Outdoor notes: Duck Slam challenges hunters, brings families together

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunting often is a family tradition. It is for Riley Pollock. He began waterfowl hunting at a young age with his grandfather.
The 21-year-old from Seward was hunting with family while participating in the second year of the Nebraska Duck Slam this past season. He completed the challenge by harvesting an American wigeon, mallard, northern pintail and a teal in Nebraska during the 2020-2021 season.
Everyone who completed the Slam also received a pin and a certificate, and were entered into prize drawings for outdoor gear, hats, a print and a grand prize. Pollock was drawn as the grand prize winner of the Special Edition Ducks Unlimited Winchester Super X4 12 gauge shotgun.
Pollock says he’s been hunting all of his life, with one exception.
“Hunting has been a part of my family as long as I can remember,” Pollock said. “I’d been waterfowl hunting when I was a little kid with my grandpa. I got busy with school, and I picked it up again a couple of years ago. My grandpa wanted me to go with him again.”
In 2020-2021, the Duck Slam drew 316 hunters (291 Nebraskans) from Nebraska and 13 other states. Of the 127 hunters who completed the Slam, six were from states outside Nebraska.
Of the 903 ducks harvested in the challenge, 304 were teal, 245 were mallards, 180 were wigeon and 174 were pintails. More than half of the harvests occurred on publicly accessible lands.
Pollock first heard about the Duck Slam in an email from Game and Parks, then decided he would try it if he had the opportunity. Eventually, he told family members and friends about the Duck Slam.
Pollock, who also hunts deer, turkey, rabbit and squirrel, looks forward to spending time with his family. “I enjoy hunting with my family and watching birds work.”
A list of hunters who completed the Slam can be found at OutdoorNebraska.gov/DuckSlamFinishers.
Get ready now for spring trout fishing
By Larry Pape
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
LINCOLN, Neb. – Ice on Nebraska lakes is typical through February, but by the middle of March, cattails should be sprouting along shorelines and fish should be moving into warming shallow water. Beautiful spring days, perfect for fishing, could occur with little notice.
Be prepared to take advantage by having fishing gear at the ready. You could be rewarded with some of the year’s best fishing opportunities.
Spring means rainbow trout. Unlike many states with closed seasons for trout, those in Nebraska can angle for these year-round. Rainbows are stocked across Nebraska in the fall and then again in March to improve catch opportunities.
Nothing will solve your cabin fever better than an hour spent trout fishing on a spring day. A meal of freshly caught trout will be your reward. Make a plan on where to go and have rod and tackle in your vehicle. Stocking dates and locations will be posted in March at OutdoorNebraska.org.
Soak up the sunshine. When the sun feels warm for you, it is also likely the same for fish. On warming spring days, bluegill and bass will move into shallow bays to bask and feed. Take advantage of city park ponds for last-minute angling trips. Plan for a quick lunch-break or on-the-way-home-from-work angling adventure. If a warm weekend is forecast, plan a little longer trip to a state park or wildlife management area lake. A small jig or fly that is fished shallow and slowly under a bobber are convenient tackle to have at the ready. Fly fishing gear and techniques are particularly well suited for bluegills in shallow water.
The key to taking advantage of warm spring days is to plan ahead. Dig your fishing gear out and clean and restring it now. Pack a small tackle kit with the basic essentials: a few hooks, bobbers, weights, a couple of small, flashy lures and non-perishable bait. Include a small cooler, because bluegill or trout from cold spring water are delicious. Put this all in your vehicle now.
Devise a plan by picking locations and times that will work when the sun finally peeks out. The 2021 Fishing Guide, online or paper edition, lists several hundred Public Fishing Areas. The Game and Parks website has a variety of maps with different fishing options.
Don’t forget your fishing permit, Fishing Guide, Fishing Forecast and fish identification book. Get these now while you are thinking about it. Persons 16 and older are required to have a fishing permit, which can be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.org or at participating permits vendors. Permits can be displayed as a paper copy or on a mobile electronic device.