Volume 92, Issue 5, 2014
June 2014
- Identifier:
- nela.2014_092_05
- Title:
- Volume 92, Issue 5, 2014
- Issue Name:
- June 2014
- Date Issued:
- 2014-06-01
- year:
- 2014
- month:
- June
- Season:
- Spring
- PDF filename:
- NL_92.05_2014_Jun_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 092
- issue:
- 05
- number:
- 092.05
- Decade:
- 2010s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
Publis hed by
y the Nebr a s k a Ga m e a nd Pa r k s C o m m is s ion si nc e 1926
NEBRASKAland
June 2014
Originally a resident of Hall County, this young Woodhouse’s toad was
photographed in Hamilton County. Photo by Chris Helzer.
NebraskalandMagazine.com
$4.95
INSIDE
NEBRASKAland DAYS ● River Tanking
25 Years of Tree Planting ● Wild Chokecherry Jelly
Summit Lake State Recreation Area ● Nebraska’s Oldest Angler?
Sponsored by
NEBRASKAland
Photo Contest
rom town square to square acre, every bit of
Nebraska holds a new discovery. We welcome all
photographers, no matter the age or skill level, to
share with us your visions of Nebraska.
Open to all subscribers,
your photo entry in the
contest qualifies you for the
chance to be published in
NEBRASKAland Magazine,
as well as win great prizes
from Rockbrook Camera
and the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission.
YOUTH CATEGORIES
Age 13-17
Age 12 and under
ADULT CATEGORIES
Birds
Mammals
Landscapes
Flora
Reptiles, Amphibians and
Invertebrates
Outdoor Recreation
Reader’s Choice
Best in Show
COMPLETE CONTEST RULES AND ENTRY:
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fform and enter the contest.
2 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
ENTRY FEE is a subscription to
NEBRASKAland Magazine.
#4 Green – The Dunes Course
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 92
●
No. 5
●
June 2014
F EAT U R ES . . .
20
●
20 NEBRASKAland DAYS – A Tradition for 50 Years
Some of the nation’s best golf sits in your backyard.
CAN YOU COME OUT AND PLAY?
BY JULIE GEISER
26 One Stop Shop – Summit Lake SRA
BY JEFF KURRUS
30 Long Live Anglers
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JENNY NGUYEN
36 25 for Life
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JUSTIN HAAG
40 River by Tank
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
D EPARTM EN T S . . .
Comment .........................................................6
Mixed Bag.......................................................8
Wilderness Workshop ...................................46
Portraits from the Past ..................................48
Page 49 ..........................................................49
Classifieds .....................................................50
In the Kitchen ...............................................52
The Last Stop ................................................54
In the heartland of America, you’ll find The Prairie Club just 17 miles from Valentine, Nebraska set in
the spectacular Sandhills along the cusp of the Snake River. This quietly-spectacular golf destination
features two 18-hole courses, a 10-hole par-3 course, plus all the comforts of Midwestern hospitality.
Experience why The Prairie Club has become one of the great golf destinations of the world.
Call 877-478-8025 or visit theprairieclub.com to get started
O N T H E W EB . . .
When you see this symbol in the pages
W
oof NEBRASKAland Magazine, visit
N
NebraskalandMagazine.com and view our
iinteractive digital edition for more information.
Member and Guest Lodge
Overnight Packages Available
Guided Hunting and Fishing
“Best Courses You Can Play”
“Top 100 Best Courses in the U.S.”
“Best Resort Courses in the U.S.”
#78 dunes course
links magazine, 2012
#19 dunes course | #93 pines course
golf magazine, 2012
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 92 / NO. 5, 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.
36
●
40
●
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
Cover: Mike Hiram of Lincoln spends a July evening tossing his
children into the air on the swimming beach at Wagon Train Lake
State Recreation Area. Photo by Eric Fowler.
26
●
golfweek 2012
©2014 The Prairie Club
4 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 5
Bet You’ve Never Seen This Before
My cousin, his son and I were
up pheasant and grouse hunting in
Box Butte County and saw a young
deer when we first started walking a
tree row. It never ran but insisted on
following us as we walked. We stopped
about 100 yards into the tree row and
the deer walked right up to us.
The dog in the picture is my hunting
Visitor Letters
I am a transplanted Nebraskan that
lives with my wife and family in
Ridgecrest, CA, near Death Valley. I
always look forward to your magazine
and enjoy the pictures and articles
very much. We enjoy family reunions
at Fort Robinson and visit family in
Bellevue and Omaha almost annually.
NEBRASKAland Magazine always
elicits a comment or two of “... and
why do we live out here and not back
there?” from someone in our family!
As I searched the magazine this
month, I think the visitor bug is on
page 49. It looks like a tan moth laid
out with the rocks and bones in the
photo that highlights Roger Welsch’s
article. I hope I am right and in time,
I would love to use one of those
NEBRASKAland coffee mugs at work!
Thanks for a great magazine,
Mark Nazeck
Ridgecrest, California
Trophy Fishing in Nebraska
I’m a native Nebraskan who grew
up in Loomis, and now lives in West
Omaha. I went fishing with a friend
on April 22 and in a span of 30
minutes, we had landed the two biggest
largemouth I’d personally seen caught
in Nebraska in my 30 years of fishing.
One was 21.5 inches and the second
was 22.5. We didn’t weigh either, we
released both back immediately into the
private pond we were fishing.
It was a very fun day of Nebraska
fishing, and proof that Nebraska
fisheries can produce the kind of trophy
bass that you commonly see in Texas
and the Southern states.
Ben Cruise
Omaha, Nebraska
“Good Life, Great Rides” in May
The only thing I see missing is
the Peckerneck Trail located along
Harlan County Lake near Alma.
Jeremy Collinson, via e-mail
Send your comments to:
Jeff Kurrus, Editor
NEBRASKAland Magazine
P.O. Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
or e-mail Jeff.Kurrus@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.
Lincoln photographer Chris Masada shot this lunar eclipse, or “blood moon,” photo at
3 am on April 14. There will be another blood moon on October 8 of this year, followed
by one on April 4 and September 28, 2015.
6 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
Marian Ball of Arlington shared a photo
of her husband, Dennis, with a couple of
14-inch crappies from Lake Wanahoo.
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
NORTHWEST
Officer
City
Jim Zimmerman (S) Gering
Commissioners
Chairman - Lynn Berggren, Broken Bow
Vice Chairman - Jerrod Burke, Curtis
2nd Vice Chairman - Dr. Kent Forney, Lincoln
Dr. Mark Pinkerton, Wilber
Rex Fisher, Omaha
Mark Spurgin, Paxton
Mick Jensen, Blair
Dick Bell, Omaha
Norris Marshall, Kearney
Mike Gould found this pair of red fox kits in his tractor shed in North Platte.
yellow Lab. The deer jumped around
with the dog, playing and running
around for a good 10 minutes. Then the
deer walked up to my cousin Bayden
and he petted it for a while. We then
continued walking the tree row and the
deer followed us to the end and then
back to the truck! It was a pretty cool
thing to see. My cousin named the deer
Buckmaster.
Chris Patin
Ogallala, Nebraska
COMMISSIONERS
Director Jim Douglas
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.
MAGAZINE STAFF
Communications Director Christy Rasmussen
Editor Jeff Kurrus
Art Director Tim Reigert
Associate Editor Amy Kucera
Regional Editors Eric Fowler, Julie Geiser,
Justin Haag, Jenny Nguyen
Contributing Editor Michael Forsberg
Regular Contributors Bill Hager, Chris Helzer,
Lisa Knopp, Gerry Steinauer
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 Sales Manager
For advertising information contact
Shane G. Gilster, 402-742-0125
Email: shanegilster@gmail.com
NEBRASKAland Magazine Copyright 2014, 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
C
COM
OM
OMMIS
M SIO
S ON O
SI
OFFICES
F CES
FFI
ES
S
Headquarters/Southeast District Office
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone 402-471-0641
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone 402-370-3374
Southwest District Office
301 E. State Farm Rd. North Platte, NE 69101
Phone 308-535-8025
Northwest District Office
East Hwy. 2, Box 725 Alliance, NE 69301
Phone 308-763-2940
Bassett Office
524 Panzer St., Box 508 Bassett, NE 68714
Phone 402-684-2921
Kearney Office
1617 First Ave. Kearney, NE 68847
Phone 308-865-5310
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone 402-332-3901
Greg Hesse
Scott Brandt
Dan Kling
Frank Miller
Sean McKeehan
Terry Brentzel
Phone (308)
(office) 763-2940
(cell) 436-7561
Rushville
760-3647
Gering
631-0663
Harrison
430-0572
Valentine
389-0444
Bridgeport
279-9133
Oshkosh
458-7650
SOUTHWEST
Officer
City
Phone (308)
Roger Thompson (S) N. Platte (office) 535-8025
(cell) 530-3097
Ray Dierking
Brkn. Bow
870-0322
Michael Thome
Cozad
529-8146
Matt Andrews
Elwood
746-2418
Dirk Greene
Imperial
882-0015
Dale Johnson
Kearney
440-3847
Brian Piernicky
McCook
340-6627
Brandon O’Neal
N. Platte
530-3157
Nicholas Fix
Ogallala
289-0427
Bryce Streger
Ogallala
289-1169
Rich Routh
Rep. City
920-0367
Tim Williams
Grand Is
380-7331
Pat George
Kenesaw
402-705-9989
Matt Brandt
Loup City
202-0819
Andrew Heyer
Lexington 402-613-2241
Alex Hasenauer
North Platte
660-4671
NORTHEAST
Officer
Tom Zimmer (Sup.)
City
Norfolk
SOUTHEAST
Officer
Levi Krause (Sup.)
William Krause
Mike Luben
Dan Zuehlke
Heath Packett
Darin Gress
Douglas Kramer
Dina Barta
Stacey Lewton
Dudley Sorensen
Robert Finke
Russell Mort
Dan Evasco
Rich Berggren
Travis Shepler
City
Louisville
Auburn
Colon
Cortland
Eagle
Hebron
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln
Waverly
Milford
Nebr. City
Papillion
Waterloo
Lincoln
Phone (402)
949-0593
274-8063
443-6392
806-9084
210-0888
768-8665
890-6465
890-6463
890-7140
937-3422
947-1363
209-1506
616-5961
619-1355
613-2312
ADMINISTRATION
Officer
Craig Stover (Adm.)
Duane Arp (Ass.)
Jeff Clauson (Ass.)
City
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln
Phone (402)
471-5531
471-5531
471-5531
Phone (402)
(office) 370-3374
(cell) 649-8053
Dale Davis
Bassett
760-0712
Steve Oberg
Columbus
910-3366
Daniel Roberts
Fremont
719-1108
Randy Pomplun
Fullerton
308-550-0489
Jeff Jones
Hartington
762-5022
Jon Reeves
Kennard
889-8508
Doug Pollard
Ord
308-730-7050
Alex Frohberg
Ponca
241-7615
Cory Krause
West Point
380-6410
Jonathan Andreasen O’Neill
340-3981
Mitch Johnson
Bloomfield
613-8612
Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers 1-800-742-7627
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 7
N e b r a s k a ’s
A License to Feed
Wildlife Biologists from across the state will be hosting
a series of Habitat Tours this year. Tours are designed
to demonstrate habitat management practices,
available conservation programs, how to create the
best results on your next habitat project and much
more.
LANDOWNER TOURS FOR BETTER HABITAT!
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
By Justin Haag
Readers have long been sending us photos of their outdoors-themed
personalized license plates for publication. As people have a fondness of
their vehicles, they also take pride in the government-issued items that
identify their chosen rides.
If you’re like me, your hoarder instincts kick in when it comes time
to get a new set of license plates and find a place for the old ones.
Thankfully, I’ve found a way to save those plates and help wildlife while
I’m at it: bird house construction.
To make one all you need is a license plate, some scrap lumber, a drill,
hand saw and some screws and nails.
I didn’t start out with any measurements. I just fashioned a little scrap
lumber to the form of a tray for holding seed that is smaller than the
roof. I cut the ends of a couple of equal-lengths of 1x1 to a point and
attached those boards to the sides of the tray in vertical fashion. I bent
the license plate to match the angle on the pointed boards and drilled
two screw holes along the crease, then attached the roof to the vertical
boards, and voilà … bird feeder.
I went shiny-side up with the roof, but I don’t think it makes much
difference. For hanging, I drilled a couple of holes near the crease and
inserted an s-hook from my junk drawer. I expect the feeder to last a
long time, thanks to the anti-corrosive aluminum construction of the
roof.
Best of all, I’m satisfying those hoarder tendencies while creating a
place for birds to take refuge from the weather for a hearty meal. ■
With a little scrap lumber and an old license plate, a
backyard bird feeder can be easily made.
Purple Poppy Mallow
8 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
roots were also boiled and used for a tea to treat intestinal
pains.” Today, purple poppy mallow is used mostly for
cosmetic purposes. The petals dress up a mixed green salad,
and look especially nice lightly pressed into cake frosting.
The trick to growing purple poppy mallow is simple: have
a sunny, well-drained site. It is definitely an easy-keeper, and
a beautiful and showy addition to any landscape. ■
PHOTO BY KIMBERLY STUHR
By Kimberly Stuhr
From its deep taproot to the bright magenta flowers it
sports atop deeply cut green leaves, purple poppy mallow
(Callirhoe involucrata) is a gardener’s dream. Sure,
individual landscape goals and aesthetic preferences differ,
but most would agree that an ideal plant is one that is
beautiful and robust, and performs reliably with very little
input. Purple poppy mallow fits this bill, and more.
Thanks to that taproot, purple poppy mallow tolerates
heat and summer drought. Though it only rises to one foot
in height, it scrambles along the ground to about three feet
in width, forming a dense mat that helps blanket bare soil,
retain soil moisture and helps choke out weeds. Unlike
its hybrid and imported companions, there is no need to
vigorously prune flowers to keep the blooms coming. This
native perennial naturally blooms continuously, from late
spring to mid-summer with some continued bloom into fall.
Purple poppy mallow’s cup-shaped, satiny flowers provide
nectar for butterflies and bees, and it’s a larval host for the
gray hairstreak butterfly. When planted near rocks or in a
hanging basket, the stems cascade beautifully over the side.
Its trailing form fits into formal garden areas as well as wild
or naturalized areas.
Purple poppy mallow has a long history. Michael
Haddock, author of Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas: A
Field Guide, says, “The Lakota and Dakota burned the dried
roots and inhaled the smoke as a treatment for colds. The
Purple poppy mallow in Sarpy County near Gretna.
Tour Topic
Date and Time
Starting Location
Bobwhite Quail habitat needs workshop
& habitat management.
June 11, 2014
11:00 am - 2:30 pm CST
Alexandria Community Center
506-510 Nebraska 53 - Alexandria, NE
What’s the Buzz about Pollinators?
June 19, 2014
10:00 am - 2:00 pm MST
Mid-Plains Community College
1324 Broadway - Imperial, NE
Panhandle Pollinators: A closer look at
pollinators and how they affect you!
June 19, 2014
9:00 am-1:00 pm MST
Wildcat Hills Nature Center
210615 Hwy 71 - Gering, NE
CRP Upgrades with High Diversity Seed Mixes,
SAFEs and Pollinator Habitat.
What is it supposed to look like?
June 19, 2014
10:00 - 2:00 pm CST
Rosemont Trap Club
Rosemont, NE
Developing seed mixes for your habitat project
June 25, 2014
11:00 am - 3:00 pm CST
USDA Service Center
36465 Hwy 34 - Trenton, NE
Benefits of Prescribed Fire
June 26, 2014
5:30 - 9:00 pm CST
Curtis Cattle Company
223 Center Ave - Curtis, NE
Pollinator Habitat Past & Present
June 26, 2014
9:00 am - 2:00 pm CST
Lexington Public Library
907 N Washington - Lexington, NE
Where are all the Pheasants?
June 27, 2014
12:00-4:00 pm CST
UNL West Central Research & Extension Center • WCREC Auditorium
402 W State Farm Rd - North Platte, NE
Prairie & Wetland Restoration in Eastern Nebraska
July 10, 2014
5:30-8:30 pm CST
Tekamah Memorial Park
613 N 13th St - Tekamah, NE
Lake Wanahoo Wildlife & Wildflower Walk
July 19, 2014
9:30 am - 1:30 pm CST
Lake Wanahoo; Main Boat Ramp
Wahoo, NE
Upgrading & Managing CRP & WRP for
Grassland Birds, Pollinator Habitat & Plant ID
July 24, 2014
11:00 am - 4:00 pm CST
Williams Cabin: from Fullerton: 4 miles South on Hwy 14 to Rd. Z
turn East, 2 miles to Rd 19, turn North go 1/3 mile
CRP Mid-Contract Management Activities
July 24, 2014
9:00 am - 2:00 pm CST
One Box Gun Club
79681 Road 435 - Broken Bow, NE
Sandhills Plant ID Tour
August 7, 2014
10:00 am- 2:00 pm CST
Myrtle Hall WMA
82267 445th Ave - Sargent, NE
Northeast Nebraska Focus on Pheasants Efforts
August 14, 2014
12:00 - 3:00 -pm CST
Southwester Knox County: 6 miles West of Verdigre & 5 miles South,
Intersection of 518 Ave & 876 Rd
Rangeland Management
August 21, 2014
7:00 - 9: 00 pm CST
Mid-Plains Community College
2520 S E St - Broken Bow, NE
The Critical Role of Pollinators
September 19, 2014
7:00 - 9:00 pm CST
Lewis & Clark Visitor Center
100 Valmont Dr. - Nebraska City, NE
For more tour details & to register, please visit:
NebraskaPF.com or
call Pam at 308-850-8395
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 9
The Pursuit is On
By Jane Gustafson
The 2014 Nebraska Great Park Pursuit is underway, but
there is still plenty of time to get your team together and join
in the fun.
The Pursuit involves making visits to as many of the
20 parks in the program as you like between May 1 and
September 17, 2014. Your first step is getting a team together
and registering at NeGPP.org. Once registered, you’ll be able
to print off impression sheets that provide information about
each park and clues on how to find the Pursuit post.
The parks are located across Nebraska; when visiting, you
need to locate the Great Park Pursuit post, make a rubbing of
the face plate in your impression sheet and then send in the
rubbing as proof of your visit. But be warned – there will be
some walking and searching involved in this adventure.
Sending in an impression sheet also enters you for a number
of prizes, such as an Ipad, a $1,000 AAA Travel gift card,
backyard bird packages, Scheels gift cards, a digital camera
or the grand prize of a $1,500 outdoor recreation package.
As a bonus, a traveling post will be available at a number
of summer events throughout Nebraska. Locations will be
announced on the Great Park Pursuit’s Facebook page.
This is the seventh year for the Pursuit, a free program
sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and
the Nebraska Recreation and Park Association to promote
active lifestyles and increase awareness of the nature-rich
outdoor recreation opportunities throughout Nebraska. ■
By Justin Haag
The Fossil Freeway:
The Panhandle’s Route to
Prehistoric Times
ravelers wanting to step back in time thousands of years
ra
need to do little more than get off of Interstate 80.
n
The Fossil Freeway is a collection of seven
paleontological
l
sites that are conveniently located in a north
and south corridor along the western Panhandle of Nebraska
and into South Dakota. The sites offer a variety of attractions
that appeal to both beginners and advanced enthusiasts of
prehistoric times.
An aggressive traveler could visit all the sites in two days. A more
thorough traveler will find enough to do for an entire week or more.
The entire route is a little more than 205 miles.
Travelers approaching the Fossil Freeway from the south exit I-80
at Kimball and travel Highways 71, 26 and 29 northward. Stops in
Nebraska include Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area, Scotts Bluff
National Monument, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, the
Trailside Museum at Fort Robinson State Park, the Hudson-Meng
Bison Bonebed and Toadstool Geologic Park. The route ends at
the Mammoth Site in South Dakota.
Each site offers something a little different. Those who want to
step out of the vehicle and see the remains of an adult mammoth
will enjoy the Trailside Museum. Those wanting to hike and
explore for fossils will enjoy the unique landscape of Toadstool
Park.
Some of the sites have camping available, while motels and
numerous bed-and-breakfast establishments may be found
along the route.
For in-depth
information, including lodging,
dining and other attractions, visit Fossilfreeway.net.
Trailside Museum at Fort Rob
Primitive Skills: Pine Pitch Glue
Agate Foss
il Beds
Toadstool
Geologic
Park
Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed
Crawford
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Scottsbluff
Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TIM REIGERT
Trailside Museum
Fort Robinson State Park
Agate Fossil Beds
National Monument
■
By Nebraska Outdoor U!
Pine pitch glue is what American Indians used to
secure arrow heads on arrows and knife blades in knife
handles. To make pine pitch glue you’ll need pine sap,
charcoal powder, a non-flammable container to hold
your liquid pitch and small finely ground grass fibers
(optional). You can gather hardened pine sap from
any injury spot on a pine tree. After you’ve gathered
your ingredients, put the pine sap in the nonflammable
cup or container and start heating your sap over hot
coals (NOT an open flame because pine sap is highly
flammable and will flame up and burn). Once the sap
is a consistent liquid, add enough charcoal powder (and
fine grass fibers) to make it the consistency of glue; this
step gives your glue tinsel strength when it dries. You
can now apply this to any object you need glued, or
simply let it cool and harden for later use. You will need
to re-melt your dried glue for later use.
Visit OutdoorU.org and start your own pathway to
memorable experiences in the outdoors. Get outside and
see what the Nebraska Outdoors has for you. ■
RA
lls S
i
H
t
a
c
d
l
Wi
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 11
Bowhunter
Education
nebraskaprairie.org
308-995-5015
Emigrants passing Fort Kearny, as remembered by William Henry Jackson. From the William Henry Jackson Collection at Scotts
Bluff National Monument.
A Brief History
Accidents Along the
Trail
By Patricia C. Gaster, Nebraska
State Historical Society
The greatest dangers along
the Overland Trail were disease
and accident. Except for sanitary
precautions, then little known, disease
was perhaps unavoidable. Accidents,
however,
were “a
built-in,
built
do-i
do-ityou
yourself
haz
hazard,”
acc
according
to
his
historian
Merrill
M
Mattes’s
M
Great
G
Platte
P
River
R
Road,
R
12 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
published by the Nebraska State
Historical Society in 1969.
Mattes classified trail accidents as
“shootings, drownings, crushing by
wagon wheels, and injuries resulting
from handling domestic animals.
These were the four big causes of
maimings and killings. All other
discoverable causes combined, such
as sharp instruments, falling objects,
rattlesnakes, buffalo hunts, hail, and
lightning, did not equal one of these
four major causes.
“The emigrants were walking
arsenals, armed to the teeth with
rifles, shotguns, and revolvers,
supposedly used to hunt buffalo and
defend themselves from Indians.
More often what they managed to
do was blast, wound, or annihilate
themselves instead, and in alarming
numbers. Firearms did not have the
safety features that exist today.... Many
emigrants were strangers to their
deadly weapons, and all underwent
the fatigue which impairs judgment ....
‘Shot himself accidentally’ was the
monotonous refrain on emigrant grave
markers and the primary cause of
accidental death.
“A close second were the drownings
at the river crossings, the result of
wagons or ferries tipping over, of
some tired teamster getting snarled in
harness, or of a fatigued hiker perishing
in the cold water. Drownings were
routine on the Kansas, the Blue, the
South Platte and the Laramie.
“The big emigrant wagons were
efficient when rolling forward with a
load, but clumsy and inefficient when
it was necessary to stop. From a variety
of causes an impressive number of
men, women and children got caught
in or fell under their monstrous wheels
and (with some amazing exceptions)
were mutilated or killed.”
Domestic animals proved more
dangerous to emigrants than their wild
relatives. “The dangerous animals were
the friendly beasts of burden. Not only
did they rotate the wheels that crushed
people, but when temperamental
they committed mayhem on careless
teamsters.” Kicking mules, plunging
horses, runaway teams and stampeding
herds caused emigrant injury and
deaths.
“Generally speaking,” Mattes
concluded, “one who could swim and
had a healthy respect for firearms and
wagon wheels had an excellent chance
for survival – if he didn’t get the
cholera!” ■
N. Hwy 183 Holdrege
Hours: Mon - Fri: 9 am-5 pm | Sat - Sun: 1-5 pm
and enjoy new
transportation exhibits!
10-5 Tuesday - Saturday, 1-5 Sunday
New Super Tag
and Combo Lotteries
For Resident and Nonresidents
Apply April 21 - July 4, 2014
8:30-5 Daily
THROUGH LABOR DAY
1-800-833-6747
www.nebraskahistory.org/sites
OutdoorNebraska.org/supertag or see the 2014 Big Game Guide
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 13
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Bring your family, bring your friends and
make plans to visit the Nebraska Prairie
Museum in Holdrege. See the 16’ wide
buffalo mural, a life-size buffalo, a two-bearded wild turkey and a sandhill
crane. For more information about visiting the museum and the
interactive museum map of our exhibits, check out our website.
By Cristina Woodworth
Nebraska bowhunters
looking for more information
about education classes
and bow and arrow field
days should check out
Huntsafenebraska.org. The
website, run by the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission,
lists all of the additional
requirements for hunters
ages 12 through 29 who hunt
deer, antelope, elk or mountain sheep with a bow and arrow.
Bowhunters can register for hunting events and classes on the
site as well as read up on the latest rules and regulations for
both bow and firearm hunting.
Bowhunters around the country will also find useful
information at Nbef.org, the National Bowhunter Education
Foundation’s website. The NBEF is an organization that
promotes responsible bowhunting through educational hunting
classes and activities. The site also lists contact information
for the bowhunting agencies in every state so visitors can
get more facts about the specific location where they’ll be
bowhunting. ■
In the Field with Nebraska Master Naturalists
w
No
Gerry Steinauer, Commission botanist,
leads Nebraska Master Naturalist
volunteers on a wildflower hike at the
Niobrara Valley Preserve near Johnstown.
UTDOOR
EDUCATION
CENTER
4703 N. 44th Street Lincoln
Indoor and Outdoor Archery Range
Indoor Firearm Range
Equipment rental available
Grand Opening June 7
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
OutdoorNebraska.org
partnership of The Nature Conservancy,
Environmental Trust, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln and Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission.
For complete program information,
visit Snr.unl.edu/naturalist. ■
By Jeff Kurrus
Sometimes companies send us
products to try out so we can share with
you, our dear NEBRASKAland readers,
our favorites for you to try yourselves.
Because we don’t do this all the time, we
rarely condemn a product that we don’t
like, practicing the “if you don’t have
something nice to say” axiom.
But every once in a while I run into
another problem, as was the case with
Usana protein bars and the Celsius
company’s “Your Negative Calorie
Drink.”
I kept eating the samples before I could
photograph them for the magazine’s
purposes. Soon after receiving them, they
were gone – the best testament I can give
for products I’ll continue to use on my
days afield.
For more information on these
products, including nutritional
information, visit Usana.com and
Amazon.com to see the full line of both
of these excellent in the field snacks. ■
Explore the Sandhills Journey Scenic
Byway, Nebraska Highway 2, from
Grand Island to Alliance. It makes
a memorable day trip or week-long
vacation!
• The largest grass-covered sand
dune formations in the Western
Hemisphere.
• Nebraska National Forest, Bessey
Ranger District
• Real cowboys, working ranches and
over 500,000 head of cattle
• World-class birding
• Near the Valentine and Crescent
Lake National Wildlife Refuges
Watch “The Master Naturalist
W
Experience” by Thomas A. Bouse.
E
Man Cave
By Clint Livingston
My man cave reflects my passion for Old
West history and hunting. It’s also an
extension of my hobby-turned-business, Blue
Creek Traders. Basically, I converted the
garage into an early 1800s trading post. When
you open the door, it’s like stepping back into
the mountain man era. Buffalo robes are piled
on the wood floor, beaver pelts and antlers
hang from ceiling rafters, animal heads and
black powder guns adorn the walls, wrought
iron stands display leather clothing and
fur hats and crudely designed shelves hold
antique pottery. I’ve given tours and talks to
local schoolchildren, and the trading post is a
favorite hangout for friends and family,
especially my sons and grandsons.
Submit your man cave images to
jenny.nguyen@nebraska.gov, along with your name and brief description of your man cave.
14 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
O
Eating the Samples
!
Nebraska Game and Parks
PHOTO BY AMY KUCERA
By Amy Kucera
The Nebraska Master Naturalist
program has been educating and
empowering volunteers in conservation
since 2009.
Through a variety of guided
experiences in nature, this citizen
science certification turns into an
experiential vacation, enhanced by a
series of courses in the classroom, all
designed to empower Nebraskans to aid
in natural resource conservation within
the state.
One such opportunity is the
program certification at The Nature
Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley
Preserve. This June, Nebraska Master
Naturalist trainees and volunteers
will unite here for the third year to
engage in the biologically unique
landscape of the Niobrara River
valley near Johnstown, together with
the region’s experts in the field – or,
in this instance, bison pasture. Field
tours, buffalo cookout and a kayak trip
down the Niobrara National Scenic
River round out the nearly week-long
adventure in the Sandhills backcountry.
Since late 2010, more than 140
volunteer members have contributed
over 15,000 hours of public service
within the state. The program is a
n
pe
Local rodeos all summer
Local rodeos all summer
“Tanking” down the Middle
“Tanking”
down
the Middle
Loup
River
Loup River
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■
Annual Spring Sandhill
Crane migration
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JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 15
Nebraska Bird Library
y
Sponsored by
Eastern Bluebird
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
Choosing Binoculars
16 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
PHOTO BY JON FARRAR
By Julie Geiser
Binoculars are a must for watching wildlife, but there are
several considerations to ponder before your first, or your
next, purchase.
Buyers must first understand the numbers associated with
binoculars. For example, if a pair is described as 7x35, the
first number is the magnification power. Seven power, or 7x,
means the binoculars make subjects appear seven times closer
than with the unassisted eye. Most birdwatchers prefer 7x or
8x binoculars mainly because a higher magnification power
will also be more difficult to keep steady while handholding.
Lower power binoculars are usually lighter, tend to have a
wider angle of view than more powerful models and often
have a shorter minimum-focus distance – which is handy if
you’re trying to look at a butterfly or a bird at a feeder.
The second number is the diameter (in millimeters) of the
objective lens. The “50” in 7x50 means that the front lenses
of the binoculars (the ones farther from you eye as you look
through them) are 50mm in diameter. The larger the front
objective, the more light entering the binoculars and the better
you can see in dim light. Brighter images help reveal field
marks and the beauty of bird colors, but in general the larger
the objective lens, the heavier (and pricier) the binoculars.
Field of view is another facet to consider, and is the width of
the area you see while looking through your binoculars. The
wider the field of view, the easier it is to locate your subject.
The term “exit pupil” refers to the shaft of light transmitted
through the binoculars to the eye and indicates how well
the binoculars will perform in low light. Larger exit pupils
transmit more light, thus a brighter image, and can be
calculated by dividing the diameter of the objective lens by
the magnification number. For example, 7x35 binoculars
have an exit pupil of 5mm (35 divided by 7). And finally –
always choose binoculars with fully coated optics. Most
manufacturers coat exterior lenses, but the interior optics of
some inexpensive binoculars may be uncoated, causing a
loss of light. The quality of coating varies; more expensive
binoculars usually have better quality optical coating.
With so many choices available, always remember
one thing: you get what you pay for. Use your personal
preferences, budget and intended usages to determine what
will be the best fit for you. ■
Song or calls: Musical, rising “chur-lee.” Extended
in song to “chur chur-lee chur-lee.”
Description: Uniformly deep blue above; orangered throat, sides of neck, breast, sides and flanks;
contrasting white belly; white undertail coverts. Female
is duller overall. Juvenile is brown above; white below
with brown mottling and has blue on wings.
Habitat: Breeding birds favor open hardwood
forests, especially those bordering grasslands. Breeding
birds and migrants can also be found in forest edges,
shelterbelts, city parks and farmsteads.
Where in Nebraska: Spring and fall migrant across
the state, most common in the east and rare in the
extreme west. Common summer resident in eastern
areas, and local breeder in the west.
Status: Serious population decline in recent decades
due to competition with starlings and house sparrows
for nest sites. Specially designed nestboxes and
concerned birdwatchers have resulted in a promising
comeback.
Fun Facts: The Eastern bluebird is also known as
“blue robin” and “blue redbreast.” ■
To learn about more birds visit:
NebraskaBirdLibrary.org.
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 17
June 2, 16
Pistol League
Platte River State Park (SP),
Louisville, 402-471-5547
June 3
Family Fishing Event
June 7-8
Shut Up and Fish
Walleye Tournament Lake
McConaughy SRA, Ogallala,
308-284-8800
June 7–Aug. 3
Skyview Lake, Norfolk, 6-8 p.m. Swimming Pool Open
Daily Niobrara SP, Niobrara,
June 4
402-857-3373
Family Fishing Event
Pawnee Park East Pond,
June 9, 11
Columbus, 6-8 p.m.
Rimfire Sporter Rifle
Clinic Platte River SP,
June 4, 11, 18, 25
Louisville, 402-471-5547
Beyond BOW Archery
Clinic Platte River SP,
June 9-27
June 14
Buffalo Cookout and
National Park Service
Program Niobrara SP,
Niobrara, 402-857-3373
June 14
Beyond Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman
PHOTO BY DOUG CARROLL
by Jerry Kane
Geocaching, Maskenthine
Lake Recreation Area,
Stanton
June 14
Chadron State Park’s 93
Anniversary Event Chadron
Residents and nonresidents SP, Chadron, 308-432-6167
may apply for one deer permit June 14
June 7
in any draw unit
Fly Fishing School
Family Fishing Event
Aksarben Aquarium and
Yanney Lake, Kearney,
June 9-27
Schramm Park SRA,
10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Residents and eligible
9 a.m.-3 p.m. 402-332-3901
landowners may apply
June 7
for one buck or either-sex
National Park Service
antelope permit in available
June 14-15
Outdoor Event Niobrara SP, units
Bugs and Bones Weekend
Niobrara, 402-857-3373
Ponca SP, Ponca,
June 9-27
June 7
Residents may apply for one 402-755-2284
Louisville, 402-471-5547
Outdoor Education Center elk permit
Grand Opening
June 10
Lincoln, 402-471-0641
Family Fishing Event
June 7
Fremont SRA Lake No. 3,
Fishing is Fun Clinic and Fremont, 6-8 p.m.
Water Expo
June 11
Lake McConaughy State
Recreation Area (SRA),
Ogallala, 308-284-8800
June 7-8
Scheels 3-D
Archery
Tournament
Ponca SP,
Ponca,
402-755-2284
Family Fishing Event
Benson Park Pond, Omaha,
6-8 p.m.
June 11
Family Fishing Event
June 15
Father’s Day Fish Fry
Ponca SP, Ponca,
402-755-2284
June 15
Father’s Day Fishing
Tournament Niobrara SP,
Niobrara, 402-857-3373
June 15
Father’s Day Buffet
Fort Robinson SP, Crawford,
Recharge Lake, York, 6-8 p.m. 308-665-2900
June 12
4-H Horse Camp
Fort Robinson SP, Crawford,
308-665-2900
June 13
National Park Service
Campground Program
Niobrara SP, Niobrara,
402-857-3373
June 13-14
Ash Hollow Pageant Ash
June 17
Family Fishing Event
Walnut Creek Reservoir,
Papillion, 6-8 p.m.
June 18
Family Fishing Event
June 13-15
Intertribal Gathering Fort
Robinson SP, Crawford,
308-665-2900
Although less than a minute from I-80, Windmill SRA offers an escape for passers-by.
June 21
Carp-O-Rama Pawnee SRA,
Emerald, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
June 21
Beyond Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman
Introduction to Trap, Skeet,
5-Stand and Sporting Clays,
Fort Kearny Shooting Range,
Kearney
June 21
Dirty Bird Mud Run Ponca
An I-80 Hotspot
By Julie Geiser
North of exit 285 at Gibbon, Windmill State Recreation Area (SRA) is a stone’s
throw from Interstate 80. Sporting six lakes with largemouth bass, bluegill,
crappie, channel catfish and more, there is fishing galore at this SRA. Camping
with modern facilities along with restrooms, showers and a laundromat will suit
every type of camper. Come for the day or an extended stay and take a swim, ride
a bike or come learn the history of Windmill SRA. ■
SP, Ponca, 402-755-2284
June 24
Family Fishing Event City
Pond, North Platte, 6-8 p.m.
Send Us Your Trail Cam Photos!
June 25
Family Fishing Event
Cottonmill Lake, Kearney,
6-8 p.m.
June 26
Family Fishing Event
Mormon Island SRA Lake No.
1, Grand Island, 6-8 p.m.
June 27
National Park Service
Campground Program
Niobrara SP, Niobrara,
Bowling Lake, Lincoln, 6-8 p.m. 402-857-3373
June 19
Panhandle Pollinators
Workshop Wildcat Hills
Nature Center, Gering,
308-436-3777
Hollow State Historical Park
(SHP), Lewellen, 308-778-5651 June 20-22
18 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
NEBRASKAland
Visitor
Contact the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at
402-471-0641 or visit OutdoorNebraska.org for more
information.
Visit HuntSafeNebraska.org for a list of hunter
education classes and BoatSafeNebraska.org for a list
of boating safety classes.
June 27-28
Becoming an Outdoors
Family Camp
Two Rivers SRA, Waterloo,
402-471-5547
June 28
Spanish Mustang
Beyond Becoming an
Breeders Fort Robinson SP, Outdoors-Woman
Crawford, 308-665-2900
Summer Walleye Fishing,
Lake McConaughy SRA,
Ogallala, 308-284-8800
“Not that an elk in Nebraska is odd,” wrote Chad Marsh, “but the
fact that this was in Antelope County is.”
He also saw him several times while deer hunting.
Please submit your trail camera photos by e-mail to:
nebtrailcam@gmail.com. Also include where you’re from and any
information that will help explain your photo.
Last issue’s winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Lynn Kaufmann of
Lincoln, Nebraska, who found the
chickweed geometer on page 49.
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 critter
found in Nebraska. 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 8, 9, 11, 14, 19 or 47.
This small, light brownishyellow moth with pink bands on its
wings is the chickweed geometer,
Haematopsis grataria. It is a
common moth in Nebraska, and
adults can be found flying from
May through October. The large
feathery antennae tell us it is a male
moth; the antennae of females are
threadlike. Geometer caterpillars
are called inchworms, and move
by pulling their rear segment up to
their front legs, forming a loop, and
then extending the body forward.
These caterpillars feed on a variety
of plants, including chickweed and
knotweed, and are not considered to
be pests. There are
multiple generations
each summer,
with the last
generation
overwintering
in the
pupa stage.
Special thanks to Julie Van Meter,
State Entomologist, Nebraska Department of
Agriculture. Visitor image by Eric Fowler
Bugguide.net is a good site for identification.
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 19
NEBRASKAland DAYS
A Tradition for 50 Years
By Julie Geiser
Celebrating western style has been occurring for 50 years
in Nebraska – a tradition originally started by the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBRASKALAND DAYS INC.
communities statewide, asking for
assistance with floats, riding groups or
any other type of portable hometown
attractions available for display in
Lincoln.
Not long after its conception, the
first parade, featuring several Nebraska
communities, was held on O Street
on July 23, 1964. Attractions also
included pageants, rodeos, an American
Indian powwow, the naming of the
Commission’s oxen contest, square
dancing, shoot-out reenactments and
other Wild West-related activities for
the five-block celebration. An estimated
45,000 people were in attendance for
the first year’s show – with about 40
Nebraska towns and cities bringing
more than 75 parade entries.
With the success of the first year,
the Commission set the dates for
the 1965 celebration, newly named
NEBRASKAland DAYS, from
June 3-6. Scheduled events included
downtown parades, a Mari Sandoz
essay contest, Jaycee rodeo, theater
performances and vacation booths.
It was also the first year for the Miss
NEBRASKAland pageant and the
Buffalo Bill Cody Award.
The prestigious Buffalo Bill Cody
Award is given to celebrities for
their contributions to western culture.
Cowboy actor Dale Robertson was
presented the first award with his
performances in television series’
Tales of Wells Fargo, The Iron Horse
and Death Valley Days, as Connie
Svolopoulos of Omaha was crowned
Miss NEBRASKAland.
By 1966, NEBRASKAland DAYS
was on its way to becoming a major
tourist event and received priceless
coverage throughout the United States
North Platte
The Miss NEBRASKAland float was one of more than one hundred entries that marched,
drove or rolled down the streets of North Platte in the “Where the West Is” parade.
20 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
North Platte is the current home of
NEBRASKAland DAYS, a celebration of
the West that runs June 18-28
this year.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBRASKALAND DAYS INC.
C
elebrating western style during
NEBRASKAland DAYS has
been going on for 50 years in
the Cornhusker state – a tradition
started by the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission.
Put in motion by then Nebraska
Game, Forestation and Parks
Commission Director Mel Steen,
“NEBRASKAland on Parade” was
organized by Dick Schaffer, editor of
NEBRASKAland Magazine predecessor
Outdoor Nebraska, to promote
Nebraska’s tourism on a national scale.
Schaffer and his staff sent letters to
Charlton Heston proudly displays
his Buffalo Bill Cody Award
during the 1966 “NEBRASKAland
on Parade.”
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 21
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBRASKALAND DAYS INC.
Miss NEBRASKAland, Connie
Svolopoulos, in 1965 with Barney Oldfield.
North Platte’s First Year
As newly titled general chairman
of NEBRASKAland DAYS, Jim
Whitaker became the head volunteer to
organize committees and get the 1968
celebration ready in less than
five months for North Platte’s first
festival. “We didn’t know what
changes to make and how exactly
to do things,” Whitaker said of the
first celebration. “We only had an
established rodeo committee, and I
was on that too.”
Whitaker spent all his spare time on
NEBRASKAland DAYS. One night,
tired of losing sleep, he sat down at
his game table and, writing all night,
created the organizational structure
for the event that would last for many
years. From location, to setup, to take
down, every event was meticulously
planned. By the end, Whitaker had
created 33 different committees to
organize the event, also commending
Ken Hornbacher, the first president
of NEBRASKAland DAYS in North
Platte, and members of the Commission.
“Rex Amack and Dick Schaffer were
a God-send in getting us going,” said
Whitaker. “We had no background on
how to do this.”
Looking back, Whitaker said the
first year was his most memorable
out of the nine years he spent on the
board. “We all had fears about how it
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBRASKALAND DAYS INC.
thanks to a visit from First Lady
Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor
Johnson. Crowds were growing
with estimates of 75,000 attending
the parade, 10,000 at the Wild West
Shows, 7,000 at the rodeo and 4,000
at the Miss NEBRASKAland Pageant.
Even an estimated 3,000 were served
pancakes at the Gateway pancake feed,
not including the thousands watching
the televised event.
After three successful years, the
Commission sought a permanent home
for the NEBRASKAland celebration
as a major tourist attraction, and
communities across the state were
invited to bid for the location. North
Platte was selected from several cities,
including Lincoln, to become the
host. With the historic Buffalo Bill
Rodeo already established and the
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical
Park being developed into what Steen
believed to be one of Nebraska’s top
tourist attractions at the time, the
celebration had found its new home
as the Nebraska Legislature awarded
North Platte NEBRASKAland DAYS
in 1968.
The Beginnings of Cody’s Wild West Show
I
A 1967 parade float in Lincoln recognizes that North Platte will be the permanent home of NEBRASKAland DAYS in 1968.
22 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
n 1882 the people of North Platte approached Col.
William F. Cody about producing a Fourth of July
celebration for the community; from this event the
Buffalo Bill Rodeo was born. The first rodeo was called
“The Old Glory Blow Out” and included buffalo riding,
roping and bronco riding. This rodeo is also what
evolved into Cody’s Wild West Show that traveled the
world bringing the untamed West to thousands.
The Buffalo Bill Rodeo was one of the world’s
first spectacular rodeos and was sanctioned by the
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1947. It
remains today one of the most popular stops on the
rodeo tour and the anchor event of the NEBRASKAland
DAYS celebration.
Miss Rodeo Nebraska is crowned on the opening
night of the rodeo and queens from across the nation,
including Miss Rodeo America, attend the event. World
champion cowboys, cowgirls, rodeo announcers, award
winning acts and rodeo clowns attend the Buffalo Bill
Rodeo along with championship livestock.
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 23
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBRASKALAND DAYS INC.
“It was the original rodeo,” he said,
“and I think it’s still one of the finest
outdoor rodeos in the country.” Fudge
also places great emphasis on the
event’s entertainers. “What makes this
place so unique is how close people
can be to the performers. It really is
the best of what we have to offer in
outdoor entertainment.”
Keeping core events for the
celebration – including concerts, rodeos
and parades – will always be relevant,
but NEBRASKAland DAYS will
evolve just like other events throughout
the state. Because Fudge is passionate
about what the event means to North
Platte, “NEBRASKAland DAYS is a
point of pride for a good deal of our
community in North Platte. It was
awarded to North Platte as a result
of a competitive bidding process.
Several communities wanted it – so
for it to have landed here, and for our
community to have embraced it and
made it what it is today, is something
we should all be proud of.”
Fudge is especially thankful for the
event’s board of directors. “If you take
a look at a list of those who have served
throughout the years, it’s a who’s who
of North Platte. They’ve all played a
role in shaping this celebration into
Event Schedule
F
ollow the fun during the 50th NEBRASKAland DAYS Celebration. The
schedule is packed with events for all ages. Celebrate western style
with the Wild West Show and the Buffalo Bill Rodeo. Enjoy prime-time
entertainment at the US Cellular Summer Jam Concert Series followed
up by the Heart of America Shows Carnival along with many other
activities every day that are sure to please.
The 2014 celebration runs June 18-28 and includes:
● Concerts by Lady Antebellum
and Billy Currington
● Four nights of Buffalo Bill PRCA
Rodeo
● Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant
● Wild West Microbrew Festival
● Heritage Festival
what it is today, and a lot of them took
chances along the way to make sure
NEBRASKAland DAYS survived.”
Today NEBRASKAland DAYS is
doing more than surviving. With more
than 85,000 people attending the event
in 2013, including visitors from all over
the U.S. and even as far as Europe,
organizers are looking forward to
●
●
●
●
●
●
Classic Car Show
Woodcarver Show
Frontier Revue
Three Parades
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
Kids fun including the Fun
Festival and Mutton’ Bustin’
another year of boot-stomping, Stetsonwearing, Wild West show heritage that
has taken place for half a century – as
are the visitors coming to see where the
West truly is. ■
V
Visit
NEBRASKAland DAYS website
tto get more information and a full
sschedule of events.
More than 400 youngsters dressed up for the Best Western Dressed Kids parade in North Platte in 1968. There were 36 prizes
totaling over $300 to winners in 11 age and gender divisions in three separate categories – western, pioneer and Indian.
would turn out, but it all came out all
right. No one got hurt, we had enough
money to pay our debts, we kept track
of the money for the community and
NEBRASKAland DAYS was a big
hit, instead of a miss. It made it easy
for us to ask the board and committee
members to stay on.”
The Buffalo Bill Rodeo is the anchor event for NEBRASKAland DAYS and is one of the
main reasons the celebration was awarded to North Platte.
24 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
Competing with other events
throughout the state remains a
challenge for NEBRASKAland DAYS
in 2014, but showcasing Nebraska’s
best and keeping to its origins makes
the event a draw even today for its
celebration of Wild West heritage.
David Fudge, executive director of
NEBRASKAland DAYS, commented
on the future of the event, saying the
event puts such a high value on the
production of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
The Future for
NEBRASKAland DAYS
Carnivals have been a crowd pleaser for all ages as part of NEBRASKAland DAYS since its early beginnings.
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 25
ONE STOP SHOP
SUMMIT LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA
By Jeff Kurrus
Sunrise at Summit Lake State
Recreation Area near Tekamah.
PHOTO BY BOBBI ANDERSON
S
ummit Lake State Recreation Area in northeastern Nebraska’s
Burt County is the answer for many modern nature enthusiasts
with little spare time. It’s close but not too close to home for
many, has activities to satisfy every family member and is eyecatching for all who visit.
But let’s be honest. It’s the fishing that garners the most attention.
26 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
Summit Lake State Recreation Area in Burt County offers 345
acres of land, including 190 acres of water with a swim beach,
two boat ramps and two miles of hiking trails. At the Bob
Eckdahl Campground, there are also 30 camping pads with
electrical hookups, 15 non-electric pads and 22 other non-pad
sites
Summit Lake
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 27
SUMMIT LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA
t
32 tent-camping sites west
of boat ramp parking lot to
east side of campground.
T
Camping
Camp
Registration
Reg
gis
Campground
r
Dump Station
w
Group tent camping area.
Tent Camping
Picnic Shelter
Beach
Playground
o
a
t
Boat Dock
NORTH
Restrooms
Fish-cleaning Station
APPROXIMATELY
1500 FEET
Ice fishing remains popular at Summit Lake because
of its underwater structure ideal for vertical jigging for
various species, including largemouth bass.
short country drive
off of Highway 75
west of Tekamah,
Summit Lake is an area
with enough for the whole
family – or the solo angler
looking for a few hours of
time on the water a short
distance away from Lincoln,
Omaha or beyond. ■
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
28 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
a V
q t p
Maintenance
Shop
A
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
o be able to float a canoe, kayak or bass boat
is the best of all worlds for anglers, and
Summit accomplishes that very goal. With
190 acres of water, boat anglers can access deep
wooded structure, points, rip-rap and shallow
vegetation-covered coves for largemouth bass,
bluegill, crappie and channel catfish.
Bank anglers also have it good, with 15
breakwater jetties spread around the lake and
deep water within casting distance of each. Grass
edges also line the majority of the lake, making
wading a viable option as well.
But the area is more than a fishing destination.
A swim beach, hiking trail and picnic areas make
Summit one of the region’s most captivating
hotspots. Plus, the area recently got even
better with the addition of the Bob Eckdahl
Campground in the summer of 2013. The
campground, built in honor of Summit’s former
park superintendent, features electrical hookups
and camping pads to make this great destination
even greater.
Camping
ng
Registration
ation
q
a
MAP BY TRISHA SCHLAKE, GIS APPLICATIONS DEVELOPER
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Jody Langley of Tekamah (left), and Jerry and Carrie Schmitz of Council Bluffs, Iowa, relax lakeside at the Bob Eckdahl Campground.
a
qa
KEY
r
t
w
p
g
V
a
Vp
go
r
w
o
C
Click
to make a camping
rreservation at Summit Lake State
Recreation Area.
R
Brittany (left), Emiley, mom Victoria and Kailey Voss from Tekamah fishing from one of
the lake’s 15 breakwater jetties.
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 29
Long Live Anglers
Text and photos by Jenny Nguyen
For Fred Egley, nearly a centenarian, the fish are still biting and the beer
battered fillets are still enticing.
M
any men don’t live to be 98 years old, let alone
have the ability to fish that long. Fred Egley, Jr., a
Nebraskan born and raised, is one of those people
who can boast both.
I had the pleasure of meeting Egley last winter, shortly
after his ice fishing trip with long-time friend Don Kraemer.
Kraemer had sent photos to the Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission’s Norfolk office of his
97-year-old friend sitting on the ice, grinning
wide with a fishing rod in hand. These
days, Egley mostly fishes in the spring
and summer, but after a couple years of
being off the ice, Egley took Kraemer’s
offer to go ice fishing.
“I thought ‘well, it might be
foolish but I believe I’ll try it,’” said
Egley, recalling the day. “Don said
he would do all the pulling of the
sled and the equipment on the ice,
and he could park near the lake so
I wouldn’t have far to go on my
walker. But I did catch probably 10
fish before Don got ready to put his
equipment into the water,” said Egley,
chuckling. “It was a pleasant day and
we caught a few fish. We kept them and
filleted them, as I recall. We ate them and
they were good – they always are.”
Fishing Is a Way of Life
For dabblers, fishing trips are merely occasional
moments that dot a lifetime. For true anglers, life seems
to happen around fishing. Egley’s story starts in Holdrege,
where he was born in 1916 and the fishing “bug” first bit
him. “I had some older boy friends that taught me how to
fish, but I mostly learned by myself,” said Egley. “My dad
fished as much as he could, but he was a railroader. He had
to be on the road quite a bit.”
Egley’s love for fishing was also reinforced during visits
with his grandparents in Washington. They had a fish
hatchery on Whidbey Island out in Puget Sound. Egley
fondly recalled fishing for trout in his grandparents’ ponds
during his boyhood.
When Egley graduated college, he moved to Norfolk in
1939. His favorite places to fish were by Pierce and Yankton,
but Egley also made many memorable trips to Canada,
starting in 1955. “No one else went to Canada then.
Everyone else went to Minnesota, because it
was the place to fish. But then it became outfished, so everyone started going up north,”
Kraemer explained.
Egley remembered traveling with
four other men his age on that first
trip to Canada, all of whom are now
deceased. “Where we caught the fish,
they didn’t have electricity but they
had ice piles covered with sawdust,
and we just buried the fish on the
ice and covered them. And that’s
the way we brought them back into
Nebraska, in boxes packed in ice.
Later years, we filleted them and
always brought them home frozen,”
Egley recalled. Over the years,
Egley would make the fishing trip to
Canada with 30 to 40 different men,
and sometimes with his wife Marie as
countless numbers of walleye, northern
pike and bass were caught.
“Back then, it cost us $8 a week to stay in
a cabin for four people. That was when I was
making $100 a month. Marie enjoyed the fishing part
of it and the camping part very much. We were high school
classmates in Lincoln,” said Egley. “I lost her in 2004.”
Marie and Fred married in 1940, and in 1943 Egley
accepted a commission in the U.S. Navy, which slightly
altered his fishing activities. He was in the service for two
and a half years, and was sent to New Guinea and later the
Philippine Islands as commander of an 80-foot patrol torpedo
boat during World War II. He and his crew had a close call
in the Pacific, when they were attacked by kamikaze bombers
Above: In the 1950s, when Fred Egley was in his 30s, he walked more than one field for pheasants.
Right: Egley often fishes at his son’s lake in Norfolk. This photo was taken early last fall when Fred was 97 years old.
30 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 31
After securing a commission in the Navy, Egley went into small boat
training at several locations in the United States, including the University
of Arizona. Egley is fourth from the left in the second row.
Back of photo: “December 27, 1944. Suicide attack
by four Zeros – all hands lost on ship – over 300.
Pace and Laker (gunner and cook) killed Dec. 31 by
suicide plane while getting chow from Orestes, a
PT tender. We shot at the planes but one got to the
ship. We hit one that exploded behind my boat –
PT-332. The explosion caused our boat to leak but
we got to Mindoro Island ok. Bob and Andy were
killed after we got to Mindoro Island. I wrote a letter
to the parents.”
– Fred Egley
Norfolk “boys” who died in service during WWII, the
Korean War and Vietnam War.
After the war ended in 1945, and with much to be thankful
for, life for Egley went back to normal and the fishing
continued. The Egleys had two sons, and looking back,
Egley’s fondest memories on the water were with them, as
they took a number of trips to Minnesota with other families.
Currently, Egley has seven grandchildren and seven
great-grandchildren, to whom he continues to pass on his
knowledge and love for fishing.
for three days and three nights; Egley lost two men.
“Then I got to come home. Shortly after, I was walking
ddown the street with
my wife at the PT base
m
bback on the East Coast,
aand I heard that the
aatomic bomb had gone
ooff on Japan – and I
nnever had to go back
oout again.”
Many years later,
E
Egley would be
rresponsible for
eerecting a Hall of
Fame at the Johnny
F
Carson Theatre
C
iin town to honor
Fisherman’s Friend
“My torpedo man
was very skillful.
I had the men
working on a hot
day scraping paint
off the boat and
that’s why he drew
that,” said Egley.
32 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
Egley and his friends made many trips to Canada starting in 1955, traveling
to different camps and areas to catch walleye, northern pike and bass.
“Don, get that trophy, would you?” Kraemer pulled a big,
blue trophy from off the refrigerator and handed it to Egley,
who proudly showed it to me. He told me to look at the
engraving. I read aloud, “Oldest Fisherman,” and both men
laughed.
“I took him to this tournament and he was the oldest
fisherman there at Grove Lake up at Royal,” said Kraemer,
“He was the oldest by about 15 years!”
“I didn’t seem to have any competition winning that
trophy,” Egley quipped.
Egley and Kraemer’s friendship goes back a long time.
In fact, it was Egley who taught his younger friend how
to fillet a fish. To this day, Egley still gives Kraemer a
hard time about how bad he was at it in the beginning. In
Kraemer’s defense, the younger fisherman said it was
because he’s left-handed, making all of Egley’s
instructions completely backward.
Egley and Kraemer shared many
exciting fishing moments together,
but they also shared the most
frightening one, which
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 33
Egley with one of his greatgranddaughters at his son’s lake house
in Norfolk. Egley has turned many of his
grandchildren into anglers.
h
happened
eight years ago while ice
ffishing at night in Pierce. “There were
sseveral other men in the area and one
oof them had a three-wheeler,” said
Egley. “It was dark, and he drove out
E
oon the ice and started racing around.
The first thing we knew, he was
T
sscreaming, and he had gone through
tthe ice. It was dark, and we could just
ttell the direction that he was in by his
hhowling, and we both ran. Of course, I
wasn’t the fastest runner [being nearly
w
990 then], but Don had gotten to where
hhe had gone through. He was standing
oon top of his three-wheeler under the
w
water and he couldn’t breathe.”
“I had cleats on and I got clear
down as far as I could go,”
continued Kraemer.
“There was a flag
Egley’s wife Marie made many camping and fishing trips with Fred.
They were high school sweethearts and married in 1940. Marie died
in 2004, just a day before the couple’s 64th wedding anniversary.
34 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
on a pole. Fred took that off and
handed it to me. I reached out and the
kid grabbed a hold of it, and we got
him out. We didn’t know him. He was
just a kid from Madison. Fred brought
his sled because he really thought we
were going to have a corpse.”
Kraemer was also a football
announcer, which worked out for
Egley, who is a die-hard Husker fan.
“Fred was always with me. There we
are up at the press box at the Memorial
Stadium in Lincoln,” said Kraemer,
showing me a photo. “I was doing
a play-by-play of the state football
championship and Fred was up there
with me. I took him everywhere. I did
it for some 20 years.”
by his side for as long as his body
will allow him. Kraemer and I chuckled
in admiration as Egley pulled out a
recent photo of himself, clad in blue
swimming trunks and goggles, about to
take a leap off the diving board at the
YMCA. Even at 98, he is still able to
drive himself to the gym every week.
If it wasn’t for the pain in his back, he
would have no need for the walker.
Having been a coach, gymnastics
instructor and PT boat training school
instructor in his lifetime, Egley knows
the importance of staying healthy and
in shape. It’s allowed him to stay on
the water all these years.
“Some days, I think I’m a pretty
good fisherman and some days not so
good,” said Egley, with a laugh. “It’s
still exciting to fish. I don’t think I’ll
ever get bored of it.”
“So tell me, Fred, what’s the secret to
living a long and happy life?” I asked.
His answer was simple: “Keeping in
good physical condition is extremely
important, and making every effort to
be happy with your life and your job.”
Though easier said than done, that’s
what has made Fred Egley’s life so
special. ■
Age Is Only a
Number
Since retiring in 1981 at age 65 as
vice principal of Norfolk Junior High,
Egley still tries to fish every chance he
gets, and he will continue to do so with
Kraemer, his sons and grandchildren
Both Norfolk residents, Fred Egley and Don Kraemer have been close friends
for years. The younger Kraemer still takes Egley fishing every chance he gets.
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 35
25 for Life
Text and photos by Justin Haag
For a quarter of a century, Boy Scouts have
been growing memories while planting trees
at Fort Robinson State Park. They gathered this
spring to give it one last shot.
Jim Schmitt of Dalton hands out ponderosa pine seedlings for planting in the Spring Creek area of Fort Robinson State Park and
Wildlife Management Area.
J
Three generations of Fort Robinson State Park tree planters, from left, Jonathan
James, Tyler James and Royden James.
36 N
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onathan James was barely a
teenager when smoke rolled into
his hometown of Torrington,
Wyoming, on a hot July day in 1989.
As the heavy air descended on the
community, worried members of the
local fire department drove the county
roads to find the source of the smoke,
he recalls. The search would turn up
nothing. In this case, where there’s
smoke, there wasn’t fire.
Southeastern Wyoming residents
would later learn the smoke was not
from nearby, but rather from a raging
forest fire more than 100 miles away
in ponderosa pines of northwestern
Nebraska – one that scorched 48,000
acres.
At the time, it went on record as
Nebraska’s largest forest fire and was
viewed as a tremendous blow to the
state’s Pine Ridge. Despite the toll that
was taken on what many consider to
be the state’s most scenic area, the fire
ignited what would become a wealth
of fond memories for James, his family
and countless others in the coming
years. For, without the fire, there would
have been no reason for Boy Scouts
of the Longs Peak Council to begin
meeting at Fort Robinson State Park
(SP) each April.
Looking Back
As the smoke was clearing from the
massive wildfire in the late summer of
1989, Scottsbluff physician Lou Kleager
began talks with Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission officials about
getting Boy Scouts involved in helping
the tourist destination rebound. With
the support of Rex Amack, Commission
director, and Vince Rotherham, Fort
Robinson SP superintendent, Kleager
began organizing a tree planting effort
for the Boy Scouts.
About 300-400 scouts and
accompanying adults showed up in the
spring of 1990 for the first planting.
With seedlings in hand, they toed a line
at the bottom of Smiley Canyon. After
cued, they planted trees southward at
10-step increments.
In the coming years, the project
picked up steam and the attendance
multiplied as Girl Scouts and other
volunteers joined the effort.
A number of trees from the first
year are standing tall today, but future
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Troop 5 of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, presents the colors during the flag ceremony to kick off the planting at Fort Robinson State Park
on April 5, 2014.
plantings would be more successful. In
coming years, the planters took a more
random approach to placement
so pines in rows wouldn’t resemble
a tree farm. Leaders also spent more
time on instruction to ensure trees were
planted with the best chance of survival.
The annual project was supposed
to end after five to 10 years, but the
popularity served as an impetus.
Commission officials decided that if
they had a large group willing to plant,
they might as well put pines in the
ground. The park provided lodging
and a meal or two while scouts
earned SOAR – Save Our American
Resources – patches for their three
hours of service.
Of course, one of the greatest
challenges has been funding such a
massive effort. In addition to support
from the Commission, proceeds
from the Nebraska Environmental
Trust helped keep it going. A total of
$193,250 in grants has helped purchase
pine seedlings and patches for the
scouts.
38
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4
The Lesson
From a distance, three boys appear
only as dots on the hillside near Spring
Creek on this mild April 5 – just a
few heads among the army of 1,400
who have arrived to give the project
one last shot. They carefully handle
a seedling near a decaying ponderosa
pine tree that met its demise in 1989.
One of the boys uses a tree spade to
penetrate the soil, while the others
promptly begin measuring the hole and
using their hands to make the width
and depth just right. When approached,
they excitedly tell the steps of planting
a tree, from making the hole to creating
a mote around the seedling to collect
precipitation. “You want it to go in
straight,” they advise. “You don’t want
a J-root or an L-root.”
After the seedling is planted, they
grab some of the decaying wood to
place around its base as mulch. It’s just
one small example of the circle of life
on this scenic region of mixed prairie,
rocky buttes and, still, ponderosa pines.
Like the thousands of volunteers
before them, the children leave
Fort Robinson SP with a hands-on
experience in conservation that is better
learned in nature than in a classroom.
And, they’ve left a positive mark on
the landscape and learned a lesson in
the power of collective volunteerism.
The Legacy
To the casual observer, it may seem
the tree planters haven’t made much
of a dent on the land covered with
grass and fallen pines. But, this year’s
effort of 10,500 seedlings put the
25-year total number of trees planted
more than 450,000. Using common
survival estimates for pine seedlings,
the organizers believe at least 76,000
have lived.
It takes a long time for a ponderosa
pine forest to reestablish in such
an arid region, especially in areas
that burned hot where fire had been
suppressed. Even trees that were
planted perfectly are greatly challenged
if moisture doesn’t come at the right
time. Organizers say all the benefits
can’t be measured in number of trees
still standing, though.
Mike Morava, Fort Robinson SP
superintendent, said the project has not
only provided outdoor education and
conservation opportunities to thousands
of youth, but has positively affected
the Pine Ridge landscape with a lasting
legacy that will be enjoyed by visitors
to the park for generations to come.
Jim Schmitt of Dalton, who serves on
the Longs Peak Council’s conservation
committee, said the program has forged
relationships and connected kids to
nature. Not to mention, Fort Robinson
SP, with its wide open spaces and
diverse activities, has just been a fun
place for them to be. He said the timing
has been right for a gathering, as troops
are looking for a suitable event to help
remedy spring fever early in the year.
“We never really knew why this
thing took off like it did,” Schmitt said.
“We know the Fort is part of the secret.
Fort Robinson is a draw.”
Schmitt said one of the greatest
rewards has been visiting with past
scouts who have returned to the park
for a vacation and revisited their
planting sites. Many have developed a
special connection to the park.
One of the best places to see the fruits
of the project’s labor is on the upper
elevations of the park’s Smiley Canyon
drive, where a marker is dedicated to
the project. The informational display
is situated near a large stand of healthy
pines. In addition to Smiley Canyon and
Spring Creek, trees have been planted
near Mexican Canyon and Carter P.
Johnson Lake.
“We never really knew why this thing took off like
it did, we know the Fort is part of the secret. Fort
Robinson is a draw.”
— Jim Schmitt, Longs Peak Council Conservation Committee
the planning committee and two of
Jonathan’s brothers planted trees at the
Fort as scouts. Tyler, now in his second
year as a Boy Scout, has been planting
since his first year as a Cub Scout.
The Jameses are quick to share
memories of plantings gone by,
including the year they were stranded
in a snowstorm 50 miles away, to the
many others in which they planted in
shirt sleeves.
In a tribute to the event’s storied
past, the three-generation trio of
Jameses was given the honor of
planting the project’s final tree on the
eastern side of the Smiley Canyon
drive near the pines planted during the
first year. “It’s great to be in that area
and look at those trees again and think
that we had a hand in helping get those
trees, that are now 10 to 15 feet tall,
in the ground,” Jonathan James said.
“It’s great to see them established and
replenishing the forest.”
Along with others in attendance,
the Jameses described the project’s
ending as bittersweet. As pines are
beginning to sprout naturally at Fort
Robinson SP, organizers realize it’s
time for volunteers to put their effort
into other projects.
At a ceremony after the final
planting, officials of the Boy Scouts
and the Commission relived stories
from past plantings. They paid tribute
to many who were instrumental in
making the event successful, including
two park superintendents, Rotherham
and Jim Lemmon. The two park leaders
are now deceased, but the trees stand as
part of their legacy.
All the fun isn’t over for the scouts,
though. Even though the tree planting
at Fort Robinson SP is ending, Schmitt
said scouts of the Longs Peak Council
will continue gathering at the park each
April. Leaders have discussed future
conservation projects there. Some may
even plant trees at nearby Chadron
State Park where wildfires struck in
2012.
The benefits of the work are just
starting to be realized. And, as one
storied conservation program has taken
root, seeds will certainly be planted for
others. ■
One More for the
Future
A quarter century has passed since
that smoky July day in Torrington – the
record-setting blaze in the Pine Ridge
that has now been surpassed by other
wildfires.
Jonathan James, now an assistant
scoutmaster for his 11-year-old son
Tyler’s troop in Parker, Colorado,
returned to Fort Robinson SP for
this year’s planting. The planting has
become tradition for the James family,
as Royden has become a member of
Kylie (left) and Karen Godman of Cheyenne plant a ponderosa pine seedling in the
Spring Creek area of Fort Robinson State Park and Wildlife Management Area.
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L E T
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Q U I E T
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T A N K
River by
Tank
Text and photos by Eric Fowler
Tank Down the Elkhorn customers float past Blackshirt Bend, a
sandbar where tubing outfitter Uncle Scotts offers sand volleyball
and a bar and grill. Trips down the Elkhorn begin at Elkhorn
Crossing Recreation Area north of Waterloo.
40 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 41
Y
O
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’
he first float trip Frank Weitski
took on the Cedar River wasn’t
his kind of trip. But it was part
of the inspiration for his second
trip, which may well have
been the first time anyone ever went
“tanking” in Nebraska, or anywhere
else, for that matter. More than 20
years later, one of the laziest ways
there is to float a river, and one that
can be enjoyed by anyone, has spread
from the Cedar River to three other
Nebraska rivers, and beyond.
Not long after Weitski bought the
Hungry Horse Saloon in Ericson in
1986, a friend asked if he wanted to go
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down the Cedar. “I said, ‘Sure, I need
to get away,’” Weitski recalled. So
Weitski hopped in a canoe for the first
time and the headed downriver. “He’s
pretty much a health nut, and this is a
bit of an exaggeration, but it took us
like 15 minutes to get from the bridge
up there down to the dock at the lake,”
said Weitski. “He stuck his paddle in
the water and never pulled it out except
to switch sides. I never had time to
drink a beer ... or smoke a cigarette.”
Other than the brevity, Weitski liked
his first float trip. And he did need
something to do when he had a day off
from ranching and running his bars in
Michael Suelter of Ericson, right, is one of the founders of tanking outfitting. He still floats the river for fun, including this
end-of season trip for his staff, including Jennifer and Jamie Tuma of Ord.
Calamus Outfitters of Burwell offers tanking trips on the Calamus River.
42 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
Ericison and two other towns. When he
saw one of his empty steel stock tanks
one day, an idea hit him. “I don’t think
it had ever been done before,” he said.
“I just thought, ‘Well, I’ll throw this in
the river and see what it does.’”
So he set off with a cooler of cold
ones, a grill and a lawn chair. The trip
that took “15 minutes” with his buddy
lasted hours. It was just what the doctor
ordered. So he decided to throw in a
picnic table and invite some friends.
And they told friends, and before he
knew it he’d bought a few poly tanks
and picnic tables and was outfitting
tanking trips from his bar. But ferrying
tanks and tankers to and from the river
turned into something Weitski didn’t
need: more work.
The solution walked into Weitski’s
bar one day. Michael Suelter, who ran
a hunting outfitting business in Ericson
and was floating the Cedar in tanks
of his own for fun, offered to buy the
tanking business. “It was a Godsend,”
Weitski said. “I’ll still get some
business from it and people will still
enjoy it and somebody else will get to
do the work.”
That was 1987, and Suelter is still
at it. His business – Get Tanked – has
grown into much more than the parttime, summer venture he’d envisioned.
“I thought it would be a weekend
deal,” he said, “but it kind of sucked
me up into full time.”
The effortless nature of tanking is
what makes the pastime popular and
keeps Suelter busy. There’s an old
saying on the Niobrara River near
Valentine, one of the first and still
the most popular river recreation
destination in the state, that goes
something like this: You don’t have to
touch your paddle if you don’t want to.
You could paddle a stock tank down
a river, but hydrodynamics is not the
vessel’s strong point. And while some
tanking outfitters might give you a
paddle, others give you a 2x4 or a
stick. Each has the same purpose: to
push off obstructions when necessary.
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 43
T
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hometown of Spalding. “We had done
it up there as a family, and I’m like,
‘Man, this would fly down here,’”
Steve said.
They’ve taken note of tanking
outside of Nebraska, too. At least two
outfitters are offering trips in Iowa,
one, ironically, on the Cedar River
and another on the Nishnabotna. A
businessman who picked up a tanking
flyer in Nebraska recently launched his
own business on the Yadkin River in
Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
A
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P
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But not everyone who hops in a
tank and heads downriver is looking to
relax. If there is enough water in the
river, about 50 teams of four will bring
their own tank and paddles and race for
cash in the annual Republican River
Tank Float at Guide Rock on July 19.
Prizes go to the top finishers and the
best-decorated tank.
If you’re more of a winter person,
you can sign up for the Polar Bear
Tank Race on the Middle Loup River
in Mullen. It was a balmy 0 degrees
T
Y
T
H
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G
Tanking Outfitters
in Nebraska
Calamus Outfitters, Burwell
308-346-4697
Calamusoutfitters.com
Broken Arrow Wilderness,
Fullerton 308-536-2441
Brokenarrowwilderness.com
Cedar River Runners, Spalding
308-223-9525
CedarRiverRunners@gmail.com
Crazy Rayz Tanking, Spalding
701-690-4285
Crazy Rayz Tanking on
Facebook.com
Get Tanked, Ericson
308-653-5469 or 308-750-5974
Get-tanked.com
Tank Down the Elkhorn, Omaha
402-709-8693
Tankdown.com
Nick Robertson of St. Paul takes his turn jumping into a hole on the Cedar River on a float trip with Get Tanked of Ericson.
For the most part, however, when the
steel or plastic tanks hit an obstruction,
whether it is the bank, a snag or a
sandbar, they usually spin right off and
keep floating downriver. The tanks are
practically impossible to tip over, so
the biggest worry is overhanging tree
branches. “You hope someone watches
your back,” Suelter joked.
“It’s just different than anything
else,” Suelter said. “It’s kind of hard to
imagine unless you try. With canoeing,
you’re always working. You’ve got to
worry about tipping and you’ve always
got to steer and paddle. With tanking,
you’re on the water and you don’t have
to do nothing. You kind of sit back and
let the river take you.”
Suelter is now one of four outfitters
between Spalding and Fullerton
running tanks on the Cedar River, a
narrow, winding stream that starts
in the Sandhills and flows into farm
country before joining the Loup River
at Fullerton. Tanking outfitters can also
be found on the Calamus, Elkhorn,
North Loup and even the Niobrara.
Most offer 8- or 9-foot diameter tanks
with room for 6 to 8 people.
Rich Mercure of Little Outlaw
44 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
in Valentine started offering tanks
alongside his canoe, kayak and tube
rentals about eight years ago after
seeing the popularity rise on other
Nebraska rivers. When he did, he
found out just how much the “Redneck
Yacht Club” reputation, and the
euphemism “getting tanked,” was tied
to tanking.
“A lot of my competition looked at
me funny,” Mercure said. And the first
thing the folks at the National Park
Service, who manage 76 miles of the
Niobrara below Valentine as a National
Scenic River, said was “imagine how
big of a party they can have in that
thing.”
Mercure found himself having to
stave off an attempt to ban tanks on
the Niobrara. He had been in the river
outfitting business since the late 1980s,
which is about the time the popularity
of floating the Niobrara River, mostly
in canoes, exploded. In recent years,
he had watched much of the business
shift to tubing, especially in the heat of
July and August. The party in a tank
would be no bigger than the one on
a raft of 10 tubes rafts tied together
and floating downriver, he contended.
And like outfitters on other rivers had
discovered, Mercure found that tanks
give people who have no desire to get
wet and would never get in a canoe or
on a tube a chance to experience the
river.
“Generally the conversation with
people who want to rent tank starts
with, ‘We want to bring grandmother
with us, and she’s 78 years old,’” he
said. “Grandma can go on this trip, and
so can young kids, even toddlers, who
are happy to hang their hands over the
side and splash in the water.
“If we didn’t have tanks, those
people never would have gotten on the
river. This is of more than family thing
than a party thing.”
Tanking trips on the different rivers
range from two to six hours. All of the
rivers get some or all of their flows
from groundwater seeping from the
Sandhills, meaning their flows, while
tapped somewhat by irrigation pumps,
are almost always high enough to float.
Jill and Steve Evers started offering
trips on the Elkhorn River above
Waterloo about six years ago after
booking trips with Suelter on the
Cedar when they were back in Jill’s
Glidden Canoe Rental, Mullen
308-546-2206 or 888-278-6167
Gliddencanoerental.com
Little Outlaw Canoe, Tube and
Kayak Rentals, Valentine
402-376-1822
Outlawcanoe.com
Tankers float toward Waterloo on a trip with Tank Down the Elkhorn.
and snowing for last year’s event on
March 1. Started by Glidden Canoe
Rental, a 12-year veteran of tanking
outfitting, to draw attention to the
Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway, next
year’s race is set for March 7.
But most folks who go tanking just
want to kick back, soak up some sun
and sip on a cold something. Many are
now paying for the experience. But
no doubt there are still some who, like
Weitski, have an empty tank of their
own, and when the chores are done on
the ranch, kick off their boots and slide
that old tank into the water. That’s the
Nebraska way to float a river. ■
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 45
Prescribed Fire Training Exchange
The Niobrara Valley Preserve hosts participants from around the world interested in fire education.
By Amy Kucera
M
46 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
May 1 - Sept. 17, 2014
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
ore than 100 students,
professional firefighters,
researchers and local
managers gathered near
Johnstown for the fifth
annual Prescribed Fire Training
Exchange (TREX) at The Nature
Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley
Preserve held on March 8-22. Trainees
traveled from all over the country, as
well as overseas, to conduct prescribed
fire operations on 3,200 acres of
various private, public and state lands.
“Fire is a need, no matter what
type of ecosystem,” said Jose Duce, a
Helitak Crew Boss from Spain.
As more than 80 percent of
vegetation growing in the U.S. is fire
dependent, prescribed fire is a key tool
shaping and maintaining a healthy
natural landscape.
“We are drawing from lessons
learned in Great Plains – the neighbors
helping neighbors philosophy – to
design a way to share responsibilities
for implementing controlled burns,”
said Jeremy Bailey, TREX incident
commander and the national fire
training coordinator with The Nature
Conservancy in Salt Lake City.
Bailey describes the training as
an opportunity to “work together to
increase the use of prescribed fire to
improve forage and habitat for wildlife,
range conditions and human safety.”
Kelly Corman, coordinating wildlife
biologist for the Northern Prairies
Land Trust in Bassett, has regular
conversations with landowners about
the use of fire to control encroaching
native and invasive species.
“It’s an economic issue in terms of
loss of forage, as well as an ecological
concern," Corman said.
He regularly invites landowners to
join him on "pasture drives" to take a
closer look their land, particularly the
intrusion of red cedars.
“When you get underneath the trees
and look at what’s actually growing
beneath, it can be eye-opening,”
Corman said.
A prescribed burn at Smith Falls State Park near Valentine was part of the Prescribed
Fire Training Exchange.
This training provides the logistics,
planning and organization skills that
fire practitioners need to be prepared in
all types of situations.
“We have to communicate effectively
to use fire responsibly,” Bailey said.
“In places around the world, we are
working with people, including tribes
and local communities, to reestablish
the use of fire on the landscape.”
While in Nebraska, crews had
to adjust to the challenges of
unpredictable spring weather, including
tent camping in sub-zero temperatures
and vehicles stuck in the sand and mud.
The training was an opportunity
for participants with all levels of
experience to acquire more practice.
“Education is the key,” said Amy
Hunnewell, in her fourth year of
fighting fires with a hand crew in Utah.
The Conservancy has been using fire
for 50 years, with experiential training
during the last 20, bringing together
numerous agencies and organizations
to assist landowners in the use of
prescribed burns.
The Preserve is also no stranger to
fire. What started as a lightning strike
on the property ended in a destructive
wildfire that scorched more than
29,000 acres of the Preserve, and more
than 62,000 acres in the Niobrara River
valley during the “Fairfield Creek Fire”
during the summer of 2012.
The training was a collaboration
between the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Bureau of Land Management,
Firestorm, Fire Learning Network,
Nebraska Forest Service, Nebraska
Environmental Trust, Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission, Niobrara
Council, U.S. Forest Service, National
Park Service and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
“The personal relationships you
establish are important. It feels like a
family here in Nebraska," Duce said.
Additionally, Pheasants Forever and
the Great Plains Fire Science Exchange
joined forces to host a second exchange
in the Loup River Valley, which
included an additional 12 firefighters
from Spain.
The use of prescribed fire is growing
throughout the nation, and beyond.
“Word of mouth, people are starting
to change their minds,” Duce said. “We
are spreading the news.” ■
Visit
The Nature Conservancy in
V
Nebraska.
N
Register online at NeGPP.org
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 47
▲
This is a picture of me, Paul Leeper (on the right), and my
brothers Clay and Matt, sometime around December 1969. I was
12 years old. This would have been the beginning of my passion
for hunting with my dad. We lived in Wood River and hunted all the
little spots around there. Rarely did we go out to hunt pheasants,
we hunted quail and took the roosters that came along. My dad has
passed but the memories remain. The picture was taken by my dad,
Don Leeper.
– Paul A. Leeper
Grand Island, Nebraska
▲
Pictured is my dad Virgil Simmons and I fishing
on the Blue River in southern Gage County
near Holmesville, Nebraska. A farmer would let
us pass through his property and we’d camp
on a sand bar in the river. Not pictured, but our
family’s fishing friends, were the Fred Dorn family
of Plymouth. This picture was probably taken in
1955. Fishing and friendship were great!
– Rick Simmons
Lincoln, 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.
48 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
The Search for the Missing Drone.
By Justin Haag, Regional Editor
T
his is a story about a government agency and its
drone. No, not that government agency and not those
drones.
It all begins in early 2013, shortly after I was hired
by the Game and Parks Commission. The wildlife
staff in our district expressed a desire to get aerial video
footage of wildlife. With the enthusiasm of a new employee,
I researched the issue and found some pretty impressive
videos of wildlife on the Internet, filmed using GoPro
cameras attached to remote control helicopters.
“Hmm, piece of cake,” I thought. “I’ve played around with
remote control vehicles before. It will just be a matter of
finding the wildlife to film.”
So, the helicopter would become one of my first
equipment requests. I was a little surprised to meet some
reluctance by my division administrator for the purchase.
The conversation went something like this:
“We’d like to buy this helicopter to film wildlife,” I wrote
in an e-mail.
“Hmm, I’ll have to check on that,” she replied, probably
wondering what kind of crazy person had joined her staff
and hoping this fantasy would wane.
Somewhere in ensuing requests, I attached a better
description and imagery of the plastic item I was requesting,
a far cry smaller than the two- or four-seat full-size chopper
that she must have had in her mind.
“Oh, you mean a remote control helicopter? Sounds
reasonable. Go ahead.”
So, I put in the order for the chopper, evoking visions of
grand footage of bighorn sheep, elk, deer and pronghorn
grazing on the beautiful terrain of the Panhandle.
Not long after the helicopter arrived, I got a call from
wildlife staff members who were at Chadron State Park
monitoring bighorn sheep. “Why don’t you bring that
helicopter out and we’ll give it a try?”
“It’s a little breezy,” I thought. But that didn’t deter me. I
was going to show them that this thing would work.
I arrived to the scene – one of the highest points of the
park – and promptly retrieved the helicopter from my truck
and readied it for takeoff. Without hesitation, I hit the
throttle and up it went.
And went. And went.
The “stiff breeze,” which may be described as a full gale
in some parts of the country, carried it away. We watched
it spin circles as I tried in vain to get it back to home base.
It was becoming obvious the flight was doomed, and my
wildlife cohorts were getting antsy as it neared private land.
So, I made the decision no pilot wants to make: It was time
for a crash landing.
To retrieve the helicopter, we traversed up and down the
steep walls of several Pine Ridge ravines that looked a lot
smaller from a distance. I even managed to get beat over the
head by the wing of a hen wild turkey that didn’t like me
poking my head over the ledge in which she was nesting.
Little did we know, that was just the first of many steps and
beatings we’d take in search of the helicopter.
I’ll admit, after that day, my confidence was shaken.
Notions crept in that I may be past my prime when it comes
to remote-control vehicle operation. So, I deferred to my
younger wildlife division coworkers and let them take the
aircraft to their Alliance office to practice.
About a week went by before I got the call. The helicopter
was missing somewhere in a corn field near the office, I
was told. Same story: wind carried it up and away. They
obtained permission to search from the reluctant landowner,
but finding it in the tall corn wasn’t going to be easy, I was
told.
Later that day, my editor called from Lincoln. “I’m
wondering if you can tell me where I could find a remote
control helicopter?” he inquired, making my pulse rise and
my palms sweat. “Crap, he must want it for a project,” I
thought.
He’d later reveal to me he knew it was missing. Yes, news
can travel fast from one end of the state to the other.
Despite a thorough search by several staff members, the
helicopter wasn’t found that day. Or the next. Or the next
week. Or the next several months.
As months went by, along with rain, sleet and snow,
I’d pretty much written off the possibility of finding the
helicopter. But, on a January afternoon, I sat down to my
desk to receive a message from a coworker. He wanted my
phone number so he could text me a photo of the helicopter.
I was amazed to see the image of it lying face down in the
field, looking much in the same condition the last time I saw
it.
The staff member who piloted the craft to its troubled
landing is the one who decided to give it one more look, and
found it in the field that had been heavily searched during
the summer. He tells me that the discovery brought so
much joy that he rolled around on the frozen ground
among the corn stubble. The batteries were
dead, but, much to our surprise, both the
helicopter and camera were in serviceable
condition.
So, even though it hasn’t resulted in
any prize footage, we once again have the
helicopter that started it all. Problem is, we’re
all too afraid to fly it. ■
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 49
PHOTO BY MICAH ELLSTROM
▲
This picture is from 1950 or 51. The picture
includes my oldest brother Jake Hild (as a very
young boy) my uncle Orville Wiemers, my dad
Jake Hild and family friend LaVern Ahrens.
The hunting likely took place on the family
farm north of Elm Creek. My dad and brothers
always enjoyed pheasant hunting. Looks like
they had a good day.
– Lori “Hild” Marshall
Kearney, Nebraska
Up, Up and Away
BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS/VIDEOS
NEBRASKA WILDFLOWERS. It’s back. Out of print
for 21 years, the second edition of Jon Farrar’s Field
Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska and the Great Plains
is now available. This 6-inch by 91/8-inch paperback
is a must have for anyone interested in learning more
about wildflowers in Nebraska and the Great Plains
region and makes a great gift. Richly illustrated with
color photography and ink drawings. To order this
publication or to learn about other great gift ideas, visit
NebraskalandGifts.com or call (800) 742-0056.
EXPLORE NEBRASKA art, history, culture and the
great outdoors with a subscription to Nebraska Life
Magazine. One year (six issues) for $24 or two years (12
issues) just $44.00. Phone (800) 777-6159 or write us at
206 W Norfolk Ave, Norfolk NE 68702-0819. or visit
NebraskaLife.com. Makes a great gift.
BOATS/BOATING
1991 MERCURY TYEE BOAT and Trailer. Full canvas,
downriggers, 135 & 9.92 HP Mercury engines, 2 fish
finders. Pilot electric motor, batteries & more. Contact:
402-489-4374 hhayes2510@aol.com.
ATTENTION: BORN IN 1986 OR AFTER: you
are required to complete a Boating Safety Course in
order to operate a boat or jet ski. Go to: http://
www.outdoornebraska.ne.gov/boating/guides/boating/
bgeducate.asp and click on Outdoor Calendar for a list of
classes in your area.
DOGS
DUCKDAWG RETRIEVERS - Raising exceptional
yellow and black Labradors. 30 month written health
guarantee. Duckdawg.com North Platte, NE (308) 5343659.
PREMIER GUNDOGS TRAINING KENNEL, Inc:
Nebraska state licensed gundog training kennel specializing
in training programs for waterfowl and upland hunting
retrievers, spaniels, pointing Labradors and all gundog
pointing breeds. Dale-Kris Taylor (402) 787-2048,
Premiergundogs.com.
FLATLANDER KENNELS INC, Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
This region’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, Flatlanderkennels.com.
FISH/FISHING
FISH FOR SALE. Catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth
bass, perch, crappie, bluegill, walleye, rainbow trout,
grass carp, minnows. Pleasant Valley Fish Farm, 72645
U.S. Highway 83, McCook, NE 69001. (308) 345-6599.
NEBRASKA LAKE MANAGEMENT. Biological lake
surveys, fish stocking, rough fish control, lake aeration,
algae control, aquatic weed control. Rob Hofpar, Aquatic
Biologist, licensed, insured and qualified. (402) 784-6005
Valparaiso - (888) 850-2460 Nelakes.net.
WILLOW LAKE FISH HATCHERY: Serving all your
pond and lake stocking needs since 1956. Bluegill,
Hybrid Bluegill, Crappie, Perch, Bass, Catfish, Wiper,
Walleye, Minnows, Crawdads, Bullfrogs, Koi. We also
sell Aerators and other Pond Products. 402-463-8022
Hastings Ne. www.willowlakefishhatchery.com.
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.
Chadron.com/oldemain.
BIG BLUE RANCH & LODGE - Enjoy fishing,
horseback riding, hunting and prairie chicken viewing on
working cattle ranch in Southeastern Nebraska. Beautiful
log lodge with fireplaces, kitchens & big covered
porches, overlooks 20 acre lake. www.bigblueranch.com
(402) 865-4335.
BLUE CREEK LODGE - Oshkosh, NE. 13,000-acre
farm and ranch resort. Located by Crescent Lake National
Refuge and State WMA. First-class lodging, fishing and
hunting, boat rentals, waterfowl, upland bird, coyote
and mule deer hunting, family reunions, meetings and
getaways. Visit Bluecreeklodging.com or call (308) 7729912.
TAKE AN IN-STATE vacation this summer! With
affordable rates and locations with a view, visit a Nebraska
state park or recreation area. Go to OutdoorNebraska.org
and click on State Parks to look at the multiple options
available to you and make reservations at state park
facilities located across Nebraska.
WANTED
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. 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.
Drylandaquatics.com,
info@
drylandaquatics.com.
I-80 -Exit 59
WANTED – VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTORS. Interested
in making a difference? Get involved in teaching the
next generation of hunters. Call Heather Weihe at (402)
471-5662, or e-mail heather.weihe@nebraska.gov.
Classified Rates: 85¢ per word, minimum $15.
Closing: First business day six weeks before issue
date. Classified ads are accepted on a first-come,
first-served, space-available basis. Classified
Ads, NEBRASKAland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370,
Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Telephone (402) 471-5473.
Fax: (402) 471-1984. E-mail: ngpc.ads@nebraska.
gov.
VACATIONS/RESORTS
Take in the fresh air of
Western Nebraska and
enjoy the many events
and attractions in Sidney
and Cheyenne County such
as the “original” Cabelas
and the National Pony
Express Monument. Great
shopping awaits you in
Historic Downtown Sidney.
For a list of events &
attractions call or visit our
web site.
Presents
the 2014:
Outdoorsman & Family
Fall Field Days Event
Mark your calendars now for August 23 & 24
Events for the individual and the whole family
3D Archery Course—set in
over 30+ acres of woods
5 Stand SporƟng Clays
Quick Draw CompeƟƟon
Tomahawk Hawk
5K Fun Run—not your typical
road race
NEW
Nebraska Crossing Outlets, Gretna
Cheyenne County Visitors Center
sidneycheyennecountytourism.com
866-545-4030 * 308-254-4030
50 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
RecreaƟonal Trout Tournament /Fly CasƟng Lessons
Youth BB Gun Shoot (Free)
Youth Archery (Free)
Banquet & Benefit AucƟon
And MORE!
Proceeds go to provide no-cost deer and turkey hunts to
youth with special needs or life changing illnesses. For more
informaƟon about SYC of Northern Nebraska or this event:
www.sycnebraska.com Or call (402) 273-4352
The 2014 Outdoorsman & Family Fall Field Days Event is held
at: Camp Witness, 87979 Red Wing Rd, Long Pine, NE 69217
Google Maps: Pine View Rd, Long Pine and go north 2 miles.
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 51
Wild Chokecherry
An Important Wild Edible of the Great Plains.
By Jenny Nguyen
Early Uses
Identification
The chokecherry’s scientific name
is Prunus virginiana. It is a shrub or
small tree found on hillsides, open
52 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
woods, along streams, roadsides,
fence rows and ravine banks, in
rich, sandy or rocky soils. Trees
often grow in thickets, and can
grow up to 20 feet, but most
stand no more than 12 feet tall.
Branches are reddish-brown to
dark brown. Leaves alternate, are
elliptical in shape with toothed
margins, and are dark green on
top and grayish green on the
underside. Flowers are white
with five petals, and bloom in
April and May. Fruits are smooth
and round, deep red-purple or
black when ripe and can be
collected mid- to late-summer,
and sometimes earlier in hot, dry
years.
Chokecherries can often be mistaken
for the invasive species buckthorn
from Europe, which can make people
sick when eaten. Chokecherries hang
together in clusters on their own stalk
off the main twig, while buckthorn
berries grow individually directly on
the twig.
Chokecherry trees showing signs of
having been sprayed with herbicides,
such as yellow, wilted or dead leaves or
discolored fruit, should not be picked.
For more information, Uses of
Plants by the Indians of the Missouri
River Region by Melvin R. Gilmore,
Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie
by Kelly Kindscher, and Wild
Seasons by Kay Young are great
references.
Wild Chokecherry Jelly
Ingredients:
4 cups of whole ripe chokecherries,
twigs and leaves removed
1 cup of water
1 box of Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin
½ teaspoon of butter
4 cups of sugar
•
•
•
•
•
Directions:
Wash chokecherries thoroughly.
Place in a large pot with 1 cup of
water and bring to a boil. Then
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
As a native, wild edible of the Great
Plains, the chokecherry is highly
valued by the Plains Indians of North
America. It was a staple food, so
esteemed that in the Dakota language,
the month of July is “Chanpa sapa
wi,” which translates to “Black-cherry
moon,” signifying when the cherries
ripen.
The chokecherry was also significant
in that the time of their Sun Dance
ceremony was determined by the
ripening of its fruit. Additionally,
historians have found chokecherry
seeds in archaeological remains at a
historic Pawnee village near Guide
Rock, Nebraska, and at 11 of 62 sites
in North and South Dakota.
Historically, chokecherry was one
of the main ingredients in making
pemmican, a mixture of pounded dried
meat, fat and fruit, important to the
diets of Plains Indians, as well as early
trappers, traders and explorers of the
region.
Because pitting each fruit was
laborious, chokecherries were boiled
or dried and pounded with their pits,
a process that would alter the harmful
hydrocyanic (prussic) acid in the pits
and make them safe to eat. Some
tribes also cooked chokecherries with
their corn in the winter to make a
chokecherry/cornmeal mush.
Other parts of the plant also had
uses. Chokecherry twigs were stripped
of their bark and used as skewers to
flavor meat while cooking. Bark could
also be boiled to make tea or a remedy
for diarrhea.
Among settlers, chokecherries were
used to make jellies, jams, syrups,
wines and pies. Trappers have been
known to wash their traps in a similar
decoction to remove scent from former
captures.
cover and simmer until cherries are
soft, about 10 minutes.
With a potato masher, mash
cherries to let out its juices as best
you can. Then strain mixture through
cheesecloth or a jelly strainer; you
should get between 4-5 cups of juice.
Pour strained chokecherry juice into a
large saucepot, add butter and bring to
a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
Add sugar, return to a boil and cook for
1 minute, stirring constantly. Skim off
any foam. Immediately ladle mixture
into sterilized (boiled) jars leaving ¼
inch at the top. Wipe off jar rims and
screw on sterilized (boiled) 2-piece
lids.
Place jars in a canner and process
for 5 minutes in gently boiling water
to seal. Remove jars and place upright
on a towel to cool completely. After
they’re cool, check seal by pressing
down on the lids. If a lid springs back,
that jar has not been successfully
sealed and will need refrigeration.
Allow jelly to set, which usually takes
at least 24 hours for me. ■
R
Read
Jenny's
NEBRASKAland
N
blog "Midland
b
Musings" to see
M
other stories from this
NEBRASKAland Regional
Editor.
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 53
Calling Pronghorn
T
Amy Kucera, Associate Editor
June 21, 2013
PHOTO BY RANDY RUPERT
he prairie wildflowers have arrived abundant in the season at the Niobrara Valley
Preserve and appear as quiet as the burnt pines overlooking the river below.
I am fresh off a river float – a scenic scout in preparation to instruct a kayaking
course for the Nebraska Master Naturalist program in the morning. As I unpack my
gear, Gerry Steinauer, botanist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, walks
by and invites me for an impromptu hike through the east bison pasture with a small group
of naturalists. The urge to grab my camera overwhelms me but I make haste and reach for
my notebook instead.
As we walk the sandy slope to the meandering prairie bordering the Niobrara River, he
begins to photograph wildflowers in various angles and poses. Clouds bunch in an evening
sky as golden as the tops of the hoary puccoon in bloom that he kneels before, camera in
hand.
He steps through a buffalo wallow and continues to search for picturesque blossoms in the
impeccable light of the waning day.
“What’s that?” I cut through the Sandhills solitude, seeking his botany expertise.
“An aster,” he says nonchalantly. “But I call it 'old plainsman.'”
He stops to brush away the dried grass stems obstructing his camera view.
“Searching for a calendar girl?” I jest, studying the patch of prairie he has chosen for his
composition.
“I just like how the blue and yellow of the flowers look, growing together,” he says,
gazing through the glass. Crickets chatter softly as the sunset continues to unfold. I scribble
a few notes and quotes as we hike higher up the hill, amid the yucca and larkspur and prickly
poppy “... and that?” I implore.
“Six-weeks fescue,” Steinauer says as he picks up his gear and walks a few steps forward,
“It takes five weeks to bloom,” he jokes.
“This is way easier than carrying around a field guide,” I say, scanning the prairie for other
unknowns. He is concentrating on capturing the brilliant expanse of colored cloud layers
converging with the prairie before us.
“Look! Pronghorn!” he points.
Spotted, they come to a sudden halt. Steinauer shuffles his camera, adjusts his view and
focuses in. A breeze nods the grasses.
“Don’t move, animals,” he whispers.
They snort and wheeze, as if to scoff at us. Then, just as suddenly, they startle and flee.
“No, don't go,” I say aloud. “C’mere kitties!” I cry out, and they pause. From my seat of
grass, I continue calling, “Here kitty kitties!”
They turn and trot toward us, then stop and pose. The other naturalists have silently
gathered nearby, all with cameras fixed, zooming in on the moment.
We sit together on the hill and stare out unto the prairie, until the curious pronghorn startle
and scatter. Eventually, we all
wander on. I am the last to leave, as
I slow my pace and look back until
the stately creatures have vanished,
as the sun has, entirely from sight.
I should have grabbed the camera.
That day, someone with a camera took this photo of Amy
jumping into the Norden Chute.
54 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2014
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 55
Position: 820 (12 views)