Category: Hunting

It’s that time of year for me.  I’m done with winter blues and I’m starting to gear up for hunting spring snow geese.  I’ve been writing recently about the truths of snow goose hunting, as well as the 2nd installment…and it got me thinking about how the heck I’m going to get it done this spring???  Snow geese are kicking people’s tails up and down the flyway this year on a consistent basis, and I’m seeing a pattern to those having better luck. They’re usually having better shoots in weather (such as fog) or hunting migrators over water.   It got

As I write this it’s negative 18 outside, with no end of winter in sight.  I know, grab me a tissue right? We’ve ALL had a LONG winter, and it just feels like spring is still a month out.   As I sit and gather my gear for hunting spring snow geese, I start “thinking” which can be a scary thing for an outdoor writer; especially one full of sarcasm.  I wrote about snow goose hunting truths last fall, and apparently, people liked it because I get messages on it still. So with that being said, I figured I would dish

I absolutely LOVE Canada goose hunting. Something about how receptive these birds are to goose calls really makes them a favorite to hunt. Now don’t get me wrong, I love duck hunting and shooting ducks as much as the next guy, but lately goose hunting has been at the top of the list for me. Canada geese carry a bad name among many waterfowl hunters, whether it be “they are no good to eat” or “they are big dumb park birds that anyone can hunt successfully”….I feel like I have heard it all. Want to know my opinion? Anyone can throw

Every mushroom hunter has heard it at least ONCE in their lifetime….”Using mushroom mesh bags spreads morel spores and makes more mushrooms for years to come”.  But is a morel mushroom hunting bag really that important? I mean, can such a statement really be proven as fact? I am no scientist myself, however, I see the positives in using mesh bags for morels for many reasons. At the ripe age of 31, I have over 20 years of picking morels under my belt. Every year I learn some new fascinating trend with how and why morel mushrooms grow……but one thing has

  Do I really need a first aid kit? Hate feeling unprepared when something bad happens?  We have all been there and it is flat out one of THE WORST feelings.  Especially if you are an avid outdoorsman.  There is nothing worse that being in the middle of nowhere and not having the supplies you need to deal with a potential emergency situation. Being someone that spends a good amount of time away from the resources of city life, I know the feeling all too well. But does it REALLY matter what first aid kit I buy? Aren’t they all the

Best Goose Recipe – Our Must Try Wild Goose Recipe Looking for a delicious way to cook your bird and not sure what the best goose recipe is?  As a goose hunter of many seasons, I have heard it all.  I frequently hear how goose is too greasy, too tough, too “gamey”, or just flat out isn’t good.  And for many years, I was a believer that goose could be mediocre, but never good.  BOY WAS I WRONG!  I have been changing minds, albeit just a few people at a time, for some time now.  Goose is DELICIOUS.  In fact, it

One of the hottest topics in social media and forums pertaining to duck hunting in the Prairie Pothole Region is hunting water. Particularly, are you hunting a transition slough or a ROOST. I understand that when scouting with a duck boat in tow, it’s hard to pass on an opportunity to shoot some ducks…I get it. But the problem, is often there are field hunters targeting those roosting birds and by pushing the birds off the roost, it basically ruins it for everybody. So I HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting to know the difference between a transition slough and a ROOST. I will

Finding the perfect fit for your hunting needs can be difficult… And when shopping hunting blind bags this can definitely be the case. Does it ever feel like there is a new company that shows up almost daily in the waterfowl world? Sure, new companies mean new products and more competition means better prices.  But man…..sometimes with all the options, picking the right product is a total crap shoot. But don’t worry, over the years I have owned enough of the severely underwhelming products to point you away from the heaps of junk and lead you in the direction of something that

Whether you are hunting early season resident Canada geese or stubborn late season migrant Canada geese, having every possible advantage in your arsenal is important if you want to increase your success of each hunt.  Whether that is improving your calling skills, scouting harder, or improving decoy spread size and quality, each hunter must adapt to gain an advantage over the birds they are pursuing. One of the most under utilized, and in many cases, most effective skill a goose hunter can possess is their ability to properly read and flag geese.  This is especially true for Canada geese and can

How To Hunt Resident Geese – What You Need to Know Well, here we are on the brink of another hunting season!  For many of us, this is the start to what we consider the best time of the year.  The hot, humid days of summer are slowly fading and our mornings are showing a hint of that fall weather that is quickly approaching.  Some of the early crops are beginning to come out across parts of the country and the resident canada geese are starting to find them.  While many hunters are still a month or more away from getting

May 14, 2018 What: Morel Mushroom Hunting Location: Madison County, Nebraska along the Elkhorn River. Conditions: Sunny and warm, 80 degrees. After a few days of rain, followed by a day of warm sunshine, things have really taken off around here.  I checked two separate spots today, both along the Elkhorn River in Madison County, Nebraska.  My first spot was definitely the most productive and I ended up hiking for about 3 hours longer than I had anticipated.  The forest edges produced a few mushrooms, but my most consistent mushroom hunting was definitely in the heart of the timber.  I’m getting the impression that

May 12, 2018 What: Morel Mushroom Hunt Location: Madison County, Nebraska along the Elkhorn River. Conditions: Rainy and cool, 60 degrees. We finally got the much needed rains the last few days.  Looking at the precipitation charts, it looks like just under an inch of rain has fallen in the last 36 hours.  I had much higher hopes for today’s mushroom hunt as I figure we have been missing the moisture more than anything else. I am hunting the same areas I have been checking over the last 7 days.  The season appears to just be getting started as many of the spots that were

May 7, 2018 What: Morel Mushroom Hunt Location: Madison County, Nebraska along the Elkhorn River. Conditions: Sunny and warm, 80 degrees. After giving some of my spots a day to warm up, things are headed in the right direction.  Multiple trees that have established themselves as reliable over the last few years are now growing fresh morel mushrooms.  This was not the case two days ago on my last mushroom hunt.  Most of the morels we found today were very small, pinky nail sized and left to grow.  We were able to walk away with enough for the frying pan which is a success