Volume 90, Issue 10, 2012
December 2012
- Identifier:
- nela.2012_090_10
- Title:
- Volume 90, Issue 10, 2012
- Issue Name:
- December 2012
- Date Issued:
- 2012-12-01
- year:
- 2012
- month:
- December
- Season:
- Autumn
- PDF filename:
- NL_90.10_2012_Dec_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 090
- issue:
- 10
- number:
- 090.10
- Decade:
- 2010s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
Set of 1909 Captain’s Quarters decorated for the season at Fort Robinson State Park near
Crawford in Dawes County. Photo by Eric Fowler.
Owls from the Arctic 32
Christmas at Fort Robinson 14
Fishing Water that is Open or Ice 20
Bighorn Sheep Prosper in the Pine Ridge 22
The Highest and Lowest Points in Nebraska 38
Volume 90, Number 10, December 2012
14 Christmas at the Fort
Celebrating Christmas at Fort Robinson is an annual
tradition still being carried on. BY THOMAS R. BUECKER
20 Frozen or Flow – Fishing in Winter
No matter what the temperature, there’s always a place to
catch fish in Nebraska. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DARYL BAUER
22 Alberta Bighorn Herd Growing in New Home
Catching up with Nebraska’s newest bighorn herd.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
Special Christmas
28 A Very
Two brothers, both members of the military, share a
special Christmas with their dad. BY DOUG CARROLL
32 Owls of the Arctic
While neat to see, last winter’s snowy owl invasion
meant bad news for these beautiful birds.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MICHAEL FORSBERG
34 Making a Difference
22
●
Last summer’s Nebraska Youth Conservation Program
was a win-win for everyone involved. BY DOUG CARROLL
38 Highs and Lows
The highest point in Nebraska may surprise you.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
14
●
Comment ................................................................... 4
Mixed Bag................................................................. 6
In the Field ...............................................................40
Parks and Places ......................................................41
Classifieds ................................................................42
Portraits from the Past .............................................44
Page 49 (even if it’s on page 45!) ...........................45
The Last Stop ...........................................................46
2013 NEBRASKAland Gift Collection...................47
Cover: Uncommon visitors to Nebraska, a snowy owl sits on a fence
post along the Nebraska-South Dakota border last January. (see story on
page 32). Photo by Michael Forsberg. Opposite: North America’s only
marsupial – the Virginia opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) – seen close
up. Photo by Chris Helzer.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 90 / 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.
2 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
20
●
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 3
antlion found on pg. 16. Antlions are
an awesome addition to my science
classroom. Students love to watch
them pull wandering ants to their
death like a waiting ground sniper.
The antlion (Myrmeleontidae) is also
called a doodlebug based off the trails
they leave in the sand. The adults
are sometimes mistaken for damsel
flies, but upon closer inspection have
different morphological attributes.
Thanks again for another cool addition.
Jason Obermiller
Loup City, Nebraska
Summit Splendor
What an unbelievable summer and
fall we had this year, and Summit Lake
couldn’t be any more grandeur.
In late-September my husband
Dennis and I visited to try our luck
again – Dennis with a fishing pole
and I with my camera. I couldn’t get
over the color of the surrounding area
and the calmness of the lake. We also
noticed some work has been done to
attract more campers – it looks like the
camping area will be double in size
next season.
I don’t know if you have any use for
these photos but I thought you might
enjoy them.
Marion Ball
Arlington, Nebraska
Catch the Fever
I just read Jeff Kurrus’ article about
archery deer hunting in the October
2012 NEBRASKAland Magazine. Very
nice!
I especially liked the photo of the
young deer hunter. With golden tones it
definitely captures the fall atmosphere.
I am sure you will probably help
some new hunters catch the fever.
Thanks.
Mike Reid
Via e-mail
NEBRASKAland Visitor Letters
We want to thank all 31 readers
that sent e-mails and letters for last
issue’s visitor, an immature antlion
that was on page 16 (see page 13
for the winner, rules and this issue’s
hint). Here are some of the wonderful
responses we received:
The visitor for this month is an
With most other good ideas taken,
Mitch Houchin of Plattsmouth went to
the Bible and Genesis 10:9 to find the
term that depicts his love of hunting
deer, turkey, waterfowl, pheasant, quail and dove. There it says Nimrod
“was a mighty hunter before the Lord.”
“This, by no means, is to insinuate I think I am great before God,”
Houchin said. “Quite the contrary.”
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.
4 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
The insect in the November
NEBRASKAland Magazine on page
16 is an “antlion,” which is the larval
stage of a version of a lacewing in the
order Neuroptera.
Paul Timm
Lyons, Nebraska
On page 16 there is an immature
lacewing (commonly called an ant lion)
crawling into the taxidermy tools. A
neat insect to observe in nature. Ever
thrown an ant in its sand cone?
Also a comment on Jeff Kurrus’s
Travelogue – I would be remiss to not
point out that he is missing a PRIME
event on Football weekends – Single
Barrel and the Side Track Band at 10th
and P Street! The place rocks with
more than 1,000 people on game days.
Of course I could not be prejudiced
just because my son opened the
event center last year. (Did you get a
commission from Misty’s and Buzzard
Bill’s?) Jeff obviously has not tried the
Single Barrel Burger or the steaks with
locally grown produce!
Ron Macomber
South Sioux City, Nebraska
This month’s visitor is on page
16. Looks like he plans on taking up
taxidermy. Have no idea what type he
is. Thanks,
Steve Tyler
Omaha, Nebraska
The visitor in the November issue is
on page 16 on the taxidermy kit (which
is the same kit Theodore Roosevelt
used as a kid, I believe!).
The visitor is an ant lion, I believe.
Ryan Armbrust
Lincoln, Nebraska
Have you ever noticed small, coneshaped pits in the dry soil around
your house or in an old barn? Those
were probably the homes of the
ferocious-looking antlion, a member
of the order Neuroptera, which also
includes lacewings and dobsonflies.
The large jaws, or mandibles, of the
immature antlion aren’t just for show
– this insect feeds on other insects.
The antlion larva digs its pit in dry,
loose soil, moving backwards and
using its head as a shovel to toss the
soil from the pit. Once the pit is deep
enough, usually about 1-11⁄2 inches,
the antlion hides under loose soil
in the bottom. As other insects walk
along the edges of the cone, those
edges crumble and cause the insect to
fall to the bottom, where the antlion
quickly grabs it with its jaws. It injects
the prey with venom that dissolves its
insides, which is then sucked out by
the antlion.
Adult antlions look nothing like
their larvae. In fact, they look more
like damselflies, related to dragonflies,
in the order Odonata. Adult antlions
have slender bodies with delicate,
veined wings. They are weak fliers,
and can be found flying near outside
lights at night. Antlions are not
harmful to plants or
humans, and
because they feed
on other insects, are
considered beneficial.
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.
Any program that receives federal funding from the National Park
Service, or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service prohibits unlawful
discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, marital
status, national origin, age, disability or political affiliation. Any person
who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program,
activity, facility, or service, should contact the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-0641, the Equal Opportunity
Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-2024, TTY/TDD 402-471-4693;
United States Fish Wildlife Service, Civil Rights Coordinator, 4401
N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203; Director, Equal Opportunity
Program, U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C
Street NW, Mail Code 0008, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001.
COMMISSION
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
Director Jim Douglas
NORTHWEST
Officer
City
Jim Zimmerman (S) Gering
Commissioners
Chairman - Ron Stave, Waterloo
Vice Chairman - Norris Marshall, Kearney
2nd Vice Chairman - Jerrod Burke, Curtis
Dr. Mark Pinkerton, Wilber
Dr. Kent Forney, Lincoln
Lynn Berggren, Broken Bow
Rex Fisher, Omaha
Mark Spurgin, Paxton
Mick Jensen, Blair
MAGAZINE 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
your subscription, e-mail Donna.Robinson@
Nebraska.gov or call (800) 632-5263
Advertising
For advertising information contact
Donna Robinson, Circulation
Phone: (402) 471-5490
E-mail: ngpc.ads@nebraska.gov
NEBRASKAland Magazine Copyright 2012, all rights reserved.
NEBRASKAland is available in audio 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
Greg Hesse
Scott Brandt
Heath Packett
Dan Kling
Frank Miller
Phone (308)
(office) 763-2940
(cell) 641-6138
Alliance
760-3647
Gering
631-0663
Gordon
360-0682
Harrison
430-0572
Valentine (402) 389-0444
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
ale Johnson
Kearney
440-3847
Brian Piernicky
McCook
340-6627
Dudley Sorensen
N. Platte
530-0016
Nicholas Fix
Ogallala
289-0427
Dennis Thompson
Ogallala
289-0755
Rich Routh
Rep. City
920-0367
NORTHEAST
Officer
City
Tom Zimmer (Sup.) Norfolk
Dale Davis
Steve Oberg
Daniel Roberts
Randy Pomplun
Jeff Jones
Jon Reeves
Tim Williams
Pat George
Doug Pollard
Cory Krause
Phone (402)
(office) 370-3374
(cell) 649-8053
Bassett
760-0712
Columbus
910-3366
Fremont
719-1108
Fullerton (308) 550-0489
Hartington
762-5022
Kennard
889-8508
Neligh
929-0051
O’Neill
340-0787
Ord
(308) 778-7101
West Point
380-6410
SOUTHEAST
Officer
Sean McKeehan
William Krause
Mike Luben
Dan Zuehlke
Darin Gress
Douglas Kramer
Dina Barta
Stacey Lewton
Levi Krause
Robert Finke
Russell Mort
Dan Evasco
City
Ashland
Auburn
Colon
Cortland
Hebron
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln
Louisville
Milford
Nebr. City
Papillion
Phone (402)
521-0159
274-8063
443-6392
806-9084
768-8665
890-6465
890-6463
890-7140
949-0593
947-1363
209-1506
616-5961
ADMINISTRATION
Officer
Craig Stover (Adm.)
Duane Arp (Ass.)
Jeff Clauson (Ass.)
City
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln
Phone (402)
471-5531
471-5532
471-0480
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
Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers 1-800-742-7627
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone (402) 332-3901
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 5
Puddle ducks such as mallards have
broad wings (left) that allow near
vertical takeoffs but
are slower in flight.
PHOTO BY JON FARRAR
Diving ducks like
goldeneyes have
narrower wings
designed for
speed.
Duck Wing Shapes
Jon Farrar
The size and shape of duck wings are good examples of how species evolved
to prosper where they live and how they make their living. Ducks are often
sorted as diving ducks such as redheads, or puddle ducks (also called dabblers)
like mallards. Diving ducks need to run across the water to get airborne, puddle
ducks can execute near vertical liftoffs. Diving ducks usually frequent big waters
– lakes, rivers and coastal bays – while puddle ducks are most often, particularly
when feeding, found in shallow waters such as ponds, sloughs and marshes.
The explanation for different wing designs falls in the realm of aerodynamics,
one aspect of which is “wing loading” – the weight of the bird divided by the
surface area of the wings. Puddlers can stay aloft because their broad wings have
enough surface area to lift their weight even when the wings are beating relative
slowly, something that is called “low wing loading. Diving ducks, on the other
hand, have narrower, shorter wings, which results in a smaller wing surface
relative to their weight. Thus they have “high wing loading” – they have to beat
their wings more rapidly in order to stay airborne. That rapid wing beat is the
reason you hear diving ducks passing in the dark or on foggy days. The wings of
diving ducks are also relatively flatter than those of puddlers. A simplified way
of saying that is puddle duck wings push against more air with each stroke, so
require fewer wing strokes than divers to be airborne. There are, of course, other
wing design characteristics and tactics involved in flight.
While the relatively large surface area of puddle duck wings allows them to
literally leap into the air, they are less efficient in sustained, high-speed flight. But
because of their wing design puddle ducks are more maneuverable, allowing wood
ducks, for example, to careen through tree branches along streams they frequent,
particularly during the nesting season; and for teal to execute incredibly fast,
twisting and dodging flight. The limit to increasing wing surface area to support
ever more body weight in the waterfowl world is reached in swans, which need to
run across the surface of water to get airborne. Were they a duck, Canada geese
would fall somewhere between the flight strategies of puddlers and divers as far
as wing load. Like puddlers, they feed by dipping and tipping-up, but like divers
they require a running start across water or land to get airborne.
These differences between the wing design of puddlers and divers also, in part,
explains why mallards feed in grainfields but divers do not. Divers are designed to
dive when feeding, sometimes several feet deep, and so their legs are farther back
on their bodies for the same reason submarine propellers are at the rear. Diving
ducks did not evolve to spend much time on land and so seldom stray far from
water.
6 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
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 1
Fort Robinson State Park’s 18th
Annual Historical Christmas Dinner
Enjoy a family style meal prepared
straight from the original menu.
Caroling and the “Light up the Fort”
begins at 6 p.m. Tickets go on sale
Nov. 5, 2012 at 8 a.m. Park entry
permit required. Call (308) 665-2900
or ngpc.fort.robinson@nebraska.gov
December 1
Songbird Field Identification
Free of charge and can be attended
by adults and children. Groups are
welcome. 9 to 11 a.m. Call (402) 3323901 or tony.korth@nebraska.gov
December 8
Bowring Ranch State Historical Park
Holiday Evening Meal
Park entry permit required. Call the
visitor center for more information
and to purchase your tickets for the
event. Call 308-684-3428 or diane.
burress@nebraska.gov
December 14
Ponca State Park Annual Christmas
Bird Count
Park entry permit required.
For information call (402) 755-2284
or ngpc.ponca@nebraska.gov
December 20-23
“Christmas at the Codys”
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical
Park 5:30-8 p.m. Enjoy beautiful
decorations and lighting at this
historical park. Participants can
make their own ornaments, and
Santa Claus and Buffalo Bill will
be on hand. Roasted chestnuts,
hot apple cider and cookies will be
available, as well as draft horsedrawn hay rack rides, weather
permitting. Admission is $5 at the
door, children 12 and younger are
free. Park entry permit required.
For information call (308) 535-8035
December 29
Ponca State Park Winterfest
Rekindle wintertime family traditions
at Ponca State Park’s first-ever
Winterfest, featuring a yule log hunt
and bonfire, holiday hayrack rides,
crafts and activities. For information
call (402) 755-2593.
Hunters Helping the Hungry
by Jeff Kurrus
b
12 D
Days off C
Christmas
h i t
PHOTO BY AMY ROH
Show Your Colors This Christmas
Eric Fowler
You can buy Christmas lights in a multitude of sizes,
colors and shapes, including shotgun shells. But if you are
a hunter or shooter and a do-it-yourselfer (as well as cheap
like me), you probably have what you need to make a string
of shotshell lights for much less.
This idea came courtesy of Commission employee Leslie
Hershberger. Simply start with a string of lights of your
desired length and an assortment of shotshells in the color of
your choosing. Red Winchester AAs and green Remington
Sport Loads were my choice. I started with cheap, red
Winchester field loads, but they looked pink so I sacrificed
30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.
Available funding will allow Game
and Parks to pay to process at least 260
deer this year. Each meat processor
will have a quota of deer it may accept.
Processors will accept only the deer
that can yield a good volume of pure
ground venison.
Once quotas are met, hunters may
consider using the free Deer Exchange
program to find and contact people
who would like to receive venison.
Visit OutdoorNebraska.org for more
information on Hunters Helping the
Hungry and the Deer Exchange, as well
as to purchase permits.
some once-fired AAs.
Drill two 1⁄4-inch holes opposite each other near the
crimped end of a plastic hull, then use a utility knife to cut
a slit from each hole to the open end. Slip the light into the
hull, the wires through the slits and you’re done.
I ran the hulls though my reloader to pop the primers out
so rain and melted snow could drain. You could also skip the
drilling and simply close the crimp down around the wire to
make them more weatherproof.
The lights look good at night, and the hulls add color to
your home or office during the day.
Merry Christmas, and I hope Santa brings you a new
shotgun so you can empty more hulls and make more lights
next year.
PHOTO
Saturday, December 1 – Watch Santa Claus arrive
by fire truck in downtown Schuyler at 10:00 AM. Kid
activities abound throughout the afternoon.
Sunday, December 2 – Visit Minden, Nebraska’s
“Christmas City” and its 12,000 lights, and watch the
11/24, 12/2, or 12/9 reenactment of the traditional
Christmas story at 7:00 PM. Bring your blanket and
family.
Wednesday, December 5 – Tour 5 private homes
decorated for Christmas in Nebraska City from 11:00 AM
to 6:00 PM. For more information call (402) 873-3000.
Saturday, December 8 – Take the family to the Lincoln
Children’s Zoo today for a holiday train ride and to, once
again, encounter the man in red.
Thursday, December 13 – Witness the Old Fashioned
Christmas at Elwood’s downtown area and civic center.
There will be special sales and goodies, a pancake feed in the evening, horse and buggy rides, rides with
Santa on the fire truck, caroling and Chamber drawings. For information call (308) 785-2548.
Friday, December 14 – Watch the Gala Christmas Show at the Brownsville Concert Hall at 7:30 PM.
Tickets are $12 and $17. The show can also be seen on the 15th and 16th.
Visit http://brownvilleconcertseries.com/ for more information.
Saturday, December 15 – Attend the Stuhr Museum’s North Pole Express at 9:30 AM, 12:30 PM, or 3
PM to hop aboard the Florence and Cripple Creek rail car for a children ages 3 and up Christmas activity.
Museum members are $25 and non-members are $30. Pre-registration is required. For more information,
call (308) 385-5316. Or, simply visit the Museum’s Fantasy of
Trees from November 23 through December 30.
Tuesday, December 18 – View the “Christmas at the
Cody’s” celebration at Buffalo Bill State Historical Park in
North Platte from 5:00-9:00 PM from
the 18th to the 23rd. For information
call (308) 534-3315.
Thursday, December 20 – Celebrate
the way different ethnic groups
celebrate the holiday season at the
Winter Festival of Prairie Cultures at
Homestead National Monument in
Beatrice. Displays are open from
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM throughout the
entire month of December. For more information call
(402) 223-3514.
Saturday, December 22 – Watch the “Christmas
Carol” production at Divots in Norfolk from the 20th to
the 23rd at 7:00 PM each night with a child matinee at
1:00 on the 23rd.
Monday, December 24 – Forego last-minute shopping and visit the
Omaha metro. First see the region’s largest indoor Christmas tree at the Durham Museum,
then head to E.T. Mahoney State Park to ice skate at the activity center or sled down the toboggan run.
Saturday, December 29 – Participate in Ponca State Park’s first-ever Winterfest, featuring a yule log
hunt and bonfire, holiday hayrack rides, crafts and activities. For more information call (402) 755-2593.
Nebraska deer hunters began
donating deer to the Hunters Helping
the Hungry program at the beginning of
this year’s November rifle season. The
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
has contracted with several meat
processors to accept and process the
donated deer.
Hunters Helping the Hungry
combines cash donations and donated
deer to produce ground venison that
is then distributed to Nebraskans
in need. Game and Parks, not the
hunters themselves, pays for all of the
processing costs.
Hunters and nonhunters alike are
encouraged to make cash donations
to help fund the program, which uses
no permit or tax dollars. Donations
can be made while purchasing a deer
permit over the counter at a Game and
Parks permitting office or online at
OutdoorNebraska.org. People wishing
to make a donation can also mail a
check made out to the Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission, with Hunters
Helping the Hungry in the memo field.
The checks should be sent to: Hunters
Helping the Hungry, Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission, P.O. Box
S
RU
F KUR
BY JEF
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
8 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 9
Wildflower Guide Wins
Book Award
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 13.
The Nebraska Book Awards
program, sponsored by the
Nebraska Center for the
Book, recognizes and honors
books that are written by
Nebraska authors, published byy
Nebraska publishers, set in Nebraska or
concerning Nebraska.
In the 2012 competition, (for books
published in 2011) NEBRASKAland
Magazine Senior Editor Jon Farrar’s
Field Guide to Wildflowers of
Nebraska and the Great Plains won
the Nonfiction: Reference category.
Out of print for 21 years, this
popular field guide was reprinted in
2011 and can be ordered online at
NebraskalandGifts.com or from the
2013 NEBRASKAland Gift Collection
printed in the back of this magazine.
NEBRASKAland Flashbacks
Rancher Garould Fairhead with the Great Stone Face he found in a
fenceline on his ranch near Merriman in 1954.
10 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
In the June 1971 issue of
NEBRASKAland Magazine was a
standard feature titled “Where to Go.”
In this issue it focused on “Windmill
State Wayside Area” and the “Great
Stone Face” found in 1954 by Garould
Fairhead. Fairhead was out in the
pasture of his ranch north of Merriman
repairing fences. While digging a
posthole, the blade struck something
hard about two feet down. He then
unburied a stone from the wet sand
and left it propped against a fencepost.
A week later, he noticed that the sand
had dried, revealing a rock carved in
the form of a head.
The stone weighs 50 pounds; is 19
inches long; has a squared-off hole
in the back and a small, deep hole in
the base. It was carved from a piece
of tufa, a form of calcified or petrified
moss found in the Black Hills of South
Dakota. Both the Nebraska State
Historical Society and the Smithsonian
Institute have examined the head. It is
not known who made it, where it came
from, or how it got there.
Nebraska High School Anglers
Qualify for Championship
Blair High School anglers Matt
Neiburg and Zach Madsen teamed
up to win the High School Southern
Conference Fishing Championship
held October 6 at Arkansas’ Lake
Dardanelle.
Neiburg and Madsen, who won the
Nebraska high school tournament at
Summit Lake on July 28, advance to
the national tournament to be held next
spring. The date and location for that
event has not been determined.
Neiburg and Madsen, both seniors,
won the conference tournament with
a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds.
The team’s boat captain was Bill
Warrick of Blair.
The Nebraskans defeated teams
from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and
Louisiana.
The Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission is one of the organizers
of high school fishing tournaments in
Nebraska. For more information, call
Larry Pape at (402) 471-5447.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 11
Paranoid or Just Being Safe?
Several times over the years I’ve contacted hunters
in the field who don’t seem to have the safest
gun-handling habits. Most are very conscientious
about gun safety, but I’ve contacted a few pheasant,
waterfowl and deer hunters who are hunting with
their guns fully loaded (naturally) AND the safety
in the “fire” position at all times. Some hunters turn
away and unload their guns when
approached by an officer; some hold
them under their arm and wave them
around while attempting to find their
hunting permits that I’ve asked them to
display.
In most cases, I appreciate them
safely unloading their guns. However,
when hunters are hunting doves or
waterfowl, we are usually interested in
how many shells are in the guns and
what kind of shotshells they’re using.
In those cases, we may want them to
unload the guns safely in our presence
so that we can determine if they are
using the correct kind and number of
shells.
Most conservation officers love to work during the
hunting seasons and are accustomed to contacting
people with guns, knives and arrows, knowing that
most of these hunters are not interested in harming
us. We usually work alone, sometimes in remote
areas where law enforcement backup could be a
long time in coming. Other law enforcement officers
often see firearms as an immediate threat, which
is often the case in non-hunting situations. In our
contacts with the public as conservation officers,
we constantly need to assess the people and the
situation by observing the demeanor and gunhandling actions of the armed people we come in
contact with.
Legal hunters are generally happy to show us
their harvested game and hunting permits and then
tell us a few hunting stories. Hunters who know
or think they have violated a game law are often
nervous and worried that they may get a ticket.
This nervousness doesn’t necessary evolve into an
intentional threat to us, but may lead to unintentional
threatening situations. At one time or another, all
conservation officers have had guns pointed at them
– mostly by nervous or otherwise unsafe hunters.
Those situations may cause conservation officers to
become defensive.
12 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
Because of unsafe gun-handling by some hunters,
I’ve become much more likely to tell hunters to turn
to the side and safely unload their guns when I
approach them to check permits and bag limits. A
few years ago, I told a group of pheasant hunters
to do just that because I could see that one of them
was walking with his safety off, he hadn’t unloaded
his shotgun, and was swinging it around pointed
down at knee-level toward me and his
d
fellow hunters. His response to me
fe
was, “What, do you think I’m going
w
to shoot you?” My response to him,
““Probably not on purpose, but being
accidentally shot probably wouldn’t feel
a
any better than being shot on purpose.”
a
A couple of days ago, I contacted
two firearm deer hunters who were
tw
hunting without permission – hence a
h
lilittle nervous. As they came to me, I
told them to turn away and unload their
to
rrifles. One unloaded his completely;
the other removed the round from the
th
cchamber. After discussing the violation
with them, we agreed to go to the home
w
of the nearby landowner for contact with him. I gave
them the option of walking or riding in my truck. They
opted to ride, so I told them again to make sure their
rifles were unloaded. One checked his and showed
me that it was safe. The other knelt down, pointed
the rifle away, and worked the action to remove the
three remaining cartridges from the gun’s magazine.
As he did so, I turned to his partner and immediately
heard a loud BOOM beside me. The kneeling hunter
had thought the gun was empty when he closed the
action and apparently had a finger on the trigger. He
had just blasted a three-foot trench in the ground
about eighteen inches from the barrel. If he had
been facing us, one of us could very well have lost a
foot or worse.
So, if you’re hunting and are approached by a
conservation officer, or any other law enforcement
officer, don’t be offended if you’re asked (or told) to
unload your firearm and/or place it in a safe position.
We just want to keep the situation
safe so that we can keep on doing
our job and you can keep on hunting
without getting hurt.
We’re not being paranoid, just safe.
– Levi Krause,
Conservation Officer, Louisville
Rick Hoffmann sent us this photo of a bobcat with a rabbit
walking by a mineral block in Nemaha County. The photo was
taken December 14, 2010 at 6:34 a.m.
Please submit your trail camera photos by e-mail to:
nebtrailcam@gmail.com. Also include any information that
will help explain your photo.
Nebraska Bull Elk Harvest Sets Record
A record 105 bull elk were harvested in Nebraska
in 2012. The 91 percent success rate is also a
record, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission. That compares to 90 bulls harvested
and a 79 percent success rate last year.
The bull elk season was September 29-October 28.
Thirty-one cow elk were harvested in the first half of
the cow elk season, which ran concurrently with the
bull elk season. The remainder of the cow elk season
runs from December 1-31.
There were 303 elk permits sold for this year’s
season, but refunds were given on 19 (seven bull and 12 cow) permits because of
concerns about access due to the Pine Ridge wildfires, which occurred just before
the season opener.
Elk harvest by management unit was: Ash Creek – 14 bulls, two cows;
Bordeaux – 26 bulls, nine cows; Box Elder – six bulls, three cows; Boyd – none;
Hat Creek – 27 bulls, 10 cows; Niobrara – seven bulls, three cows; North Platte –
22 bulls, four cows.
Bulls also were harvested by the two auction permit holders and the one lottery
permit holder.
Successful elk hunters are reminded to send in elk tooth collection envelopes to
Game and Parks.
Turpin Time
Dick Turpin
This time I’m
not going to get
in trouble. These
are not the wife’s
clothespins. I
bought these and
I have the receipt for them. This is to
help you archers trailing that blood
trail or even you rifle hunters. I’ve
spray painted them with a fluorescent
paint so they’ll work at night or in the
daytime. Just throw a couple of them
in your pocket and use this as your
reference on the last blood spot you
saw. Put one there ... go 5 or 15 feet or
20 yards and find another spot ... put
a clothespin there, pick this one up ...
keep leap-frogging those clothespins
and they’ll help you establish a deer
trail.
“Diiiick, are those my clothspins?”
yells Mrs. Turpin.
“These are not your clothes pins, I
have the receipt dear!” (First time in
my life I ever heard her speechless). ■
NEBRASKAland Visitor
Winner and Hint
Last issue’s winner of
the Visitor drawing
was Delores Colburn,
of Valentine, Nebraska,
who found the antlion on page 16.
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.
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 4, 5, or 36.
PLATTE RIVER STATE PARK CABINS.
Send Us Your Trail Cam Photos!
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 13
“The Laughter of Happy Voices are
Heard Everywhere”: Christmas at
Fort Robinson, 1874-1948
By Thomas R. Buecker
C
NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
14 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
hristmas was always the greatest of holidays for the
soldiers of our armies. This was especially true for
the army men in the west during the 19th century.
Christmas celebrations were a welcomed break in the
monotony of garrison routine and gave the soldiers a day
of relaxation and recreation. They provided a particularly
good morale boost for soldiers and their wives and children
at isolated forts. For 74 years, Christmas celebrations were
an annual tradition at Fort Robinson, a tradition that is still
carried on.
Christmas observances at Fort Robinson began with the
establishment of the post as Camp Robinson in 1874. On the
first Christmas, General Order No. 40, issued December 24,
set forth that “Tomorrow being Christmas all labor (except
the necessary fatigue) will be suspended for the day.” The
tradition of taking the day off continued over the years; and
eventually the relaxed holiday season was extended. By
1881 it was reported that all drills and work were suspended
from Christmas to the New Year, and “the troops enjoyed a
week of uninterrupted rest.”
Christmas dinners were prepared and served in the mess
halls of every company or troop in garrison. Savings from
company funds were used to purchase fresh oysters, salmon,
fruits, nuts, and other delicacies not regularly seen on mess
hall tables. Pies, cakes, cookies, and other desserts were
baked in abundance. Hunting details were sent out for deer,
pronghorn, elk, ducks and grouse, all of which provided a
welcome break from the regular beef ration.
In 1886, post commander Lt. Col. James S. Brisbin
boasted, “I doubt if anywhere in the United States there are
better Christmas dinners than in northwestern Nebraska.”
He added, “... the laughter of happy voices are heard
everywhere.” Barrack mess halls were decorated similar
to one in 1883 with “bunting, flags, and mountain pine
covering the log walls with a mass of color, relieved here
and there by strips of evergreen.” Soldiers invited their
company officers, family members, and civilian guests to
join them. Although often aloof and distant from the enlisted
ranks on a daily basis, company officers spent a part of
Christmas Day in the barracks with their men.
During the evening hours, company units held elaborate
balls or hops in vacated barracks squad rooms. The first
recorded ball was held on Christmas night 1876, with the
weather outside at 30 degrees below zero. In the early 1880s
there was a lively rivalry between the companies in the
garrison on which could hold the best ball. The ball held
by Troop H of the Fifth Cavalry was crowded from the
opening march at half past eight, until early in the morning.
Fully two hundred guests were entertained, including every
officer of the garrison and their ladies. A late-night supper
was followed by a promenade and then “the dancing was
resumed and continued until nearly reveille.”
When a post chaplain was assigned to the post, special
Christmas Eve services were held in the post school or hall.
After hymns were sung by a small choir, the chaplain gave
a special sermon on the importance of the day. With a small
garrison at the post in 1880 and no other entertainments
planned, a special dinner after the service was supplied by
the officers and their wives for the enlisted men. Events like
this provided the frontier soldier with a needed connection to
a more peaceful time and a more settled region.
The most popular decoration then as now was the
Christmas tree. Christmas Eve always brought the lighting
of the post tree. Nicely decorated and lit with wax candles,
the 1880 tree for post children presented “a beautiful
appearance.” During the illumination, the children were
presented with books and other gifts. In 1889, a grand
Christmas tree for all the children in the garrison to enjoy
was put up in the post amusement hall. After the tree was lit,
presents were again distributed to all children attending. In
1895, 90 children were on the tree list. Oftentimes, through
donations or the post fund, gifts were purchased for soldiers
not expecting to receive any.
The men of Fort Robinson were soldiers first, and the
holiday season did not preempt field service. For soldiers
on campaign, Christmas was just another day. On Christmas
Eve 1874, a dispatch rider arrived with orders for Captain
Guy V. Henry to mount an expedition to the Black Hills
to expel illegal miners. Christmas Day at the post was
spent preparing men and animals for a field deployment
Fort Robinson, located in northwestern Nebraska, is Nebraska’s
largest state park.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 15
88-14
NSHS 97
916.
th Cavalry, 911, to March 12, 1
p G, Twelf
1
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,
o
8
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tr
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ry
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menu
m Febru
Christmas
binson fro
at Fort Ro
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Christmas celebration for the post’s Hospital Corps in 1912.
the Niobrara River crossing on the night of the twenty-third.
Early the next morning they followed a stagecoach that
broke open the road over the Pine Ridge and down to the
fort. As the men triumphantly rode into the post, the children
were out on the boardwalks for the first time in days. The
corporal later recalled “When they saw me they began to
shout ‘the Christmas wagon has come!’” The children all
had Christmas on time, and as a reward, Corporal Weber
received his sergeant’s warrant.
With the completion of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri
Valley Railroad across northern Nebraska, winter transport
of supplies to the fort was eased. By 1885 goods for the post
could be picked up in Chadron, a much shorter trip than
down to Sidney. After the establishment of Crawford, fort
residents could shop in town.
The late 1890s brought the Spanish-American War and
Philippine Insurrection. As a consequence, all stateside
army posts were stripped of their garrisons, and the men
NSHS RG1517-85-3
16 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
on the Union
Pacific Railroad.
Winter weather
occasionally
delayed the receipt
of freight shipments
for days, even weeks. This included the delivery of special
order Christmas foodstuffs and presents ordered by parents
or sent by friends and relatives back east. Late arrival due
to weather delayed the 1881 celebration until mid-January
1882.
Because the delay of presents had postponed Christmas
for weeks the year before, everyone at Fort Robinson
was anxious for Christmas of 1882 to occur on date. On
December 10, Corporal Martin J. Weber of the Fifth Cavalry
and a driver with a six-mule wagon were dispatched to
Sidney to pick up the goods. Six days later they arrived
at Sidney, but then had to wait two days for the freight to
arrive by train. On the nineteenth the men loaded the wagon
and headed north for Fort Robinson.
On the second day out of Sidney a fierce blizzard struck.
After spending the night at the North Platte Bridge, Corporal
Weber and the driver decided to push on, determined to get
the presents to the post. After a hard struggle they reached
NSHS RG1517-85-1
during one of the most severe winter seasons on record. On
Christmas Eve 1876, Camp Robinson troops were in camp
near the Pumpkin Buttes in northeastern Wyoming, as part
of a winter campaign against Crazy Horse and his followers.
During the day the troops had marched 20 miles; that night
the temperature dropped to 42 degrees below zero before
the thermometer froze. For his Christmas celebration the
next day, First Sergeant James B. McClellan, Third Cavalry,
recalled he “blew himself to a drink at 75 cents” at the post
trader’s wagon.
Fort Robinson troops were in camp at the Pine Ridge
Agency on the Sioux reservation on Christmas Eve 1890
during the Ghost Dance uprising. That afternoon, Major Guy
V. Henry had received orders to move his Ninth Cavalry
squadron north toward the dancers’ stronghold. With cheers
of “A Merry Christmas!” from their comrades remaining
behind, Henry’s troops moved out. By the time they reached
the stronghold, one of his troop units had covered 53 miles
in 21 hours, all in severe winter cold.
In the early years Camp Robinson (re-designated Fort
Robinson late in 1878) was an isolated location. All supplies
and mail for the post had to be brought in by freight wagon
from either Cheyenne, Wyoming (152 miles distant),
or Sidney, Nebraska (119 miles distant), both located
Remount mess hall decorated for Christmas 1920.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 17
sent on overseas duty. In 1902 the troops returned, and Fort
Robinson again had a full complement of soldiers. The new
garrison consisted of eight troops of the Tenth Cavalry, one
of two all-black cavalry regiments.
The 1904 Christmas season was typical of those celebrated
in the early 20th century. Many activities were carried
over from earlier celebrations, but a few new traditions
were instituted. A post chapel built in 1893 provided a
specific building for religious and school purposes. In 1904
more than 200 people attended Christmas Eve services
there, followed by a tree party for the children in the post
amusement hall. By this time Santa Claus had begun
making an annual appearance, usually in the form of a
jovial volunteer. That year an officer dressed as Santa was
reported to have appeared from behind the tree with a sack
of presents “much to the delight of the little people.”
Having a regimental band stationed at post was always
a benefit and plus at Christmas time. Christmas Day
morning began with a serenade of seasonal music by the
18 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
During the World War II years, Santa arrived in Crawford via a
dog sled team provided by the Fort Robinson War Dog Training
Center. NSHS RG1517-52-53
Tenth Cavalry band. Dinners were served in the various
troop mess halls in the early afternoon, and K Troop had
its own orchestra, which played while the men and visitors,
including all three troop officers, chatted. Dinner featured
oyster soup served with four entrees, plus 11 desserts,
followed by cigars and coffee while the men reminisced
about Christmases past. The day was capped by services led
by Chaplain William T. Anderson in the chapel.
By this time all the worldly delights for soldiers were
available only three miles away in Crawford. As Rudyard
Kipling wrote, “Single men in barracks don’t grow into
plaster saints,” and with more than 600 men in garrison, not
all of them behaved themselves: Several days after the 1904
Christmas Eve, the local editor reminded Crawford residents
that “when a couple hundred fighting Tenth turn themselves
loose they can ‘make Rome howl’ and the night hideous.”
The last cavalry units departed Fort Robinson in 1916, and
the post was virtually empty through the World War I years.
In 1919 the post gained new life as a quartermaster remount
depot. In this role, horses (and mules) were received,
processed, conditioned, and issued to the cavalry, artillery,
signal corps, or any other mounted service.
A remount station required a substantially smaller troop
component – only three to five officers and 125 enlisted
men were stationed there during most of the remount years.
By this time, post families went to school or attended
church in Crawford, and took part in holiday activities
there. On post the entire enlisted component was housed
in one single barracks. The tradition of Christmas dinners
continued, although with fewer troops only one Christmas
dinner was necessary. At each year’s dinner, the guests
received a festive menu which listed all the foodstuffs
offered and the names of all the military personnel stationed
there.
Change came in 1929 when a battalion of field artillery
arrived to join the remount detachment. Once again a
large garrison filled the old post with soldiers, wives, and
children. Christmas activities were planned with a few
new items on the agenda: Several days before the holiday,
loads of Christmas trees were cut and delivered to all post
residents, and with a chaplain on post, his Sunday school
put on a Christmas cantata titled “Santa’s Surprise Party” at
the post theater. On Christmas Eve there was a free movie,
and at 10:30 a party of carolers visited houses around
the post. The next morning, Santa arrived and made calls
on all quarters with children. He rode in a sled pulled by
“reindeer” borrowed from the B Battery mule stables. A
bugler sounded Santa’s arrival at each house, and onlookers
were advised that “Kodakers will not be barred from taking
pictures.”
At 9 a.m. the 76th Field Artillery Band marched through
the post streets playing carols and gave a concert in front
of the colonel’s quarters. The traditional dinner was served
in all mess halls, which were “decorated with spruce, cedar
and Christmas colors.” That evening the officers club held
its Christmas dance in the theater with 75 off-post guests.
The soldiers enjoyed a “layoff” from Christmas to New
Years.
Following a new Christmas tradition, the Fort Robinson Lodge is fully decorated for the holiday season.
By the end of 1931 the field artillery departed and the
post reverted back to a small garrison. Throughout the hard
times of the 1930s the post Christmas tree party tradition
continued in the theater, with every child and enlisted man
receiving a gift. In 1932 contributions were so liberal that a
$20 surplus was presented to the local community chest.
The pre-World War II years saw an increased work load
for the remount troops and a larger population of residents
at the fort. Holiday parties were still held at the officers’
club as war clouds loomed. A favorite activity was riding
on a bobsled pulled by a pickup truck around the parade
ground, with a stop at the club each time around for a drink
and warm-up. As in years before, the quarters and mess halls
were all decorated.
Christmas holidays continued during the war; Christmas
dinners were still held in the mess halls and tree parties at
the theater. With a U.S.O. on post and in Crawford, holiday
dances and parties were available for the enlisted men. Local
residents invited soldiers home for dinner, providing them
with a bit of the home life they now missed.
Even German prisoners of war had a bit of the holidays in
their compounds east of the fort. During the war, hundreds
of German soldiers were held at the Fort Robinson camp,
one of 126 that were built across the United States. Former
German veterans remember the “Great Tattoo” of Christmas
1943, when they sang carols outside that evening with
torches for light. The prisoners received cards and special
holiday parcels that had to be sent months ahead of time to
reach the camp by Christmas. For Christmas 1944, a large
program was held at the camp, which featured 16 orchestra
and solo musical numbers, poetry readings, and group
singing of “O Tannenbaum” and “Stille Nacht.”
Today Fort Robinson is Nebraska’s largest state park.
Although no longer occupied by soldiers, one tradition of
the old army continues – Christmas dinners. Held on the first
Saturday of December, a different historic year is selected
and modern guests partake of the exact menu that was served
that year. Before and after the meal, local groups provide
musical entertainment. In addition, a new Christmas tradition
has begun. Each year local civic groups and organizations
decorate the exterior of one of the quarters. The lights are
turned on the evening of the dinner, and remain on through
January first. But it is through the dinners, a time of good
food and fellowship, that a time-honored tradition of old
Fort Robinson lives on. ■
Tom Buecker was curator at the Fort
Robinson Museum for 26 years. Prior to
that he spent eight years at the Neligh
Mill State Historical Site. He now lives in
Lincoln and works at the Nebraska History
Museum. This is his 12th historical piece
written for NEBRASKAland Magazine
since his first in 1979.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 19
Frozen or Flow
Fishing in Winter
Text and photos by Daryl Bauer
E
very winter it gets “cold”
in Nebraska. But not every
winter do temperatures
drop enough to support
the amount of safe ice that hard-water
anglers consistently need. When this
ice is available, however, all waters
across the state are in play, including
perennial favorites in the Sandhills.
In particular, multiple lakes at the
Valentine National Wildlife Refuge
(NWR) and Crescent Lake NWR offer
some of the state’s best ice-fishing
for big yellow perch, bluegills, black
crappies, beautiful largemouth bass
and northern pike. Pits and ponds
across Nebraska are also good for some
panfish, largemouth bass and maybe
even some channel cats through the
ice. Reservoirs across Nebraska can
also provide excellent ice fishing for
a variety of species – everything from
yellow perch and crappies to bass, pike
and even some walleyes and wipers.
Fish are “cold-blooded” creatures.
In general, that means the metabolism
for all species of fish slows during
the cold-water period. They feed less
but do not cease feeding entirely.
Even warmwater species (with the
exception of flathead catfish) can be
very catchable while fishing through
a hole in the ice. However, because
they tend to slow down and feed less
or less frequently, slower, more natural
and vertical presentations are the most
effective way to catch fish during the
winter. In most cases that is most easily
accomplished while ice-fishing.
When fishing through the ice a
person is fishing vertically all the time,
one small hole at a time. Yes, fish
will move and they may move quite a
distance to come to a bait, but fishing a
bait vertically keeps it in one relatively
small area and gives a coldwater fish
time to react to the variety of live baits
and great presentations by ice anglers.
But that does not mean that fish
cannot be caught from open water
during the winter. In Nebraska that will
mean mostly flowing water – rivers
and streams. The Missouri River in
northeast Nebraska, especially the
Gavins Point Dam tailwaters, have
provided anglers with some mid-winter
open-water fishing opportunities for as
long as that dam has been there. There
are also some spots above Lewis and
Clark Reservoir where anglers can find
some open water and catch fish during
the winter. In addition, there usually
is enough water flow coming out of
Lake McConaughy to keep at least
portions of Lake Ogallala open during
the winter. In fact, ice fishing on Lake
Ogallala is often marginally safe at
best.
There are also a couple of power
plants on Nebraska waters that have
some warmwater returns that stay open
all winter long, and anglers can catch
a variety of species from those waters.
I hear reports of anglers catching
channel catfish from the “cooling
pond” adjacent to Sutherland Reservoir
even during mid-winter, and I have
heard whispers of some anglers on the
Missouri River that catch some fish
from warmwater returns from power
Safety Tips
Whether on water or ice,
consider these following
safety tips:
a flotation device on
•theWear
bank, in a boat or on the
ice.
Dress in layers and stay
•away
from cotton.
Keep an extra change of
•clothes
in your vehicle.
Notify a friend of family
•member
where you’re fishing
and when you plan to be back.
This photo shows me sitting on my favorite chair during the winter – my ice-fishing bucket. This was taken at sunset on the east
end of Dewey Lake on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge a couple of winters ago.
20 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
For more information
on winter fishing safety,
specifically for ice fishing, visit
YouTube.com and search “Ice
Safety with Daryl Bauer.”
These trout were caught from Long Pine Creek late last winter/early spring. As a
matter of fact, two days previous I had caught fish through the last ice of the season,
and then stopped by Long Pine Creek and caught these trout.
plants on that river as well.
Trout streams are other places that
will have at least some stretches of
open water during the winter and
you can catch fish from Nebraska
trout streams 12 months of the year.
My strategy for fishing open water
during the winter is to target species
most active in cold water – coldwater
species such as trout, and maybe some
cool-water species like walleye, sauger
and pike.
The coldwater trout will also slow
and feed less during the winter, and in
flowing water they tend to settle into
some of the deepest holes and spots
with the least amount of current during
the winter. They will eat a variety of
prey in our rivers and streams during
the winter, and in general all of the
typical trout presentations can catch
fish in the winter as well as in the
summer. Of course, matching the
actual prey the fish are eating is always
a good place to start.
This means going smaller for trout
with more natural baits, spinners, jigs
and crankbaits. Fly fishing can also be
effective during the winter – a variety
of beadhead nymphs are particularly
good during the winter, but on a warm
afternoon there might even be some
hatches of midges or other small
insects and a fly angler can pick up
some fish on dry flies or emerger
patterns.
On bigger water where a person
might be targeting some walleyes or
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 21
sauger, jigs and minnows or jigs tipped
with the new GULP! baits are favorites
during the cold water period. Other
vertical presentations with spoons or
blade baits, just like those used for ice
fishing, can also be good during the
winter.
Crankbaits can also catch fish in
open water during the winter, but
typically they have to be fished
very slow – just enough to get them
wobbling is usually the best place
to start and even then frequent and
extended pauses might be needed to
trigger fish. For that reason neutrallybuoyant crankbaits that maintain their
depth at slow speeds or even when
stopped are often some of the best baits
for cold water.
Whether iced over or completely
open, there is always water to fish in
Nebraska. ■
Daryl Bauer is Fish and Wildlife
Program Manager at the
Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission.
He has just over
20 Master Angler
awards
taken
during
the winter
months.
Alberta Bighorn
Herd Growing
in New Home
Photos and text by Eric Fowler
In the Pine Ridge north of Harrison, where this
time last year there were no bighorn sheep and last
spring there were just 40, there are now 60.
This rapid population growth in an area
historically home to bighorns began with the
February release of 40 sheep that were trapped in
the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada, and
brought here by the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission. Of the 35 ewes and 5 rams that were
relocated, 38 remain – one ewe was lost to stress
not uncommon in such moves. Another died after a
fall (they’re not always as sure-footed as they seem).
The herd grew in June when the ewes, most of
which were pregnant when released, began having
lambs. Of the 25 that were born, 22 have survived.
Other than a few short forays by wandering
rams and the handful of sheep that have moved
to the ridge west of Sowbelly Creek, the sheep
have remained close to the release site near the
intersection of Sowbelly and Pants Butte roads.
“That may change as the rut picks up here, but
we’ll see,” said Todd Nordeen, district wildlife
manager for the Commission, referring to the
breeding season now underway and which often
induces wanderlust in rams.
A bighorn lamb and ewe rest in the shadows on a ridge above Sowbelly Creek
in the Pine Ridge north of Harrison last July.
22 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 23
Nordeen said even the ewes stayed relatively
close to their home range when compared to those
in other herds in the Pine Ridge and Wildcat Hills,
some of which move miles to isolated areas to lamb.
“Surprisingly, some of the ewes gave birth while
there were other sheep around,” he said.
The recent forest fires in the Pine Ridge didn’t
strike this herd’s range, and despite drought the
bighorns have found food and water.
Left: A bighorn ram stops in a beam
of sunlight in Sowbelly Canyon. The
Alberta sheep were fitted with radio
collars so their movement could be
tracked.
Above: A pair of lambs browse on plants
growing from a rocky hillside.
Right: A pair of ewes and a lamb survey
the landscape atop a butte.
24 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 25
“They did well through the drought, the fires,
the record high temperatures – about the worst
conditions we’ve had in Nebraska since we put
bighorn sheep here,” Nordeen said.
The Barrel Butte bighorn herd, which roams the
Pine Ridge between Chadron and Crawford, was
displaced by a massive wildfire this summer, but
only temporarily. Nordeen said not all of those
sheep have been accounted for, but none of the
radio-collared animals were lost to the fire and all
moved back into their previous range soon after the
fires were out.
If you want to catch a glimpse of the Harrison
bighorns, Nebraska’s newest herd, there’s a good
chance you can spot them from Pants Butte Road,
but take your binoculars and be sure to stay on the
road, as all of the land there is private. ■
26 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
Above: A lamb tries to suckle on its
mother as others play on the rocks.
Opposite: Lambs and ewes cross a point
above Sowbelly Creek. While the 29,000acre Thayer fire that burned through the
area in 2006 wiped out the ponderosa
pine forest, it made the area suitable for
bighorn sheep.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 27
A Very Special Christmas
“I’m more about having a good time with the family.”
— Codey Gerdes
Text and photos by Doug Carroll
L
ast Christmas was an
especially memorable one
for the Rod Gerdes family of
Papillion.
It all started earlier that
fall when Rod found out that his sons,
Codey and Zach, were both going to be
home for Christmas. Codey (28) and
Zach (24), you see, are both members
of the military and don’t get a chance
to get home much, especially at the
same time.
Which got their dad to thinking –
although he and the boys had done a
fair amount of fishing together and had
chased pheasants and squirrels while
the kids were growing up, he’d never
found the time to take the boys deer
hunting. Maybe this was the year to
change that.
One problem: He hadn’t hunted deer
himself for more than 10 years, and
the places he used to go were near
Valentine – too far to go with what
little time his sons would be back on
leave. So around Thanksgiving he
posted a simple plea on Craigslist:
“Need deer hunt for 2 kids in military.”
He got his wish and more.
Craig Buescher of South Bend says
it’s his wife, Marge, that deserves all
the credit. After mentioning the online
post to her husband and suggesting
they try to help, Craig called Rod and
left a message saying he might be
able to help him out. The
two men met, and after
discussing what Rod wanted
to do for his sons, Craig
offered to let the boys hunt
farm ground that he owned
in Clay County during the
late firearm antlerless deer
season.
“I don’t think we’re
any different than most
Americans,” said Craig.
“Anytime we can help those
out that are in our military
it’s a small price to pay
for those that protect our
freedom.
“We were kind of raised
that way – to help people
out.”
Hopes for the special
Christmas present faded,
however, when Rod went
online to purchase deer
permits for his sons and
found out were none left in
the area Craig’s land was on.
“I thought we were
dead in the water,” said
Rod, but again Craig
Codey Gerdes leans against a tree as he waits
came to the rescue – he
patiently, hoping for a deer to appear during his first
ever deer hunt.
discovered permits were still
28 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
After an unsuccessful morning deer hunt, the Gerdes family and Craig Buescher head back to their vehicle.
available in the deer unit just south of
his place and found friends who were
also willing to let the two military
members hunt their land.
The hunt was back on.
When the brothers awoke Christmas
morning and gathered with family
members around the Christmas tree,
each was handed two envelopes
to open. The first contained a rifle
cartridge. The second contained their
first deer permit.
Because the boys were kind of
expecting to get a small game license
as a presents, the deer permits were
a big surprise. “I was really excited,”
said Codey, “because I’d been talking
to Dad about it (deer hunting) for a
long time.”
His brother Zach agreed: “That
was a really good Christmas present.
We just wanted to go hunting, but
deer hunting is definitely better than
pheasant hunting.”
So the day after Christmas, which
happened to be the first day of the
late firearm season for antlerless deer,
Rod and the boys drove to Nuckolls
County and met Craig in Lawrence at
Dick’s Place, the town’s popular eating
establishment. With them was Rod’s
brother Randy, who had come along to
help guide his nephews. After a good
meal, everyone headed out to make
sure Zach and Codey’s rifles were
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 29
“Now I’m one up on Codey – he can get a bigger one, but I got the first
one.”
— Zach Gerdes
A successful morning deer hunting is
celebrated by a good meal at Dick’s Place
in Lawrence before heading back to
Papillion to take care of the deer before
the boys returned to their military posts.
“Now I’m one up on Codey” joked
Zach. “He can get a bigger one, but I
got the first one.”
“I’m more about having a good time
with the family,” replied his brother.
“I’m just happy to be out here with
Dad. I haven’t been around him much
for a long time.”
When this story was written in early
November, both boys were overseas
– Zach was in Turkey and Codey
was finishing up a tour of duty in
Afganistan. Even though it’s months
later and they are far from home, the
memories of the deer hunt are fresh
in both the boys’ and their father’s
memory.
“I still want to thank Craig upside
down and sideways,” said Rod. “ I just
wanted a place to take the kids deer
hunting and he went all out, far and
above what we ever expected. “These
boys have not been hunting with me
as much as I did with my dad, but it’s
never too late to start.
“It’s the quality time you get to
spend with your kids.”■
Zach Gerdes takes careful aim and drops his first deer while watching the edge of a brushy, brome-filled waterway.
sighted in properly.
With permits still available, Rod
and Randy could have also hunted but
chose not to. “It’s not always about the
hunt – it’s about what goes along with
it,” said Rod, who had deer hunted
with his brother quite a bit in the past.
“This was their hunt … it was kind of
neat to experience a deer hunt without
hunting ourselves, to enjoy it that way.
It was fun to watch someone on their
first deer hunt – your first one is the
one you’ll always remember.”
After ensuring their guns were hitting
where they were supposed to, the party
headed out for an evening hunt that
proved to be unseasonably warm as
well as unsuccessful – not a single deer
was seen.
30 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
Undeterred, the group headed to
Craig’s house near Deweese, where
they enjoyed a big meal of various
cuts of venison and wild turkey before
turning in. After a short night of
tossing and turning, it was time for a
quick breakfast before heading back
to the same area they had hunted the
night before. Again nothing was seen,
so a quick deer drive commenced
on another part of the property, with
Codey and Zach posted in position to
shoot any antlerless deer that might be
pushed out of a bedding area. The only
deer seen, however, were three bucks
that, while they weren’t legal to shoot,
did provide a memorable sight as they
trotted along a trail as if on a string: “It
was so pretty to see those three bucks
bopping along,” said Rod. “You just
appreciate seeing them.”
“It looked like they were on a
harness,” said Randy.
With time running out (the group
only had a day and half to hunt before
the boys needed to report back to duty),
Craig started calling around looking
for other places that might be holding
deer. After gaining permission on
another spot not too far away, Zach
and Codey were posted on one end of a
big brushy, grass-filled waterway when
a buck and several does were pushed
past and Zach was able to connect on
one of them. Success!
Gathered around the fallen doe, the
group exchanged congratulatory high
fives and discussed missed shots and
deer that had snuck past undetected.
Zach teased his big brother.
Front row, left to right: Zach Gerdes poses with his first deer with dad Rod and brother Codey. In the back row are Randy Gerdes
and Craig Buescher, with his father, Don. The Buescher’s generous help made this first deer hunt a success.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 31
Owls of
the Arctic
Text and photos by Michael Forsberg
W
hen I was a kid I marveled at the lighthouses we
visited along the rugged Oregon coastline during
summer vacations. Painted white and perched
on rocky cliffs overlooking the Pacific, they
stood as tall, proud beacons guiding mariners to
safe harbor. On a day last January near the Nebraska-South
Dakota border, the weak winter sun was shining on a beacon
as white as any lighthouse I remember as a child, but this
one was feathered and perched prominently on a hilltop
fence post overlooking a prairie sea. Snowy owls, visitors
from the Arctic, were irrupting into the Great Plains.
One of about 250 owl species found worldwide, the
snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a resident of the far north
and nests in tundra grasslands. It is one of only a few
bird species, including the gyrfalcon, common raven and
ptarmigan, which can survive the harsh Arctic environment.
Weighing in at four pounds, the snowy is the heaviest owl
species in North America and
stands nearly two feet tall with a
52-inch-long wingspan. Adult
females are bigger than males
and usually flecked with a
series of dark gray-black
bars laid over a
blanket of white.
Males are nearly
pure white
A snowy owl overlooks
a sea of grass from a
fence post in northern
Nebraska last winter.
32 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
Each dot on the map above indicates the location where a
snowy owl sighting was confirmed during last year’s “irruption.”
throughout their plumage.
With needle-sharp talons and hooked beaks, owls are
highly evolved hunters that primarily perch hunt for rodents
and other small mammals. Their wings are engineered for
silent flight and their large eyes combine binocular 3-D
vision with an ability to see in extremely low light. Their
heads can rotate 270 degrees to locate prey and, much like a
satellite dish, their facial disc funnels sound to ears hidden
behind their feathers, giving them acute hearing. Among
owls the snowy owl is considered an extremely agile flyer,
capable of hunting small birds on the wing.
Snowy owls are not considered traditional migrators that
move between point A and point B on an annual basis,
but some winters they will travel as far south as needed
during times of food scarcity, triggered most significantly
by cyclical plunges of lemming and vole populations, their
key food source in the Arctic. When large numbers of birds
move south in search of food, these movements are called
“irruptions” or “invasions.” The snowy owl’s typical winter
range extends throughout interior Alaska and Canada and
across the northern tier of the U.S., but during irruptive
years they have been reported as far south as Texas.
During the winter of 2011-2012, snowy owls were
With the help of licensed rehabilitators, two starving snowy
owls brought to the Raptor Recovery Nebraska Center last
winter recovered and were later released back into the wild.
A snowy owl stretches and builds strength in its wings in a large flight pen at the
Raptor Recovery Nebraska Center last spring while being rehabilitated.
reported throughout the Great Plains. Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission Nongame Bird Program Manager Joel
Jorgensen and Lauren Dinan, a nongame bird biologist,
compiled a total of 209 snowy owl reports in Nebraska – the
most on record. Of those reports, 170 were confirmed either
by recovered carcasses, photographs or description.
Although their Arctic home is a vast expanse much like
the Great Plains, finding and successfully hunting new prey
in unfamiliar territory and negotiating human activities
they’re not used to is hard on these birds. What probably
has a greater effect, however, is their body condition once
they get here. According to Betsy Finch, executive director
of Raptor Recovery Nebraska near Elmwood, most of the
snowy owls that show up in Nebraska are usually so stressed
and weak from lack of food that they don’t survive long
enough to return to their Arctic breeding grounds. A record
16 snowy owls arrived at the center between Christmas
Eve 2011 and late January 2012. Most arrived already near
starvation and could not be recovered. Only four survived.
Of those four, two had sustained wing injuries and could
not be released back into the wild, later finding permanent
homes in New York and Oklahoma. The other two were kept
in a large flight pen and monitored closely until they were
capable of travel. Eventually they were transferred to The
Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul,
where they finished their rehabilitation and were released
back into the wild late last spring near the Canada border.
Snowy owls are a charismatic species whose star has been
on the rise since Harry Potter’s owl, “Hedwig,” first hit the
big screen just over a decade ago. More recently snowy owls
have been in the news for another reason: Some scientists
are closely monitoring their populations, using these big,
conspicuous birds as a possible cue for gauging both Arctic
ecosystem health and climate change.
Lemmings make up roughly 90 percent of the snowy owl’s
diet, but research suggests that the lack of sufficient snow
cover the last several years due to warming temperatures
in the Arctic is disrupting the natural cycles of lemmings,
resulting in their populations having a difficult time
recovering and even collapsing in some areas. In any habitat
when prey numbers drop severely, predator populations that
rely on those species usually are not far behind.
Today, there are more questions than answers on the
effects climate change has on wildlife populations. One
thing is certain, however – rapid changes in the environment
forces species to either adapt, move or die. For the snowy
owl, the question remains whether they can adapt quickly
enough in a rapidly warming Arctic world. ■
Michael Forsberg is a professional nature
photographer and contributing editor to
NEBRASKAland. To see more of Mike’s
images, go to www.michaelforsberg.com.
For more information about Raptor
Recovery Nebraska, visit their web site at
http://www.raptorrecoverynebr.org/.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 33
Making a Difference
Nebraska Youth Conservation Program
B
went to work across the state: six
from Omaha, three from Lincoln, and
one each from Norfolk, Grand Island,
Lexington, McCook, North Platte,
Ogallala and Scottsbluff. The number
and location of crews were determined
after soliciting project suggestions
from Commission staff. Two crew
leaders were hired and assigned to
each group to teach the skills needed
to complete assigned projects, and the
Nebraska Department of Labor helped
find and recruit the workers, following
the guidelines set forth in LB549.
Participants needed to meet one of the
following criteria: come from lowincome households, have the potential
of dropping out of school, have had
negative contact with the law, or have
direct or indirect contact with physical
or substance abuse.
The youth were provided shirts,
eye and ear protection, hats, gloves,
water bottles, lunch and snacks,
and transportation to and from the
work locations each day. The crews
worked closely with area Commission
employees to build picnic shelters;
repair vault toilets; install playgrounds,
PHOTO BY DOUG CARROLL
y all accounts, last summer’s
Nebraska Youth Conservation
Program was a win-win for
everyone involved. Participating youth
earned money while learning new
skills, gaining valuable job experience
and getting on-the-job training in a
variety of fields, and the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission was
able to complete several needed
improvement and maintenance projects
that had been put on hold due to budget
and manpower constraints at state
parks, recreation areas and wildlife
management areas across the state.
This successful program resulted
from the unanimous passage of LB549
by the Nebraska Legislature in 2011.
Introduced by State Senator Brenda
Council of Omaha, the bill provided
money from the Cash Settlement Fund
of the state attorney general’s office
for the Commission to hire youth for
a six-week summer job where they
could acquire work experience and
skills while learning about Nebraska’s
natural resources.
To that end, 16 crews of young
people between the ages of 16 to 20
Former state senator Brenda Council gives opening remarks at Omaha North High
School on the first day of the Nebraska Youth Conservation Program last summer.
34 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
campground electrical projects and
fencing; perform shoreline restoration;
improve fishing access; work on docks;
do painting, landscaping and trash
removal; and develop and maintain
trails, among other things.
Crew members earned a little over
minimum wage and put in 40-hour
weeks for the duration of the program,
often on days where the afternoon
temperatures were in excess of 100
degrees. This schedule was a bit of an
eye opener: “For many of the youth in
this program it was their first job, so
some of the things that were learned
were how to work with co-workers,
punctuality, following directions, and
how to thrive in a work place,” said
Michelle Stryker, who coordinated the
program for the Commission.
Another requirement of the
program was to provide educational
programming about the outdoors to
the youth, so half of each Thursday
was reserved for some type of
interactive educational or recreational
activity. Crew members learned about
fishing, outdoor cooking, archery,
kayaking, hiking, bird watching and
a variety of other outdoor activities.
These opportunities also helped
the Commission meet some of its
Recruitment, Development and
Retention (RDR) goals of introducing
more youth to the outdoors.
“Some of these kids experienced
things they may never have had the
chance to except for this program,”
said Stryker. “It helped some of them
get over their fears about the outdoors.”
In addition to the recreational
opportunities the crews learned about,
the Nebraska Department of Labor
also gave a presentation on other job
opportunities that might be available
after the program ended, and an
organization called Education Quest
gave a talk about how to prepare
financially for college. Some of the
workers were already saving their
paychecks to help pay for college,
PHOTO BY DOUG CARROLL
By Doug Carroll
Tyler Yates (left) and Nick
Shelor, both of Lincoln, set a
post while installing a new
fence at Pawnee SRA last
summer.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 35
PHOTO BY DOUG CARROLL
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
PHOTO BY DOUG CARROLL
Brittany Woodward
of Lincoln examines
a grasshopper as
part of the youth
program’s educational
component..
Bradley Blaylock of Sidney
(foreground), Vanessa Garza of
Scottsbluff and Derek Biltjinitis of
Minatare help trench in electrical
lines at Lake Minatare SRA.
The new boardwalk installed by youth at Schramm Park State Recreation Area will be enjoyed by visitors for years to come.
36 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
photography blinds were constructed;
approximately 90,000 feet of fencing
was removed, constructed or repaired;
more than 19,000 feet of trails were
cleared – the list goes on and on.
Because much of the program’s
funding came from last’s year transfer
of money from the state attorney
general’s office, as well as grants the
Commission was able to secure and
money it had in its capital budget last
year, it remains to be seen whether or
not the program will continue.
Time will tell what long-term effect
the program had on its participants, but
it provided invaluable work experience,
some much-needed money, and
resulted in numerous improvements
to public areas across the state that
Nebraskans will be able to enjoy well
into the future. ■
PHOTO BY DOUG CARROLL
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Members of the
Fremont work crew
pour concrete in
the day use area at
Fremont Lakes SRA.
while others were using theirs to help
feed siblings and help their family, said
Stryker.
By the time the program ended,
the crews had worked on projects at
23 state recreations areas, one state
historical park and 41 state wildlife
management areas. The amount of
work accomplished through this
program was significant: more than
300 picnic tables were renovated
or built; 184 campground electrical
pedestals were installed: four
playgrounds were built: 530 feet of
deck and 800 feet of railing were
installed at Schramm Park State
Recreation Area; fire rings were
cleaned at five different parks; the
roofs of three different structures
were repaired; two picnic shelters,
five hunting blinds and five
Learning to shoot a bow was just one of many things the youth got to experience.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 37
HIGHS AND LOWS
“Wow, this was a hard climb. Glad I made it in my flip-flops”
– Log book entry made by Panorama Point visitor
Text and photos by Eric Fowler
I
f you were standing in Crawford,
you might think the highest point in
Nebraska was somewhere atop the
nearby Red Cloud Buttes, or maybe
Crow Butte. If you were in Gering,
you might think it was in the rugged
Wildcat Hills south of town. In either
case, you’d be wrong.
Nebraska’s highest point is not quite
as assuming as those landscapes –
Nebraska’s versions of “mountains.”
Yet while either area might seem
logical as having the state’s highest
point, the Pine Ridge and Wildcat Hills
fall roughly 200 and 500 or so feet
short, respectively, of the pinnacle.
Nope, Nebraska’s highest “peak”
is Panorama Point – a nondescript
hilltop in a southwestern Kimball
County pasture that is a tad more
than a mile from Wyoming and less
from Colorado. Well, it would be
nondescript if not for the stone markerr
placed there in 1971 and the iron box
that holds a visitor log. It’s elevation:
5,424 feet above sea level.
It can be quite a “climb” if you
choose to park more than a few steps
from the monument: Like high points
in many states, Nebraska’s summit is a
“drive-up.” Just pop your $3 per person
entry fee in the iron ranger at the gate
off County Road 5 and it’s a short
1¼ mile drive. Panorama Point is on
private property, part of the High Point
Bison Ranch. The entry fee defrays the
landowner’s costs of maintaining the
road, and the area around the marker
is maintained by the county visitors
committee. If you make the “climb”
and call the
Kimball/Banner County
Chamber of Commerce, they’ll send
you a certificate recognizing your feat.
“It’s kind of a spoof,” chamber
director Jeanette Rabender said of the
certificate, 75 of which have been sent
out this year since June.
Panorama Point is not as sexy as
Washington’s Mount Rainer (14,411
feet), or Mount McKinley in Alaska
(20,320 feet), but it’s still a popular
place to visit, especially among
members of the Highpointers Club of
America (www.highpointers.org),
Brittany Yu and her brother, Brandon Fahlenkamp, celebrate the conquest of Panaroma Point in southwestern Kimball County,
the highest point in Nebraska.
38 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
which promotes visiting high points
found in the United States. The
chamber doesn’t keep an official
visitor count, but Rabender estimates
hundreds from around the country,
even the world, make the circuitous
20-mile drive from Bushnell each
year to say they’ve been there. When
I visited the site with my son in July,
the current version of the log book
had been in place five days shy of a
month and there were already entries
from 57 parties, most families, from
25 states and Austria. “Wow, this was
a hard climb. Glad I made it in my
flip flops,” wrote one visitor.
While there we met the
Fahlenkamp family – Keith and
Karen, son Brandon and daughter
Brittany Yu, who stopped in the
midst of a cross-country move from
Washington to Virginia. Brittany
jokingly told me Nebraska’s high
point was one of her favorites …
because she didn’t have to hike. The
family had just completed a threeday, 28-mile hike to summit Kings
Peak in Utah. Panorama Point was
the family’s 30th high point in the
past eight years, a tally made easier
by Keith’s frequent transfers in the
U.S. Navy. Later in their trip, they hit
high points in Kansas, Oklahoma and
Arkansas, bringing the family’s total
to 33. Their conquests also include
Mt. Whitney in California, the highest
point in the continental U.S. at 14,494
feet, and 11,239-foot Mt. Hood in
Oregon, which required technical
climbing. Keith has also scaled Mt.
Rainier. “We’ve been doing this since
the kids were three and seven, and it’s
been a great way to get out and see
the country,” said Karen.
Nebraska’s high point was once
believed to be on a knob that topped
out at 5,350 feet in the middle of
wheat fields in southwestern Banner
County, 30 miles due north of
Panorama Point. Another point in a
pasture northwest of Harrison rises
to 5,280 feet. All three points are a
mile or so from the Wyoming line,
which makes sense considering the
High Plains slopes from the Rocky
Mountains to the Mississippi River.
In 1951, however, a member of an
oil drilling crew took an elevation
reading at his rig and found Kimball
County to be higher. The new official
high point was precisely located and
marked that same year, and by the
time the current marker was placed
Highpointers were already visiting the
site, stopping to sign a log book at the
landowner’s home before hiking to
the summit. Now they can drive.
The point does indeed provide a
panoramic view of the High Plains,
complete with pastures; wheat,
sunflower and millet fields; miles
of towering, electricity-generating
windmills strung across the Colorado
state line; and a smattering of the
windmills we’re more used to seeing
as they pump water to stock tanks.
On the way to the site you might see
pronghorn, mule deer and a variety
of other wildlife – a Utah family
wrote of seeing a raccoon, badger
and peregrine falcon. And, of course,
there is a good chance of seeing the
ranch’s buffalo.
If you’re into visiting obscure
monuments, it’s a 7-mile drive from
Panorama Point to the marker where
Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming
meet. If you can fly, it’s only 1.2
miles.
A quick online search indicates that
the United State’s low points don’t
share quite the following as the highs.
Maybe it’s because 21 states share the
same low-point elevation – sea level
– and it’s not an actual point but an
entire coastline. Climbing mountains
likely started the Highpointing
craze, but it has since expanded
to scaling whatever necessary to
reach the highest point in any state.
Even driving to a hilltop in Kimball
County. ■
Directions to Panorama Point
can be found at www.KimballBanner
CountyChamber.com/Visitors.
U.S. and Nebraska
Highs and Lows
Highest Point
All of United States: 20,320 feet,
Mount McKinley, Alaska
Lower 48: 14,494 feet, Mount
Whitney, California
Nebraska: 5,424 feet, Panorama
Point, Kimball County
Lowest Point
United States: -282 feet, Badwater
Basin, Death Valley, California,
Nebraska: 840 feet, Missouri River
at Kansas State Line
Highest State Low Point:
3,315 feet, Colorado, Arikaree River
at Kansas State Line
Lowest State High Point: 345 feet,
Britton Hill, Florida
Head southeast from Panorama Point
464 miles to where the Missouri
River flows into Kansas and you’ll
find Nebraska’s lowest point, 840 feet
above sea level, a drop of 4,584 feet.
The location is on private property
and not open to the public.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 39
A Snowy Pheasant Hunt
Covering Fort Robinson’s Sacred Ground
A late-season snow can be the perfect recipe for pheasant success.
Annual run helps Cheyenne youth connect with their history.
By Gerry Steinauer
By Kristen Friesen
T
he alarm rings, and looking
out the window on this early
January morning I feel an
adrenaline rush – there are
several inches of fresh snow on
the ground, and it is still snowing! It is
a perfect day to hunt pheasants.
I eat a hardy breakfast, then load
my dog Callie and shotgun into the
car and drive to a favorite Rainwater
Basin marsh, arriving around 9 am. Not
surprisingly, no one else is hunting the
public basin on this day. Dissuaded
by the winter weather and the fewer,
wilder late-season pheasants, most
hunters have packed away their gun
for the year. Too bad, as the cold and
deep snow (there are an additional six
to eight inches of snow on the ground
from a previous storm) has likely
pushed birds into the densely vegetated
marsh. Though there are probably not
enough birds in this marsh to satisfy
a large group of hunters, one or two
dedicated souls can enjoy a productive
hunt.
Callie and I begin by walking the
edge of the marsh next to a soybean
field. This is a likely spot to find birds
that have finished with their early
morning feeding in the beans and are
settled into dense loafing cover for the
day. I prefer not to hunt too early in the
morning – pheasants that are feeding
and those traveling from the roost to
feeding areas are often in light cover
and nervous, tending to run or flush
wild when approached by hunters.
When in loafing cover, they tend to
hold tighter. On this day, the deep
snow will help suppress their urge to
run.
I soon spot pheasant tracks and
Callie promptly rousts two hens and a
rooster from a grassy, shallow ditch to
my right. My shot wobbles the rooster
and feathers fall, but the bird keeps
flying, landing about 300 yards ahead.
We hustle to the spot and find tracks
and an iridescent red rooster feather
lying on the snow. The tracks lead to
a clump of tall grass and Callie again
flushes the rooster. This time I drop it.
We work our way into the marsh’s
interior, hunting stands of thick cattail
and bulrush as well as the periphery of
weed patches (pheasants often forage
on the high-energy seeds of giant
ragweed, sunflowers, smartweeds and
other weeds). In our wandering we
come upon several sets of pheasant
tracks. We start following the two sets
of larger rooster tracks, but one is soon
covered in blowing snow and lost,
while the other ends in snowy wing
impressions from an earlier flush.
After an hour and a half of tough
walking without spooking a rooster,
we venture towards the far end of
the marsh where it abuts a cornfield.
Pheasants prefer corn to soybeans as
food as it is more readily digested, and
I favor hunting cover close to corn.
Approaching the cropfield, we come
upon partially filled pheasant tracks
made earlier in the morning, and follow
them. As the tracks zigzag through tall
reed grass, in places they are erased by
blowing snow and we must circle until
they are found again. Callie is made
to begrudgingly heel to keep her from
obscuring the tracks. After 80 yards of
slow trailing, the tracks enter a small
clump of cattails and do not exit. I
ready myself, and when Callie burrows
into the cattails, there is rustling. Out
jumps the rooster – flying low and
into the wind, it provides an easy shot.
Not 20 yards from where this rooster
falls we come across a set of fresh
tracks. This rooster is soon flushed and
bagged. With limit in hand, we enjoy a
leisurely hike to the car.
It was fairly predictable that we
found pheasants in the marsh: The
snow had covered or flattened much
of the lighter, neighboring cover that
held birds earlier in the season, and
the marsh offered the best remaining
roosting and loafing cover. Pheasants
will travel several miles seeking good
winter cover, and it’s common to find
more birds in a marsh in late season
than in early season. The Rainwater
Basins of south-central Nebraska,
the expansive Sandhill marshes and
floodplain sloughs all provide good
winter cover for pheasant and late
season hunting opportunities. So the
next time it snows, grab your dog, your
gun and head to a marsh. ■
Gerry Steinauer
is a botanist for the
Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission
and has been writing
and photographing
for NEBRASKAland
since 1990.
40 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
B
oasting 22,000 acres of
breathtaking scenery, horseback
riding, swimming, a museum,
reproduction buildings and the
inspiring presence of buffalo
and longhorn cattle, Fort Robinson has
long been synonymous with “summer
vacation.” Nonetheless, the work
that consumed Gayle Carlson of the
Nebraska State Historical Society and
his crew of archaeologists 25 years ago
turned up evidence of a much colder
time in history.
What is now Fort Robinson began
in 1874 as an effort to contain the Red
Cloud Indian Agency. In late 1878,
soon after “Camp Robinson” was
named for the fallen soldier who’d
failed to return from wood detail
(coincidentally accused by Red Cloud’s
people of doling out tainted meat), a
band of 149 Cheyenne, led by Chief
Dull Knife, showed up. They’d had
their own run-ins with tainted food and
diseases in what is now Oklahoma,
so their mission brought them here in
hopes of finding respite with Chief
Red Cloud before returning to their
ancestral land in northern Montana.
Unfortunately, Red Cloud and his
people had since been relocated to the
Dakotas and the unlucky Cheyenne
were greeted instead by military
personnel unsympathetic to their plight.
At first the tribe was permitted
to come and go freely. Over time,
however, as it became clear that the
uninvited Cheyenne had no intention
of returning south to Indian territory,
privileges were denied. The Army
barracks became a prison.
So late at night on January 9, 1879,
after retrieving weapons they’d thought
to stash in a hand-dug pit beneath the
floor during more peaceable times,
Dull Knife and his people stormed
the doors and climbed out windows.
What followed was a deadly game of
hide-and-seek which lasted nearly two
weeks in and around Fort Robinson
in sub-zero temperatures. Sixty-four
Cheyenne and 11 soldiers lost their
lives, and 80 Cheyenne women and
children were recaptured. Only a few,
including Dull Knife and his family,
ever crossed into Dakota Territory to
meet up with Red Cloud.
It’s easy to forget that this serene
landscape was once a battleground,
and we might have except that it was
the original army barracks that Carlson
and his crew worked to excavate during
the summer of 1987. Though no one
was surprised to find buttons, bits of
clothing and small kitchen utensils,
evidence of the military families
housed there when the barracks
burned down in 1898, that was just
the beginning – beneath another layer
or two of windswept dirt someone
discovered a glass bead. Then someone
else found another. And another. Before
long, the tiny testaments numbered in
the thousands.
“And then there was this one spot
where we found a whole bunch,” said
Carlson, “as if someone had dropped a
leather pouch full of beads right there.
As if they’d scattered beneath the floor
boards and were forgotten.”
It’s the forgetting that’s the worst.
Just ask Phillip Whiteman, Jr. and
Lynette Two Bulls. Since 1999, they’ve
been bringing buses and vans loaded
with roughly 100 Cheyenne youth,
ages seven and up, from their ancestral
home in Lame Deer, Montana, to Fort
Robinson.
“The reason our people are all
broken up is because of what happened
at Fort Robinson,” said Whiteman.
He points to rampant alcoholism and
drug abuse, diabetes and a high suicide
rate as motivation to keep bringing the
youth – “not to re-traumatize them, but
to help them make connections with
everything.” Consequently, the Fort
Robinson Outbreak Spiritual Run has
become an annual event, one that not
only teaches the Cheyenne youth about
their brave ancestors but also lets them
experience what it’s like to run 400
miles home with a cold Nebraska wind
at their backs. Surprisingly, they’re
never without plenty of participants.
By design the event is seeped in
tradition: On January 9, following
a couple of nights in the officers’
quarters, a full day of education and the
blessing of a deeply spiritual service, a
mass of nervous Cheyenne youth cram
into the now-rebuilt army barracks. At
exactly 10:30 p.m., they burst out of
the doors and begin running into the
night to the accompaniment of shouts
and gunfire.
Once they reach the highway, the
vehicles that brought these young
Cheyenne creep along beside,
determined to see them home safely.
Eventually tapering to a twosome, the
procession continues with girls carrying
a flag of the Cheyenne Nation and boys
carrying eagle feathers. They run late
into the night and, despite the weather,
stop only to sleep and be fed by kind
souls along the way.
It’s a difficult journey in more ways
than one, explains Whiteman. It’s
grueling physically, but even more
so emotionally. “It takes 400 miles
of running to process the mental,
emotional, physical and spiritual pain,”
he said, “and that’s something these
kids really need.” An entire week
will pass before these tired youth are
welcomed home, each wielding a
greater understanding of self, pride in
their accomplishment and a sobering
sense of home. Each a little more
mindful of their ancestry.
There’s no doubt Fort Robinson is
more than just a summer vacation or
a state park. To many, it’s sacred ... a
place where tiny glass beads bedded
down in the dirt might very well be
history rising triumphantly to the
surface. A place of remembering. ■
Kristen Friesen is a
freelance writer and
7th grade language
arts teacher that lives
in Grand Island with
her husband and
three children.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 41
BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS/VIDEOS
NEBRASKA WILDFLOWERS. It’s baaack ... ! Out of
print for 21 years, the second edition of NEBRASKAland
senior editor Jon Farrar’s Field Guide to Wildflowers of
Nebraska and the Great Plains is now available. This 6 by
91/8-inch paperback is a must have for anyone interested in
learning more about Nebraska’s wildflowers and makes
a great gift. To order this publication or to learn about
other great gift ideas, visit NebraskalandGifts.com or call
(800) 742-0056.
MAKES A WONDERFUL GIFT! – Published since
1926, NEBRASKAland Magazine is a nationally
recognized, award-winning magazine of choice
for thousands of readers throughout the nation.
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), or save by ordering
two- or three-year subscriptions. Call (800) 632-5263 or
subscribe online at NebraskalandMagazine.com.
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.
NIOBRARA RIVER FILMS. Buy Niobrara: Jewel of the
North. Watch Floaters: A Niobrara River Adventure free!
www.malmoea.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, Percival, IA 51648 (402)
304-1074 or (712) 529-4309, clarks1@iowatelecom.net.
DUCKDAWG RETRIEVERS - Raising exceptional
yellow and black Labradors. 30 month written health
guarantee. www.duckdawg.com North Platte, NE (308)
534-3659.
PREMIER GUNDOGS TRAINING KENNEL, Inc:
Nebraska state licensed gundog training kennel specializing
in training programs for waterfowl and upland hunting
42 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
retrievers, spaniels, pointing Labradors and all gundog
pointing breeds. Dale-Kris Taylor (402) 787-2048, www.
premiergundogs.com.
FLATLANDER KENNELS INC, Scottsbluff, Ne.
Nebraska’s premier full-time retriever training facility for
the serious hunter or AKC and HRC hunt tester. Trainer
of NE, CO, KS and SD’s first and only GRHRCH’s!
Training, puppies and stud dogs available for all levels of
hunt tests and gun dogs. Chris Jobman (308) 249-0707,
www.Flatlanderkennels.com.
GERMAN SHORTHAIRS AND BRITTANYS:
Very close-working hunters that point and retrieve
naturally. Awesome stud dog service available. Puppies
occasionally. We “HUNT” our dogs on “WILD” birds.
We can train your dog. Plum Thicket Kennels for
40 years. Elm Creek, NE. Doc & Jared Nelson, (308)
987-2294.
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.
CRESCENT LAKE FISHING – Blue Creek Lodge is
located seven miles south of some of the best panfishing
and ice fishing in the Sandhills of Nebraska. The lodge
offers bass boat rentals for your fishing excursions and
a five-star lodge with additional fishing and hunting on
the property. Visit www.bluecreeklodging.com or call
(308) 772-9912.
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.
VACATIONS/RESORTS
THE OLDE MAIN STREET INN. A historic bed and
breakfast listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Beautiful dining room with fireplace. Headquarters for
General Nelson Miles, Wounded Knee Incident, 1890-91.
115 Main Street, Chadron, NE 69337 (308) 432-3380.
www.chadron.com/oldemain.
BIG BLUE RANCH & LODGE – Enjoy fishing,
horseback riding, hunting, hiking and birdwatching on
working cattle ranch in southeastern Nebraska. Beautiful
log lodge with fireplaces, kitchens and big covered
porches, overlooks 20 acre lake. www.bigblueranch.com
(402) 865-4335.
BLUE CREEK LODGE – Oshkosh, NE. 13,000-acre
farm & ranch resort. Located by Crescent Lake National
Wildlife Refuge and State WMA. First-class lodging;
ice -fishing; hunting and fishing boat rentals; waterfowl,
upland bird and coyote hunting; reunions, meetings
and getaways. Visit www.bluecreeklodging.com or call
(308) 772-9912.
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) 4715473. Fax: (402) 471-1984.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 43
What’s In A Name?
I’ll tell you what’s in a name, you no-good Swine Thistle!
By Roger Welsch
I
▲
In 1925 or ‘26, my family – parents Bill and Ethel (Warner)
Robson, big brother Earl and I – traveled from Benedict with
fellow farmers and kinfolk for a day of picnicking and fishing on
the Loup River. According to Earl, I (being five or six years old)
was the only successful angler that day. The photo documents my
triumph. For some months this snapshot was on display in a York
merchant’s display window.
– Bill Robson, Maineville, Ohio
▲
This photo was taken in Emmet around
1932. Shown from left is John Conard,
Emmet’s postmaster; Wally Tweedale; and
my father, Guy Cole, who owned the Hay
Office they’re standing in front of. I don’t
remember what Wally did for a living, but
as a little girl I was impressed with the way
he dressed, so he must have been selling
something. When he was in town he would
occasionally eat with us and frequently go
hunting with my dad.
– Lois Schaffer, O’Neill, Nebraska
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.
44 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
to making a wonderfully subtle tea,
but some slanderous miscreant called
the same thing “leadplant” – even
though there is no more heavy metal
in it that there is in another one of my
favorites, the deep-purple flowering,
autumnal “ironweed.” I see culinary
treats where some grumpy plant-dubber
saw only “sour dock,” “goat’s beard,”
and “clammy ground cherry.” “Spotted
touch-me-not,” “fragrant cud weed,”
“devil’s claw,” “impatience,” “crazy
weed,” “shame-vine,” and “beggar’s
ticks.” Okay, they’re not floribunda
roses but do they really deserve this
level of contempt? “Dutchman’s
breeches,” “bouncing Bet,” “dame’s
rocket,” “Joe-Pye weed,” “toad sorrel,”
“snake bite,” and “winged pigweed.”
(Isn’t the latter an optimistic indication
that the impossible is possible, that pigs
may indeed fly?)
I can imagine some nit-picker taking
me up on my dare and thumbing
through one of the books suggested
above and, in some public forum where
the chances to humiliate me would be
optimal, shouting out from the crowd,
“Okay, Welsch, then what about ‘sweet
cicely,’ ‘blue-eyed grass,’ ‘heart’s
delight,’ ‘Queen Anne’s lace,’ ‘loveforever,’ ‘snow-on-the-mountain,’
‘nodding lady’s tresses,’ ‘shooting
star’ and ‘blazing star,’ ‘modesty,’
‘butter-and-eggs,’ ‘field pussy toes,’
‘Venus looking-glass,’ or ‘Venus’
pride?’” Those names seem downright
flattering. Well, what the botanist gives
with one hand, he takes away with the
other. On the same page in his book
(page 30 if want to fact-check my
work), Farrar shows us the sweet and
gentle “small white lady’s slipper,” and
then in a blast of botanical invective …
“bastard toad flax!”
I’m not the kind of person, however,
who discovers a problem and then
does nothing but complain about it, so
I hereby announce the establishment
of the Wild Flower Anti-defamation
Society (Nebraska chapter) and
invite you all to join me into righting
PRAIRIE SPIDERWORT – PHOTO BY JON FARRAR
▲ This picture was taken around 1952 in northern Holt
County on the Niobrara River. Shown from left is Roy
Dresher, Russell Angus and Bob Witherway. They were
hunting on the Dresher and Witherway ranches.
– Gayle Angus, Lincoln, Nebraska
sometimes wonder about the mental
state of people who burden their
children with goofy names no
one can ever spell right (ask my
daughter Antonia Emily Celestine
Welsch … hope I spelled that right),
but today as I enjoy this Nebraska
springtime and wander our upland
meadow I am even more bewildered
by the cruelty of botanists. What kind
of decent, civil human being would
look at the beautiful splashes of bright
yellow and pale blue I see on our hill
this morning and think, “I should come
up with some appropriate names for
these gorgeous flowers. So let’s see …
how about … oh … hairy puccoon ...
and ... spiderwort?!”
All I can figure is that some botanists
resent having to tromp around in the
wild, batting mosquitoes, picking ticks
off, getting sunburns and eating dust,
so they take it out on the plants by
insulting them with terrible names.
You think I’m exaggerating – “There
Welsch goes again, making a ‘hoary
vetchling’ out of a ‘lady’s slipper.’”
Not this time. Let’s just do a nature
walk and peruse the lovely “cursed
crowfoot,” “beaver poison,” “weary
Susan,” or “silvery bladderpop.” Lo!
The “hairy four o’clock” (Linda calls it
“Roger Weed”), “wedge leaf fog fruit,”
“apple of Sodom,” “blue staggers” and
recumbent “sneezeweed!” What kind
of names are those?! Those are more
like curses you’d yell at an umpire!
You doubt me? Well, take a look at
Robert Lommasson’s Nebraska Wild
Flowers or Jon Farrar’s 1990 edition
of Wild Flowers of Nebraska and the
Great Plains, where I found all of these
names. (Zoe Merriman Kirkpatrick’s
Wild Flowers of the Western Plains is
a good reference too, but covers only
western Nebraska.)
The calumny doesn’t end. Where
I see lovely little flowers, someone
else has seen “bloodroot,” “old man’s
pepper,” “nosebleed weed,” “Indian
hemp dogbane” and “fireweed.” I see
a pretty, silvery bush and look forward
botanical injustices. Enough of this talk
of “stink flower,” “witches’ thimbles”
and “devil’s shoestrings!” In fact, I
think I’ll walk up on the hill right now
and pay my respects to the brilliant
and flowering “hairy pu…” uh, I mean
“yellow ray of sunshine plant” and
“spider…” Make that “Alice blue gown
flowers.” ■
[Author’s note: I didn’t make up
any of the Nebraska flower names
cited here. Out of my usual sensitivity
I even omitted ones like “snot-weed,”
“cow slobbers,” and “skunk scrotum.”
Pick up a copy of Farrar’s Wildflowers
of Nebraska and the Great Plains
(reprinted last year) and prepare to be
educated. And amused. And shocked.
No kidding … “cow slobbers!”]
Roger Welsch is an author, humorist
and folklorist. For years he was
a regular guest on CBS’s Sunday
Morning with Charles
Kuralt. Welsch
resides in Dannebrog,
Nebraska, with his
wife, Linda. He
has appeared in
NEBRASKAland
Magazine since 1977.
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 45
HAVE YOU SEEN MARY?
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 award-winning former NEBRASKAland photographer Michael
Forsberg, this book will not only entertain, it will also educate readers
about these fascinating birds. A must have for children, birders and
crane lovers. Hardcover Crane Book – $16.99 PUB-2728
NEBRASKALAND DISTRESSED BALL CAP
A Cabin in the Woods
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
F
or years I went on hunting trips where I either stayed in the closest cheap motel or slept in the truck or a small tent.
Though all that worked fine I kept thinking it would be nice to have a cabin. A place that was roomy, comfortable and
closer to the hunt. Along about the time I was having those thoughts, I ate dinner in a friend’s wall tent. It didn’t take
long for the light to come on and I decided to buy a wall tent.
On the recommendation of my friend Robin (not Hood), I went to see Don Strinz of rural Milford, a master
craftsman in the art of making primitive shelters. Having never owned a canvas wall tent, I had little knowledge of what
to buy. My main criteria was that it didn’t leak, was durable and could be set up by one person (me). I ended up with a
1790s-style Officer’s Tent. Don gave me a quick lesson on how to set it up, and I was off to the races. The newest wall tent
greenhorn ...
The first time I put the tent up in the field and stepped through the door I was hooked. It was like stepping into another
place and time. A place where cots and stools were cool and the warmth from a fire in the stove was all that mattered. It was
the perfect place to share tales of the hunt or anything else that needed to be cussed or discussed.
After 15 years my tent now sports several improvements, including carpet and a fancier wood stove.
She’s weathered rain, snow and gale force winds from Brownlee to Forchette Bay, while housing dogs,
friends, relatives and a few Democrats.
Like a favorite hunting coat or pair of boots, she goes with me every year. The best part has been
sharing the wall tent experience with friends. Through all of this my tent has been my cabin in the woods.
Bill Hager
September 7, 2012
46 NEBRASKALAND • DECEMBER 2012
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
W
NE
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(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
EW
N
(Better value – 66% off the cover price – 20 issues)
$44 for three years SUB-2903
(Best value – 70% off the cover price – 30 issues)
The Award-Winning Outdoor Magazine
Just For Kids
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.
2013 ANNUAL HUNT AND FISH PERMITS
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.
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
W
NE
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, 2012.
*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.
W
NE
(4 issues each year)
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
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.
$29.95 PUB-2729
2013 NEBRASKA
PARK PERMIT
Visit more than 80
beautiful state park and
recreation areas across
the state.
Annual Park Permit – $25
Duplicate Park Permit – $12.50
2013 WILDLIFE HABITAT STAMP
Habitat Stamp – $20
W
NE
2013 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.
Knife shown actual size
call toll-free
1-800-742-0056
Order online at NebraskalandGifts.com (more items available online - some 90% off!)
2013 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, 2012.
Your Name
Address
City/State/Zip
Phone (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Permits Permits good for their calendar year. For example, a 2013 permit expires December 31, 2013
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
HUNTING AND FISHING PERMITS
Eye Color
QTY
TYPE OF PERMIT(S)
Name
Last 4 digits SSN
Address
City/State/ZIP
Date of Birth: Month
Weight
Day
Year
Sex
Hair Color
Height
Eye Color
TYPE OF PERMIT(S)
PERMITS & STAMPS
2012
2013
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 .................................$56.00 ❏
$56.00 ❏
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
For subscriptions to NEBRASKAland Magazine,
please call toll-free 1-800-632-5263
or go online to
NebraskalandMagazine.com
Lifetime Fur Harvest Permit ............................... see previous page
Lifetime Habitat Stamp .................................................. $400.00 ❏
Lifetime Nebraska Waterfowl Stamp ........................... $100.00 ❏
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.
Gift Items 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!)
DECEMBER 2012 • NEBRASKALAND 51
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