What it’s all About

Master Chefs add the final touches

Part of a big family

Each year, after the end of deer season, the metro-area archery mentors and their young hunters gather for an evening of celebrating the past season and feasting on the fruits of the program.  This year’s event may have been the best yet – plenty of good eats and memories to last until the post-season scouting trips and off-season prep work begins.  Check out this video, put together by the Mentors, to see what makes this group a family

hershy

Real Pheasant Hunters

I don’t think you should be able to call yourself a true pheasant hunter until you are carefully taking possession of a long-tailed, pointy-spurred, January ringneck from your trusty four-legged spaniel.  This rooster was not the result of an accidental encounter in an easy-to-walk, short-grassed field that a group of hunters happens to be in discussing football and cussing black labs.  That type of bird was baked alongside some potatoes weeks ago.  This end-of-the-season rooster is the culmination of something even more meaningful – something special enough to be called late-season pheasant hunting.

This type of pheasant hunting takes a dedicated individual that is willing to walk some of the season’s gnarliest cover in search of one of the most elusive critters to wear feathers.  But to these men and women in orange, the chance to be close to a colorful, cackling bird as it takes to the air is worth the pains of the pursuit.

Knowing these educated roosters will be employing their best survival tactics, late-season hunters will be doing the same, and strategy is employed prior to the first field of the day.  It begins in the selection of the hunting party.  Four is pretty much the maximum; two is ideal for many situations.  Usually chosen are hunting buddies that share the same vision.  Absent are the boisterous and those that cannot close a truck door quietly.

Even more important is the selection of canines, a must for proper bird hunting of any kind.  My suggestion is one per person, with a maximum of three that can work well in such a group.  The four-legged hunters must be driven to find birds on their own accord with little interference from the two-legged ones.  The kind that sniffs boot heels of the walking hunter, best be left to the couch.

Habitat is the mantra of the pheasant hunter and there are two habitats that January roosters favor.  The preferred is the habitat that no hunter chooses to seek them in.  It may be the spot where the nastiest grasses and/or brush lives or the spot that everyone overlooks – the place no one expects to see a rooster.  Either way, once the refuge from human intrusion is found the veteran roosters have little reason to leave.  If you find one of these spots and approach it wisely, the birds may be surprised by your appearance and provide opportunity not unlike earlier in the season.  But chances are you get just one good crack at them.

If a hunter-less habitat is not an option for the birds, you will find savvy roosters in the second kind of habitat, places with options.  The most common options for a January rooster include running and flushing far outside of shotgun range.  You know you have found one of these places when the birds are exiting the field as you are entering.  The best strategy here is to simply hunt differently.  These pheasants have been around hunters – and of all the predictable critters, we humans are the easiest to pattern.  So, come at the field from a different location, follow the dogs and not a straight-line sweep through the field, work from the lightest cover to the heaviest or from the outside edges to the middle and be sure to enter the field as quietly and quickly as possible.

Yes, the easy birds are for the most part gone, but so are many of the hunters, too; which leaves some of the most rewarding bird hunting to real the pheasant hunters.  If you’re reading this between sunrise and sunset, there’s a good chance I will be pretending to be one of them right now, too!

hershy

Calling Predators on Nebraska Outdoors Radio

Calling all predators.  This week Conservation Officer Stacey Lewton will be in-studio to talk about coyotes, foxes and bobcats and the skills needed to match wits with Nebraska’s most cunning predators.  The Nebraska Outdoors Radio Show runs every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. (CST) on KFOR 1240 AM in Lincoln and online at www.kfor1240.com. Be a part of the conversation by calling 402-489-1240.

Talking Pheasants on Nebraska Outdoors Radio Show

Rooster!  This week is all about upland birds, and pheasants in particular.  NGPC Biologist Scott Taylor will be in-studio to discuss current populations, management challenges and programs of the NGPC aimed at increasing upland bird numbers.  If you are a pheasant enthusiast, you will want to be part of this conversation!  The Nebraska Outdoors Radio Show runs every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. (CST) on KFOR 1240 AM in Lincoln or listen anywhere online at www.kfor1240.com. Be a part of the show by calling 402-489-1240.

A Better 2012

Thanks to those extra holiday treats – we made it to the beginning of a New Year complete with all its exciting possibilities.  With a little planning this could be the year you become the outdoors-envy of your peers and the talk of the neighborhood.  So where do you begin?  Popular thought would be to create a lot of New Year’s Resolutions, however there is research that suggests that over ¾ of the New Year’s Resolutions made each year are broken – and often within the first week or two.  So “nuts” to the old standby of losing 20+ lbs or & getting fit enough to run a marathon.  Instead let’s focus on things that are more fun to accomplish, very attainable this winter and make more sense to the strong outdoorsy-type, such as you.

• Walk on Water.  Despite what many might think, winter can be a great time to catch fish and once the water turns to ice all the good spots are accessible whether you have a boat or not.  Yes, there is equipment that is made especially for hard-water fishing, but your regular gear can be adapted for use as well.  Just remember to always befriend the person with the power-auger and be warned that once you have a good day on the ice, many of your cold-weather weekends may be tied-up in this activity.
• Schedule 2012 Therapy Sessions. Let’s face it.  Our time outdoors hunting, fishing, camping and exploring is more than just fun – it’s our chance to re-charge and put life back into perspective.  Now is the time to get your outdoor therapy sessions on your calendar, before work steals them away or other obligations fill your free-days.  With sport-show season upon us you can do some prep work and track down fresh ideas for your 2012 adventures.  Do something new this year, or relive some past escapades with your hunting buddies – new traditions have to start somewhere.
• Feast Among Friends.  There are several conservation organizations that hold banquets during the winter months where you can meet lots of like-minded folks.  Most are set-up as fundraisers that support habitat, conservation education, etc.  They also just happen to be a great way to fuel your own fire as you meet others that share the same passions as you do, usually over some good eats, too.  I have discovered new hunting opportunities and developed life-long friendships at these events.  Who knows you may even go home with a new 4-legged hunting buddy.
• Ask Now & Ask Often.  Nebraska is basically privately owned – only about 2% of the state’s total land area is public hunting land.  This means that a whole bunch of great hunting takes place on private property, which requires permission to access.  Now can be good time to start seeking that permission and getting to know landowners.  For instance, I have never been turned down for a late season rabbit or squirrel hunt, which has sometimes opened the door for a spring turkey hunt, and in a couple cases resulted in an invite for fall archery deer.
• Scouting, a Family Event.  There is no better time to begin scouting for this spring’s turkey season or next fall’s deer season than this winter.  I have come to love late-winter scouting – because I can take the entire family.  You don’t have to worry about bumping game and you’ll be amazed at all the treasures (deer sheds, turkey feathers, etc.) your youngsters will find on these forays.  You win on all levels – family time outdoors, better knowledge of your hunting areas and some exercise, too

I have been told that 2012 is the year of the Dragon.  But to me, it’s the year of the wild turkey, walleye and pop-up camper.  Happy Adventures in 2012!

hershy