TEKAMAH, NEB. — It probably wasn’t the kind of day you would pick for catfishing, but nobody told the cats.

Pat Carter, Elk Point, S.D., and I arrived at Summit Lake in the middle of a morning rainstorm, but when the downpour turned to sprinkles, we launched my boat and headed out.

Pat had fished the lake a couple times before and was impressed with the channel catfish to be found there. When he suggested we give it a try, I was quick to agree.

For the past seven years, Pat and I have gotten together prior to Sioux City’s one and only catfish tournament and spend a day or an evening chasing “ole whiskers.”

It’s a tradition now and what began as a U.S. CATS sponsored tournament is now a local tournament with Pat as the director. Strong sponsor support from local businesses, headed by First Class Credit Union, and individuals is quickly making this event one of the premier catfish tournaments in the country.

Last year the First Class Cat Attack attracted 51 teams with entries from a seven-state area. This year Pat hopes to top 60 boats and is well on his way. Current entries exceed last year’s.

This year, the boats will blast off from the South Sioux City boat ramp with waters of the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers eligible.

Last year’s event was won by Dean and Bruce Strobman of Sioux City with a single catch — a 56.60-pound blue catfish. Second was taken by Keith Copenhaver, Sioux City, and Chris Sharp, Merrill, Iowa with 10 fish weighing 40.90 pounds.

In all, anglers weighed in 155 fish totaling 500.15 pounds, the highest weight in the history of the tournament.

This year’s event will be July 24 with anglers fishing from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event has a $5,000 guaranteed payout. Cash awards will be given for first through 6th place with additional cash placements for over 30 teams. Seventh to 15th place teams will win door prizes. Additional door prizes will be offered including a trolling motor, depth finder and rods and reels.

Entry automatically qualifies teams for the 2010 Night Tournament from 7p.m. to 8 a.m. Sept. 4.

The public is welcome to the weigh-in at the ramp. A free cookout and drinks will be available beginning at 3 p.m.

Entry fee for the event is $100 with an optional $10 for the big fish Pot. Entries are being accepted at the Bacon Creek Country Store at 2520 Gordon Dr. Entries will also be accepted, cash only, the morning of the tournament. A mandatory rules meeting will begin at 6:30 a.m.

For more information, contact Pat Carter at (712) 281-1841 or email: imcoolcatpat@yahoo.com.

Check out the web site at: www.firstclasscatattack.tk

Oh, our Summit Lake catfish?

Suffice it to say that had we been in a tournament, we would have done well.

Isn’t that how it goes?

Lake Information:

Summit Lake

Where: 4 1/2 West, 1/2 South of Tekamah

Size: 190 acres

Max Depth: 30 feet

Boat Ramps: Two

Camping: Yes

Fish: Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Walleye

Motorboats: Limited to 5 mph (no wake).

Panfish: Daily bag limit is 10; channel catfish daily bag limit is three.

Cabela’s initiated the deal after hearing about the Husker Bass Anglers, which had only minor sponsorships and an unreliable boat-use agreement, last year. Terms of the Cabela’s sponsorship included use of a boat provided by the Ranger dealership based out of the company’s La Vista, Neb., retail store, where the boat was on display between tournaments.

Cabela’s also designed the University of Nebraska boat wrap and supplied the trolling motor, electronics, lures and team uniforms, while Evinrude provided the engine and Geico took care of the boat insurance.

“It only seemed right that the University of Nebraska bass club be supported by Cabela’s, which was founded in Nebraska and has its corporate headquarters and three retail stores in the Cornhusker State,” said Chris Sprangers, Cabela’s marketing manager. “More importantly, anytime our sponsorship dollars can go toward keeping young people involved in outdoor recreation, we’re all for it.”

Branecki, who will graduate in August and fished in his final college tournament last week, credited the sponsorship with the team’s success this season. The Husker Bass Anglers finished in the top 15 in three of the four FLW College Fishing tournaments it entered.

“I know [our success] wasn’t just a coincidence,” Branecki said. “Instead of worrying about money for tackle or securing a boat for a tournament, I was able to focus on studying the lake we would be fishing.”

Before receiving the Cabela’s sponsorship, the team borrowed boats from another sponsor, but availability wasn’t a guarantee. Branecki said the partnership with Cabela’s was convenient and made tournament preparation less stressful.

“Our boat was always there when we needed it,” he said, “Without our boat and the electronics Cabela’s put on it for us, we wouldn’t have found the spot which gained us the lead on day one of the tournament last week.”

The Husker Bass Anglers led after the first day of fishing, catching all but one of their five bass from a single sweet spot, in the Collegiate Bass Fishing Open on Kentucky Lake June 24-25. After day two of the tournament, the team landed in the top 20.

Even after the drop in the standings, it was a dream come true for Branecki, who had looked forward to fishing Kentucky Lake his entire life. And he said it may not have been possible without Cabela’s support.

Now Branecki will pursue his next dream – professional tournament fishing.

“It is a long shot and many people just don’t make it,” he said. “But right now I have no tie downs in my life, so I am going to go for it and hope for the best.”

YANKTON, S.D. — Scott Madison, who heads up River City Guide Service at Lewis and Clark Lake, was gassing up his big Lund when I pulled into Captain Norm’s just below the Gavin’s Point Dam at 6 a.m. last week.

Lewis and Clark Lake, the past few years has quietly assumed the position of one of the Missouri River’s best walleye fishing reservoirs.

The reservoir is the only one on the system that has a 15-inch minimum with no slot limit.

Madison says walleyes ranging from 20 to 24 inches are very common and in the fall of 2009 many fish in the eight to 12 pound range were caught and released.

But fishing is no sure thing, even on the best of lakes. This day we caught many, many fish but the bigger ones eluded us. However, the small fish are a good indicator of things to come.

The weather had been very unstable the three days prior to our arrival and that, I’m sure, contributed to our lack of success on larger fish.

We trolled six rods all armed with crankbaits and worked over a dozen spots, which had provided good fishing in the past. We marked very few baitfish or walleyes on the electronics.

The walleye bite on Lewis and Clark Lake is usually a shallow one this time of year, but the weather, I’m guessing, had sent the fish into the deeper channel.

We caught lots of white bass, for which this reservoir is also famous. It is also one of the best lakes around for smallmouth, but we didn’t try for them.

Scott and his partner Steve Gross guide anglers on full day or half-day trips both above the dam in the lake or below the dam in the tailrace.

For more information about their guide service, call Scott at (605) 665-1688 or cell 760-3646 or check out Captain Norm’s web site at www.captainnorms.com. Captain Norm’s site also offers a fishing report.

Turkey hunting has been in my blood since the early 70’s when I first hit the woods in pursuit of the long beards.

Over the years, I’ve managed to take over eighty birds bagging every species in the U.S.  except for the Osceola of Florida.

As spring approaches, my excitement builds and as the season begins to draw down, I feel as if something will soon be missing from my life.

This year it was different, as I had tagged all three of my Nebraska birds early in the season, two in northeast Nebraska and one in the southeastern part of the state.

I’d also called had the opportunity to call in a couple of birds for Team member Larry Myhre while we hunted together.

Since I’d tagged all of my birds and there was plenty of time left. I decided to give my cameraman Kyle Nickolite, Yankton, the opportunity to shoot his first bird.

Kyle had been on several turkey hunts with me, but he was always on the other end, running the camera.

His first filming in he field had been a spring turkey hunt where a Tom came in behind him without making a sound, startling both he and I.

This is one of those things that will either scare the heck out of you or hook you on turkey hunting for life.

As most turkey hunters do, on our first trip, we headed out long before the sun rose and set up where we thought the birds would be traveling from the roost.

Sometimes, turkeys and other wild creatures don’t do what “We” think they should do and this was the case on our first hunt.

We’d set up in the dark up against a downed tree with the sun at our back.  We were well camouflaged and knew the birds were roosting in adjourning property to the west.

I began my calling as I always do soft and subtle, as a hen in the roost would as she awakens.

No response, only silence, so I called again and after a short pause again, no response.

As the sun rose farther in the eastern sky, I increased the volume of my calls, switching from my Roost’em box call to my slate and my diaphragm call.

Nothing, not a peep and at that point, I was beginning to wonder if the birds had moved their roost.

Just then, Kyle whispered on the ridge. There they were, one Tom, a small Jake and eight hens, not good as no Tom in his right mind would leave eight hens to come to one or two others, no matter how sweet they sounded.

It just wasn’t going to be our day to tag Kyle’s first bird.

We tried it another early morning, calling in one hen and a Jake that was so close that we could have reached out and grabbed him.

Permission had been given by the landowner across the road, so we headed that way, walking into a hen that was being followed by a Tom, unfortunately the hens sharp eyes pegged us before we could get set up.

After two early morning excursion and the close of the season rapidly approaching, I think Kyle was beginning to wonder about turkey hunting.

We decided to give it one more go, an after work hunt in an area we’d seen birds earlier in the year.

As we always had we glassed the area from a hillside prior to heading in to set up.

We spotted one Tom right where we had planned to set up, so a new plan or Plan B had to be quickly thrown together.

The plan would be to drive to the far end of the trees, put a sneak through the trees growing along the south side.

As we headed into the trees, a Tom gobbled off to the west.  With Kyle in the lead, we quietly approached the area we’d hoped to set up in.

Once we reached the tree line, I noticed that there was a slight rise about thirty yards in front of us, which didn’t give us much time to get on the bird as he popped over the rise.

Since we had no choice, I set the decoy in a low mating position just this side of the rise while Kyle set up our turkey fan off to his right.

Our fan came from one of last year’s birds and cut off where it attaches to the body. After dusting the tail section with Borax to help preserve it, it’s spread out and nailed to a board until it dries in a natural position.

We’d used fans years ago while hunting in central Missouri and since no one else was allowed to hunt this property, I felt it was safe enough to use the fan.

Note: The use of a fan can be dangerous if others may be hunting the same area, as a mature Tom’s fan can draw gunfire from some individuals.

Once again, I started with my Roost’em box call and then went to my slate call, giving the impression that there were two different birds calling.

And then, no response, which late in the season isn’t unusual as the breeding season is coming to the end and there is less talking going on between the Toms and hens.

We’d been on site about five minutes when a red head, no two red heads appeared on the rise as a Tom and Jake walked into full view.

I whispered to Kyle that the mature Tom was in the lead as he brought his shotgun into position.

The big Tom, noticing the hen decoy, turned in that direction and noticing the turkey fan quickly turned to face it and started moving slowly in it’s direction.

As I was giving the warning putt to get the Tom to raise its head, Kyle fired, dropping the big bird in its tracks.

Kyle’s first bird, weighing 20 plus pounds with a 10” beard and ¾” spurs a good bird, especially for the first one.

As I set here, knowing the season has ended, longing for next spring season, I have many memories from this spring, one stands out and that was where I introduced another to his first turkey hunt during our final hunt of the season.

I’ve always maintained that when fish, any fish, are in shallow water, there is no more effective way of taking them than with the fly rod.

That was brought home to me once again when Gary Howey, Hartington, Neb., and I were guests at the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge just south of Burchard, Neb., recently.

The lodge overlooks a 25-acre lake and from the first time I laid eyes on it I couldn’t wait to baptize a fly upon its waters.

I didn’t have long to wait. Gary and I filled our turkey tags in less than two hours and we were on the shoreline by 3 o’clock, rods in hand.

Gary doesn’t fly fish so he was hurling a number 3 Mepps spinner and soon connected with a three pound bass, the first of many.

But it was the panfish that made the story. My first 12 casts resulted in a nice bluegill or crappie.

They were on a shallow flat in a prespawn movement, but it was really the warmer water which drew them there.

I was fishing a foam rubber grasshopper imitation of my own design, but it is not too unlike the many that are now available commercially.

Made from closed cell craft foam the grasshopper look-alike floats like the proverbial cork, no matter how many fish you have landed on it.

I had tied a bunch of them for a trip to Montana and Wyoming a couple of years ago. There is no more fun way to take stream trout than on grasshoppers.

There is also no more fun way to take crappies and bluegills than on the surface.

I could have used a cork popper, that is a more traditional approach.

I was using an 8 1/2-foot graphite rod which balances with a number 6 line. My leader was 7 1/2-foot and tapered to a four pound tippet.

We stood on the shoreline and cast out. And that’s why springtime is my favorite time to fish farm ponds. Later, as the water warms, most ponds will be ringed with weeds and then you will have to fish from a boat and cast into the weedline.

A key thing this time of year is to fish ponds on warm, sunny days. And there is no reason to get there early. Fishing is always best when the water warms up in midafternoon.

Just for kicks, I walked down to the pond the next morning and made a few casts. Not even a hit. We were back at 3 p.m. and it was nonstop.

For a change of pace, I switched flies, tying on my favorite bluegill fly. It is appropriately named the Gill Getter and is composed of a chartreuse chenille body with white rubber legs and an overbody and tail of moose mane. The hook is weighted with wraps of lead wire to make the fly sink.

The Gill Getter proved more effective than the foam hopper, if that was even possible.

If you don’t have a fly rod, you can still fish fly rod flies and lures with a spinning outfit. There are special, clear, torpedo shaped floats which provide casting weight. Tie on a 15-inch piece of 4-pound test mono and attach your favorite fly. A plain round, red and white float works as well.

But, if you really want to make the most of your springtime farm pond fishing, learn how to use the fly rod.

You won’t regret it.

For information on Big Blue Ranch and Lodge, call Scott or Billie Kay Bodie at (402) 730-3643 or go online at: www.bigblueranch.com

We ‘d just come outside to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee when the gobbling of a turkey disturbed the morning silence.

Nothing unusual, since we’d been at the lodge for a couple of days and whenever we’d been on the deck we not only heard turkeys, but also coyotes, prairie chickens and Canada geese announcing their presence.

It was both Larry and my second hunt of the spring turkey season; Larry had tagged one bird in Northeast Iowa while I had put down two birds in Northeastern Nebraska.

We were in S.E. Nebraska as we’d been invited down to film and hunt the 2,000 acres owned by Scott and Billie Kay Bodie.

I’d met them last fall while hunting in the Nebraska Governor’s Pheasant Hunt, which was headquartered out of Beatrice, NE.

Southeastern Nebraska is a beautiful place as not only is there an abundance of game in the area; there are numerous ponds and small lakes dotting the countryside.

The property we were hunting had several lakes, one, located just below the lodge was 25 acres and was stocked with bass, crappie, bluegill and pike.

When we arrived shortly after lunch, we met with Scott who directed us into the lodge and gave us a brief description of the land we’d be hunting and the birds that called the area home met us.

According to a wildlife biologist Scott had talked to, the birds in the area were 5-way hybrids with Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam, Hybrids as well as some of the Bonze tame birds.

Larry and I quickly unloaded our gear, changed into our hunting camo and followed Scott to the area he thought we should begin our hunt.

The area we’d be hunting consists of rolling hills, open pastures with draws lined with oaks and cedar trees.

As we always do, we approached the area quietly, cautiously moving through the area, while carefully glassing each open area before proceeding.

Once we were assured that a Tom wasn’t in the open area, we called softly from areas just inside the tree line.

After using this approach several times to no avail, we headed up hill towards a cluster of trees that we thought would give us a vantage point over the next open pasture.

Since Larry was shooting, I manned the camera, following slightly behind and off to his right side.

We were about to reach the shelter of the trees when I spotted the tell tale blue, white and red coloration of two Tom turkeys as they worked their way towards the sound of our last call.

Instantly, we dropped to the ground, hoping the birds hadn’t seen us as we quickly crawled towards the shelter of the trees.

Larry was hugging one side of the tree while filmed from the other side as the two Toms
Slowly came to Larry’s Roost’em, call.

Both birds peaked from behind the Buck Brush out in front of us with only their brightly colored heads showing above the foliage.

Larry took aim at the right one and fired, flipping the bird backwards and tumbling it over.

We’d been in the field less that forty minutes and had one bird in the bag.

At this rate, what were we going to do the next couple of days?

Once the bird was tagged and put on ice, we headed towards for an area where a trail made it’s way through the trees.

Not knowing what was below us, we decided to set up on the knob just above the trail and call.

We alternated the calling until I heard a faint gobble from the other side of the tree line, at which time I took over the calling while Larry manned the camera.

Within 15 minutes, I swore I heard a Tom drumming, but since my hearing isn’t the best, I didn’t alert Larry until the bird’s fan appeared on the edge of the trees directly in front of us.

Like many other spring Toms that we’ve hunted, the bird took his time coming in silently.

As the Tom strutted and turned, I slowly brought my shotgun up, resting it on my knees facing the bird.

When the bird first appeared, I’d switched from my slate call and was softly purring on my mouth diaphragm call, as it required no movement.

The Tom ignored our two hen decoys, coming around their left side towards the tree that I was backed up against.

As the bird came closer, I hoped that Larry had gotten the bird on film and as it came around a small bush, I gave a warning putt, causing the Tom to extend it’s neck and head.

My twelve gauge barked, putting the bird down for the count and the three and one half inch Winchester Extended Range 5 shot loads accounted for yet another Nebraska Tom this season.

As I tagged my third bird of the season, I admired the bird’s 9-inch beard and seven eighth-inch spurs and gladly lugged the heavy mature Tom back to the pickup.

What an excellent hunt, as we’d only been at Big Blue Ranch & Lodge www.bigblueranch.com for about two hours and taken our two birds.

With the two remaining days on this trip, we took advantage of the excellent habitat on the ranch, filming wildlife and catching dozens of bass, crappie and bluegill from the pond below the lodge.

Turkey numbers in Nebraska and many other upper Midwestern states have exploded with numerous permits available to the hunter that want to get out and experience one of the truly great outdoor experiences, spring turkey hunting.

“We know our work to provide habitat in Nebraska will be more successful if we act in ways that benefit landowners,” said Steve Donovan, manager of conservation programs for Nebraska.

The NAWCA grant will restore and protect more than 4,100 acres of habitat in the Rainwater Basin through 14 separate projects. One of the projects funded through the grant will allow DU to trade good cropland for marginal cropland in order to restore a 300-acre wetland that will become part of the Nelson Waterfowl Production Area.

“This land trade will keep the best cropland in production, while allowing the marginal cropland to be restored to wetland, providing habitat to waterfowl and other wildlife,” Donovan said. “It’s a win-win for the landowner and waterfowl.”

Donovan says much of the land restored through this grant will be managed through grazing. “Beef is an important segment of the Nebraska economy,” he said. “And controlled grazing can keep the grass and wetlands in good shape for cows and wildlife.”

Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin has lost about 90 percent of its original wetlands, yet millions of waterfowl and other birds continue to migrate through this area in search of places to rest and refuel. The Rainwater Basin is one of the most important wetland ecosystems in the Central Flyway particularly during spring migration when millions of waterfowl stop here during their long migration flights.

“A big part of the work we do in the Rainwater Basin is to restore the natural functions of wetlands in the area,” Donovan said. “Some of the wetlands have been drained and others have become choked with dense stands of perennial plant species limiting food availability for waterfowl.”

About 50 percent of the continent’s mallard population and 30 percent of its pintails use Rainwater Basin habitats during spring migration. About 90 percent of the mid-continent’s greater white-fronted geese depend on this habitat. The Rainwater Basin was recently named the first “Landscape of Hemispheric Importance” in the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network, in part because almost all of the world’s buff-breasted sandpipers stop in the Rainwater Basin each spring, along with many other species of shorebirds.

Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

These two jakes came running into our hen calls at the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge near

Burchard, Neb. (Journal photo by Larry Myhre)

BURCHARD, Neb. — Like so many times before, it was a gobble that first alerted us that a tom turkey was coming in.

Gary Howey motioned that the bird was downhill in front of us just in case I hadn’t heard.

I had the video camera running and began looking for the bird.

The first indication was the tip of his tail, spread in full strut, and slowly rocking back and forth as the bird stepped forward.

Then he was there, all puffed up and drumming. It was a glorious sight and one that sets a turkey hunter’s heart to pounding.

He was 15 yards out when Gary “putted” sharply on his diaphragm call to make the bird come out of strut and stick up his head.

Just like that it was over.

Less than two hours into our hunt on the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge south of Burchard, we had both filled turkey tags.

Gary, from Hartington, Neb., and I were guests of Scott Bodie and his wife Billie Kay. Their 2,000-acre working cattle ranch is the backdrop for a retreat for hunters, fishermen, horse enthusiasts, bird watchers or anyone just seeking relaxation.

Their cedar log lodge sits above a 25-acre, spring-fed pond stocked with largemouth bass, crappies, bluegills and northerns.

Gary and I had met Scott at the lodge where we unpacked, and then followed him to an area on the ranch where he felt confident we would see turkeys.

He left us, and we began our hunt as we often do when hunting land unfamiliar to us. We walked and called.

With Gary on the video camera, I ventured ahead calling whenever we came to a place where I couldn’t see if there were turkeys such as just before cresting a hill.

Upon hearing a call, the turkey should gobble alerting us to his location before we spook him.

But this day, the turkeys were not responding.

Gary saw them first.

Two toms heading our way.

We dropped down and crawled to a nearby burr oak tree where we sat down and waited.

I yelped a few more times and the pair of toms crested the hill and drew nearer as I made a few quiet yelps on the diaphragm.

They stopped about 30 yards out and didn’t appear to want to come any closer so I took the larger of the two.

After Gary bagged his tom we went back to the lodge and got out the fishing gear. I used the fly rod to catch and release an unbelievable number of blue-gills and crappies.

We’ll report in detail on that next week.

The next morning we decided to hunt the turkeys with our cameras. Gary carried the video and I carried my Nikon digital single lens reflex with a 70 to 3o0mm zoom lens.

We set up near where Gary had bagged his bird and called, but nothing came in.

So, we began walking and calling. We crossed a bluegrass pasture to a wooded ridge and valley on the other side.

I called there and suddenly Gary dropped down. I followed suit.

“Two toms heading our way,” he said.

We lay on our stomachs right in the open with cameras in front of our faces.

I cranked up the calling on the diaphragm call and soon saw two heads poke above the skyline.

They came in fast and close. I could hear them clucking and purring and I returned the calls hoping to lure them in closer.

At about 15 yards out they decided they had come far enough and then began to move away.

We had gotten some good footage and stills.

We continued to follow the timber’s edge and walked another hundred yards when Gary thought he saw something down in the corner of the pasture about 300 yards away. It was a tom. Soon we noticed three hens in front of him moving down a fence line. Then two more toms stepped out.

We couldn’t interest them in our calls and the hens seemed to be following the fence line so we dropped out of sight and tried to circle around and get in front of them.

This seldom works, and it didn’t this time. The birds spotted us and ran back down the fenceline and into the trees.

The turkeys here are really colorful, probably the result of a five-way cross. Biologists say the birds are a merriam, Eastern, Rio Grand, tame turkey and hybrid cross. All of the above have been stocked in the area at one time or another.

Deer grow big on this ranch as a pair of sheds lying on the table in our lodge proved.

And they are plentiful. Each day we saw several deer move away from us as we stalked through the woodlands.

The ranch is truly a hunter’s paradise.

Lincoln, Neb. – April 27, 2010 – Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever announce Jerry McDonald of Lincoln, Nebraska, as the organization’s new Regional

Representative for eastern Nebraska. McDonald’s 25-plus years of marketing experience will help strengthen “The Habitat Organization’s” Cornhusker conservation mission.

McDonald will work to start new Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters in eastern Nebraska and assist existing chapters with raising and expending funds on wildlife habitat and conservation education.
He will also work with local, state, and federal natural resource agencies on wildlife habitat initiatives. In addition to serving as a point person for local

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters, McDonald will assist in Pheasants Forever’s “Reload Nebraska” campaign, created last year to raise $20 million to establish and improve 1.1 million acres of wildlife habitat on private and public land in the state.

“The most important ingredient conservation requires is people with a burning passion for wildlife and the outdoors, and Jerry McDonald has that,” said Pete Berthelsen, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Senior Field Coordinator and an Elba, Nebraska, resident. “That passion will help engage more people in our mission
in an area where there is a great deal of potential for habitat projects.”

McDonald grew up hunting and fishing with his dad around Geneva, Nebraska, and continues to hunt every chance he gets. Recently, his Brittany passed away and he’s begun the search for another hunting dog to take its place.

“Hunting pheasants and quail without a bird dog isn’t nearly as rewarding for me,” McDonald said, “I love the work, the point, the shot and the retrieve. Of course, may favorite activity wouldn’t be possible without quality and quantity of habitat. I’m as excited about getting to down to work for Pheasants Forever as I
am about my next pup.”

McDonald earned a B.S. at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. He joins Pheasants Forever after three years with Alegent Health at Home where he operated as a marketing representative. McDonald can be reached at (402) 440-9613 and JMcDonald@pheasantsforever.org.

Nebraska is home to 60 Pheasants Forever chapters, 4 Quail Forever chapters and more than 9,700 members of “The Habitat Organization.” Since 1987, local chapters have spent over $26.7 million on habitat and youth education and impacted 2.8 million acres of habitat in the state. In 2010, chapters will celebrate working on
their 3 millionth acre of habitat in the state, the first state within the organization to reach that mark. For more info on Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in Nebraska, visit www.NebraskaPF.com.

The 7th annual Northeast Nebraska Whitetails Unlimited banquet was held Friday March 19th at the Wausa Fire Hall.

Whitetails Unlimited (www.whitetailsunlimited.com) is a national conservation organization promoting deer hunting and other outdoor activities, which headquartered out of Sturgeon Bay, WI. established in 1982 with over 100,000 members.

Approximately 425 people attended this year’s event where attendees had the opportunity to win numerous prizes including 40 guns and bows.

WTU banquets are family orientated events aimed at involving the entire family.

Our youth are very important to WTU, as they are the future of deer hunting and all outdoor sports.

Because of this, there are special promotions and contest held at the banquet designed especially for the youth.

WTU offers its members an avenue to raise funds to support common interests such as preserving the hunting tradition and educating the public on the importance of conserving our natural resources

At this years event, $48,000.00 was raised, much of which will remain in the area, being used for conservation and youth programs.

Funds raised from these WTU events, one half of which stays locally, is donated to numerous area activities.

In 2009 the Northeast Nebraska WTU donated  $20,906.00 to conservation related activities. Included in these were; donations to area schools, 4-H groups, hunter’s education, handicap hunters programs, archery clubs, area communities, conservation organizations and for state game & park projects.

Nationally, WTU has expended over $49.7 million d on projects which include: college scholarships, assistance to wildlife agencies, research, habitat enhancement, public education, hunter safety, anti-poaching measures as well as cooperative projects with other conservation organization

Chris Carlson, Wausa, NE. has handled the duties as the President of the Northeast Nebraska WTU since its inception seven years ago

The Northeast Nebraska WTU has 386 members from throughout Northeast Nebraska.

Northeast Nebraska Whitetails offers two $250.00 scholarships for those interested in going into an outdoor conservation related program in college.

Applications for these scholarship are due by April 15th and can be obtained by contacting N.E. Nebraska WTU President Chris Carlson @ the number listed below.

There are currently six WTU chapters in our area, those being Wausa, Emerson, Norfolk, In Nebraska, Yankton, SD and Anton, IA.

For more information on becoming part of the Northeast Nebraska WTU you can contact Chris Carlson, Wausa at 402-640-7053.