or that store.  I imagine you are getting plenty of those in your “in box” already.  However, in my “in box” today, I did find that the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, TakeMeFishing.org, has a …

If you have been following my blog for any time, you know I often make a trip “out west” over the Thanksgiving holiday.  Those trips include a lot of feasting and family time, but usually some hunting and late fall fishing too!  This year was no exception, time to give you a quick report. I like to chase a few pheasants over the Thanksgiving weekend.  No, my hunting partners and I usually do not shoot a lot.  We do at …

It has been a while since I posted one of these:

Making their own discoveries. Jessica Gieseke is a bumble bee-catching machine. She picks her way through a clump of goldenrod buzzing with flies and soldier beetles and spots her target. In one swift, graceful movement, Gieseke slides a vial along a stem, tips a bumble bee inside and caps the vial. The vial joins 25 others in her cooler packed with ice cubes. The ice chills the bees, rendering them sleepy and nearly immobile – a perfect photography subject. One …

The rough-legged hawk may not stand out among raptors in looks, but it lives an interesting life. Perhaps you have seen this species along the road lately, but given its somewhat unassuming appearance, have not given it much thought. The rough-legged hawk, with its mottled brown plumage, blends in well with our landscape during the winter months. The rough-legged hawk is one of those species that logs many miles a couple of times annually. Those fence posts and utility poles …

Eastern redcedar invasion is the single largest threat to native grasslands across the Midwest, including the biologically unique Sandhills of Nebraska. This hardy, fast-growing species has long been appreciated for its use as an effective shelterbelt or natural snowfence; wildlife management agencies, including the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, have planted eastern redcedar to provide habitat and winter cover for wildlife. In retrospect, that wasn’t such a good idea. Eastern redcedar grows quickly and is extremely adaptable to a wide …

I always do a short blog post before heading out the door for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Problem is I feel like I say the same thing year after year. Like many of you, I will be traveling, weather permitting, and spending time with family.  One of the themes I repeat every Thanksgiving is that between feasting and time with family, a few of us will slip away to chase some roosters or perhaps dry off a fish or three.  Again, …