Volume 89, Issue 10, 2011
December 2011
- Identifier:
- nela.2011_089_10
- Title:
- Volume 89, Issue 10, 2011
- Issue Name:
- December 2011
- Date Issued:
- 2011-12-01
- year:
- 2011
- month:
- December
- Season:
- Autumn
- PDF filename:
- NL_89.10_2011_Dec_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 089
- issue:
- 10
- number:
- 089.10
- Decade:
- 2010s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
Fresh snow and a rustic log cabin combine to create a picturesque scene at Indian Cave State Park.
Photo by Doug Carroll.
Volume 89, Number 10, December 2011
12 Six by Six – Six Birds, from Six Inches
A National Geographic assignment provides the impetus to
create Audubon-esque photos. PHOTOS AND TEXT BY JOEL SARTORE
18 A Chilling Assignment
Find out what it’s like to plunge through an ice-covered lake
and have to get out by yourself. BY ERIC FOWLER
20 Collecting Old Hunting Photographs
A look at the hows and whys of collecting old hunting
photographs and postcards. BY JON FARRAR
28 The Northern Cardinal
With its cheerul song and splash of color, the cardinal is a
popular year-round resident of the state. TEXT AND PHOTO BY
MICHAEL FORSBERG
30 Let’s Talk Bees
Learning about the world of honey bees. BY MARGIE LUKAS
34 Just a Good Dog
A desire for a better dog leads to a new hobby and a national
title for a Columbus man. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
38 A Spectacle on Ice
30
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Held at Merritt Reservoir, the Cork Thornton Memorial IceFishing tournament offers fun for all ages.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS
Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Mixed Bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Wilderness Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Junior Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Portraits from the Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Page 49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
The Last Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
12
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38
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Cover: In the late-1800s and early decades of the 1900s, documenting a
good hunt was important enough to spend time tidily arranging the bag of
birds, or even taking them to the local photography studio for professional
photographs. See story on page 20. Opposite: The yellow eyes of a brown
thrasher shine bright while feeding in Hall County. Photo by Rick Rasmussen.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 89 / NO. 10, ISSN 0028-1964) is published monthly, except for the
combined Jan./Feb. and Aug./Sept. issues, by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission,
2200 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, NE. Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln, Nebraska, and additional
mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NEBRASKAland, P.O. Box 30370,
Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.
34
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DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 3
page 14 of the November 2011
NEBRASKAland issue!
But, then, that map is older than I
am!
Ken Fankhauser
Kearney, Nebraska
Trail Camera Deer
Attached is a photo from my trail
camera that I thought might work for
the magazine, as I love seeing wildlife
pictures in NEBRASKAland. I thought
it was a very unique picture.
The does appear to be about 10 yards
from my camera and the lighting and
background is really nice. I just wish I
knew what they were looking back at.
This was taken along the Middle Loup
River near Comstock.
Scott Baldwin
Grand Island, Nebraska
take a bath or get a drink. I was hoping
they would at least stay one more day
since we had been forecasted 70 degrees,
but to my disappointment they started
their journey late Sunday or early
Monday.
When I looked at my photos I noticed
one robin with a beak deformation. I
have never seen a robin with a cross
beak before. It must not bother him
very much because he did look very
healthy.
Marion Ball
Arlington, Nebraska
Deformed Robin
The last weekend of October, we
must have had at least 100 robins visit
our yard . . . no joke, no exaggeration.
I have a good size, heated birdbath and
the robins came and went all day to
Joel Jorgensen, Nongame Bird
Program Manager for the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission, replies:
“Deformed bills or other structures,
while rare, do occur with regular
frequency. Often birds with these
inflictions do not survive long in the
wild. However, occasionally a
deformed bill does not interfere with
normal behaviors such as feeding or
preening. This appears to be the case
with this bird, it has a deformed bill
but obviously has been able to get by
and survive.”
4 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
My daughter Logan would like to
submit large milkweed bug –
Oncopeltus fasciatus – for the contest
this month.
Logan is six years old and has been
looking at the pictures and the
magazine for about a year. The past
few months (1st grade) she’s been able
to read portions of the magazine and
she asked me about last month’s bug
so I explained the contest and she
followed through. I did help with the
search but she identified the “leads” so
to speak.
Logan has gone to the Valentine
National Wildlife Refuge, Ontario,
South Dakota and other places on
fishing trips. She loves nature and has
a lot of curiousity.
Thanks for the contest.
Logan Consbruck
(Todd Consbruck -father)
West Point, Nebraska
I just recieved my copy of
NEBRASKAland Magazine today. I
was reading the very interesting article
on Wood Lake when a camping and
fishing friend of mine called ... . We
talked a while and all of a sudden I
looked at the map on page 14 and saw
the visitor. I do not know what it is, but
I probably wouldn't want it crawling up
my arm. It is orange and black from
what I can see. It is an insect with six
legs and two feelers. This is not one of
my garden bugs as far as I know. You
have a great magazine. Keep up the
good work.
Del Sukstorf
Fremont, Nebraska
NEBRASKAland Visitor Letters
We want to thank all 111 readers
that sent e-mails and letters for last
issue’s visitor, a milkweed bug that was
on page 14 (see page 11 for the winner,
rules and this issue’s hint). Here are
some of the responses we received:
There is a large milkweed bug
(Oncopeltus fasciatus) just north of
Johnston on page 14. They look like
boxelders bugs, don't they?
Rob Mercer
Stanton Nebraska
I can honestly tell you that I've
never seen a milkweed bug north of
Johnstown as shown on the map on
I found this month’s
NEBRASKAland visitor on page 14
on the map. It's a large milkweed bug.
We have enjoyed your magazine for
many years. My husband grew up in
Amelia, south of Atkinson, and we still
love visiting the wonderful state of
Nebraska!
Jan Small
Vermillion, South Dakota
The large milkweed bug is a very
colorful insect, found throughout
much of the United States. This insect,
Oncopeltus fasciatus, is in the
Hemiptera family (true bugs) and is
related to squash bugs and boxelder
bugs. Milkweed bugs feed on milkweed
plants, primarily buds and seeds, and
actually ingest toxic compounds found
in the plant. This makes the insect
very unpalatable! The bug’s bright
reddish-orange and black coloring
advertises that it is toxic. An animal
that ignores that warning and eats a
milkweed bug may get sick and throw
up. Milkweed bugs go through
incomplete metamorphosis, which
means that young, immature bugs
look similar to adults. When the bugs
first hatch, they don’t have wings and
are bright orange. The young will
molt several times, gradually
developing wings and reproductive
organs, before reaching
adulthood. It is common
to see large groups of
bugs together,
especially on a
nice warm fall
day; but they
quickly scatter when
threatened.
Special thanks to Julie Van Meter, State
Entomologist, Nebraska Department of
Agriculture. Visitor image by Chris Helzer.
www.bugguide.net is a good site for identification
Send your comments to:
Doug Carroll, Editor
NEBRASKAland Magazine
P.O. Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
or e-mail Doug.Carroll@Nebraska.gov
Please include your postal address and
telephone number.
Letters may be condensed and edited
for clarity. Photographs are welcome
and will be returned.
COMMISSION
CONSERV
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
Director Rex Amack
Deputy Director Jim Douglas
Commissioners
Chairman - Mick Jensen, Blair
Vice Chairman - Ron Stave, Waterloo
2nd Vice Chairman - Norris Marshall, Kearney
Jerrod Burke, Curtis
Dr. Mark Pinkerton, Wilber
Dr. Kent Forney, Lincoln
Lynn Berggren, Broken Bow
Rex Fisher, Omaha
Mark Spurgin, Paxton
NORTHWEST
Officer
City
Jim Zimmerman (S) Gering
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE STAFF
STAFF
Editor Doug Carroll
Associate Editor Jeff Kurrus
Art Director Tim Reigert
Senior Editor Jon Farrar
Regional Editor Eric Fowler
Contributing Editor Michael Forsberg
Regular Contributors Bill Hager, Chris Helzer,
Lisa Knopp
Photo Librarian Sarah Johnson
Circulation Donna Robinson
For address changes and questions about
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or call (800) 632-5263
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or call (515) 440-2810
NEBRASKAland Magazine Copyright 2011, all rights reserved.
NEBRASKAland is available on audio cassette from the Nebraska
Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service, Suite 120, 1200 N
St., Lincoln, NE 68508. (800) 742-7691. NEBRASKAland Magazine and
the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reserve the right to reject any
advertising not in keeping with the agency mission.
Rates: $18 for one year; $33 for two years; $44 for three years. Nebraska
recipients must add appropriate sales tax. To subscribe call
1-800-NEBLAND (632-5263), or go online to:
NebraskalandMagazine.com.
COMMISSION OFFICES
Headquarters/Southeast District Office
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone (402) 471-0641
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone (402) 370-3374
Southwest District Office
301 E. State Farm Rd. North Platte, NE 69101
Phone (308) 535-8025
Northwest District Office
East Hwy. 2, Box 725 Alliance, NE 69301
Phone (308) 763-2940
Bassett Office
524 Panzer St., Box 508 Bassett, NE 68714
Phone (402) 684-2921
Kearney Office
1617 First Ave. Kearney, NE 68847
Phone (308) 865-5310
Omaha Office
1212 Bob Gibson Blvd. Omaha, NE 68108
Phone (402) 595-2144
Greg Hesse
Scott Brandt
Heath Packett
Frank Miller
Dan Kling
Phone (308)
(office) 763-2940
(cell) 641-6138
Alliance
760-3647
Gering
631-0663
Gordon
360-0682
Valentine (402) 389-0444
Harrison
430-0572
SOUTHWEST
Officer
City
Phone (308)
Roger Thompson (S) N. Platte (office) 535-8025
(cell) 530-3097
Ray Dierking
Brkn. Bow
870-0322
George Sund
Cambridge
655-0028
Michael Thome
Cozad
529-8146
Terry Brentzel
Doniphan (402) 469-5795
Matt Andrews
Elwood
746-2418
Dirk Greene
Imperial
882-0015
Jerry Pecha (Sup.) Kearney (office) 865-5327
(cell) 293-3551
Dale Johnson
Kearney
440-3847
Dudley Sorensen
N. Platte
530-0016
Nicholas Fix
Ogallala
289-0427
Dennis Thompson
Ogallala
289-0755
Rich Routh
Rep. City
920-0367
NORTHEAST
Officer
Tom Zimmer (Sup.)
Dale Davis
Steve Oberg
Daniel Roberts
Randy Pomplun
Jeff Jones
Jon Reeves
Pat George
Doug Pollard
Tim Williams
Cory Krause
Phone (402)
(office) 370-3374
(cell) 649-8053
Bassett
760-0712
Columbus
910-3366
Fremont
719-1108
Fullerton
550-0489
Hartington
762-5022
Kennard
889-8508
O’Neill
340-0787
Ord
778-7101
Neligh
929-0051
West Point
380-6410
SOUTHEAST
Officer
Duane Arp (Sup.)
City
Gretna
Sean McKeehan
William Krause
Mike Luben
Dan Zuehlke
Darin Gress
Douglas Kramer
Dina Barta
Stacey Lewton
Levi Krause
Robert Finke
Russell Mort
Dan Evasco
Jeff Clauson
City
Norfolk
Phone (402)
(office) 332-2965
(cell) 521-0194
Ashland
521-0159
Auburn
274-8063
Colon
443-6392
Cortland
806-9084
Hebron
768-8665
Lincoln
890-6465
Lincoln
890-6463
Lincoln
890-7140
Louisville
949-0593
Milford
947-1363
Nebr. City
209-1506
Papillion
616-5961
Waterloo
658-7057
ADMINISTRATION
Officer
City
Craig Stover (Adm.) Lincoln
Phone (402)
471-5532
Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers 1-800-742-7627
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone (402) 332-3901
Under federal and/or state law, discrimination is prohibited on the basis
of race, color, religion, age, gender, marital status, national origin,
disability or political affiliation. If you think you have been discriminated
against in any program, activity or facility by the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission or want more information, contact the Commission in
Lincoln, NE, at (402) 471-0641 or the Equal Opportunity Commission,
Lincoln, NE, (402) 471-2024, TTY/TDD (402) 471-4693).
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 5
PHOTO BY LINDSAY ROGERS
Organize an Outdoor Festival
Lindsay Rogers
Today, children ages 8-18 spend an
average of 7.5 hours tuned-in, loggedon, or plugged-in to some sort of
electronic media every day. Now more
than ever, it is important as parents,
teachers, and citizens that we help our
children get up, get active, and get
outside. This idea may sound simple,
but getting outside and engaged in the
outdoors is a daunting task for many
parents. Even more daunting is the idea
of putting on an entire festival designed
to connect families with nature and
outdoor sports. It was this exact problem
which drove the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission to develop the
Outdoor Families Event Trailers.
Interested in GPS and geocaching?
Want to try fish printing? Ready to
compete in a beanbag toss? The 12-foot
trailers are filled with 18 different
activities all related to nature, outdoor
sports and having fun outside.
The goal of these trailers is to
provide parents, schools, churches, Boy
or Girl Scout troops, and hunting clubs
access to the equipment needed to host
a family outdoor festival or youth
event. Each of the trailer’s activities
provide groups with supplies, equipment,
and directions.
“The trailer was completely stocked
and well organized. We could set-up
each activity with ease. This is a great
outdoor ‘adventure’ for any group
ready for a fun and easy to organize
outdoor festival,” noted Chris Thody,
who checked-out the trailer for her
family reunion.
The trailers were developed through
a partnership between the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission and
Nebraska Pheasants Forever, with
funding from numerous conservation
organizations.
Three trailers are located around
Nebraska, and checking them out is
free! Most supplies for all 18 activities
are provided. To learn more, visit
www.nebraskaoutdoortrailers.org.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
See You Out There ... But Where?
Do you know where this Nebraska photograph was taken?
See answer at the bottom of page 11.
6 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
Here is a list of
upcoming outdoor
events across Nebraska.
For more information about these and
other events, visit the calendar page at
www.OutdoorNebraska.org.
December 3
Fort Robinson State Park’s 17th
Annual Historical Christmas Dinner
Caroling begins at 6 p.m., followed
by dinner and entertainment. After
the dinner, guests enjoy turning the
Christmas lights on for the first time.
Tickets go on sale Nov. 7, 2011 at
8 a.m. A park entry permit is required.
Call (308) 665-2900
ngpc.fort.robinson@nebraska.gov
December 14
Ponca State Park Annual Christmas
Bird Count
This event coincides with the
Audubon Society's national
Christmas Bird Count. Amateur and
expert bird watchers are invited to
attend this event. A free chili feed
will be served at noon. Contact the
park office for more information. A
park entry permit is required.
Call (402) 755-2284
ngpc.ponca@nebraska.gov
December 16-19
"Christmas at the Codys"
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical
Park 5:30-8 p.m. The 1886 mansion,
1887 horse barn, log cabin and other
outbuildings all have exterior lights.
The mansion will have 18 lighted
and decorated Christmas trees and
decorations in the interior. There will
be a large lighted and decorated
Christmas tree in the barn where
visitors can make their own ornament
to hang on the tree. Santa Claus will
be there for the children, Buffalo Bill
will talk to visitors, and music will
once again flow from the old piano
in the mansion. Outside there will be
roasted chestnuts, hot apple cider
and cookies. Draft horse-drawn hay
rack rides will also be available,
weather permitting. Admission is $5
per person at the door, children 12
and younger are free. Park entry
permit required.
Call (308) 535-8035
ngpc.buffalo.bill@nebraska.gov
Got Milk – Snakes?
With leadership from Ben Wheeler,
coordinating wildlife biologist, the
newest prescribed burn association
supported by Pheasants Forever was
recently formed in the state. The
‘Custer Prescribed Burn Association’
was formed at a meeting in Broken
Bow and intends to work with landowners
in Custer and Valley counties to implement safe and effective prescribed burns on
the landscape. More details about the association and its officers can be found at
http://www.nebraskapf.com/PrescribedBurning.aspx.
This brings the total to nine local prescribed burn associations being supported
by Pheasants Forever with equipment, training and infrastructure support. Since
2008, those prescribed burn associations have now conducted 267 prescribed
burns on a total of 20,218 acres. Pheasants Forever hopes to be able to assist in
the formation of one more local prescribed burn association to bring the total to
10 associations throughout Nebraska, with the intention that this ‘momentum’ can
carry forward on its own with more safe and effective burn happening with
landowners across the state.
Dan Fogell
How does the rhyme go … red on yellow, kill a fellow … red
on black, venom lack? Or is it red on black, friend of Jack?
The rhyme is supposed to let people know if the red, black
and yellow snake they are looking it is a harmful coral snake
or a harmless kingsnake. The rule is that if the red and yellow
bands on the snake touch, then the snake is venomous. If the
red and black bands touch, then it’s a harmless snake. This
is the first poem I ever memorized, just in case I ever
encountered a coral snake. Not because I was afraid of coral
snakes, but because I needed to know how I was going to
catch it. You can just grab a kingsnake and if it bites, so
what? No venom. But coral snakes require strategy, maybe
even some tools, so I needed to be ready. It would be well
beyond my childhood years before I finally ran into my first
coral snake, but I remembered the poem. And I caught the
snake safely.
Red, black, and yellow snakes – affectionately known as
tricolored snakes – are unique to the Americas. They occur
from Canada to Argentina and there are dozens of different
kinds, but most people just divide them into two categories:
coral snakes, and coral snake mimics. Mimics are animals
that gain some protection from predators simply by looking
like a poisonous or venomous animal – known as the model.
So the poem tells you whether you are looking at a model or
a mimic. Or does it? As it turns out, that poem works fairly
well if you encounter a coral snake in Florida, Texas,
Arizona or elsewhere in the United States, but in Central and
South America the rhyme is useless because there are many
harmless snakes whose red and yellow bands touch, and
even some coral snakes whose red and black bands touch. To
make matters worse, some snakes are red, black and white
instead of red, black and yellow. Luckily, here in Nebraska
there are no coral snakes, so there is no reason to memorize
the rhyme. But there ARE “mimics,” and they are called
milk snakes – secretive, tricolored serpents that are very
close relatives of kingsnakes.
Why the name milk snake? They’re not mammals; they
can’t produce milk for their young; what’s with the name?
As grassland snakes, they are commonly found in pastures
and around barns where farm animals are kept, and so a
myth was fashioned: These multi-colored snakes will drink
milk from a cow’s udder. And thus the milk snake got its
common name. It truly is a myth by the way, for two
reasons: Milk snakes lack the throat muscles needed to
suckle milk from an udder; and like all snakes, they just
don’t drink milk. They can be found all over Nebraska and
we are lucky enough to have three different kinds: red milk
snakes, pale milk snakes and central plains milk snakes.
Unless all three are side by side, identifying one can be
difficult. And because they’re all the same species, they will
hybridize with each other – making identification even more
challenging. But there are general characteristics of each that
can help. Red milk snakes occur in eastern Nebraska. They
have a mostly red head and nose with some black speckling
on the nose and a thin black band behind the head. Pale milk
snakes are in northwest and north central Nebraska as well
Bull Elk Season Sets Record Harvest
Nebraska’s bull elk hunting season closed October 23 for the majority of the state,
with a record 91 bulls harvested. Only the Boyd Unit, where three bull permits were
issued this year, remains open. As of early November, 80 percent of the hunters who
drew a bull or an either-sex 2011 Nebraska elk hunting permit have shot a bull.
Twenty-seven cow elk have also been harvested, with the cow elk season open
through December 21 for every elk unit but the Boyd Unit, where six cow elk
permits were authorized this year. Elk hunters in the Boyd unit can hunt through
December 31 for both cows and bulls.
There were a record 2,544 elk applications this year, with 294 permits issued.
All available permits sold for the second year in a row because of statute changes
that allow landowners to draw a cow tag without affecting preference points for
bull permits. General elk permits are restricted to Nebraska residents only, but
landowner permits are available to both residents and nonresidents. For information
about next year’s elk permit, pick up a copy of the 2012 Big Game Guide when it
becomes available next spring.
Bruce Grupe of Kearney fell in
love with the scenery and serenity
of grouse hunting in the Sandhills
when his late-father took him on
his first hunt there at age12. He’s
been every year since – 27 and
counting, including recent years
with his English field cocker, Misty, and has shown his love for the sport on
his message plate since 1993. His brother’s plate is 3 GROUSE.
If you have a unique outdoor message plate you would like to share, or
know someone who does, e-mail a photo (high-resolution, jpeg format only,
please) of it to Eric.Fowler@Nebraska.gov, along with your name, hometown,
and a brief description of the interests expressed on your license plate.
8 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
PHOTOS BY DAN FOGELL
A Prescription for Burns
Pale Milk Snake
Red Milk Snake
Central Plains Milk Snake
as the Sandhills. They are aptly named because of their pale
orange and cream or white bands. Their black bands are thin,
and their noses are white, with some black flecks. The central
plains milk snake from southwest and central Nebraska has a
black head and nose with some white flecks on the nose and
a white band behind the head. Sometimes the black bands
merge together on the back and completely cover the red
bands.
So if you run into one of these beautiful tricolored jewels,
there’s no need to remember the poem – at least not here in
Nebraska. And with three different types and a statewide
distribution, Nebraska has definitely got milk snakes!
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 9
Jeff Kurrus
plants
give way
quickly
under that
renewed
competition. A good test of
this is to build a small exclosure (e.g., a
few cattle panels wired together) in a
pasture and watch what happens over a
year or two. Typically, the grass within
that exclosure will regain its vigor and
the ragweed and other opportunists fade
rapidly. Even the perennial western
ragweed diminishes in abundance, and
the remaining plants are dwarfed by the
much more competitive grasses. This is
why broadcast spraying of ragweed in
pastures results in only a short-term
decrease in ragweed plants (at best)
before the plants come roaring back.
Without a change in the grazing practice
that led to abundant ragweed in the first
place, ragweed is still going to be the
best adapted plant to the growing
conditions in the pasture. In addition,
broadcast herbicides knock out a lot of
other plant species that will likely NOT
come back, decreasing both the habitat
and forage value of the pasture, along
with the number of potential competitors
to the ragweed.
You’re coming around, aren’t you?
You hate it, but you’re gradually
coming to the realization that (AHCHOO!!) ragweed isn’t the evil plant
you thought it was. Instead, it’s a
wonder plant for wildlife and isn’t really
a competitor to (SNIFFLE) livestock
forage. Sure, it’s not the most attractive
plant around, but corn isn’t exactly the
Christie Brinkley of the plant world
either, and yet we put millions of acres
into the ground each year. Live and let
(AH-CHOO!!) live, I say.
Gesundheit.
Chris Helzer is an ecologist for The
Nature Conservancy. When the pollen
count is sufficiently low, he enjoys
writing about and photographing aspects
of nature that no one else cares about.
Last year, during
muzzleloader season,
I patiently watched a
deer walk more than
one hundred yards
down a heavily
timbered draw, only to
then take a bad shot
just five yards from
having a wide-open,
35-yard broadside
shot.
It never ceases to
amaze me how many
not-so-smart moves I
make in the field even
though I know better.
But I also know that
these moments keep
happening less
frequently.
I figure that the
same must happen to
many of you.
Therefore, the
following photos are
just a quick reminder
of when, and when
not to, shoot. It’s a
simple concept, really,
but I sometimes find
myself in need of a
refresher course as
well.
New Crane Book for Kids
A bad shot, even with a rest. Free-handed, and the
gun gods should take your weapon away.
NEBRASKAland Magazine’s Jeff
Kurrus has teamed up with contributing
editor Michael Forsberg for a beautiful
children’s photographic picture book
about a sandhill crane’s faithful search
for his lost mate on the Platte River
during spring migration.
Accompanied by gorgeous photos,
Have You Seen Mary? entertains and
educates readers about these fascinating
birds in an easy to read style.
To order a copy, go online to
NebraskalandGifts.com or
HaveYouSeenMary.com.
Not a smart shot. Before these deer leave, they
have to stand up. Be patient.
NEBRASKAland Visitor
Winner and Hint
PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS
10 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
When to Shoot
BACKGROUND PHOTO BY CHRIS HELZER, QUAIL PHOTO BY RICK RASMUSSEN
Chris Helzer
I’m not exactly sure how it happened,
but lately I feel like I’ve become the
defender of all the underdogs of the
outdoor world. Within the last couple
of years, I’ve written articles in this
magazine singing the praises of such
detested species as thistles, hoary
vervain, grasshoppers and spiders. Now
you’ve read the title of this article and
you’re thinking, “Surely he’s not going
to tell me how great ragweed is?! No
one can possibly think ragweed has any
positive attributes…”
Sorry to disappoint you – I am
indeed going to attempt to change your
opinion about ragweed. Oh sure, it’s
the major cause of hay fever, and about
a quarter of you reading this are just
now recovering from a miserable couple
months full of sniffling, sneezing and
itchy eyes. Sure, a single ragweed plant
can release as many as a billion (with a
b) pollen grains into the air. Can’t we
all just get along?
Ok, I’ll give you the hay fever thing.
Allergies are no fun. (In my case, I’m a
grassland ecologist who’s allergic to
grass pollen. How pathetic is that?) But
can we really dismiss any positive
value from ragweed just because of one
little annoyance? If you think about it,
there are lots of examples where we put
up with negative aspects of something
because of the greater good. Pepper
makes us sneeze, roses have thorns, and
colonoscopies are a good idea, but…
To establish what we’re talking
about, there are actually four species of
ragweed in Nebraska, and another two
species of bursage that are in the same
genus. Of those six species, however,
three are the most widespread and are
really the subject of this article:
common ragweed, western ragweed
and giant ragweed. Common and giant
ragweeds are annual plants, but western
ragweed is a perennial that spreads by
both seeds and rhizomes (underground
stems).
The primary contribution ragweed
makes to the world is its seed
production, because those seeds are
extremely nutritious to wildlife. Small
mammals and birds, in particular, feed
heavily on ragweed seeds in the late
fall and into the winter. The most high
profile species tied to ragweed seed is
the northern bobwhite. Quail biologists
have long known the value of ragweed
to bobwhites, and lament the fact that
seed availability decreases quickly as
winter comes on – mostly because
other wildlife species are eating them
too. In fact, it’s not hard to find on-line
advertisements selling ragweed seed for
wildlife food plots ($7-$10 per pound,
in case you’re interested). If you doubt
the attractiveness of ragweed seed,
walk out in the snow this winter –
hurry, before the seeds are all gone –
and look at the tracks of mammals and
birds around any ragweed plant sticking
up above the snow.
So maybe ragweed can feed a few
birds and mice, but surely it’s a real
pest in pastures, right? Well, actually
ragweed plants have a lot of nutritional
value to cattle, but they produce a
couple of chemicals that deter cattle and
other grazing animals from eating the
leaves. As a result, ragweed is rarely
grazed by cattle except very early in
the growing season and, in fact, has a
strong reputation as a nasty pasture
weed. I guess that’s true if we’re
defining anything that isn’t grass as a
weed, but I’d like to think we’re all a
little more progressive than that
(especially the readers of this magazine).
The real question is whether or not
ragweed OUTCOMPETES grass, thus
decreasing the amount of available
forage for cattle. I would argue no. My
experience, which I grant you is mostly
in the eastern half of the state, is that
ragweed plants are opportunistic
space-fillers. When grasses are heavily
grazed, their root systems shrink
because they don’t have enough leaves
to produce food to support those roots.
That opens up space for ragweeds and
other similar plants to move in.
Because they’re not grazed by cattle
like the surrounding grasses, those
plants often look even more abundant
than they really are.
It’s easy to see why a rancher would
assume that ragweed plants are “taking
over” the pasture, but they’re really just
taking advantage of the resources the
weakened grasses can’t use. If the
grasses are given a break from grazing
and can re-grow both leaves and roots,
the ragweeds and other opportunistic
Clear kill zone and safe background. A shot
you could take with your muzzleloader.
Check It Out
Throughout the year, various outdoor
items and tools either cross the desks of
or are suggested to NEBRASKAland
Magazine staff members as items to
check out that might be of interest to
our readers. Many of these are gimmicks
of little interest, but two recent items
are worth passing along:
Smoking Gun Jerky, a relatively
new business located in Lincoln, makes
a superb, low-salt liquid marinade that
is great for making jerky out of virtually
any type of meat, or can be used in
hamburgers and as a grilling marinade
for steaks. Located at 443 North 48th
Street in Lincoln, the liquid marinade
can be used by itself or mixed with
other ingredients to create a variety of
tastes. For more information, call
402-467-6315 or visit smokinggun
jerky.com.
Another Nebraska-made product
worth checking out is the BurrPaw,
made in Papillion.
Designed to be used like a mitten,
the BurrPaw is designed for fast and
effective removal of stubborn stickers
and burrs from clothing, gear and pets.
The BurrPaw rolls up for compact
storage and can easily be cleaned and
reused over and over again.
For more information or see a short
video of the BurrPaw in action, visit
www.burrpaw.com.
Last issue’s winner of
the NEBRASKAland
Visitor drawing was
Lesa Bargmann of
Bancroft, Nebraska, who found the
large milkweed bug on page 14.
Readers are encouraged to contact
NEBRASKAland within 10 days
after this issue’s publication with the
correct page number and name of
this issue’s “Visitor” – a bug found
in Nebraska that just happened to
find its way onto one of the pages of
our publication.
We will then gather the correct
entries and draw one to win a
NEBRASKAland Magazine mug.
To enter each month, write:
NEBRASKAland Visitor
2200 North 33rd Street,
Lincoln, NE 68503.
Or e-mail:
Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov
with “Visitor” in the subject line of
the message.
HINT: This issue’s visitor is not on
page 3, 5, 30, 31, 33 or 45.
E.T. Mahoney State Park ice rink.
Ragweed
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 11
Photos and text by Joel Sartore
hen I was a kid, John James Audubon was my
favorite artist – I absolutely loved the way his
animals were drawn from his observations in
nature, without the aid of a camera. His birds especially
looked as if they could fly right off the page. Perhaps most
importantly, Audubon showed the habitats various species
depended on, which at the time was a groundbreaking
thing for an artist to do.
As a natural history photographer for National Geographic
magazine, I've always had Audubon in the back of my
mind. I've sought to emulate his style, though with very
limited success – usually when I photograph species in the
wild they're too far away to use anything but a long lens.
I've felt lucky enough just getting things in focus.
Then along came an assignment from Geographic on
animal migrations. Here was a chance not only to work
close to home, but to do something different with migratory
birds, moving beyond the obligatory shots of mallard
ducks or clouds of snow geese.
I'd been feeding birds for years on my little acreage near
Walton. From time to time I'd experiment with small, remotely-triggered, noiseless cameras
near my feeders. My first such attempt several years ago was of a red-bellied woodpecker
going after peanut butter suet that I'd tucked into an old tree limb. I got one frame I liked,
which led me to believe that a series of close-up, yet wide-angle, shots of birds was
indeed possible if done at either feeding stations or nest sites. With this story on
migrations, my chance to be Audubon-esque had finally arrived. I called the project “Six
Birds, from Six Inches” just because I liked how catchy that sounded, plus any more than
that would be way too much work.
12 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
I started with American goldfinches at our Walton farm,
where my family had already been feeding them thistle
seed. I simply moved a feeder to a pasture by the
farmhouse, knowing the finches would alight on nearby
thistles while they waited their turn at the feeder. A small
flash hidden inside a bit of white cloth provided softened
highlights.
An American goldfinch on thistles at
historic Waveland Farm near Walton.
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 13
Next I moved on to the Baltimore oriole. I'd heard Steve
and Cheryl Eno, who live north of Lincoln, were avid
feeders of many species including orioles, which came to
oranges the Enos put out. As before, I placed the camera
just above the feeding station and aimed it at a limb on
which the birds could wait their turn to feed. This
provided the Audubon look that I wanted – a well-lit
subject in the foreground surrounded by its preferred
habitat of forest edge.
A Baltimore oriole north of Lincoln at the
home of Steve and Cherl Eno (above).
An eastern bluebird at an acreage garden
belonging to Gary and Margo Larson,
also north of Lincoln (opposite top).
Cliff swallows (opposite bottom) under a
bridge along a gravel road in Lancaster
County.
Following the oriole, I did the same thing with eastern
bluebirds in a garden behind Gary and Margo Larson’s
acreage. Then I moved on to nesting sites for the cliff
swallow and the interior least tern, with the help of Dr.
Mary Bomberger Brown, a world-class ornithologist who
runs the Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership. Friends
Amy Bruce and Brian Lehmann took turns manning the
remotes when I couldn’t be there.
14 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 15
The last species I tried was a red-headed woodpecker near
the visitor's center at Audubon's Spring Creek Prairie. Marian
Langan and Gordon Warrick were kind enough to allow me
and my friends, Clark DeVries and Beau Wichtendahl, to set
up scaffolding and attach my little camera to a branch near
the nest hole in a partially dead tree. After a few evenings
of watching the nest through binoculars, radio trigger in
hand, I ended up with the shot you see here.
This kind of photography is not for everyone, nor should
it be. In the case of nesting birds, I worked with qualified
biologists who helped me keep disturbance to a minimum.
Our first priority was to do no harm. We chose nests with
chicks that were old enough to tolerate a bit of disturbance
at camera set up and take down time, yet young enough
not to be able to fly from the nest prematurely. Finally,
each picture took a minimum of 40 hours to get, all of it
sitting and watching from a hundred yards away, looking
through binoculars, radio trigger in hand. When you seek
to reinvent the wheel, patience is a virtue.
Interior least tern and chicks
photographed with the help of Dr. Mary
Bomberger Brown of the Tern and Plover
Conservation Partnership at a mine
owned by Western Sand and Gravel
Company near Inglewood.
Red-headed woodpeckers at Audubon’s
Spring Creek Prairie near Denton.
As it turns out, so is thick skin. After all that work,
Geographic liked the pictures but didn't have the space in
the migrations article to run any of the bird portraits, other
than a single, postage stamp-sized cutout of the bluebird.
This is the first time these photos have been published
anywhere. ■
Joel Sartore is a contributing photographer
for National Geographic magazine, speaker
and author of several books. His most recent
is a book entitled Let’s Be Reasonable.
To see more of his photographs, visit
www.joelsartore.com.
16 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 17
A
By Eric Fowler
fell through the ice at Holmes Lake
in Lincoln last winter. Actually, I
jumped through it. On purpose. All
so I could give you, our readers, a first
person account of how to get yourself
out of just such a situation. I’m not sure
if that makes me dedicated or stupid.
You be the judge.
So here’s the one insightful bit of
news that I gleaned from my little
experiment: Don’t get yourself in that
situation. The water under ice is cold,
and your body won’t like it.
Other than that, there’s not much I
can tell you about my experience that
holds up in the real world with any
degree of certainty. I had hoped to tell
you in detail how easy or difficult it
was to pull myself out of that hole. I
even carried the ice picks that are
recommended gear for ice anglers and
others who venture onto frozen pond
in the winter months. But I didn’t
use them. I hit the 38-degree water,
crawled out, jumped into the Zodiac
raft that waited to ferry me back to
shore, slipped into a trailer, stripped off
my wet clothes, dried off, put warm
dry gear on and was done.
In the real world – your world – it
won’t be that easy. Because unlike
I
myself, you probably won’t be wearing
a life jacket when you fall through. My
plunge took place under the watchful
eye of the Lincoln Fire and Rescue
Department’s Dive-Rescue Team, which
was conducting an ice-rescue training
exercise and wouldn’t let me have my
fun without a PFD. That PFD kept me
from going completely under when I
broke through, reducing the shock that
comes when cold water hits your head.
It also held me higher in the water,
making it easier to get my torso on the
ice and crawl out. So I guess I can tell
you that wearing a life jacket on the ice
is a good idea.
The other thing I had going for me,
which most of you won’t, is I was only
wearing jeans and a light, insulated
jacket. Most ice anglers and hunters will
be decked out in coveralls and a heavy
parka that will soak up 50 pounds or so
of water when submerged. Some people
won’t be able to pull their own weight
out of the water, much less the extra.
And once out of the water, I didn’t
have far to go to dry off and warm up
on this warmer-than-average February
day. If I’d had a half mile walk through
sub-zero wind chills, things might have
been much different.
A video I saw on the Web a few
years back inspired my experiment.
You want to talk dedication? Go to
YouTube, search for Gordon Giesbrecht,
and watch “Survival in the Ice – Part 1.”
This Canadian professor skis into a hole
in the ice, pulls himself out and then
gets back in and stays there, talking
about each step his body is going
through until he’s about to pass out
from hypothermia and his safety crew
pulls him out. Now that’s dedication.
Before my “Polar Plunge” day
arrived, I’d thought about going in a
second time with coveralls on to
compare the difference in difficulty.
I’m sorry to say that while I certainly
appreciate all of you readers, I’m just
not as dedicated as Giesbrecht, and I
can live with that. Shoot, my feet started
getting cold when I got to the lake and
my thoughts shifted to “What have I
gotten myself into?” When I hit the
icy water, all I could think about was
getting out as fast as I could (think
moving like a cat with its tail on fire).
Once out, I just wanted to go home.
I expected worse … much worse, in
the scale of both difficulty and coldness.
But I had the deck stacked in my favor.
Will you?
P.S. – If you want to see a video
of my icy plunge, go to
OutdoorNebraska.org and search “Ice
Rescue.” ■
How Much Ice is Enough?
0-3 inches: Keep off
4-5 inches: Ice Fishing and Skating/250 lbs.
6-7 inches: Snowmobile or ATV/1,100 lbs.
8-11 inches: Light car or truck/3,500 lbs.
12-14 inches: Medium truck/8,000 lbs.
These numbers apply to clear, blue lake ice, the kind
that forms when temperatures plunge on a calm night.
Late-winter ice that is honeycombed from the freeze
and thaw cycles that come with rising and falling
temperatures can support only half as much weight.
Ice covered with snow should be viewed with caution:
Snow insulates the ice from the cold air and ice under
it won’t be as thick.
You can also rely on two old sayings:
"Thick and blue, tried and true - thin and crispy, way
too risky,"
"When in doubt, don't go out."
Be Prepared
Even if the fishing report says there’s more than
enough good ice, you should always be prepared in
case you fall through. Why? Springs flowing from the
lake bottom can weaken ice above them, leaving an
inch of ice surrounded by a foot of ice, and you might
be unlucky enough to find such a spot. Drill test holes
to check thickness and use a staff, spud or your feet to
sound the ice in front of you and gauge thickness. Also
remember that the ice won’t be as thick at the end of a
warm sunny day as it was at the beginning.
Build or buy a set of ice picks to hang from your neck
or parka that can be used to help pull yourself out of
the ice if you fall through. Also, pack some rope in
case you need to help pull someone else out. While
few people wear one on the ice, a life jacket can be of
the utmost importance. It will keep your head above
water, reducing shock, make it easier to get out of the
ice, and it will keep you from sinking and drowning if
you can’t. Believe it or not, you’ll be alive long after you
pass out, and someone might still be able to save you.
Think About It
PHOTOS BY DOUG CARROLL
Even when you’re prepared for and expecting it, a plunge into icy water is quite a shock to your body.
18 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
Ice Safety 101
lmost every winter, somewhere in Nebraska,
someone falls through the ice and drowns.
Often the victim is a hunter or an ice angler
who simply didn’t take the proper precautions.
Brad Thavenet, Lincoln Fire and Rescue captain and commander of the department’s dive and water rescue
team, said his team responds to an average of one ice rescue call each winter, some ending tragically. Hang
around the bait shops, he said, and you’ll hear other war stories from anglers who have pulled themselves out of
the ice.
Thavenet thinks years of education have led outdoorsman to be prepared, making it more likely they will be
able to save themselves if they do fall through the ice. “Guys are taking a lot more of that to heart,” he said.
If you haven’t heard these tips and are planning on doing some ice-fishing, ice skating, hunting or simply taking
a stroll on your favorite neighborhood lake this winter, here are some things to keep in mind.
Don’t be too hasty in your effort to save someone. If
they fell through, you could too, and there’s no need for
two obituaries. Use a rope or tree branch to extend your
reach so you don’t have to approach the spot where
they fell through. On a residential lake, a ladder might
be handy and is a great choice, as it provides reach
while spreading your weight across a large area of ice.
Thavanet said to use even more caution before
attempting to rescue something such as a dog, a
common story behind people falling through the ice.
“My Lab weighs a heckuva lot less than I do,” he said.
“What makes me think that I’m going to get out that far
before I go through?”
If You Fall Through
Don’t panic: Get your head above water, catch your
breath and stay calm. The initial shock of the cold will
go away, and you should have at least 20 minutes to
get yourself out before hypothermia sets in and you
physically can’t.
Retrace your path: Get your arms up on the ice and
face the direction you came from. The ice supported
you to that point, so it should do so again on your retreat.
Kick like a dolphin: Kick your legs simultaneously to
push yourself onto the ice. If you can’t picture what I’m
talking about, look for some YouTube videos of dolphins,
seals or killer whales launching themselves onto the
pool deck at Sea World.
Pick yourself: If you can’t pull and kick yourself out of
the hole, grab the ice picks you brought and you should
be able to pull yourself out. If you didn’t bring any, your
car keys might give you enough grip to free yourself.
Freeze: If, Heaven forbid, you can’t get yourself out
of the hole, get your forearms wet and hold them to
the ice. If it’s cold enough, they will freeze to the ice
and prevent you from slipping under it when you go
unconscious. While this sounds morbid, it may save
your life as you will still be alive for some time after
you pass out.
Roll with it: Once you get out of the hole, don’t stand
up. You breaking through weakened the ice for several
feet around the hole and you now weigh a lot more
than you did thanks to all of the water your clothes
soaked up. Unless you want to try to get out of the
water again, roll like a log until you’re a good distance
from the hole. From there, move to a crawl and get to
your feet only when you’re confident the ice will hold
you.
Quit shivering: Cold water saps heat from the body
25 to 30 times faster than air. Get back to your vehicle,
house or a campfire as quick as you can, shed your
wet clothing and get warm. If you figured the fishing
had to be better on the opposite side of the lake from
the parking lot, this can be the critical point in your
adventure. If you’re in the water or are wet and out of it
long enough, you are at risk of hypothermia and need
medical attention as soon as possible. In the short
term, warm up slowly, not right by the heater or fire.
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 19
By Jon Farrar
Photographs courtesy of Thomas G. Weynand
In the late-1800s and early-1900s, in the days before Kodak Instamatic and
Polaroid cameras, back when digital meant fingers on your hand, documenting
a good hunt was important enough to spend time tidily arranging a day’s bag for
a photograph or even taking it to the local photography studio.
T
he Internet has made it possible
for people sharing interests to
find each other unlike any form
of communication preceding it.
That was what happened to
Thomas G. Weynand in California and
me about five years ago.
It seemed we were interested in the
same thing – photographic images of
early-day hunting. My interest was
narrower than Weynand’s, not passing
beyond the borders of Nebraska.
Over a period of a year or more I was
repeatedly outbid by Weynand on
online auctions. Even when I went
above the self-imposed limits of my
wallet, more often than not he was the
bidder who bested me, although at the
time I had no idea who he was.
Finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer.
I e-mailed him and asked: “What in
the heck are you doing with all those
photographs?” As I was more interested
in having quality scans of the images
for publication than actually owning
them, and since I was often the one
running up the price on Weynand, I
proposed a deal – I wouldn’t bid
against him if he’d let me scan the
Nebraska photographs and grant me
rights to reproduce them, and I would
also pay half of whatever his winning
bid for that photo had been.
He was not particularly interested
in that proposal, but we continued to
correspond, and eventually he provided
me with scans of images I was interested
in, and they were subsequently used for
illustration for historical hunting articles
in NEBRASKAland Magazine. We stayed
in touch, sporadically, and about nine
months ago I asked if he was interested
in a photo spread in NEBRASKAland
showcasing some of his best Nebraska
images. He was. The obvious companion
for the images was his thoughts on
collecting, so a question-and-answer
session ensued. It follows, and sheds
light on why Weynand collects what he
collects and what he believes makes a
photographic image collectable.
NEBRASKAland: Why do you
collect?
Weynand: I think I collect because it
is in my genes – I have always collected
something and I’ve always had an
appreciation for anything artistic.
Advertising and photo images are an
art form. From the late-1890s to about
1930s was the golden age of illustration.
The artwork on shell boxes and sporting
advertising during this period is just
spectacular, classics, and the items are
This real photo postcard, left, was mailed
from Chapman on February 2, 1912, when
spring waterfowl hunting was still legal.
The two hunters on the right were proud
enough of their bag they took it to a
Grand Island photography studio to have
their hunt documented.
20 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 21
mainly interested in images from the
United States.
NEBRASKAland: Do you have a
cut-off year beyond which you are not
interested in such photos?
Weynand: I am not interested in
photos past around 1930 or so, even
though I do have some. Times were
changing. It’s just not the same.
Something about the earlier photos,
the clothing, old cars, vintage guns,
old boats, live decoys, dogs and the
incredible bags, they are just from a
different era. The lifestyle was very
different, and that is just one of the
things that make this time period
so interesting.
NEBRASKAland: In old photographs
it is obvious hunters spent more time
setting up the scene than hunters do
today. Why do you think that is,
beyond the obvious, that photographs
today are so much more common and
casual than they were 100 years ago?
Weynand: Hunters have always
taken pride with their game when they
were successful in the field. There are
a lot of days when the shooting is
marginal. It’s always great to have a
photograph of the best hunts of the
season. Back in those days getting your
picture taken was new and exciting.
Life was also slower paced back then.
They took the time setting up the picture
by hanging birds on walls, poles, cars,
or going into town to the local studio.
Life is much faster paced now. All you
have to do is hold up your birds and
have someone snap a number of photos
with a digital camera. How many
hunters today would have their picture
taken on main street in front of the
local sporting goods store,with their
birds hanging all over their vehicle?
Anything going on in the photo is
interesting to look at. It was just such a
different time period and lifestyle.
Having the photos really enhances
having my other sporting collectibles.
Without the photos I would just have
shell boxes, shells, gunpowder tins and
advertising to look at. When I look at
the photos of what life was like back in
the days when those items were used, it
brings my whole collection to life.
NEBRASKAland: About how
many old hunting photographs have
you collected?
Weynand: I have more than
200 vintage bird hunting photos,
mostly waterfowling. They range from
photographic prints, real photo postcards,
cabinet cards [photograph prints
mounted on heavy paper board, usually
measuring about four-by-six inches,
large enough to be viewed from across
the room when displayed in a cabinet.]
imperial cards [oversized cabinet
cards], glass slides and stereoviews.
In 1903, Kodak introduced its No. 3A
Folding Pocket camera, designed to use
postcard-size film. Photographs could be
printed on heavy stock and mailed. Photo
postcards remained popular into the
1920s. The photo shown here was mailed
February 12, 1909, from Sargent. Writing
on the front of the card indicates the
duck hunt was on the Middle Loup River.
lot of boxes from him, and I have been
collecting them ever since.
hard to find. The artwork today is more
mass produced and doesn’t compare to
this earlier time period. When you
make a choice find it’s really exciting.
There is an old slogan from marketing
Buick cars: “Possession makes the
heart beat faster”.
NEBRASKAland: When did you
start collecting?
Weynand: I have always been a
collector of something. When I was a
22 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
kid I collected baseball cards and
comic books. I started with sporting
collectibles about 20 years ago. I had
some old wooden duck decoys and
about 15 shotgun shell boxes that
belonged to my father. About 20 years
ago a friend of mine who lived up in
the foothills introduced me to an old
retired gunsmith. He had 50 old shotgun
shell boxes that he had collected over
the years. I ended up purchasing this
NEBRASKAland: What do you
collect? What content? Are you
interested only in bird hunting photos?
Weynand: I collect vintage sporting
collectibles such as shotgun shell
boxes, shotgun shells, gunpowder tins,
advertising, books on waterfowl hunting
and trapshooting items, as well as
historical images. My main interest in
photos is bird hunting photos, primarily
waterfowl hunting images. I have
fished around the town of McCloud
in northern California and hunted
waterfowl in the Klamath Basin
[northern California and southern
Oregon] for over 30 years, and so I’m
particularly interested in the history
and vintage photos from this part of the
country, the Pacific Northwest. I’m
Hunters in a photo postcard mailed from Fairbury on September 27, 1919 decorated their automobile with enough
ducks it could have been in a parade. That year hunters were allowed 25 ducks daily and 50 in possession.
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 23
Three hunters show off their bag of ducks in Shelton’s town square on this real photo postcard. The date of the postal cancellation
is not legible. The date, location and names of people pictured increases a photograph’s value.
The only information on this unmailed and undated photo postcard appears under the photograph. Spring waterfowl hunting was
legal until passage of the Enabling Act of the Migratory Bird Law in 1918, and the central Platte River was a favored hunting location.
24 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
NEBRASKAland: Can you see
changing trends in hunting and
photography in your collection?
Weynand: Before the golden age of
real photo postcards, photographic
images were on cabinet cards, imperial
cards and stereoviews. Prior to 1898,
postcards were mostly commercial
advertising. By an act of Congress on
May 19, 1898, publishers of privately
mailed postcards were granted
permission to sell cards to the general
public. Most of the cards were souvenir
or greeting cards. All cards had an
undivided back for the address only.
Around 1900, real photo postcards
began coming into use. On December
24, 1901 the cards went from being
called a “private mailing card” to being
called a “postcard.” Real photo
postcards were rapidly picking up
popularity. Still, one side of the card
was for the address only. Some white
area had to be left on the photo side for
the message (as on the photo postcard
shown on page 20). Postcards with a
divided back were finally permitted on
March 7, 1907. The divided back
allowed the message and address to be
on one side of the card and the other
side could be just for the image. This is
when postcards really steamrolled into
popularity, especially real photo cards.
Later on, with the coming of the
affordable camera, the telephone,
World War I, the influenza epidemic
and changing times, the demand for
postcards declined drastically. Real
photo cards were one of the few
postcards that continued in popularity
because of their true presentation of the
life and times. The golden age of real
photo postcards ran from around 1900
into the early-1920s. [Real photo
postcards had their beginning in 1903
when Kodak introduced its No. 3A
Folding Pocket camera designed to use
postcard-size film. Almost overnight
people were mailing personalized
postcards.]
NEBRASKAland: What makes an
old photograph collectible? Is there a
correlation between how desirable a
photograph is and what it is going to
cost a collector, but what makes one
image more desirable than another?
Judging from the nuptial plumage of the drake pintail in the above photograph, this
“cabinet card” from a Lexington studio was probably taken during spring migration.
Weynand: A lot of things make a
photograph collectible. For someone to
want it they have to feel a connection
to something in the photograph.
Photographs with a wider appeal bring
higher prices because more people are
interested in them. A photograph from
some small town may not sell for much
because not that many people are
looking for them. But an old street
scene with old cars, horse and buggy,
people – something going on besides
just a row of buildings – is more
desirable. Photographs with just people
posing, nothing else in the photo, usually
don’t sell for much. There is just no
connection. Waterfowling photos are
quite popular. Many show bags that
were quite liberal compared to today.
The sport of waterfowling is rich in
heritage and tradition. There are a lot
of hunters today that enjoy these old
photographs of an era gone by.
Waterfowling images are enhanced by
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 25
An obviously posed photograph shows Mrs. George Sawyer in her Sunday best, pretending to hunt ducks on Enders Lake in Brown
County where she lived when younger. The Sawyer’s ranch was on Pelican Lake, now part of the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge.
large bags, people, clothing, vintage
guns, dogs, old cars, boats, live decoys,
wooden decoys, duck calls and such
things of that period.
What collectors call provenance –
information about the photograph, the
date, place, names of people and other
information – also makes photographs
more valuable. Such information
makes old photographs more than just
old photographs, they become history.
NEBRASKAland: Where do you
find your photographs?
Weynand: The best places to search
are on-line auctions because it’s so
convenient to search for them at home
on your own computer. The next best
place to find vintage photos is at
postcard and paper shows. I have also
found them at gun shows, antique
stores, street fairs and flea markets.
NEBRASKAland: Do you have a
preference for a professional studio
photograph?
Weynand: I do like professional
studio photos. They are usually quality
photographs and very well staged.
Most cabinet cards are marked with the
26 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
photographer, city and state, which is
nice to know. Amateur outdoor photos
can be just as good, though, and often
have more information about the photo.
Some of the amateur photos are fun
just for the sake of realism. And, some
of the real photo postcards, although
unmarked, were taken by professional
photographers and are quite good. [The
O’Neill Photo Company produced and
marketed thousands of postcards with
Nebraska scenes, particularly views of
small town main streets. Some were
mailed and postmarked months or even
years after the photograph was made
and are not always a reliable way to
date the photograph.]
NEBRASKAland: What do you do
with the photographs you’ve collected?
Weynand: I have framed some of
the very best imperial cards in my
collection. The rest are in albums and
protective sleeves. The first photos I’ve
had published were real photo postcards
in Hunting and Fishing Collectibles
Magazine. I recently had my first
article published on the “Miller Photo
Company” in the Fall 2011 issue of
California Waterfowl. The illustration
was seven waterfowling images by
Charles Miller. His photographs are
some of my favorites. And I worked as
an advisor on a book published this
fall: They Came to Shoot, A History of
California Duck Clubs and Wetland
Conservation, by retired fish and game
biologist Frank Hall. The book contains
numerous waterfowling photos from
my collection. I enjoy having my
photos published so others can enjoy
them too.
Weynand said his father was a hunter
and sparked his interest in both hunting
and fishing. He has been a hunter and
fisherman since the early 1970s,
slowing down in recent years but “still
getting out occasionally for nostalgia’s
sake.” Collectors or other sharing
Thomas G. Weynand’s interest in field
sports of old can contact him at:
tgweynand@aol.com.
Waterfowl or grouse photos are the most
common. A photograph of a hunter with
a day’s bag of quail, right, is highly
unusual. Writing on the bottom of the
photo reads: “After a quail hunt in Neb.”.
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 27
The
Northern
Cardinal
Text and photo by Michael Forsberg
Two days of an icy prairie fog
and every blade of grass, and twig,
and branch, and every stretch
of wire, barb, post and staple
is a knot or a thread in a lace
of the purest white. Out walking,
it is like finding your way
through a wedding dress, the sky
inside it, cold and satiny;
no past, no future, just the now
all breathless, then a redbird,
like a pin prick, changes everything.
– Ted Kooser, HOAR FROST
(published by permission of the author)
A
few years ago a pair of northern cardinals built a
nest and raised two clutches of chicks in the
clematis-covered trellis of our front porch, much
to the delight of our family. Our girls, highly
protective of the young brood, even taped up a
sign that announced to the postman, newspaper
carrier, solicitors and friends “Please Use Side Door! Red
Cardinals Nesting.”
If ever there was a bird in the Midwest that provides an
instant delight to our eyes, it is the male cardinal with its
scarlet crest and showy-red plumage. The female, more
cryptic in color with just hints of rose on its tail, wings and
crest, is equally beautiful.
The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), large billed
and long tailed, is a stout bird more than eight inches long
with a nearly 12-inch wingspan. Although conspicuous in
appearance, the cardinal is somewhat secretive in its habits,
usually the last one to occupy the bird feeder at twilight and
the first one lurking about in the morning, rustling leaves in
the tangle of a wooded ravine.
28 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
Its traditional habitat includes brushy edges along prairie,
as well as both riparian and open woodlands. As woodlands
have moved farther west, some colorful woodland bird
species have moved west as well, funneling into the shaded
cities where they find refuge and breeding in urban forests,
residential areas and both native and ornamental plantings.
Originally a bird of the southern and eastern states, the
cardinal began moving northward and westward nearly a
century ago. Once more migratory in nature, it now can
often be found residing year-round in many places. The
increase in bird feeding has helped the species expand its
range northward, adapting to the reliable food source and
more moderate climates in sheltered urban areas. Today the
cardinal’s range stretches from the eastern half of the United
States to the Great Plains, parts of the desert Southwest and
into Central America as far south as Guatemala.
In Nebraska, naturalists noted them only in southeastern
Nebraska in 1900. Today the northern cardinal occupies
habitats throughout the eastern half of the state, but it has
also extended its reach west along river valleys, into the
North Platte River watershed in the panhandle as far as
Garden County and perhaps beyond.
In the winter cardinals gather in loose flocks and can feed
communally. During the breeding season, usually beginning
in early April in Nebraska, males establish territories and use
a variety of different songs, each with its own purpose, to
attract a mate.
The cardinal’s nest is well concealed but usually sits less
than 10 feet off the ground and is often found in brushy
shrubs, thick tangles of overgrown vines and evergreens. The
nest is cup-shaped and usually built in just a few days by the
pair working in tandem. Tightly woven with twigs, grass and
other plant fibers, their nests are lined with finer grasses or
hair. Eggs are laid anywhere from a day to a week after the
nest is built.
Both parents share incubation and feeding duties, and the
eggs hatch after 12-13 days. The chicks fledge at about two
weeks. The adult male will continue to feed the fledglings as
they learn to forage on their own, while the female often
goes back to the nest to incubate another clutch of eggs. A
cardinal can have as many as three to four broods a year.
Cardinals are opportunistic feeders. Their diet is primarily
plant-based, consisting of seeds, grains and fruits, but also
includes a host of insects. By contrast, the young are fed an
all-insect diet until after they fledge. Like its allies, grosbeaks
and buntings, cardinals’ beaks are stout, cone-shaped and
very strong, capable of cracking hard-shelled seeds. Any
veteran bird biologist or mist netter can attest to the strength
of a cardinal’s bite.
In the wild their average life span is only one to two years,
but researchers once recaptured a banded wild cardinal that
was nearly 16 years old, and one lived 28 years in captivity.
A century ago, cardinals, goldfinches and other colorful
songbirds were not protected from capture and often were
sold as caged birds for their beauty and song. Fortunately
today they, like other songbirds, are legally protected from
such practices, leaving the cardinal free to roam the open
woodlands and prairie edge, lifting us up with its cheerful
“chew chew chew twi twi twi” song and splash of color as
year-long residents here in the heartland. ■
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 29
I
PHOTO BY DOUG CARROLL
t’s a cold spring day when I enter the office of the Adee
Honey Farm in Cedar Rapids. Sam Rutten, the manager,
gives me a cautious look – he’s not wanting any sort of
article written that’s going to mean the bother of phone calls.
He’s not selling, he’s not buying, he’s not advertising: He’s
busy. But Sam’s a good-natured man, and with the record set
straight, he lifts a package of cigarettes from the clutter on
his desk, pulls smoke into his lungs and settles back to talk
bees.
The farm’s hives are just returning from the west coast, a
semi-trailer load arriving every few days. The bees have
spent the winter pollinating almond groves in California and
berry farms in Washington. It’s a practice common to bee
operations across the country – shipping bees during the
winter to growers who need pollinators.
Last summer Sam managed more than 5,000 hives, but
During a worker bee’s short life, it will visit nearly a 1,000
flowers and produce only about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.
30 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
with the flooding in South Dakota – another Adee Honey
location – he’s expecting extra hives to arrive this year,
perhaps up to a 1,000 more. This means finding suitable
habitat where they will have enough wildflowers for pollen
and nectar, as well as an adequate water source. In the past
he’s traded with farmers, setting his hives in their pastures in
exchange for honey. Finding landowners wanting to make
the trade was easy. “I knew all the farmers,” Sam said,
“and they knew me. I just knocked on their doors.” Now
many farms have been sold to larger operations and the
owners generally live offsite. Locating them isn’t always
possible, and larger tracts of land that were once used for
pasture or left idle are now being put into beans and corn –
especially corn, to meet the growing demands for ethanol
production. Gone are thousands of acres that once held
clover and any number of wild blooms.
In the warehouse, dead bees litter the windowsills and
empty hive boxes, known as supers, reach to the ceiling. A
hive consists of three or four supers, each containing ten
frames. The frames are flat plastic sheets outlined in a
honeycomb pattern. Bees use the outlines as a base and
build up on them with wax secreted from glands on the sides
of their bodies. The hexagonal pattern assures no space is
wasted within the hive, and the cells are used both to store
honey and raise brood. Not yet cleaned for the approaching
season, many of the frames are grungy, with sticky dark
beads strung along the outer surfaces. It’s propolis, a bee
glue that begins as resinous substances gathered from trees.
Bees chew it, mix it with their saliva and use the compound
to strengthen their hives, sealing them against wind, cold,
rain and insect invaders. It’s believed propolis even helps to
ward off diseases.
A queen separator – a screen too narrow for the large
queen bee to pass through – is placed between the lower and
upper supers to keep her from entering the top ones. Her
confinement in the lower boxes insures the top ones contain
only honey, which can then be extracted without destroying
the brood. Over the summer a healthy hive will fill each of
these upper supers with as much as 70 pounds of honey,
which is why Sam says, “All beekeepers have bad backs.”
Given the number of hives he harvests, his lumbar concerns
are easy to understand.
Before we leave for the yard where his bees are being
unloaded, Sam introduces me to his “pets” living in the alley
behind the shop – a hive he’s rescued from under the eaves
of a grade school in Bartlett. The principal, concerned for
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
By Margie Lukas
The bees are sluggish in the
cool air, allowing Sam Rutten
to look for a queen without
the need of a veil.
and being unloaded. Long lines of
hives stretch down the lot like garden
rows, each shipment kept separate from
the next until they’ve been counted and
tended to. The top is pried off each hive
so it can be checked for healthiness and
food supply. Of the truckloads returned
so far, only 17 hives are dead – a low
number; most years the losses are
higher. Because the bees have just
endured the stress of the trip and the
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
students’ safety under the threat of the
growing swarm, called him for help.
He climbed a ladder, found the queen
and brought the hive back with him.
Moving a hive is relatively simple –
once a queen has been moved into a
new box, the majority of the colony
will follow her scent into the new
container.
It’s a short half-mile drive out of
town to where the trucks are arriving
Rutten uses smoke to quiet the guard bees at the bottom before opening the hive.
32 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
fields are not yet in bloom, any hive
without an adequate honey supply to
get them through the lean weeks ahead
will be fed syrup. Only then will they
be loaded onto Sam’s smaller truck and
taken to working locations. Throughout
the summer he’ll check each hive every
couple of weeks. With so many hives
and the difficulty of finding adequate
sites, the bees will be scattered over a
50-mile radius. “And for the record,”
Sam quips, “gas prices are killing me.”
To open a hive and disturb it enough
to show a queen, Sam fills a smoker
with grass he’s collected from ditches
after the county has mowed. He’s fond
of work that has him outside on summer
days, and he enjoys honey he’s “jarred
up,” but his affection for the bees goes
deeper: “Bees are like other animals –
you treat them good, and they’ll be
good to you.” He’s even suspicious of
beekeepers needing full-body suits. He
thinks that could be a tip-off that the
bees they’re working aren’t being
treated with respect. “You don’t respect
the bees,” he said, “you’ll make them
mean.” Which is one reason he’s
shaved the full beard he wears from
fall to early spring and trimmed
eyebrows that during the winter
challenge those of the retired
60 Minutes commentator Andy Rooney.
PHOTO BY DOUG CARROLL
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Supers, or hive boxes, reach to the ceiling in the warehouse, waiting for the return of the hives and a new season.
Bees don’t like gnarly hair because
they get their feet caught in it. Sam
grins, “Might be hair reminds them of
bears.” They also don’t like dark
colors, which is why beekeepers wear
light-colored clothing.
With the smoker lit, and neither of
us even wearing veils, Sam gives the
guard bees at the front of a hive a few
ineffectual-looking puffs of smoke and
pries the top off with his crowbar. A
multitude of boiling bodies show
themselves, and a thin ribbon of color
lifts into the air around us. With a
shiver I ask about killer bees, but he
assures me they don’t survive this far
north. A few can invade a hive now and
then, but that meanness – given the
short life of bees – is quickly bred
away.
With the day’s cooler temperature,
the bees are sluggish and Sam’s
confidence is infectious. A half dozen
buzz around our hands and one lands
on his face, but soon those inquisitive
few lift away.
The queen is the mother of all bees
in the hive and because of her long body
is easy to spot amongst the smaller,
stubbier worker bees. When the hive
finds her failing, it breeds another. The
evidence of a waning reign is something
even beekeepers can see: the occurrence
of a disproportionate number of large
drone cells – cells that contain an
unfertilized egg that will hatch into a
male bee.
When a queen is failing, a few select
larva are fed throughout their larval
stage on royal jelly – a concentrated
substance of B vitamins and amino
acids. In contrast, future worker bees
are fed bee bread, a mixture of pollen,
honey and digestive enzymes. Royal
jelly stimulates the ovaries, but there
will be only one surviving queen – the
first to hatch searches for other queen
cells, tears open a corner of each
protective wax covering, and kills her
rivals. The old and failing queen is
often exterminated through a process
known as “balling,” in which worker
bees cover her until she overheats and
dies.
A healthy queen lays up to 2,000
eggs a day, and the length of her life
can vary. In some places it’s believed a
Bees build cells for producing brood and storing honey on commercial foundations.
queen can live up to six years; Sam
believes his queens in Nebraska have a
reign of about three years. Worker bees
quickly wear out their wings and die
within three to six weeks, thus the need
for a constant brood to maintain the
60,000 to 80,000 bees in a typical hive.
Of that number, drones make up a
very small percentage of the total
population. They do no work and do
not even possess stingers to help
defend the hive. Their sole purpose is
to mate with a queen on her maiden
flight, after which she stores the sperm
in her body and uses it to fertilize her
eggs. Needed only in the spring and
summer, when food sources become a
concern in the fall, drones are refused
entrance to the hive and without a food
supply soon die.
Worker bees do just that: work.
During the course of their short lives,
they produce only 1/12 of a teaspoon of
honey and will visit a thousand flowers
to do so. Pollen is collected on their
stiff hairs when they brush against a
flower’s anthers and is combed into
pouches on their hind legs. Nectar is
extracted through their long, tube-like
tongues and stored in their stomachs.
Once back in the hive, the nectar is
regurgitated. The process removes
much of the water. When the water
content has been further reduced to
about 17 percent through “fanning” –
air movement created by the worker
bees beating their wings – the cell is
capped. Capped honey can last
indefinitely.
Sam slides the frame he removed
back into the warm super. He’s shown
me his operation and he’s busy, but no
visit to an apiarist would be complete
without asking about CCD: Colony
Collapse Disorder. The term refers to
the sudden death of a hive, often its
complete disappearance, with no clues
left as to the fate of the bees. Scientists
now believe there isn’t just one cause,
which unfortunately means there isn’t
just one solution: Poisons, fungicides
on orchard crops, mites, loss of habitat
– including CRP land with regulations
that called for the spraying of thistles –
are all believed to be part of the
problem.
But Sam is hopeful – new CRP
regulations encourage landowners to
seed plants that favor not only
honeybees, but bumblebees and
butterflies as well. The search for better
pesticides, ways to educate the public,
and other solutions are global.
All of which helps assure Sam that
he’ll be tending bees far into the
future. ■
Margie Lukas is a freelance writer
living in Omaha. Her most recent
NEBRASKAland article, “Father’s
Barn,” appeared in the November, 2009
issue.
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 33
Just a
Good Dog
Text and photos by Eric Fowler
When Jack Bender finally decided to spend the
extra money to get “a good dog,” he got that
and more – he found a hobby that allows him
to “hunt” year-round and has led to new
friendships and a healthier lifestyle.
hen it was time for
Jack Bender to get a
new vizsla pup a few
years ago, all he
wanted was a good
hunting and house dog. What the
Columbus man ended up with was a
national field trial champion and a new
hobby. That he ever entered the dog in
a field trial is happenstance.
“I’ve had vizslas since I was 13 years
old,” Bender said. “I had vizslas before
I knew what a vizsla was, but what I
found out later when I looked back at all
of the pictures is I had a vizsla in 1966.”
That was only six years after the
breed, maintained for centuries by
W
Hungarian noblemen but only first
brought to the United States in 1950,
was recognized by the American
Kennel Club. It also wasn’t long after
that another Nebraskan, Hank Rozanek
of Schuyler, bought his first vizsla – a
female that ended up being a national
champion and a member of the breed’s
Hall of Fame. So did its son, and two
other dogs that came out of Rozanek’s
Rebel Rouser kennel. The line also
produced numerous national champions
in the years since, including Bender’s
Rebel Rouser Wimp ET.
“All I ever did was hunt, and I kept
buying these vizslas and paying $100,
$150, $300,” Bender said. “I always
Jack Bender of Columbus looks for a bird in front of a point by Wimp, his national champion vizsla, last January.
Bender wears his love for vizslas and Wimp on his pickup.
34 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
secretly wanted a Rebel Rouser, but I
was never going to pay Hank that kind
of money for a dog (nearly $1,000),
until finally one day I just broke down
and said, ‘That’s enough, I’m going to
go buy me a good one.’”
It was 2003 when Bender and his
son picked out a male pup from
Rozanek’s kennel and named him
Wimp, recycling the name of a beagle
that Bender had when he was a boy.
Bender worked on the basics of
obedience and handling with the dog,
and when it was six months old, he
took Wimp on his first hunt.
“We pull out in this field and open
the truck, he jumps out and is on point
in about 10 seconds on a covey of
quail,” Bender said. Throughout his
first pheasant season, Wimp “worked
like a million bucks,” showing his
instinctive ability to point and retrieve.
At that point, Bender barely knew
what a field trial was. That would soon
change.
“The biggest mistake that Jack made
was inviting a friend of his to go
hunting with him,” Rozanek said.
Years earlier, that friend had spent a
summer working for Rozanek, who for
50 years has trained dogs both from
his home and from a camper in the
Sandhills in the summer. Bender’s
friend learned enough that summer to
know a good dog when he saw one,
and urged him to enter Wimp in a field
trial, which he did in 2004 when the
dog was nine months old.
A similar turn of events had taken
place 50 years ago when Rozanek
hunted with a friend who urged him to
enter his first vizsla, Dutchess, in a
field trial. Like Rozanek, Bender was
initially uninterested in the idea, but
finally conceded and entered Wimp in
a field trial at Branched Oak Lake.
Rozanek was there to see the dog win
its first ribbon. “I was just proud as a
peacock and Hank goes, ‘That little
yellow ribbon just cost you $30,000,’”
Bender said. “And I said ‘Why’s
that?’ He said, ‘Because now you’re
hooked and you’ve got to buy a horse
and a truck to pull the trailer and all of
the saddles and bridles and all that stuff
– $30,000 will start you out
pretty nice.’”
Rozanek was right … Bender was
hooked. He started taking Wimp to
field trials on weekends, learning
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 35
Wimp holds point in tall grass on a hunt last January.
quickly that by doing so, “hunting”
season lasted all year. “I was born and
raised on a horse and I love to watch
bird dogs run,” said Bender.
Wimp started strong in the stakes for
young dogs, but when it was time to
move up a class, things got tough.
Wimp regularly found birds, but he
also got overly eager at least once at
nearly every trial, failing to hold point
and flushing the bird before it was
time. Dogs that bump birds don’t win
ribbons or trophies.
“I was too nice to him and treated
him like my kids,” Bender said. “He’d
screw up and I’d get a little disappointed
at him, but I never scolded him or
whipped him. I’d forgive him and say,
‘Well you screwed up. You’ll get it the
next time.’”
36 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
After a few years of mediocrity,
Bender was ready to give up. “I was
just worn out. I was doing all this work
and the dog just wasn’t listening.”
Rozanek had watched the two work
and knew the problem: “You’ve got to
get serious with that dog and get his
attention,” he told Bender. Not one to
physically abuse his dog, Rozanek gave
Bender another technique to try: Lay
the dog on the ground and spin him in
a circle three times. “He’s going to
think you’re killing him, but you ain’t
even hurting him.”
When Wimp failed to hold point on
his second find at the next trial, Bender
did just what Rozanek told him,
producing a look that seemed to say
“What the hell was that all for?”
Bender said. “But the dog commenced
to have three finds on the way back to
the clubhouse and has never bumped a
bird since.”
Wimp started winning field trials
again, and in 2008, at the last trial
Bender planned on entering the dog in
that year, he won, giving him the points
required to earn his Field Champion
and Amateur Field Champion titles
from the American Kennel Club. He
did so wearing dog boots to protect the
pads he’d run off the week before, a
factor that drew doubting laughs from
the judges but did nothing to slow the
dog.
With that, Bender retired Wimp from
the field trial circuit, sold his horse and
tack, and focused on hunting. But he
missed it so much that he brought
Wimp out of retirement and entered an
AKC Gun Dog Championship for all
pointing breeds at Fort Robinson State
Park in May 2010. After a disappointing
showing, he was going to quit trialing
again, but changed his mind when he
found out the vizsla national trails
would be at Fort Robinson that same
fall.
Wimp did well at regional trials that
summer, but Bender didn’t head west
with high expectations last October. So
he was thrilled when Wimp scored high
enough in the first series to be among
the 12 dogs called back for the second.
After a fast start with three finds on
quail, Bender started to worry when
Wimp wasn’t finding chukars that had
been planted on another portion of the
course. When Wimp finally found a
bird and went on point, he had to hold
it longer than he should have thanks to
the gunners, who had lost interest and
were lagging behind.
“This chukar’s getting nervous getting
ready to run,” Bender said. “And the
bird was about five feet from the edge
of a cliff and I didn’t know how far the
cliff went down, if it was five feet or 10
or 20 feet.” When he flushed the bird
and the gunners downed it, Bender said
he told Wimp, “Well, Bud, you’d better
have some wings because I think
you’re going to fly here.” The drop
wasn’t far, however, and when released
Wimp dove over the edge and seconds
later came back with the bird. “He did
a blind retrieve and then just finished a
beautiful race.”
With that, Bender sat down and
cried. When someone asked him why,
Bender told him it was because Wimp
had just performed better than he ever
had. “And he said ‘Well, we don’t cry
at field trials.’ I told him I was a little
different.”
Bender returned to the clubhouse for
the awards ceremony, thinking Wimp
had a good chance getting a judges
award of merit or even a fourth place,
but nothing more. “A lot of people
travel every weekend all over the
United States to do this and I go two or
three times a year in the spring and two
or three in the fall and I’ve only been at
it six years,” he said.
When all places had been announced
except first, Bender said he was getting
mad, thinking Wimp was shut out.
Then the gentleman that had told him
there’s no crying at field trials turned
around and said, “Bender, get ready to
start bawling.” Then they announced
Wimp as the National Amateur
Champion.
Bender passes all of the credit for the
championship to Wimp and Rozanek,
who didn’t train Wimp, but trained
Bender and has become a friend.
“Hank could do more with a vizsla in
five minutes than I could in 20 years,”
he said.
“He told me a lot of that stuff,
especially what I was doing wrong.
“He’d ask, ‘Why did you do that
today?’ And I’d go, ‘Do what? I have
no clue what I’m doing. I’m just out
here following my dog around.’”
Wimp, on the other hand, “was a
natural at everything,” Bender said.
“He would’ve won a championship
five years ago if I would’ve known
what I was doing.”
Now getting long in years for dogs,
Wimp is relaxing on Bender’s couch
and still hunting, but is mostly retired
from trials. Bender turned down an
invitation to take Wimp to this fall’s
vizsla championship trials in Illinois,
but will enter him in a national trial
next spring at Branched Oak Lake near
Lincoln.
Bender is again busy on the field trial
circuit, now with Rebel Rouser I’m a
Little Wimp, also known as Little
Hank, a two-year-old dog that came
from Wimp and one of Rozanek’s
females. Hank is also working the
show ring, with promise to be a
champion in both venues.
Bender and Rozanek, or Big Hank as
Wimp brings a bird to Bender’s hand, showing the versatility of vizslas,
which have the ability to both point and retrieve.
Bender calls him, work together
training Little Hank several times a
week. “I honestly think he’s going to
be better than his daddy,” Bender said.
“I’m not as stupid as I was before and
Wimp was such a good dog he
overcame all my stupidity. But Hank
has taken a lot more interest in this
one. He knows this is a lot more dog
and he’s pretty excited about him.”
Bender considers himself one of the
luckiest men in the dog world to have
a friend with as much knowledge as
Rozanek has. It’s one of many
friendships that have grown from his
new hobby and one of the reasons
Bender figures he won’t retire again.
That and his need to stay active to deal
with a chronic pain condition.
“I met a lot of great people and had a
lot of fun. When I quit, I just laid down
in my chair and did nothing and got to
be 300 pounds. So now I’m out training
dogs every day and riding horses again
and it all helps with the pain.
“I’d find something to do, but these
dogs are a lot of fun. And they’re
always going to be in my life, so I might
as well do something with them. I’ll
probably do it for as long as I can.” ■
Field Trial Basics
Dogs have a set amount of
time to locate and point as
many birds as possible. In
some events, they also retrieve
the birds after they are flushed
and shot. How well a dog
performs determines its score,
and the dog with the highest
score among other dogs
entered in an event wins the
trial or advances to another
round. Birds are pen raised
and released prior to an event.
Handlers, judges and gunners
follow on horseback in most
trials, but some are walking
trials. Some trials are breedspecific and there are divisions
for amateurs and professional
trainers and dogs of different
ages.
The top dogs at field trials earn
points toward titles such as
Field Champion, which not
only give the dog’s owner
bragging rights but also carry
weight in breeding circles,
showing the dog is a capable
hunter.
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 37
Anglers at Merritt Reservoir await the gunshot start of the
Cork Thornton Memorial Ice-Fishing Tournament.
38 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 39
The Cork Thornton Memorial Ice-Fishing
Tournament is held at Merritt Reservoir each
winter, with most participants using the town
of Valentine as home base for dinner and
socializing.
L
Anglers sprint to their pre-fished spots at the start of the tourney. Ice skates, golf shoes and ice-climbing crampons are all tools
of the trade for these runners.
T
he night before last year’s Cork Thornton Memorial
Ice-Fishing Tournament, friends and strangers alike sat
down for a pre-tournament dinner at Cedar Canyon
Steakhouse in Valentine. Talk was loud, past triumphs even louder,
until Steve Isom, the tournament’s director, began the calcutta, an
auction of sorts where bidders could “buy” each of the
tournament’s 20 teams with the hope of winning more than they
paid depending on how well their team does. Although cash prizes
would be awarded to the top teams, as well as for the biggest bass,
bluegill, perch and crappie, even more money stood to be made
from the auction, especially for those teams that “bought”
themselves.
When the team auction began, hands repeatedly raised as
favorites were quickly chosen. A few other teams were able to buy
themselves with little fanfare, as either those in the room had
either seen them fish before unsuccessfully or were unfamiliar
with them.
During those moments when teams were inexpensive to buy, I
got in on the action, picking up wayward pairs that no one else
was claiming. In my meager attempt to entertain myself, I also bid
on the team of Scott and Monte Mares, two friends I met while
writing the December, 2008 NEBRASKAland article “The Next
Hole.”
While strict competition is the name of
the game at this tournament, never tell
that to its teenage competitors.
40 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
Buckets of fish are collected by
tournament director Steve Isom at 2 p.m.
following the competition and then
weighed.
There is absolutely no telling what
drew this expression from this
angler. On a festive day like this one,
everyone seemed to go home in
good spirits, even those with empty
pockets.
ittle did I know, however, that I was committing a sin: I
quickly learned that their stock was already going to be high,
and while I initially found it humorous that my initial betting
on them had canceled their quiet, barely finger-raising attempts to
purchase themselves, I immediately saw on their faces that my
actions were not well received.
The bidding quickly increased, and the Mares’ stock rose way
above what the brothers wanted to pay for themselves. I sank lower
and lower in my seat and tried not to have any direct eye contact
with the brothers as another team bought the rights to them. That
was my best move of the night.
The next morning I said little more at the Boardman arm of
Merritt Reservoir, where the actual tournament was being held.
Seeing a starting line of four wheelers and runners lining up next to
each other, I got out of everyone’s way. For good reason – at this
point of time, just as was the night before, everyone thought they
could win. It would be hours later before everyone started relaxing
and settling into the comfort of a warm winter day, finding it just as
satisfying to spend time with new and old friends as catching fish ...
well, almost.
With a shotgun start, runners in golf shoes, track shoes, ice skates
and very slippery boots took off in a mad dash from the starting line
in an attempt to claim their chunk of ice homestead-style – by
planting a flag at their pre-fished spot. If a team had a runner in the
tournament, they were allowed to leave the starting mark five
minutes before the four-wheelers, so with one quick boot heel
through the ice at their pre-fished location, anglers could be fishing
even before the first four-wheeler flashed by.
Teams
1st Place Team
12.44 pounds
T.C. Colvin/Tom Mehrens
Valentine
Tom Mehrens (left) and T.C. Colvin won last year’s Cork Thornton ice tournament with
12.44 pounds. Mehrens also won the big bass award with a fish weighing 3.64 pounds.
They hope to return to this winter’s tournament in January.
Vexlars, augers, four-wheelers, rod-reel combos and equipment sleds are towed around Merritt during this well-known winter
tournament.
LEFT: Zack Cox catches a bluegill in a shallow water cove. He
and his partner, Tristen Cox, placed 10th in this tournament,
proving there’s not a lot of wiggle room for the older anglers
in this competition.
BELOW: Isom (right) counts fish at the Merritt Trading Post,
the location of the weigh-in. Interested anglers, friends and
family await the results off-camera.
I
quickly learned, much like my auction experience, that ice-fishing
tournaments are different than simple ice-fishing trips: The slightest tap from a
fish could be the difference between going home with your pride (and wallet)
intact, or going home cold, cashless and fishless. So throughout the morning, I
spoke only when spoken to – my second good idea of the weekend.
Teams slid fish from ice holes to bucket holes in hopes of not being seen, while
others spent as much early time on four-wheelers changing spots as they did
fishing. Some fished in less than two feet of water, while others fished in more
than 20. Crappie were targeted by some, bluegills were targeted by more.
For the first four hours, there was more whispering than talking, yet by the end,
the warm winter day had most teams, even those whose buckets were empty,
grinning at their good fortune of having such a nice day to be on the ice.
At 2 p.m., Isom picked up all the fish buckets and the teams were left
wondering if they’d be in the money. Except those whose buckets were empty –
they loaded their sleds and tried to analyze what had gone wrong. These analyses
sometimes started with hard-to-start augers and Vexlar fish finders needing
batteries, then spiraled in all directions. All ended with the same question: Where
are we eating dinner?
For those in the money – and even for the few fishless anglers – the weigh-in
was one part high drama, another part old news. If teams checked in a one-pound
bluegill, they knew they’re going home with money. Yet there was still an
anticipation to each weigh-in, as anglers, friends and family crowded around
Isom and his crew to hopefully receive their payment, both monetarily and
socially.
After awards were given and a few lies were told, teams began to file out of the
Merritt Trading Post and back onto Highway 97. As they passed Merritt Reservoir
some teams high-fived and re-played their victories, while others shook their
heads and talked about what could have been. Nearly everyone was discussing
how they would do it all different this year. ■
For more information on this year’s tournament, scheduled for January 28
(rules meeting and auction) and January 29, contact Steve Isom at 402-376-1988.
42 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
2nd Place Team
12.07 pounds
Dave Fehlhafer/Don Cox
Doniphan/Mullen
3rd Place Team
11.5 pounds
Doug Hesse/Zach Nadolski
Valentine, Lincoln
4th Place Team
10.05 pounds
Mark Young/Scott Grooms
Valentine
5th Place Team
10.04 pounds
Mike Morrison/T.C. Buechle
Valentine/Wood Lake
Big Fish
Largemouth Bass
3.64 pounds
Tom Mehrens
Bluebill
.60 pounds
Mike Morrison
Yellow Perch
.90 pounds
Marcus Dryak
Crappie
1.28 pounds
Dave Fehlhafer
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 43
from NEBRASKAland’s Trail Tales magazine for kids
Backyard Bird Feeding
Tips for attracting a variety of birds to your yard this winter.
By Jon Farrar
t is that time of the year when people are deciding if they
are going to feed winter birds. Most people who winter
feed are old pros and need no advice, but for beginners
there are many things to consider.
What to feed is usually the first question. Knowing
what birds you want to attract will give you the answer, and
many online sites provide that information. One of the
better is run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at:
www.birds.cornell.edu/. Navigating through this site to get to
winter bird feeding information is a bit tedious: Google
“winter bird feeding cornell” as a shortcut. However, if
you’re interested in birds you should check out the Cornell
Lab web site.
Until you do your own browsing, here are a few tips about
winter feeding birds from assorted sources. First, do not buy
the premix bird foods at your grocery store – they are often
heavy on milo or red millet because those grains are cheap,
and skimpy on preferred seeds. Most birds will scratch milo
and millet out of the feeder to get to the sunflower seeds.
Black-oil sunflower seeds are better than the larger, striped
sunflowers seeds, as they have thinner shells and are higher
in fat. The Cornell folks recommend sunflower seeds for
chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, finches, cardinals,
grosbeaks, sparrows and jays. Jays and doves (including the
exotic Eurasian collared dove that has spread across the state
in recent years) will also eat corn. Feed cracked corn rather
than whole kernel corn and you will also attract finches and
sparrows. Cardinals are fond of safflower seeds. Woodpeckers,
chickadees, titmice and nuthatches go for suet. Ask the man
behind the meat counter for the cakey, kidney fat. Put out
nyger seeds (also sold as niger and thistle seed) to attract
finches, particularly goldfinches. Raisins, sliced apples,
oranges and berries are popular with robins, bluebirds and
waxwings.
For nyger seed use one of the tube-type feeders that has
small enough openings that the seeds do not spill out and
large-billed species cannot get to them, but are still large
enough that finches and siskins can extract the seeds. Hopper
-style feeders are best for seed mixtures and larger seeds. To
discourage squirrels from raiding you hopper feeder, mount
it on top of a slender pole far enough away from trees or
structures for a squirrel to jump. Cones or other devices may
need to be mounted on the pole to defeat persistent squirrels.
Many wintering birds, such as native sparrows and juncos,
are ground feeders and are often seen under hopper feeders
gleaning the spillage. These birds will also come to a tray
mounted close to the ground or even on a deck rail.
Birdfeeders make excellent bait for bird-eating predators,
so don’t be surprised if a sharp-shinned hawk takes up
residence near your feeding station. Free-ranging cats can
kill a surprisingly large number of small birds, ground feeders
in particular. While trees and shrubbery are attractive to
I
PHOTO BY ROCKY HOFFMANN
44 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
A black-capped chickadee sits on a homemade birdfeeder made
from hail screen and attached to a tree with a zip tie.
winter birds, be sure any ground-feeding stations are at least
10 feet from any cover a cat could use to get within striking
range. Also, do not place feeders too close to large windows
to avoid lethal collisions, or hang a silhouette of a flying
hawk in the window.
Open water for drinking and bathing can be as attractive to
wintering birds as food. A shallow, easily cleaned birdbath is
best but you can improvise with other shallow containers,
such as a garbage can lid or small rubber water or feed pans
sold for dogs and livestock. Check your local farm supply
store for the latter. Electric heaters will keep the water open.
A few years ago there was quite a fuss that winter feeding
birds was altering the migratory habits of some species,
encouraging them to winter farther north. The Cornell people
dispute that, particularly if feeding is not started until the
peak of migration is over. And if for some reason you must
stop feeding, do not worry, the birds will find other feeding
stations and natural seed sources. ■
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 45
BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS/VIDEOS
EXPLORE NEBRASKA art, history, culture and the
great outdoors with a subscription to Nebraska Life
Magazine. One year (six issues) for $21 or two years
(12 issues) just $38. Phone (800) 777-6159, write us at
206 W Norfolk Ave, Norfolk NE 68702-0819 or visit
www.NebraskaLife.com. Makes a great gift.
MAKES A WONDERFUL GIFT! – Published since
1926, NEBRASKAland Magazine is a nationally recognized,
award-winning
magazine
of
choice.
For those loved ones here and away, give the gift that
keeps giving year-round. Order a gift subscription today
– only $18 for one year (10 issues). Call 1-800-632-5263
or subscribe online at NebraskalandMagazine.com.
"BECOMING AN OUTDOORS-WOMAN" Cookbook.
150 pages containing a variety of recipes, including traditional home cooking along with Dutch oven and wild
game. $9.75 plus $2.50 shipping. Proceeds will help fund
future projects sponsored by BO-W. Call (402) 471-5482,
or go online to www.NebraskaBOW.com.
“A Day at the Lake.” Photography book by Wayne
Hathaway. Holmes Lake wildlife and scenery. Order
your copy today at www.inplainssight.com, or e-mail
wayneh924@gmail.com.
DOGS
PLUM CREEK KENNEL German Shorthairs, stud service, puppies and started dogs. Training for all pointing
breeds. Specialize in training the handler as well as the
dog. Wayne Clark, Union NE, 68455. (402) 263-5081,
clarks1@iowatelecom.net.
DUCKDAWG RETRIEVERS - Raising exceptional
hunting yellow and black Labradors. Puppies raised in
our home. 30-month, written health guarantee. Stud
service: GRHRCH UN DuckDawg’s Eba Roll the Dice
and GRHRCH UH McMac Magic Eyes A’Smilin MH.
The first Grand Hunting Retriever Champions in
Nebraska. www.duckdawg.com Ron Green, DVM and
Libby Milroy, North Platte, NE (308) 534-3659.
PREMIER GUNDOGS TRAINING KENNEL, Inc:
Nebraska state licensed gundog training kennel specializing
46 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
in training programs for waterfowl and upland hunting
retrievers, spaniels, pointing Labradors and all gundog
pointing breeds. Dale-Kris Taylor (402) 787-2048,
www.premiergundogs.com.
FLATLANDER KENNELS INC. Bayard, NE
Full-time retriever training facility for the serious hunter
or AKC and HRC hunt tester. Trainer of Nebraska's first
and only GRHRCH's! Super Retriever Series competitor
and a member of Avery's Team Waterdog. Training
available for all levels of hunt tests and gundogs. Chris
Jobman; (308) 249-0707, www.flatlanderkennels.com.
FISH/FISHING
FISH FOR SALE. Catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth
bass, perch, crappie, bluegill, walleye, rainbow trout,
grass carp, minnows. Pleasant Valley Fish Farm, 72645
U.S. Highway 83, McCook, NE 69001. (308) 345-6599.
NEBRASKA LAKE MANAGEMENT. Biological lake
surveys, fish stocking, rough fish control, lake aeration,
algae control, aquatic weed control. Rob Hofpar, Aquatic
Biologist, licensed, insured and qualified. (402) 784-6005
Valparaiso - (888) 850-2460 www.nelakes.net.
GET YOUR FISHING PERMIT online today! Don’t
wait until tomorrow to enjoy Nebraska’s great outdoors
by going fishing with the family. To purchase a permit
from the comfort of your own home, go online to
www.OutdoorNebraska.org and click on Purchase a
Permit under Licenses and Fees.
FOOD/GIFTS/HOME
HOMEBREWING/BEER AND WINEMAKING.
Fermenter’s Supply, 8410 K Plaza, Suite #10, Omaha, NE
68127. Phone orders only, (888) 655-2739. Advice line
(402) 593-9171. www.fermenterssupply.com.
GUIDES/OUTFITTERS
CANOE - KAYAK - TUBE RENTALS on the
beautiful Niobrara River with Dryland Aquatics at
Sparks, Nebraska. Your Niobrara River Specialist.
(800) 337-3119. www.drylandaquatics.com, info@
drylandaquatics.com.
OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT
IS PERFORMANCE IMPORTANT? For the finest
canoes and accessories look to Great Plains Canoe Co.,
205 Main, Springfield, NE 68059. Phone (402) 253-2000.
PHOTOGRAPHY
FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHS & IMAGES: Two Rooster
Images, a different view of everyday images of
landscapes and still-life photos.
Steve O’Hare:
http://tworoosterimages.com/ or steveo48@gmail.com.
TAXIDERMY
BRING YOUR TROPHY BACK TO LIFE. Award winning master taxidermist, 20+ years experience. Call
today: 402-470-3880 or go to www.netaxidermy.com.
VISA and MasterCard.
VACATIONS/RESORTS
Headquarters for General Nelson Miles, Wounded Knee
Incident, 1890-91. 115 Main Street, Chadron NE 69337
(308) 432-3380. www.chadron.com/oldemain.
DIAMOND B TROUT RESORT, Orchard, Nebraska.
Lodge, cabins, spring-fed lakes, playground equipment,
paddleboats. Great for families, groups, hunters. Book
your cabin now! Call for brochure (800) 974-3002.
www.diamondbtroutresort.com.
BIG BLUE RANCH & LODGE - Enjoy fishing, hunting,
hiking, birdwatching and ranch adventures on 2,000+
acre cattle ranch in southeastern Nebraska. Beautiful log
cabin, with fireplaces, kitchens & big covered porches,
overlooks 20-acre lake. www.bigblueranch.com (402)
730-3643.
PLANNING A VACATION? Why not spend it at a
Nebraska state park? With more than 80 state park and
recreation areas across Nebraska to choose from, you can
enjoy a campground or cabin and enjoy activities such as
fishing, swimming, camping and hiking. Call
(402) 471-1414 for reservations or go online at
www.OutdoorNebraska.org and follow the Parks link.
HUNTER & FISHERMAN PARADISE: Located on
Elwood Reservoir. 1,300+ acres of wildlife, trophy-size
fish – wipers, walleye, muskies, perch, catfish and crappie.
Nebraska’s best kept secret for hunting – duck, turkey,
deer and quail. Cabins, rooms, tent and camper-spot
campgrounds with full hook ups (30 amp, 50 amp). Call
(308) 440-4993 or visit www.elwoodcampground.com
WANTED – VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTORS. Interested
in making a difference? Get involved in teaching the
next generation of hunters. Call Mike Streeter at (402)
471-6134, or e-mail mike.streeter@nebraska.gov.
Classified Rates: 85¢ per word, minimum $15.
Closing: First business day six weeks before issue
date. Classified ads are accepted on a first-come,
first-served, space-available basis. Classified Ads,
NEBRASKAland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370,
Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Telephone (402) 471-5473.
Fax: (402) 471-1984. E-mail: ngpc.classifieds
@nebraska.gov.
THE OLDE MAIN STREET INN. A historic bed and
breakfast listed in the National Register of Historic
Places. Beautiful dining room with fireplace.
H E LP STO P
P OAC H I N G!
To report a aviolation, call
the toll-free hotline at
1-800-742-7627
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 47
▲
My grandpa, Wes Shoop (right), and his high school buddy, Ron
Hatcher, after a good morning hunt south of Cozad in November, 1950.
Wes still lives in Cozad and remains an avid hunter of ducks along the
Platte River. Wes and Ron both enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The Winchester
that Wes was using in the picture has now been passed on to me.
– Ryan Seaman, Grand Island, Nebraska
Groundhog Daze
How to go from cute, little rodent to ugly demon with just a few hours of digging.
By Roger Welsch
can recall to the very spot the first time I saw a
groundhog in Nebraska – it was about 200 yards west of
Lew Barth’s place, right on the highway. I was almost
70 years old. It’s not groundhog country, so how did I
know it was a groundhog? Well, you can’t miss the little
rascals … cute as can be, standing upright, buckteeth, a little
like a prairie dog but a lot bigger. I rushed home to tell
Linda what I had seen.
The second groundhog I ever saw was just across the
bridge here, on the other side of the river. Not 300 yards
from the house. Same thing … right on the shoulder of the
highway, sitting erect, cute as can be.
It was only months later that my Abigail B. Dog told us
she had something treed in our backyard, but this time it
wasn’t a squirrel; it was a groundhog. Up in the branches,
smiling down insouciantly, fat and cute. I used a noose on
the end of a pole to catch him and took him on a ride back
over to the Harold Anderson wildlife area a few miles
downstream from us. Something of an annoyance, but hey,
you don’t see a groundhog every day out here.
I didn’t so much see the next groundhog here as I detected
him. It was not long after I had plucked the one from the tree
in the backyard. This one had dug under my smokehouse and
caved in the brick floor in the process, a repair that required
some dirty work on my behalf. The groundhog was lucky he
wasn’t around to hear my language.
Weeks later I was throwing mothballs into the, uh,
basement of the outhouse, jacking it up to re-level it and
shoveling dirt and rock into the excavation the wretched
booger had dug out under my, shall we say, reading room.
I
▲ During the winters of 1939-40 and 1941-42, Ben Denson and his
wife bought the trapping rights for the Carver Ranch and trapped
on lakes owned by the Carvers.
The Densons lived in a sod house owned by Clarence and
Jessica Phillips about 25 miles north of Whitman. The wooden
building in the background was a porch attached to the sod house
and covered a well that had a hand pump.
– Lynn Phillips, Mullen, Nebraska
Roger Welsch is an author, humorist and
folklorist who was a senior correspondent
on the CBS News Sunday Morning
program, featured in a segment called
“Postcards from Nebraska.” He has
appeared in NEBRASKAland Magazine
since 1977.
▲ In this photo is a truckload of jackrabbits shot one afternoon
around Cornlea in 1957. Included in the hunting party was Pete
Noonan (front), my father Roger Noonan (back), and Harley Sjuts.
The jackrabbits were taken to Carlson Mink Farms in Stromsburg,
where the hunters received $257 for the truckload.
Dad was, and still is, an avid outdoorsman that taught his two
sons how to hunt, fish and trap and is now teaching his grandsons.
– Tim Noonan, Schuyler, Nebraska
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM REIGERT
▲ This was one of many fishing and camping trips my family
took to Crystal Springs near Fairbury. Back then (late-1960s
and ‘70s), Crystal Springs had a little farm that had chickens,
goats and what I especially remember – peacocks. There
was a big white bridge that arched between two of the lakes
in the middle of the park and I, along with my siblings,
cousins and friends, spent hours exploring and fishing the
lakes.
This picture, from summer 1971, was taken at our
campground at Crystal Springs. The catfish were taken from
the Little Blue River near Fairbury. There was a big natural
spring (that is still present) at the park that we would put our
fish in until we were ready to clean them. We have many
pictures of this particular catch, with each of the fishermen
taking turns trying to hold up this massive group of cats, but
this picture with several of the kids holding it up is a family
favorite. There were several people fishing, but the main
“characters” were Keith Brown (my father), Jim McKay and
Dick Shotsman.
Pictured from left are: standing; unidentified, Barry McKay
and Patti McKay. Holding stick: Blane Brown (my brother),
unidentified, Dennis Shotsman, Pete Brown (hiding below the
stick – my other brother), Dennis McKay, Roger Love, Karen
Brown (my sister) and Dicky Love.
– Chris (Brown) Thody, Martell, Nebraska
The next week it was multiple excavations under my cabin
by the river. And the machine shed. As I was mumbling and
sweating, filling in a tunnel the size of the English Channel
under the cabin porch, I heard a rustle at the other end of the
porch and so help me there he was, sneering that snaggletoothed evil grin at me and my futile labors, only encouraged
by the invective (and shovel) I hurled in his direction.
I now estimate the groundhog population on our 60 acres
to be something in the neighborhood of maybe 122,441
individuals, probably twice that by the time this report
reaches the office of NEBRASKAland Magazine. Or if it
takes more than a week, four times my estimate. There are
now holes under every building and, in not a few places,
groundhog tunnels under other groundhog tunnels. There are
groundhog tunnels that have little address signs stuck in the
ground in front of them. I warn guests to keep moving
because if they sit in any one place longer than five minutes,
they are going to become yet another promising site for a
groundhog excavation.
Yes, I remember to the moment the first time I saw a
groundhog in Nebraska. Just sitting there by the highway
making obscene gestures at me. Uglier than sin. ■
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, NEBRASKAland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to
tim.reigert@nebraska.gov. Photos should show people enjoying Nebraska outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing,
and must have been taken before 1980. We will give priority to unusual photos or activities. When possible, please include a story about
the photograph and identify the people, places and approximate date it was taken. Photos will be returned.
48 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
DECEMBER 2011 • NEBRASKALAND 49
HAVE YOU SEEN MARY?
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This 44-page, all-ages picture book tells the fictional story of a
sandhill crane’s faithful search during migration for his lost mate.
Written by NEBRASKAland Magazine’s Jeff Kurrus, with images by
former NEBRASKAland photographer and award-winning Michael
Forsberg, this book will not only entertain, but will also educate
readers about these fascinating birds. A must have for children, birders
and crane lovers. Hardcover Crane Book – $16.99 PUB-2728
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NEBRASKALAND DISTRESSED BALL CAP
D
uring one November outing, a large buck approached while I was hunting from the
ground. I first spotted him following a doe through the timber and gave him a challenge
grunt with my call. He stopped, looked my way, then headed toward me. A deep-banked
creek lay between us as he stopped again on the opposite edge, looking for the challenger.
A stream of light from the setting sun filtered through the trees onto his neck and rack.
That backlit buck is an image I will carry with me as long as I am alive.
The buck jumped 10 feet down into the creek, and I could hear him walking below me as he tried
to find a way up the steep embankment. Seconds dragged by as I tried to slow my racing heart and
prepare for the shot. Movement to my left caught my attention and his rack appeared only eight
yards away. At eye level it was incredible to see such a large deer so close, but in a flash he was
gone, giving his signature whitetail snort and waving goodbye with his tail. His senses – sharpened
by thousands of years of evolution – had detected a predator close by.
Although obviously disappointed, part of me was satisfied with the conclusion – knowing he is
still out there to skirt my dreams is worth as much as to have arrowed him. The close meeting of
prey and predator are as important as when prey falls. To hunt is to experience both.
I used to think killing a large buck like this would be the pinnacle of hunting,
but long ago realized the hunt is more than the kill. The kill is intrinsic to the
hunt, but not the reason for it. I have a choice of being an observer of nature or
a participant that absorbs himself in the process of prey and predator. In my
role of predator I seek inclusion, not merely observation. This connection is
why I hunt.
Matt Houska
November 4, 2011
50 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2011
With its distressed, enzyme-washed finish and soft
feel, this cap already looks like a well-loved favorite.
100% cotton twill, low-profile, metal D-ring slider
buckle with hide-away strap. Light olive with
gold-colored NEBRASKAland logo on front
and “See You Out There” logo on back.
Ball Cap – $12 CLO-1430
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NEBRASKALAND MUG
This large, 14- ounce, tan
ceramic mug features a
bighorn ram and the
NEBRASKAland logo.
Ceramic Mug – $6 MUG-2013
Set of 4 – $20 MUG-2014
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2012 NEBRASKALAND CALENDAR
The NEBRASKAland Calendar is a lasting reminder
to friends and relatives – whether near or far away –
of you and home. Spectacular, full-color, all-Nebraska
photos highlight every month. A tremendous value.
$9.95 CAL-2012
NEBRASKA LIFETIME PERMITS
A great gift for grandchildren or graduates!
Treat someone special to the gift that lasts a lifetime . . . a Nebraska
Lifetime Permit. Available to Nebraska residents and nonresidents,
it is the ultimate gift for any hunter or angler and an investment in the
future. All funds go into escrow, with the interest used to help support wildlife
and fisheries management programs.
Get a three-year subscription to save the most!
Now you can save 70% off the cover price
of NEBRASKAland when you subscribe
for three years! Don’t miss out on this award-winning
magazine about Nebraska!
Lifetime Hunt Lifetime Fish
Get it for yourself and send it to the special people on
your gift list. Every issue is filled with breathtaking
photographs and informative, entertaining articles
about Nebraska’s outdoor activities, history,
parklands, people and wildlife.
$18 for one year SUB-2901
Lifetime Hunt/Fish Lifetime Fur Harvest
Residents
Residents
Residents
Residents
(0-5 years old) $148.50
(6-15 years old) $219
(16-45 years old) $300
(46+ years old) $219
(0-5 years old) $307.50
(6-15 years old) $366.50
(16-45 years old) $446
(46+ years old) $366.50
(0-5 years old) $425.50
(6-15 years old) $573
(16-45 years old) $699
(46+ years old) $573
(0-5 years old) $148.50
(6-15 years old) $219
(16-45 years old) $300
(46+ years old) $219
Nonresidents
Nonresidents
Nonresidents
(0-16 years old) $738.50
(17+ years old) $1,181
(0-16 years old) $632
(17+ years old) $951
(0-16 years old) $1,251.50
(17+ years old) $1,871
Lifetime Habitat Stamp
$400
Lifetime Waterfowl Stamp
(Great value – 64% off the cover price – 10 issues)
$100
$33 for two years SUB-2902
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(Better value – 66% off the cover price – 20 issues)
$44 for three years SUB-2903
Hunting for just the right gift for your
special hunter? Fishing for the perfect
present for your favorite angler?
Hunting and fishing permits are
passports to outdoor fun, and the
ideal gifts for that hard-to-buy-for
outdoor enthusiast on your list.
(Best value – 70% off the cover price – 30 issues)
The Award-Winning Outdoor Magazine
Just For Kids
Prices include agent issuing fee.
PERMIT
Resident Hunt and Fish Permit ..................$40
Resident Hunt Permit ..................................$14
Resident Fish Permit ..............................$28.50
Nonresident 2-day Hunt* ............................$56
Nonresident Hunt Permit ............................$81
Nonresident Fish Permit ........................$60.50
Four colorful, 16-page issues of
Trail Tales per year, featuring
puzzles, games, drawings, photos
and interesting articles about nature,
Nebraska and the outdoors. Send Trail
Tales to a youngster, just $8 for one
year or $15 for two school years.
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2012 WILDLIFE HABITAT STAMP
NEW
Required of resident hunters and trappers
ages 16 and older and all nonresidents. Not
required for hunters age 69 and over or
veterans age 64 and older who are holders of
a valid fee-exempt permit.
Permits will be mailed after November 1, 2011.
*Valid for two consecutive days of upland game or waterfowl
hunting during a calendar year.
$8 for one year SUB-2920
$15 for two years SUB-2921
Note: Printed with your annual permit - see
image above.
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(4 issues each year)
2012 NEBRASKA
PARK PERMIT
Reading material for the whole family to enjoy! Get both publications shipped to one address and save!
$40 for two years SUB-2926 (you save $8.00!)
(20 issues of NEBRASKAland Magazine and 8 issues of Trail Tales Magazine - two years worth)
NEBRASKALAND LOCKING KNIFE
Genuine Schrade Old Timer® knife features a stainless
steel locking blade etched with the NEBRASKAland
logo and a Derlin handle. A unique
gift for the outdoor enthusiast
on your list and priced
below suggested
retail.
$17
MIS-1922
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FIELD GUIDE TO
WILDFLOWERS OF
NEBRASKA AND THE
GREAT PLAINS
Out-of-print for 21 years,
this classic, time-honored
favorite has been updated
and reprinted. 384 pages,
279 color photos, two
color maps, 83 drawings,
6" by 91/8", paperback.
$39.95 PUB-2729
Not available until
January 2012, but can
be preordered.
Knife shown actual size
2012 ANNUAL HUNT AND FISH PERMITS
call toll-free
1-800-742-0056
Visit more than 80
beautiful state park and
recreation areas across
the state.
Annual Park Permit – $25
Duplicate Park Permit – $12.50
Habitat Stamp – $20
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2012 NEBRASKA MIGRATORY
WATERFOWL STAMP
This stamp is required for all waterfowl hunters who
are nonresidents and all Nebraska waterfowlers who
are 16 years old and older. Money raised from the sale
of these stamps will be used to improve waterfowl
habitat and increase duck and goose populations in
the state.
Note: Printed with your annual permit - see image
above.
Waterfowl Stamp – $5
NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS BUCKS COUPONS
The perfect gift for all outdoor enthusiasts, these “bucks” may
be used to purchase any Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission merchandise, including subscriptions and
permits. Available only in booklets with five $5 certificates.
$25 MIS-1919
These certificates will be accepted by all Nebraska Game and Parks offices where Nebraska Game and Parks
goods and services are sold. These certificates cannot be exchanged for cash.
Order online at NebraskalandGifts.com
(more items available online - some 90% off!)
NebraskalandGifts.com
2012 Gift Collection Order Form
To order: mail this form to the address below, fax it to (402) 471-1984, call toll-free 1-800-742-0056 using your VISA or MasterCard, or go to NebraskalandGifts.com.
Charges for hunting and fishing permits will appear on credit card statements as separate transactions from other purchases.
For delivery by Christmas, orders must be received by December 19, 2011.
Your Name
Address
City/State/ZIP
Phone (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Permits
Permits good for their calendar year. For example, a 2012 permit expires December 31, 2012
Please provide the following information about the people for whom any fishing and/or hunting permits
are ordered on this form or on another sheet of paper. The last four digits of a permit holder’s Social
Security Number (SSN) are required for all hunting and fishing permits.
NEBRASKA PARK PERMITS
QTY
Name
Last 4 digits SSN
Address
PARK PERMIT TYPE
FEE
Annual Park Permit`
$25
Duplicate Park Permit
$12.50
TOTAL AMOUNT
City/State/ZIP
Date of Birth: Month
Weight
Day
Year
Sex
Hair Color
Height
QTY
TYPE OF PERMIT(S)
Name
Last 4 digits SSN
Address
City/State/ZIP
Date of Birth: Month
Weight
HUNTING AND FISHING PERMITS
Eye Color
Day
Year
Sex
Hair Color
Height
Eye Color
TYPE OF PERMIT(S)
PERMITS & STAMPS
2011
2012
Resident Hunt and Fish Permit ......................$40.00 ❏
$40.00 ❏
Resident Hunt Permit ....................................$14.00 ❏
$14.00 ❏
Resident Fish Permit ......................................$28.50 ❏
$28.50 ❏
Resident Fur Harvest Permit ........................$16.00 ❏
$16.00 ❏
Nonresident Fish Permit ................................$60.50 ❏
$60.50 ❏
Nonresident 2-day Hunt ......................................$56 ❏
$56 ❏
Nonresident Hunt Permit ..............................$81.00 ❏
$81.00 ❏
Migratory Waterfowl Stamp ............................$5.00 ❏
$5.00 ❏
Habitat Stamp (required with all hunting permits) ......$20.00 ❏
$20.00 ❏
TOTALS
Lifetime Hunt Permit ............................................see previous page
Lifetime Fish Permit ..............................................see previous page
Lifetime Hunt and Fish Permit ............................see previous page
NEBRASKAland Magazine Subscriptions
Lifetime Fur Harvest Permit ................................see previous page
For subscriptions to NEBRASKAland Magazine,
please call toll-free 1-800-632-5263
or go online to
NebraskalandMagazine.com
Lifetime Nebraska Waterfowl Stamp ............................ $100.00 ❏
Gift Items
Lifetime Habitat Stamp .................................................. $400.00 ❏
Prices include agent issuing fee where applicable. No sales tax on permits and stamps.
TOTAL PERMIT ORDER $
Enter this total on the PERMITS and STAMPS line below.
Enter totals for gift items below on line A
Nebraska residents please add state and local sales tax on the following items.
QUANTITY
ITEM NUMBER
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Mail order form with your payment to:
NEBRASKAland Gifts
P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370
PAYMENT METHOD
❏ Check
❏ Money Order
❏ VISA
Credit Card Number
Security code (3 digits on back of card)
Expiration Date
Daytime Phone
❏ MasterCard
Shipping and Handling Charges
for Mail and Fax Orders
$0.01 – 0.99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$0.70
$1.00 – 4.99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2.50
$5.00 – 10.99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3.95
$10.01 – 25.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.95
$25.01 – 50.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7.95
$50.01 – 75.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10.15
$75.01 – 100.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10.95
$100.01 and over . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FREE
Shipping and handling not required for
subscriptions.
For overseas shipping please call about
extra mailing fees that may apply.
COLOR
UNIT PRICE
TOTAL AMOUNT
(A) GIFT ITEMS $
SHIPPING & HANDLING CHARGES $
See accompanying text box
SUBSCRIPTIONS $
SALES TAX $
PERMITS & STAMPS $
TOTAL ALL ITEMS $
For additional orders provide information on another sheet of paper. Please provide complete mailing information for items to be sent to additional addresses.
Order online at NebraskalandGifts.com (more items available online - some 90% off!)
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