Nebraskaland Magazine

LINCOLN, Neb. – Honor a Scotts Bluff County fishing enthusiast and enjoy an evening of fishing with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on April 29 at Terry’s Pit in Terrytown. This free Family Fishing Event is from 5-7:30 p.m., and loaner fishing poles, bait and instruction will be available. Permit and regulation requirements apply. The event will include the dedication of the Jerry Tallmon Memorial Fishing Activity Trailer. Tallmon, a native of Mitchell and longtime fishing proponent, passed away …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Fort Kearny Outdoor Discovery Program is going to the dogs May 11. Come out for a free day of outdoor fun and don’t forget to bring the family dog. The program has several activities for dogs this year, including a dock jumping competition, in which your pet chases a dummy off a dock into the water. There is a timed retriever maze, in which your dog will retrieve a dummy while winding through a field of …

LINCOLN, Neb. – April 24 is National Walk at Lunch Day. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska will contribute $20 to the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation for each organization that registers to walk. The Foundation will use the money to maintain and expand some of the state’s 1,236 miles of trails. Schools, businesses, organizations and individuals can visit www.nebraskablue.com to register. Participants choose a time and place to walk that is most convenient, perhaps even walking one of …

LINCOLN, Neb. – The public is invited to join the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for the Southeast District Birding Day on May 15 at Schramm Park State Recreation Area. This free day of birding will begin at 7:30 at Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, located 7 miles south of Gretna on Nebraska Highway 31. Participants should bring binoculars, field guides, insect repellant, sunscreen and clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather. A lunch will be served for $5. Interested persons should contact …

Here is the poster and schedule for our Family Fishing Nights this year. Notice the first event is coming soon and will be a special one with the dedication of a new fishing trailer to be stationed in western Nebraska.  Pick one of several of these dates, bring the kids, expect to learn something and expect to have fun! To our volunteer fishing instructors, pick a date and location and show up to help!  I know you will and we …

If there’s one thing I can do that will improve the chances of snowfall, it seems to be any notion of betting against it. As soon as I published the headline “Old Man Winter’s Parting Shot?” for my last blog post, the weatherman answered my question and was calling for another shot from him. As I write this post with snow falling outside my window over a blanket of white, Old Man Winter has proven, indeed, that he had a …

I was fortunate enough to have another great gobbler experience this weekend here in Nebraska and was even able to bag yet another bearded bird in northern Douglas County yesterday! I had to really work to bag this adult gobbler with his thick 9-inch beard and 1-inch spurs. The toms were active but the birds were pretty well bunched up probably due to the weather. It’s frustrating when those big toms have their girlfriends (hens) right around them! It’s hard …

Look for a new face among our staff members at Johnson Lake this summer.  Tim Boyle has been appointed  the position of Park Superintendent III at Johnson Lake State Recreation Area.  Boyle has worked for the Agency for more than 40 years and began his career with the Agency at Johnson Lake as a seasonal park maintenance staff member in 1971, while he attended school.   Boyle became permanent in 1972 with the Grand Island maintenance division and returned to Johnson …

As you are reading this, I am “out of the office”.  I warned you a week or so ago that I was contracting full-bore spring turkey hunting fever and would be out as much as possible in the coming weeks.  Right now I am helping with a turkey hunting camp at Maranatha Bible Camp out on my old “stomping grounds” near North Platte, http://www.maranathacamp.org/index.htm .  Stay tuned, I am sure to have some stories to tell and pictures to show …

Looking back on the last few weeks, I can hardly believe all that I’ve experienced… seeing pronghorn antelope for the first time, shooting my first snow goose, shooting my first pheasant and quail, shooting a Civil War cannon(!), holding a pallid sturgeon for the first time and getting to spawn walleye! Here I am with my first snow goose, thanks to Scott Wessel who took me out hunting. To keep warm, I like to wear my warm bunny bomber hat …