Volume 92, Issue 6, 2014
July 2014
- Identifier:
- nela.2014_092_06
- Title:
- Volume 92, Issue 6, 2014
- Issue Name:
- July 2014
- Date Issued:
- 2014-07-01
- year:
- 2014
- month:
- July
- Season:
- Summer
- PDF filename:
- NL_92.06_2014_Jul_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 092
- issue:
- 06
- number:
- 092.06
- 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 io n si nc e 1926
NEBRASKAland
July 2014
A variegated meadowhawk pauses flight at Holmes Lake in Lancaster County.
Photo by Chris Masada.
NebraskalandMagazine.com
$4.95
INSIDE
Fort Rob’s Post Playhouse ● Wagon Train State Recreation Area
The New Outdoor Education Center ● Star Party at Merritt
Trophy Flatheads ● Antlions ● Pulse of the Plains
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 92
●
No. 6
●
July 2014
F EAT U R ES . . .
16
22
26
32
16
●
A World-class Act – The Post Playhouse
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MARK HARRIS
Stars in the Sandhills
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JUSTIN HAAG
Pulse of the Plains
PHOTOS AND TEXT BY MICHAEL FORSBERG
Turning Ten – The Ponca Expo
BY AMY KUCERA
36 Wagon Train State Recreation Area
P
T
E F
42 Shocking Flatheads
T
P
J K
46 A Grand Opening
HOTOS AND EXT BY RIC OWLER
EXT AND HOTOS BY EFF
URRUS
The New Outdoor Education Center
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
32
●
D EPARTM EN T S . . .
Comment .........................................................4
Mixed Bag.......................................................6
In the Field ....................................................50
Nature Notes .................................................51
Portraits from the Past ..................................52
Outdoor Update.............................................53
Classifieds .....................................................54
In the Kitchen ...............................................56
The Last Stop ................................................58
O N TH 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.
26
●
36
●
Cover: Purple gayfeather blooms at Branched Oak Wildlife
Management Area in Lancaster County. Photo by Jeff Kurrus.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 92 / NO. 6, ISSN 0028-1964) is published monthly, except
for the combined Jan./Feb. and Aug./Sept. issues, by the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission, 2200 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, NE. Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln,
Nebraska, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
NEBRASKAland, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.
2 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 3
Dick & Jane versus Outdoor Nebraska
As a young boy growing up in Nebraska, I had three
interests and reading wasn’t one of them. These three
interests were fishing, hunting and Nebraska Cornhusker
football.
By the time second grade rolled around, my parents, both
former school teachers, became concerned about my reading
(or lack of) and discussed this concern with my teacher. At
the conference they found out that my reading was at a bare
minimum and that I had little to no retention of what I had
read. When I was brought in for “questioning” they found
out that I had no interest in reading about Dick, Jane or their
dog, Spot.
Time for new tactics, my parents now decided to take
me to the local public library to check out three books at
a time, and after reading them I would receive a nickel for
each book. Then it was back to the library for three more.
Now they had me reading, but still little to no retention was
occurring.
Then in the spring of 1960, my father happened to bring
home the current edition of Outdoor Nebraska Magazine
from his office, and from the minute I saw it I was “hooked,
line and sinker.” My mother came up with a plan. I was
given Outdoor Nebraska and told to read one article of my
choosing and any words I didn’t know I was to ask. When
I finished the article I returned the magazine to my parents.
The next evening they would ask me which article I had
read and proceed to quiz me. Next, they would check off the
article in the table of contents. This process was repeated
until every article, including the classified ads, were checked
off. If I completed the task before the next issue of Outdoor
Hi Dennis,
My apologies for the omission. Pour
the strained chokecherry juice into a
large saucepot, then add pectin and
butter and bring to a full rolling boil,
stirring constantly.
Jenny Nguyen
Last fall, the Heusinkvelt family of Crete was able to get
together to photograph four generations of animal mounts.
Their results were quite impressive, to say the least.
Nebraska my father would bring that new issue home.
So basically I would read it cover to cover every month.
By testing time in fourth grade my reading scores were
above average and my reading retention had skyrocketed.
Now, as a retired public school
teacher, I still seldom read a book,
but I do read a variety of magazines
and newspapers cover to cover
and I never miss an issue of
NEBRASKAland Magazine.
So if your son or daughter has
trouble reading or reading retention,
try my parents’ remedy. It worked
for me.
Thanks to Outdoor Nebraska/
NEBRASKAland Magazine.
Rick Crosier
DeWitt, Nebraska
A Funny Redhead
I enjoyed the poetic
and informative article on
woodpeckers by William
Beachly in the May 2014
issue. It reminded me of a
lucky photo I took several
years ago when birding at
the Prairie Loft Center in
Hastings. I’m not sure why
this red-headed woodpecker
decided to stick its tongue out
at me, but it made me laugh.
Paul Dunbar
Hastings, Nebraska
Chokecherry Question
In the recent issue of NEBRASKAland, there is a recipe
for chokecherry jelly. It does not tell when to add the jello
pectin to the mixture. I would like to know.
Thanks,
Dennis Heying
via e-mail
4 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
Correction: In the
June 2014 issue of
NEBRASKAland
Magazine,
the back cover
photo is a Plains
spadefoot toad.
The spadefoot is the only
l toad
d found
f d
in Nebraska that has vertically
elliptical pupils.
Thanks to herpetologist Dan
Fogell and biologist Keith Geluso
for their assistance with this reidentification.
-Editor
COMMISSIONERS
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
Director Jim Douglas
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
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
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COM
OM
OMMIS
M SIO
S ON O
SI
OFFICES
F CES
FFI
ES
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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
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.
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.
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
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 5
N e b r a s k a ’s
Tick Precautions
By Julie Geiser
Summer is here and so are ticks. These eight-legged pests
rest on low-lying brush and vegetation, using their forelegs
to catch a ride on passersbys after using complex sensory
organs to detect carbon dioxide, scent and body heat of an
unsuspecting host.
Dressing properly will help eliminate the chance of getting
a tick. Light colored clothing allows you to see them easier,
and wearing a long-sleeved shirt and long pants to reduce
the skin area exposed to ticks helps. Also, tuck your shirt
into your pants and pants into your socks – this will keep the
ticks on the outside of your clothing. When outside, stay in
the center of paths, avoid sitting on the ground and conduct
frequent checks if you are in the woods, grasslands and
brush areas.
Tick checks should include a visual inspection of clothing
and exposed skin – followed by a full-body examination:
Check the scalp, behind and in the ears, behind body creases
including armpits, the groin area and the back of the knee
and nape of the neck, as these are areas ticks favor.
The mouthpart of a tick, or hypostome, has reverse
harpoon-like barbs, designed to penetrate and attach to skin.
Once attached, a tick will secrete a cement-like substance
onto the skin, fastening the tick firmly to its host – then it
will begin to draw blood from its host. It is important to
remove the tick as soon as possible; it must feed on a host 36
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to 48 hours beforee
it can transmit
disease.
Though rare,
if there is any
illness, it usually
starts with a rash
three to 30 days
after the bite.
To properly remove a tick, use fine point tweezers or a tick
removal tool to grasp it by the head or mouth, and gently
pull the tick out. If you must remove the tick with your
fingers, use a tissue or leaf to avoid contact with infected
tick fluids. Do not grab the tick by the body, as doing this
may cause it to secrete fluids to its host.
Once the tick is removed, wash your hands and disinfect
the tweezers and bite site. It is a good idea to make your
own tick removal kit including fine point tweezers, antiseptic
and a roll of clear tape or a small baggie to seal ticks in.
Keep the tick in case an illness occurs; it can then be tested
for disease.
If you don’t like harsh chemicals, try this homemade tick
repellent. Use 1 cup white vinegar, ½ cup Avon Skin-So-Soft
oil, ½ cup water and 1 tablespoon eucalyptus or tea tree oil.
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well, as
ingredients will separate if you don’t. Apply directly to the
skin and repeat about every hour. Avoid getting it on clothing
as the mix is oily. ■
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!
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
Adamson Project : 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
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6 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
For more tour details & to register, please visit:
NebraskaPF.com or
call Pam at 308-850-8395
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 7
Science with a Purpose
By Jenny Nguyen
Wayne, America
ome of the Wayne State College Wildcats,
o
Wayne is a small town in northeastern
W
Nebraska that has a college town
N
ffeel.
fe
el W
el
Wayne State College offers outdoor
art displays, an arboretum and the newly
renovated Willow Bowl where graduations,
weddings, sporting events, music and theatrical
performances, outdoor gatherings and other
community events take place. Wayne State
College is also home to the recently renovated Fred G. Dale
Wayne
Planetarium and the Norstrand Visual Arts Gallery, which are both
open to the public.
If you’re looking for outdoor activities, Wayne has many city
parks, two campgrounds and Bark Park, a fenced recreation
area for dogs that is located along the city’s walking/biking trail
that runs along the east side of town from South Main Street to
the WSC campus. And for those with green thumbs, check out
Garden Perennials located just south of town on Highway 15.
There, you will find a beautiful daylily and perennial plant nursery
owned and operated by Gail Korn.
Then take a stroll down Wayne’s Commercial Historic District
to visit unique shops like Rustic Treasures, a resale thrift and
consignment store, Pepers Purses Boutique, Swans Ladies
Apparel and more. Don’t forget to visit the Wayne County
Museum and the Veterans Memorial nearby.
Looking for a place to eat? Check out Geno’s for
mouthwatering steaks,
La Momias for
authentic Mexican,
the Magic Wok for
Chinese and Vel’s Bakery for donuts and
catering. Max Bar and Grill serves $1.50 burgers on Mondays
while the White Dog Pub is a favorite hangout for locals and college
students. For a pick-me-up, look to the Coffee Shoppe and Miss
Molly’s Coffee House for some seriously good java and eats. Offering
free Wi-Fi, art exhibits, live entertainment and activities throughout the
year, Miss Molly’s is a favorite spot among Wayne State students.
Wayne’s must-see event of the year is its annual Chicken Show,
held July 11-13 in 2014. This will be the event’s 34th year and will
feature three days of chicken-themed contests, a parade, arts and
crafts, music, food and much more. Wayne’s other featured event
is the annual Battle on the Nebraska Prairie Rugby Tournament
each spring; there will be a fall tournament this year, too.
For more information, visit Waynene.org, Wsc.edu,
Gardenperennials.net, Missmollyscoffeecompany.com,
Chickenshow.com and Marchmadnessrugby.com.
Corner of William and Mulberry
The Chicke
n Show
shops
School of Natural Resources
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
College of Agricultural Sciences
and Natural Resources
103 Agricultural Hall
Lincoln, NE 68583-0702
1-800-742-8800 ext. 2541
casnr.unl.edu casnr@unl.edu
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Super Tag and Combo Lotteries
By Jane Gustafson
Hunters looking for unique
opportunities – and the envy of
their peers – should check out the
lottery options currently offered
by the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission.
A total of four multi-species lotteries
are open, each featuring a combination
of big game permits that offer a great
Nebraska hunting opportunity.
New this year is a multiple-entry
super tag lottery that is open to both
residents and nonresidents. The
lottery includes one elk, one deer, one
antelope and two turkey tags; multiple
entries are allowed at $10 each. The
lucky winner of this lottery will have
the 2014 and 2015 hunting seasons to
fill all tags. The tags are good during
any open season with the appropriate
weapon.
A single-entry super tag lottery for
Nebraska residents is again being
offered as well. It also features one elk,
one deer, one antelope and two turkey
tags, and is good during the 2014 and
2015 hunting seasons. The cost for a
single entry is $25. Nebraska hunters
who have already drawn a once-in-alifetime bull elk permit are eligible for
both lotteries.
Also new in 2014 are two multispecies combination lotteries. A
combination lottery is being
offered to residents, and a
separate multiple entry lottery
is offered to nonresidents at
a cost of $10 per entry. Each
combination tag includes one
deer, one antelope and two turkeys,
and is valid during the 2014 and
2015 seasons.
Complete details on all lotteries can
be found on pages 5 and 7 of the 2014
Nebraska Big Game Guide, available in
print or online at OutdoorNebraska.org.
The application period for all lottery
options runs through July 4, 2014.
The lucky winners for all tags will be
drawn on July 11 at the Commission
meeting in Niobrara. ■
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
od
Lots of go
Explore interactions among natural resource systems and
evaluate the impacts of humans through eight majors in the
JUNE 2014 • NEBRASKAland 9
Tree School
A Brief History
Sailing Through Fort
Kearny in a Wind Wagon
By Patricia C. Gaster, Nebraska
State Historical Society
Samuel Peppard’s wind ship was
one of the most unusual vehicles in the
history of Great Plains transportation.
Designed by its inventor to carry
freight, the craft in its trial run followed
the Oregon Trail to Fort Kearny and
then turned westward up the Platte
River, reaching an ignominious end
near what is today Fort Morgan,
Colorado.
Peppard, a 27-year-old millwright,
and his crew had learned in trial runs
that the vehicle would be hard to
control. At one time it even became
airborne for a short distance. Yet, about
May 10, 1860, Peppard and his crew
sailed out of Oskaloosa, Kansas, with
500 pounds of cargo, headed for the
goldfields of present-day Colorado. A
few days later they entered Nebraska
via the Independence-St. Joe Road
southeast of Rock Creek.
Files of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated
Newspaper tell of the strange ship.
“The Wind Ship of the Prairies: Fort
Kearney, May 27, 1860,” sent by a
10 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
Leslie’s correspondent to his paper
against them.”
from Fort Kearny, said:
About a week later the ship was
“The ship hove in sight about eight
sighted 100 miles west of Fort Kearny
o’clock in the morning, with a fresh
by A. L. Frizzell of Iowa, who on
breeze from N.E. by E.; it was running
May 31 noted the appearance of the
down in a westerly direction for the
“sail wagon” in his diary. Attaining
fort, under full sail across the green
speeds of 15 miles an hour, Peppard
prairie. The guard, astonished at such a cruised to within 100 miles of Denver
novel sight, reported the matter to the
before his invention was demolished by
officer on duty, and we all turned out to a small tornado.
view the phenomenon.”
The voyage had taken three weeks,
The vehicle was described as “a very but only nine days were spent in
light built wagon, the body rounded in
actual travel. He and his crew rode
front, something in shape like a boat, to on into Denver by more conventional
overcome the resistance of the air. The
transportation powered by four-footed
wheels are remarkably light, large and
draft animals. ■
slender, and the whole
vehicle strongly built.
Two masts somewhat
raked carry large square
sails, rigged like ship’s
sails with halyards,
braces, &c., &c. In front
is a large coach lamp,
to travel by night when
the wind is favorable;
and it is steered by a
helm attached to the fore
wheels. A crank and
band wheels allow it to
be propelled by hand
Fort Kearny as it appeared in 1864. NSHS RG2012-4-9.
when wind and tide are
308-995-5015
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 11
PHOTO BY AMY KUCERA
This artist’s conception of Samuel Peppard’s wind wagon as it was departing Fort Kearny in May 1860 appeared in Frank Leslie’s
Illustrated Newspaper on July 7 of that year. NSHS RG1576-2.
By Amy Kucera
“We need to find a tree that’s serious about
this,” Jack Phillips said jokingly while collecting
acorns last fall along a wooded trail outlining
Pioneers Park in Lincoln. The bur oaks he walked
beneath are tall and magnificent – and becoming
increasingly rare.
“The old bur oak is on the edge all the time,”
Phillips said. “We should treat the species as
if it were endangered, looking at the age of
populations now.”
The collected acorns, minus the ones nibbled
on while in search, will be used for future
planting and educational purposes at the New
and enjoy new
Tree School, an exploration in trees with
Jack Phillips, founder of the
transportation exhibits!
emphasis on the natural systems approaches to
New Tree School, collects
acorns in Lincoln last fall.
sustainable tree care, which he founded in 2003.
Phillips began his career in ecology “slumming
around western Syria and the West Bank” in the 1980s, noting once richly
10-5 Tuesday - Saturday, 1-5 Sunday
forested areas of the Mediterranean region had been nearly all together destroyed,
replaced by the hand-planted monoculture of almond trees along the landscape.
“It forced the question, ‘When is a forest not a forest?’” Phillips said.
8:30-5 Daily
As a graduate student in Cairo, he decided to skip an afternoon class to take a
THROUGH LABOR DAY
nap on a carpet within a Medieval mosque. When he awoke, he was surrounded
by a teacher and his students, as if no one noticed him, they continued on their
1-800-833-6747
lesson, speaking a language he did not know.
www.nebraskahistory.org/sites
In this moment, a revelation occurred, in which he discovered the power of
immersion as education and paired it with his palpable passion
for nature and desire to teach, a path he continues on today.
“It is about learning through intimacy, by becoming what
you are studying,” he explained. “Through this immersion, the
experience is the root of knowing.”
After studying with renowned plant pathologist Alex Shigo,
he developed the New Tree School in order to encourage
the planting and preservation of native trees effectively
and economically, as well as to share his discovery of
deep ecology through immersion. This would include the
development of community and volunteer tree planting
projects, tree health and safety evaluations, tree inventories and
biological surveys, native landscape and urban nature center
design, as well as through creative arts such as literature.
In an ode to the oak nation, his recent book published
by Praire Fire Press, Bur Oak Manifesto: Seeking Nature
and Planting Trees in the Great Plains, is a collection of
Bring your family, bring your friends and
essays weaving his ecological experience with language
make plans to visit the Nebraska Prairie
and culture to reveal a mystic glimpse of an
Museum in Holdrege. See the 16’ wide
ancient ecosystem, and the power of human
buffalo mural, a life-size buffalo, a two-bearded wild turkey and a sandhill
connections to protect the vital and vanishing
g
crane. For more information about visiting the museum and the
wild.
interactive museum map of our exhibits, check out our website.
A lively storyteller and educator, often
quoting naturalist Henry David Thoreau,
nebraskaprairie.org Phillips has a remarkable sense of the
significance of native trees on the landscape.
“Trees contribute to our sense of place,”
N. Hwy 183 Holdrege
Phillips said. “Find a big wild tree, and
spend time there. Meet there with your
Hours: Mon - Fri: 9 am-5 pm | Sat - Sun: 1-5 pm
friends.” ■
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
Local rodeos all summer
Local rodeos all summer
“Tanking” down the Middle
“Tanking”
down
the Middle
Loup
River
Loup River
W
Wa
ate
ate
terfow
terf
rffow
owll an
aand
nd wetl
w
we
ettllands
aan
nds
ds
Waterfowl
wetlands
abound
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No Moccasins
By Dan Fogell, Herpetologist
Let me get this out there right away:
all snakes can swim. And pretty well
at that. That being said, every snake in
the water is not a “water moccasin.”
Water moccasins, which are more
correctly called cottonmouths, are not
big fans of cold weather. You’ll have to
travel to Missouri or Oklahoma to find
the nearest cottonmouths, and as you
continue south and east they become
more common. But they definitely do
not occur in Nebraska. What we do
have here are water snakes – snakes
that spend a lot of time in and around
lakes, ponds and streams but are not
venomous.
Nebraska is home to three different
species of water snakes: the northern
water snake, Graham’s crayfish snake
and the diamondback water snake. If
you visit nearly any state wildlife area
that has lakes or ponds, you will most
likely see a northern water snake. The
other two species are restricted to the
12 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
southeastern corner of Nebraska. Water
snakes eat fish, frogs and tadpoles that
they catch along the water’s edge. They
are active during the day, although
on very hot summer days they may
become more nocturnal.
There are some easy ways to tell
that the snake you’re watching swim is
not a cottonmouth. First, water snakes
swim with only their heads above the
water. Cottonmouths usually have
most, if not all, of their bodies floating
on top of the water as they swim. Water
snakes have small, narrow heads with
no distinct neck while cottonmouths
have large heads with a very distinct
neck. Cottonmouths have a dark stripe
on their face that passes through the
eye and is bordered by white lines,
while water snakes lack these stripes.
And if you feel like getting really
close, cottonmouths have a “pit” – or a
hole between their nose and their eye
(as do all pit vipers) as well as elliptical
pupils. Water snakes don’t have a pit
and have round pupils.
Now that we’ve cleared this up,
there’s no need to perpetuate the myth
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y
Sponsored by
Baltimore Oriole
Song or calls: Variable song consists of clear
and flute-like whistles in short, distinct phrases.
Description: Adult male has black head, throat,
back, and black T-shape on orange tail; underparts
and rump are bright orange; orange shoulder patch
on wing and single white wing bar. Female has
greenish-brown faintly streaked back and orangeyellow underparts.
Habitat: Wooded river bottoms, upland forests,
shelterbelts, farmsteads and partially wooded
residential areas with tall shade trees.
Where in Nebraska: Common spring and fall
migrant and summer resident across the state.
Fun Facts: Young male Baltimore orioles do
not achieve adult plumage until the fall of their
second year.
Additional Information: Once considered
along with western Bullock’s oriole to be
one species, the Northern Oriole. Apparently
hybridizes with Bullock’s Orioles where ranges
overlap. ■
To learn about more birds visit:
NebraskaBirdLibrary.org.
PHOTO BY ROCKY HOFFMANN
VDQGKLOOVMRXUQH\FRP
Nebraska Bird Library
Cottonmouth
Northern water snake
about moccasins in Nebraska. And
more importantly, there’s no need to
kill water snakes under the theory that
they are moccasins and that they can
kill people. Simply watch them from
the shore, or from your boat, and let
them swim wherever they want. ■
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 13
NEBRASKAland
Visitor
by Jerry Kane
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.
An I-80 Hotspot
By Julie Geiser
Pioneer Village is only a 12 mile drive off of Interstate 80. From Exit 279 take
Harold Warp Memorial Drive (Nebraska Hwy 10) south to Minden and go back
in time to discover how America was made through advancements in machinery.
The 20-acre village has 28 buildings to house over 50,000 pieces of irreplaceable
history.
Guests are invited to visit the old steam carousel, and see 17 historic flying
machines of days past. Car enthusiasts will enjoy the world’s oldest Buick – a
1902 Cadillac – as well as a 1903 Ford designed by Henry Ford, in addition to
350 antique cars, all displayed in the order they were built. There are 100 antique
tractors plus an original art collection to view.
Visitors also have an opportunity to see the Pony Express Relay Station, the
original Elm Creek Stockade, a one-room school house and a blacksmith shop.
Tourists can step into a general store, as well as a toy store, filled with the goods
of yesteryear. Only a slight detour away, Pioneer Village reveals an important part
of our nation’s history. ■
July 1
July 1-14
Paddlefish snagging permit
application period
July 6
Sidewalk Chalk Art
Niobrara SP, Niobrara,
402-857-3373
July 7, 21
Pistol League Platte River
SP, Louisville, 402-471-5547
July 7-11
Association of
Conservation Information
Conference Nebraska City
July 2-4
Western Wildlife Art Show July 8
Fort Robinson State Park
Family Fishing Event
(SP), Crawford, 308-665-2900
July 4
Independence Day All
Game and Parks district
offices and service centers
closed
July 4
Fourth of July Barbecue
Fort Robinson SP, Crawford,
308-665-2900
July 4
Final day to apply for
Nebraska Super Tag and
Combo lottery permits
July 4-6
Living History Fort Kearny
Johnson Lake, Fremont,
6-8 p.m.
July 8-9
Shooting Skills Camp
Cozad, 402-471-5547
July 9
Family Fishing Event
July 12
Archery paddlefish season
opens
July 12-13
Hobie Tropical Dreams
Regatta Lake McConaughy
SRA, Ogallala, 308-284-8800
July 13
Fur Trade Days Regatta
Chadron SP, Chadron,
Holmes Lake, Lincoln, 6-8 p.m. 308-432-6167
July 9
Beyond Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman (BOW)
Rifle Clinic, Platte River SP,
Louisville, 402-471-5547
July 10
Family Fishing Event
July 14
Remaining big game hunting
permits may be purchased,
beginning at 1 p.m. Central
Time, through the close of
the seasons
July 15-17
Halleck Lake, Papillion, 6-8 p.m. Outdoor Skills Camp
State Historical Park (SHP),
Platte River SP, Louisville,
Kearney, 308-865-5305
July 11
402-471-5547
Nebraska Game and Parks
July 5
July 15
Board of Commissioners
National Park Service
Family Fishing Event
meeting, Niobrara
Outdoor Event Niobrara SP,
Skyview Lake, Norfolk,
July 11
Niobrara, 402-857-3373
6-8 p.m.
Nebraska Super Tag and
July 5
Combo lottery permit drawing July 16
Dutch Oven Cobbler and
Ice Cream Social Ponca SP, July 12
Bighorn Sheep Hike
Ponca, 402-755-2284
July 5, 12, 19
Buffalo Cookout and
Nebraska Humanities
Program Niobrara SP,
Niobrara, 402-857-3373
Wildcat Hills Nature Center,
Gering, 308-436-3777
July 12
First Shots Clinic Platte
River SP, Louisville,
402-471-5547
Beyond Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman
Rifle Clinic, Louisville,
402-471-5547
July 16
Family Fishing Event
Pawnee Park East Pond,
Columbus, 6-8 p.m.
July 18
July 5-6
July 12
Living History Fort Atkinson Carp-O-Rama Lake Maloney National Park Service
Campground Program
SHP, Fort Calhoun,
State Recreation Area (SRA),
402-468-5611
14 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
North Platte, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Niobrara SP, Niobrara,
402-857-3373
July 18-19
Beyond BOW Niobrara and
Missouri River Kayaking Trip,
Niobrara SP, Niobrara,
402-857-3373
July 22
Family Fishing Event
Bowling Lake, Lincoln, 6-8 p.m.
July 23
Family Fishing Event
Benson Park Pond, Omaha,
6-8 p.m.
July 23
Beyond BOW Rifle Clinic,
Weeping Water, 402-471-5547
July 26
Kites and Castles Contest
Lake McConaughy SRA,
Ogallala, 308-284-8800
July 26
Kite Day Niobrara SP,
Niobrara, 402-857-3373
July 26
State High School Fishing
Tournament Merritt
Reservoir SRA, Valentine,
402-376-3320
July 26
Campfire Christmas in July
Indian Cave SP, Shubert, 402883-2575
July 26
The Dam Run Lake
McConaughy SRA, Ogallala,
308-284-8800
PHOTO BY BOB GRIER
Archery fishing of game fish
is allowed statewide through
December 31
Underwater spearfishing of
game fish allowed in specific
waters through December 31
(see page 20 of 2013-2014
Fishing Guide)
Children of the Platte
Nebraskan Michael Gutzmer sent
NEBRASKAland an essay entitled
“Children of the Platte River.” At the
beginning of his memorable story he
writes: “A few Christmases ago, my
then eight-year-old Wyatt and I were
driving out to our cabin underneath
snow-covered branches for an
overnight stay when he said, ‘Dad, this
is the road to paradise.’ I couldn’t have
said it better.”
His essay is a chronicle of his
family’s time on this ancient river,
where tales of Witchey Island, building
forts and childhood imaginations are
born – and remain – for the rest of a
person’s life, as Michael bares witness
to himself: “On an airplane stranded
on the tarmac in Chicago, or stuck
in traffic in Denver, a vivid memory
of a Platte River sunrise, a bullfrog
sounding his territory in a Platte River
backwater or the smell after a rain in
a riparian forest can bring a moment
of sanity back into our stress-filled
world.” ■
Read Michael’s essay.
R
Last issue’s winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Dan Kaup of West Fargo
North Dakota, who found the
Imported Longhorned Weevil on
page 43. 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 6, 7, 9, 16, 51, 53 or 60.
The Imported Longhorned Weevil,
as its name implies, is not a native
insect. It is originally from Japan,
and was first reported in the
United States in 1929. It can now
be found throughout much of the
eastern U.S., into Nebraska and
Kansas. Adult weevils are about ¼
inch long, tan to gray in color and
pear-shaped. These weevils are
all females and reproduce without
mating. They lay eggs in the soil,
and the resulting larvae feed on
roots of many types of plants.
Adults feed on foliage, including
soybeans, though damage is rarely
significant. More
often these weevils
are a nuisance pest
of the home, much
like the
Asian lady
beetle and box
elder bug.
Special thanks to Julie Van Meter,
State Entomologist, Nebraska Department of
Agriculture. Visitor image by Chris Helzer
Bugguide.net is a good site for identification.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 15
A World-class Act
The Playhouse at Fort Robinson
Text and photos by Mark Harris
O
ne spring morning well before Nebraska’s tourist
season, the cast of Fort Robinson State Park’s Post
Playhouse Theater awoke to the sharp crack of
nearby rifle fire. Actor and musician Dan Denton grew up in
Kansas so he’s familiar with western ways, but men blasting
targets cavalry-style from the backs of galloping horses still
registered as odd.
The shooting competition was one of many cultural
changes Nebraska’s sparsely populated Old West country
presented to Denton and his fellow performers, but a
summer acting gig at Fort Robinson is coveted.
Janet McWilliams, star of “Annie Get Your Gun,”
remarkably resembles the Annie Oakley seen in historical
photos, but as a vegetarian from Philadelphia, that’s where
the likeness ends.
“If you love meat, Nebraska is really the place for you,”
she said laughing. “It took me a while to acclimate.”
But small sacrifices at the Fort are offset by better things.
“On the East Coast, people are always in a rush and
nobody has time to sit and talk to you,” McWilliams said.
“Here, everyone wants to know who you are and what
you’re doing. It’s hard to train yourself to slow up and calm
down like western Nebraskans.”
Paige Salter from Chattanooga, Tennessee, is in her
fifth season at the Playhouse, and agrees with the unique
atmosphere. “I hate to be all cheesy, but it’s a magical
experience out here. When I first came, I’d never seen
a place where there weren’t buildings everywhere!
Everywhere I looked it was a postcard picture. I’m kind of
obsessed with the beauty now and I don’t miss the
lack of malls and Internet.”
ABOVE
ABO
ABOVE:
VE: P
Professional
rofe
f ssional
i
l singer
siinger and
d actor
acttor
Paige Salter shines in the 2013
production “Hollywood:
a Cabaret” at Fort
Robinson’s Post
Playhouse.
16 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 17
TOP LEFT: Janet McWilliams (left)
stars as Annie Oakley in the 2013
production of “Annie Get Your
Gun,” along with actor, singer and
choreographer Jorie Janeway.
LEFT: Janet McWilliams and Sean
Barrett made the cut from over
1,500 who applied to be one of the
Playhouse’s 35 elite professional
cast, crew, musicians and staff.
BOTTOM LEFT: Sean Barrett, Jorie
Janeway and Travis Fankhauser of
Chadron bring characters to life in
“Seussical the Musical.” Local kids
are cast and mentored for
productions requiring children.
RIGHT: Crisp choreography comes
from weeks of rehearsal.
18 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
Remoteness is a recurring topic with actors used
to bustling cities. “I had to take four flights to get
here and I was a bit unsettled on the last one, a little
12-seater,” McWilliams said.
Artistic director Tom Ossowski was hired in 2007
and the Post Playhouse has thrived since his arrival.
Ossowski’s passion for musicals is the impetus behind
the Playhouse’s status as a nationally sought-after
acting venue and a regularly packed house. Part
of the winning formula is finding great talent. An
average season will employ 17 professional actors, six
musicians, five designers, six staff and some talented
locals.
Culled from around 1,500 nation-wide Post
Playhouse applications per year, those that surface at
the top bring serious game. Every winter, Ossowski
sorts through online submissions at the rate of 100
per day, but only about 50 get the call to audition in
New York City.
How do people get the part? “Personality,” said
Ossowski. Each actor brings a specific “package” to an
audition. It’s about figuring out who one truly is and
then perfecting that into something one can transmit
into very short auditions. Jorie Janeway, an actor,
singer and choreographer from Connecticut, has her
package pinned down.
“I’m a crazy, quirky, weird character actor. It took
me years to figure that out,” she said. “I was just being
generic and I wasn’t getting cast.” One day a mentor
came to her and said, “Knock it off! You’re funny. Be
funny!” Weird works – now she gets parts.
Janeway remembers her first lonely year auditioning
in New York City. “I didn’t have anyone to go to
auditions with, but there are hundreds of people you
see over and over again and it becomes a community
for you.” And the tightly-woven singer/actor
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 19
community becomes a haven for those struggling for parts. Apartments are shared
and word-of-mouth spreads, but when those who know about the Post Playhouse
speak to those who don’t, Fort Robinson’s isolated setting suspends belief.
Crawford, Nebraska?
“It’s almost impossible to convey how big of a deal it is to those who don’t
know,” said Janeway.
“In auditions, you can tell when they walk in the door if they might have a
chance,” said Ossowski. “They are given 90 seconds to make their impression, but
I can sometimes tell within 10.” Lauren Turner, star of the 2013 musical “Always...
Patsy Cline,” was one of those standouts.
What was her package? “I can belt out a song,” she said.
When not involved with a production, she works in a New York piano bar
serving drinks and singing. “I love living and working in the city, but it’s really
difficult because the rent is stupid expensive.” She found Fort Robinson remarkably
converse to New York City, and it was a welcome switch. “You can see the stars!
It’s so beautiful and fun here. When you’re done rehearsing after a 12-hour day it’s
like ‘Woo-hoo’!”
Another 2013 transfer, Matt Meckes from Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a musical
director and actor for the Post Playhouse. He auditioned his piano playing online
via Skype, which is slowly altering how musicians try out in the industry. He leans
towards strange and crazy roles. “People think actors spend our entire lives trying
to be other people, but in reality you have to know yourself really well in order to
do this.”
Meckes has been playing piano since age three. If you think a weekly piano lesson
and an hour of practice per week may land your offspring a musical career, think
again. “I played hour after hour of classical piano as a kid and learned lots of other
instruments,” he said. This relentless pursuit to improve, to pursue what they love,
is universal among those who succeed in the theater industry. You either stand out
or go home.
Regardless of talent, however, there is a limit to how old or young these twentysomething actors can portray themselves. When a production calls for parts at either
end of the age spectrum, the locals step up. From Chadron, Alliance, Scottsbluff and
other points near and far, there is a pool of talent to work with. Two Post Playhouse
board members, Wally Seiler and Marge Rotherham, both retirees, are perennial
character actors.
“Wally and Marge are like our summer grandparents,” said McWilliams. “They
have us over for dinner.”
LEFT: The theater’s driving
force, artistic director Tom
Ossowski (front), poses with
Playhouse members Jorie
Janeway, Lauren Turner, Dan
Denton and Matt Meckes.
RIGHT: Diana Becker, Mariah
Ciangiola, Kelly Karcher and
Paige Salter bring song and
hilarity to the colorful
production of “The Marvelous
Wonderettes.”
20 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
These two, and many others in the community like them, make their
appreciation clear to the cast and crew. “People here are so amazing,” Turner
said. “They bring us food and make us feel like we belong here.”
In a region where prairie dogs outnumber people, unsuspecting tourists are
pleasantly astonished during opening acts, but the locals know. “Local” has a
broader meaning out here, and four-hour round trips to attend musicals are no
big deal. Before tourist season starts cowboy hats dot the audience. Then come
the vacationers and the season sells out. The stage designers are pros as well;
there are no walk-ons here, and colorful stage scenes set the tone well before
opening act as intimate crowds mingle cheerfully. Entire sections of seats can be
taken by family trees, right down to second cousins once removed, all gathered
for reunions at the Fort.
“The differences are so stark compared to the huge venues I’ve worked,”
McWilliams said. “You get to be so close to the audience. I love it! What we do
is not about money, it’s about entertaining people. It’s like getting back to the
basics at the Playhouse. You’re being invited into a family here.”
Some here will have long careers and some won’t, but aspirations are united.
“I just want to be working for the rest of my life,” Turner said. “I’ve been
dreaming since age five about being on a Broadway stage and I’m never going
to give up that dream.”
Wherever the future takes each of these hard-working performers, one thing is
clear: all feel fortunate to have crossed paths here, and the Post Playhouse will
remain one of the fondest memories they will forever hold. ■
Mark Harris is the Associate
Director of the University of
Nebraska State Museum.
Mark has been photographing
since 1992. This is his second
story in NEBRASKAland
Magazine.
Visit the playhouse at
Postplayhouse.com
S more of Mark’s
See
Post Playhouse
P
photos.
p
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 21
Stars in the Sandhills
Text and photos by Justin Haag
Valentine
Merritt
Halsey
Come out to the Sandhills in Cherry County and
you will be likely to see more stars than you’ve
ever seen in your life. That’s because these are
some of the most clear and dark skies in the country.
And for one week in late summer, this is home to the Nebraska Star Party.
A
s reliable as stars emerging in
a clear night sky, astronomers
have been appearing in the
Sandhills
S
of north-central Nebraska
e
each
summer for the past two decades,
in pursuit of a spectacular view not
commonly
c
found in most parts of the
n
nation.
At Merritt Reservoir State
Recreation
R
Area in Cherry County,
visitors,
v
along with their wide array of
telescopes,
t
converge for the Nebraska
Star
S Party. It’s a week-long event that
unites
u
people of diverse backgrounds
who
w seek a common goal – the best
possible
p
view of the night sky.
Tom Miller of Lincoln, one of the
founders
f
of the Nebraska Star Party,
Martin Hrdlicka of
Montgomery, Illinois,
readies his Celestron
11-inch high definition
telescope for an evening
of observing the gems of
the night sky.
Stars shine brightly over Merritt Reservoir on a night dark enough that reflections of
constellations can be seen on the water’s surface.
said the event’s beginnings can be
traced to when he and four others had
just returned from a star party in Texas.
With their increasingly busy lives, they
knew such a drive would probably be
out of the question in future years so
they sought to build something similar
closer to home.
After looking at a map detailing the
nation’s darkest places, they narrowed
possible sites to Halsey, 78 miles south
of Valentine and Merritt Reservoir, 27
miles southwest. Miller and another
astronomer drove west under cloudy
skies to choose the location. While
both locations were fine choices, he
said, the short walk from the vehicle at
the Snake River Campground at Merritt
Reservoir sealed the deal.
“We tried to find our way around,”
22 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
Miller said. “With the clouds and
everything, it was extremely dark. We
couldn’t see our vehicle or the road in
front of us. I said, ‘Man, this is it.’”
A close-knit group of nearly 100
astronomers would gather there in
1993, and the event “went public” a
year later. Last year marked the Star
Party’s 20th year.
It’s that void – the big black space
on the dark sky map – that fans of the
night sky are increasingly challenged to
find as lands are developed – especially
at points east.
Jim Hopkins has made the day-long
drive from his home 35 miles south
of Chicago for 10 years straight and
says he’ll keep coming to the party as
long as he’s “able to walk.” Where he
lives, common telescopes are able to
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 23
show only the brightest stars. Having
attended star parties at other places,
he avows the Sandhills’ nights are
as dark as those at any place in the
nation.
Additionally, unlike the eastern U.S.,
the humidity in north-central Nebraska
is low. Dry air provides a better view
and is better for the equipment. At
other locations, the high dew point
increases the likelihood water will
cover the telescopes and end the
night’s viewing prematurely.
Merritt Reservoir also has other
activities for when the sun’s shining.
The lake and surrounding area is a
scenic destination for fishing, boating,
canoeing, wildlife and general serenity.
Even though not many areas are
immune to light pollution these days,
the large Sandhills cattle ranches
serve as a buffer to encroaching
development.
“This is what the sky looked like
before the pioneers trailed across here
in their covered wagons and how the
Jim Hopkins of Plainfield, Illinois, enjoys a sunset over the main gathering place of the Nebraska Star Party at
Merritt Reservoir. Hopkins sets up at the same exact location each year to observe the night sky.
The Strategic Air and Space Museum’s inflatable space shuttle slide is a popular
attraction for youth at the Nebraska Star Party’s children program at Valentine.
24 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
Native Americans saw the sky – before
Thomas Edison invented the light
bulb,” said Eric Balcom of Omaha, star
party coordinator.
Balcom said the number of star
parties in the United States has grown
from about 10 to 100 since he became
involved in the early 2000s, resulting
in more competition for attendance.
Nebraska’s attendance last year was
about 250, far more than its first
year but less than its peak of nearly
500.
He said people may find star parties
larger than Nebraska’s, but none more
welcoming. It prides itself on being
a family-oriented, beginner-friendly
event. Of the 250 who attended
last year, about 40 percent were
newcomers. Prizes, such as telescopes,
are geared to appropriate ages.
Activities such as a field school for
beginners and programs for children
help people feel at home and advance
astronomy’s popularity.
Big-name speakers also are a draw.
In 2013, Nebraska astronaut Clayton
Anderson was the event’s featured
guest and speaker. This year, NASA
astrophysicist Fred Espenack, known
by many as “Mr. Eclipse,” will greet
attendees.
During the day, participants enjoy
programs and visiting. Through
the years, Miller said he’s met an
incredibly varied group of people –
“everyone from circus clowns to brain
surgeons.” He likens it to a family
reunion.
Regardless of the event’s beginnerfriendly nature, the attendees are
serious about what they do. In the
event of a cloudless sky, many stay
up all night for viewing. Pity the fool
who shines a flashlight or camera
flash in the peak of darkness requiring
everyone’s eyes to readjust.
To use terminology understood by
even the most amateur astronomers,
the party’s future still seems bright.
Officials are even exploring the
possibility of taking the formal steps
to become officially recognized as an
International Dark-Sky Park.
Regardless of whether or not it
receives the designation, attendees
know that they will be hard-pressed
to find a better place to set up their
telescopes. When it comes to dark
skies, the Sandhills’ star will always
shine bright. ■
Visit the official Nebraska Star
V
Party website. This year’s event
P
rruns July 27-August 1.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 25
Pulse of
the Plains
Text and photos by Michael Forsberg
Just as blood courses through our veins,
water pulses through the Great Plains, giving
lifeblood to the heart of our continent. Water
is a lifeline that sustains migrations and
drives the rhythm of the seasons. Water is
an enabler and a transporter, a force that
encourages restoration and renewal.
A rancher draws water from a well at an old
schoolhouse in eastern Colorado.
26 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 27
It seeps into every nook and cranny. It
rages in torrents. It whispers.
It builds cloud towers and drives our
weather. It quenches our thirst and
strengthens our resilience. It promotes
diversity. It sculpts our landscapes. It cycles
nutrients in our soils. It makes frogs sing.
28 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
OPPOSITE TOP: Campers get muddy
on a Platte River sandbar near
Louisville State Recreation Area.
OPPOSITE BOTTOM: A boreal chorus
frog sings for its mate in a prairie
wetland.
ABOVE: A diminishing water hole
on the Platte River traps fish during
summer drought in Buffalo County.
RIGHT: A drop of water hangs on a
barbed wire fence after a rain.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 29
LEFT: A bluegill and largemouth
bass cruise the shallows of a Platte
River backwater at Audubon’s Rowe
Sanctuary.
BELOW: Lightning strikes as a
summer thunderstorm rolls through
the Sandhills in Grant County.
OPPOSITE ABOVE: Heavy dew clings
to a spider’s web at sunrise in a
tallgrass prairie.
OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Shadows
embrace after the storm has passed
eastward on the plains.
30 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
Its character is in almost every story on the prairie, sometimes the hero
and sometimes the villain. Water gives and it takes away. Water fills us
with wonder. We pray for it and we curse it. It makes us hurry, then
forces us to wait.
It is the silvery thread that knits us to the land in a perpetual circle
of drought and flood, heat and cold, life and death. We fear having too
much of it, or more often, not enough. It offers clarity. It feeds us.
Water is spirit. Water is hope. Water is community. It defines our
relationship with the land, which in turn, defines part of who we are
here in Nebraska. ■
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 31
invites youth to try new recipes. At the
nearby pond, fly-fishing, bowfishing
and kayaking share the water with
regular anglers – some are seasoned
veterans while others are experiencing
each activity for the first time.
Inside the center, a large insect and
snake display, a gift shop and exhibit
wing featuring the Missouri National
Recreational River are popular stops
before journeying to the next location.
Missouri River
PHOTO BY JON FARRAR
By Amy Kucera
M
32 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
as guided shuttles run continuously
throughout the weekend, transporting
visitors to three locations within
the park: the Missouri National
Recreational River Resource and
Education Center, Eric Wiebe
Memorial Shooting Complex and the
Missouri River.
“We have received comments in our
visitor surveys comparing the Expo
atmosphere to a state fair – a state
fair for the great outdoors,” said Park
Superintendent Jeff Fields. “The event
has grown large enough that you can’t
see and do everything in a single day.”
In 2004, a grassroots effort to
create the Missouri River Outdoor
Expo was underway, establishing an
advisory board comprised of Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission staff,
community members and volunteers
dedicated to organizing the event.
The Better Ponca Foundation and the
Commission have since partnered with
hundreds of sponsors, exhibitors and
volunteers to grow the annual event,
which aims to introduce or rekindle
interest in natural resources and
outdoor recreation through hands-on
experience.
“Since the onset of the event, all the
activities have been free to the public,
thanks to the generous financial and
in-kind support of our partners and
sponsors,” Fields said. “They are a
vital part of our success.”
The Eric Wiebe
Shooting Complex
As one of the original founders of
the Missouri River Outdoor Expo,
Conservation Officer Eric Weibe was
Mark Rettig, Niobrara State Park
superintendent, guides Missouri River
Outdoor Expo visitors on a boat tour of
the Missouri River at Ponca State Park.
Resource and
Education Center
A hub of activity, the Resource
and Education Center is surrounded
by a variety of exhibitors, from a
live raptor display to a rock climbing
wall. Dog competitions coincide with
that of lumberjacks, as attractions
simultaneously awe the crowds. Tours
of a park mini-lodge pair with wine
and cheese tasting. A kid’s cook-off
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
ore than 52,000 visitors
in two days. Nearly 1,000
volunteers. Over 100
hands-on exhibits. Sixteen
trolleys. Three locations in one park.
Two world-record holders. One decade.
As the Missouri River Outdoor
Expo reaches a number of milestones,
perhaps the most notable is the
countless memories created each year
at Ponca State Park.
Located along the Missouri River
near Ponca, the park transforms into a
busy city – Nebraska’s fourth largest
during the event – accommodating
thousands of outdoor enthusiasts of all
ages, interests and skill levels.
The prairie becomes a parking lot
A gravel road becomes the main
walkway for guests visiting the vendors
along a portion of the unchannelized
river bordering the 2,400 acre park. As
it goes, the namesake of the Expo can
be as unpredictable as the weekend’s
weather. In 2011, the Missouri River
flood temporarily moved exhibitors,
including the 1800s heritage
encampment, from their home on the
riverfront. They have since returned,
however, the same cannot be said
for the campground’s cottonwood
trees, which were removed for safety
reasons after a windstorm proved
their demise last fall. Though a line
denoting the flood’s high water mark
on a single stump is all that remains of
the former treeline, the location’s lively
atmosphere is not at all affected by a
change in scenery.
Scheduled attractions at the riverfront
include “Armless Archer” Matt
Stutzman, who made the Guinness
Book of World Records for the longest
accurate shot – 230 yards – at the
Expo in 2011. Additional interactive
exhibits at this location include a fossil
dig, field dressing clinics and Missouri
River boat rides.
World-record holding archer Randy Oitker aims six arrows to hit six targets at once.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 33
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
instrumental in the early development
and success of the event as an active
member of the Expo advisory board.
Wiebe was well-known in the
area for his dedication to hunter
education, mentored youth hunts
and shooting sports. After he lost a
hard-fought battle with cancer, his
family made a generous contribution
for improvements and additions to
Ponca State Park’s shooting range,
also known as the “Shooter’s Village”
during the Expo weekend.
From the family’s initial donation, a
fundraising campaign generated more
than $50,000 regionally. Dedicated
in the spring of 2012, the Eric Wiebe
Shooting Complex enhances the Expo
34 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
experience. The Complex features
all-weather ranges for pellet gun,
archery, muzzleloader, .22-caliber
rifle, shotgun, slingshot, tomahawk
and atlatl, and continues the heritage
of hunting and shooting sports through
guided first-hand participation.
Additional attractions at this location
include world-record archer Randy
Oitker, cowboy fast draw shooting and
aerial archery.
In a prelude to Expo weekend, area
fifth graders are invited to the School
Day Invitational held the Friday
before the event, when park staff
and volunteers provide a variety of
interactive outdoor activities for youth.
Last year, the event drew in more
Beginners and professionals alike are welcome at the Eric Wiebe
Shooting Complex, also known as “Shooter’s Village.”
went off without a hitch. They receive
an official Expo hat and t-shirt for their
efforts, highly coveted items that are
often seen and worn with pride.
“Without their overwhelming
dedication and support, this event
would not be possible,” Fields said.
In 2012, the Missouri River
Outdoor Expo was the recipient of the
“Excellence in Conservation” award
from the Midwest Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies.
Always the third weekend of
September, this year the Expo is
scheduled for September 20-21, from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The event is
a unique opportunity to join thousands
of people who come together to
celebrate, and perpetuate, one common
legacy: Nebraska’s outdoor heritage. ■
For more information, visit:
Missouririverexpo.com.
V
View
the Missouri River Outdoor
Expo photo gallery.
E
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
The Expo has a variety of hands-on activities suitable for all ages, such as the exhibit
featuring live fish of the Missouri River.
than 1,000 youth from 22 schools to
experience 45 exhibits.
The Expo has come a long way
since its inaugural weekend when
cold and rainy weather put a damper
on attendance. Mother Nature
notwithstanding, many participants
saw the potential of the event and have
returned every year since. The crowd
size has steadily increased, proving the
popularity of the Expo experience. In
both 2012 and 2013, weekend visitors
numbered more than 52,000.
“We designed a logo for the event
that includes the statement ‘An
Outdoor Family Tradition’ because
that is the atmosphere we want to
create,” said Jim Swenson, interim
parks division administrator for the
Commission. “It is evident when you
observe three or four generations of
families, and even the family dog,
participating in the various events.
Seeing parents and grandparents
passing along their outdoor traditions is
extremely rewarding.”
Last year, more than 900 volunteers,
many from the city of Ponca
(population 1,081), ensured the event
Children dig for treasures in front of the MIssouri National
Recreational River Resource and Education Center.
Nebraska’s Largest
Classroom
T
hroughout Nebraska, school students grades 4-7 are invited to
participate in the Outdoor Discovery Program, as it provides youth
with additional opportunities to participate in numerous hands-on
adventures in the outdoors.
Opportunities include engaging in shooting sports, fishing,
archery, outdoor cooking, kayaking, wildlife identification, scheduled
demonstrations, live animal displays, camping games and more.
Last year, more than 5,300 kids participated in events including
the Expo School Day Invitational at Ponca State Park (SP), Outdoor
Discovery Days at Platte River SP, Scottsbluff, Fort Kearny State
Historical Park and
Niobrara State Park
the Niobrara SP
Ponca St
State
t Park
P k
Rendezvous.
Scottsbluff
For more information,
visit Outdoornebraska.
gov/ODP/FamilyDay.asp.
Platte River State Park
Fort Kearny
State Historical Park
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 35
Wagon Train State Recreation Area
Photos and text by Eric Fowler
You can’t water ski or open up your personal watercraft and
fly across the lake at Wagon Train State Recreation Area, but
that’s exactly why many people visit – that and the superb fishing,
camping and scenery.
With only a 5 mile-per-hour limit, Matt and Amy
Ludwig of Adams and many others find Wagon
Train Lake to be a perfect spot for kayaking.
36 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 37
Located just east of Hickman, the
1.5-mile long, 315-acre reservoir is
one of a dozen recreational lakes in
the Salt Creek watershed surrounding
Lincoln.
Hardwoods line the banks of the
reservoir, stretch beyond it in bays
and line Wagon Train Creek above it.
Much of the 747 acres of land around
the lake, which also includes native
and restored prairie and cedar forest,
is a wildlife management area home
to turkeys, deer, pheasants, quail,
LEFT: Robert See, Jr. and his son,
Jacob, of Lincoln, fish from the
bank in Area 1 on a still morning.
RIGHT: Claire and Jeff Valder,
Chris, Annika, Stephanie and
Daniel Kuchar, Leslie and Travis
Pillen and Kyle Eley and relax
around a campfire at Wagon Train.
38 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
squirrels and other creatures of interest to hunters
and wildlife watchers.
Completed in 1962, Wagon Train is one of
four reservoirs that have been restored through
the Aquatic Habitat Program, helping create an
excellent fishery that boasts largemouth bass,
crappie, bluegill and channel catfish, as well as a
few trophy muskellunge. Rarely will you not find
Wagon Train SRA
Wagon Train SRA, a 315-acre Corps of
Engineers reservoir with 746 acres of
public land, is located 2 miles east of
Hickman.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 39
a boat on the lake or an angler casting from the
dam or breakwaters on its shores.
The fishing makes the Area 2 RV campground
on the lake’s east side one of the most popular
camping destinations in eastern Nebraska. The
28 spots there are full almost continuously from
Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend.
There are 80 other sites where folks can pitch a
tent or park a camper for those who don’t need
electricity. Most are in the creek-side camp in
Area 3 on the east, and a dozen are on the point
overlooking the lake from the west at Area 1.
Kayakers flock to the lake, and a new launch
site at Area 6 on the southeastern corner of the
dam makes getting in and out of the water easier.
And on a hot summer day, the swim beach in
Area 3 is filled with kids of all ages.
For whatever their reasons, people who come
to Wagon Train can count on one thing: a
relaxing, peaceful day on the water. ■
Tornado Changes Face of Park
40 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
RIGHT: White-tailed deer browse
along the shoreline in the bay
on Area 1. Hunters and wildlife
watchers have 1,064 acres of land
and water to hunt or explore.
PHOTO BY AMY KUCERA
A tornado tore through Wagon Train State Recreation Area last October,
leaving a mess of toppled trees, twisted picnic shelters, demolished outhouses
and overturned campers in its path.
No one was hurt, but the twister took a bite out of the amount of shade
available in the park’s two tent camping areas. In Area 1 on the west side, only
three trees were left standing. In Area 3 on the east, about three-fourths of the
trees were destroyed.
“It’s not going to look the same as it did for a long, long time, but it doesn’t
seem to have slowed the public down. We had a nice crowd for Memorial
Day,” said Jay Woltemath, superintendent of the park.
Woltemath said volunteers were instrumental in helping clean up the park
following the storm and in replanting 80 trees in the campgrounds. A 5k run
hosted by the city of Hickman raised $5,800 for the effort.
TOP LEFT: The Area 3 swim beach
is a busy place on a hot summer
day, with some stragglers sticking
it out until after sunset.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 41
Shocking
Flatheads
Text and photos
by Jeff Kurrus
T
his summer, the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission will be completing
a five-year study on flathead catfish
at Branched Oak Lake north of Lincoln.
During the study, fish have been caught
by electrofishing, fitted with a plastic tag
connected to their dorsal fin and released.
Recently, I had the chance to sit down and
talk with Fisheries Biologist Jordan Katt
about what the Commission now knows
about this top-notch flathead fishery, and
what remains a mystery in so many ways.
Jordan, tell me about the history of Branched
Oak as a trophy flathead fishery.
In 1999 and 2000, the Commission stocked
5,820 flatheads that were three to 12 inches
long in Branched Oak to help control white
perch. Along with the stocking, a catch-andrelease regulation was implemented for flathead
catfish.
Why do a tagging study?
We knew there was a “good” flathead
population in the lake, but we really didn’t know
much more than that. By doing this study, we are
getting information about how many fish are in the
population, what the size distribution is, what the
growth rates are and where they are hanging out in
the reservoir. We also attached radio transmitters
to some flatheads in 2011 and 2012 to monitor
movement patterns and habitat use.
From your results, how fast are the flats growing?
A flathead catfish at Branched
Oak Lake is measured by
Cameron Dupue (left) and
Scott Aden. The lake is a world
class flathead fishery, with
more than 20 percent of the
fish surveyed weighing 20
pounds or greater.
42 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
It appears they either grow really fast or really
slow. For instance, we have age 3 fish that are
anywhere from 7½ to 21½ inches. Most of those
age 3 fish are closer to the lower end of that range
but it’s still a huge size range for fish that are the
same age.
We have also been able to look at the size range
of the stocked fish. The majority of these fish are
over 26 inches now. This really illustrates the
importance of the catch and release regulation,
considering these fish have been in the reservoir
for more than 13 years now.
For the past five years, Commission biologists have fitted
Branched Oak flatheads with tags. If the fish are re-caught by
anglers or Commission surveyors, biologists are able to measure
population, size distribution, growth rates and fish location.
How many flats do you estimate are in the lake?
From our numbers, there are only around 5,800
flatheads out there, but there is a high percentage
of large fish. We estimate that 30 percent of the
population would qualify for a Nebraska Master
Angler Award (32 inches and longer). Twenty
percent of the population is estimated to be over
20 pounds, and 12 percent is estimated to be over
30 pounds.
Outside of catch and release, why is this such a
good flathead fishery?
During the mid-2000’s drought, the lake level
was several feet low for a number of years.
Willows began growing on the exposed shorelines
and when the lake filled up, these flooded willows
began providing ideal habitat for flatheads. Most
of the big flatheads we sample are coming from
these areas with flooded willows.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 43
But you also sample near the dam and riprap
jetties.
going to be as visible to the rest of
the lake as someone fishing during
the day. However, the flatheads can
be caught by all folks. The common
techniques are fishing with live bait
under floats and either trolling or
casting crankbaits.
We do, and see a distinct size difference
between the jetties and the timber. Big fish are in
the timber and smaller fish are on the riprap. This
is likely because of what the different sizes of
flatheads are eating. The small fish are primarily
eating crayfish, and crayfish are found in the
rocks. The large fish are eating other fish, and the
timber provides plenty of cover for those fish to
ambush their prey.
What did you learn from using the
radio tags?
I don’t hear people talking about flatheads at
Branched Oak a lot. Why do they seem to garner
more secrecy than other fish?
I think there are a couple reasons, one being that
Branched Oak is so close to a large population
base in Lincoln and anglers keep their successes
quiet. The other is much of the fishing for the
flatheads takes place after dark, so an angler isn’t
From 2010-2013, Commission crews captured 2,524 flatheads, of
which 1,933 were tagged, 459 were recaptures and 74 were below
minimum size (9.8 inches) for tagging. Anglers during this same
time period reported catching 60 tagged fish.
We had three categories of fish:
The roamers, who were constantly
moving; the homeboys, who never
moved; and the pillagers, who’d stay
in an area for, say, a month, then
move to a new area and hang out for
a while. Overall, the small fish were
the homeboys and the larger fish were
the roamers and pillagers. We haven’t
been able to identify why some fish
were roamers and why others were
pillagers.
What’s next?
The tagging part of the study will
be over in 2014, but we will still be
doing some sampling out there, just
not as often. It will likely be once a
month from June to September. This
is because we see different sizes of
fish during different times of the
A flathead is released by Commission surveyors back into Branched Oak. The
summer. This will allow us to get
lake remains a world class fishery most notably because of its catch and release
regulations.
an accurate representation of the
population. I think the reason this
management strategy is to keep as many predators
population is so good is because of the catch and
in the lake as possible through restrictive harvest
release regulation. These fish need to time to grow limits. What this has created is a unique trophy
to these large sizes, and the only way to give them fishery for the predators in the
that time is by making sure they stay in the lake.
lake.
As far as the flatheads, they’re
And have the flats helped the white perch
doing just fine. ■ ■
problem?
Dup
Dupue,
pue Ad
Aden and Jo
Jorda
Jordan
rdan
n Katt
Katt us
use a
an
n elec
electrofishing
e tro
trofishin
hing
g bo
b
boat
oa
at to dr
draw
raw stu
s
stunned
nned fish
h to th
the
he wate
w
water’s
ater’s
r’s surfa
surface.
rface Th
T
They
ey
y the
then
hen
n net
e the fish
et
h in
into
o thei
ttheir
he
er
boat, where they will be measured and weighed. If the caught fish is already tagged, the crew will record the tagging information. If
not, they will tag the fish and release it back into Branched Oak Lake.
44 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
The white perch problem is a tough one. They
have proven to be very prolific and even with
the great flathead fishery, white perch are still
abundant. We know that flatheads and other
predators such as walleyes and wipers eat white
perch, especially when gizzard shad aren’t readily
available during certain times of the year. So our
If an angler catches a tagged
flathead, leave the tag in the fish
and send the length of the fish to
Jordan.Katt@Nebraska.gov. He will
compile the information for that fish
and send it back to the angler.
S
See a video of Jordan Katt and his crew electrofishing at
Branched Oak Lake last summer.
B
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 45
A Grand Opening
Shooters fill 32 stations in the archery
range at the new Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission Outdoor Education
Center in Lincoln.
The New Outdoor Education Center
Text and photos by Eric Fowler
N
ot long ago, Helen Boosalis Park in northeast
Lincoln was a quiet, 60-acre woodland along Salt
Creek where deer, turkeys and other wildlife lived.
Today, it is home to a new state-of-the-art indoor archery and
firearm shooting range and outdoor archery range that will
expand the opportunities for Nebraskans to try their hand at
shooting sports, and provide advanced shooting programs
that may someday even help produce an Olympian.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Outdoor
Education Center at 44th and Superior streets opened to the
public in May. A partnership between the Commission, the
City of Lincoln, the Easton Sports Development Foundation
and other partners, the $2.8 million, 17,700-square-foot
46 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
center features a 25-yard, 10-lane firearm range and a
25-meter, 32-lane archery range that will be open to the
public five days a week, 50 weeks a year.
The center is a giant step forward from the outdoor
archery range the city and Commission created at the park
in 2006. That 12-position target range is being improved and
expanded to Olympic dimensions, with targets to 70 meters.
A 20-station walk-through field course popular among
hunters and 3D shooters remains as well.
The center will also be home to the Commission’s Hunter
and Boating Education staff and programs. Volunteer
instructors will be able to access the ranges and the center’s
three classrooms on nights and weekends. “It’s just like a
rec center for the hunting and shooting sports,” said Jeff
Rawlinson, head of the Commission’s outreach programs.
The firearm range is one of only eight indoor ranges in
Nebraska. The benches on five of the 10 shooting lanes will
be adjustable, making it possible for anyone, including youth
and people with disabilities, to shoot. An automatic target
retrieval system allows shooters to position their targets at
any range out to 25 yards. The steel bullet trap was built to
handle any firearm people might bring to the range.
At most indoor ranges, space is at a premium. But this
one was built with added space behind the benches for
coaches, parents, scout leaders or anyone else keeping an
eye on the shooters. And if a parent doesn’t want to be inside
the range, they can still watch through large windows from
the lobby. “It’s not something you see every day at indoor
shooting ranges,” Rawlinson said. “A lot of times they enter
a door and no one ever sees inside. We’re trying to make the
average parent and group leader much more comfortable with
shooting sports, and this is one way to accomplish that.”
The center’s 32-lane archery range makes it one of the
largest in the Midwest. And for shoots that don’t require
more than 15 meter targets, the firing line can be flipped 90
degrees to make room for 45 archers. Target bags sit atop
wheeled carts that make distance changes easy.
Like the firearm range, there is room to spare behind the
firing line for spectators, coaches and shooters waiting their
turn, and modular walls on the adjacent classrooms can be
opened to provide even more space when needed, making it
the perfect venue for large tournaments. Already, it has won
the bid to host one of three Indoor National Field Archery
Association Midwest Sectional Tournaments in March 2015,
which will draw up to 200 archers from Nebraska and six
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 47
An automated target retrieval system allows shooters at any of the 10
stations on the firearm range to choose their distance.
other states. A bid to host the association’s 2015 national
tournament is pending. The center will also be home to
shooting events for the Cornhusker State Games in 2014 and
the State Games of America in 2015.
The outdoor archery course has already hosted several
3D shoots, and volunteers and staff are working to bring
other events to the center. Rawlinson said he can see the
Commission someday teaming with Lincoln Trap and Skeet,
the range’s neighbor, to host large shooting events. “The
indoor-outdoor footprint gives us tons of flexibility as to what
we can accomplish out here for the shooting sports,” he said.
While the ability to host events will be nice, Rawlinson
said the mission of the facility will be teaching people to
shoot, providing advanced programs to improve their skills
and keeping them shooting.
Programs will be offered for beginners, especially families
and scouting, 4-H and other youth groups, but folks can also
simply walk in and rent a gun or bow and, with direction
of range supervisors, try it out on their own as well. Other
programs will build on existing introductory ones such as the
National Archery in the Schools Program presented by the
Commission in more than 200 schools across the state, and
additional offerings by the Commission, the City of Lincoln
and other organizations.
One advanced program is already slated for those bitten by
the shooting bug: The Junior Olympic Archery Development
program. Jan Robertson, a USA Archery Level 4 instructor,
one step below Olympic coach, will lead the class, moving
from a similar post at Prairie Bowmen, a Lincoln club. With
both recreational and competitive aspects, Robertson said
participants can set the bar as high as they want. “When we
find someone who is really interested in developing skills,
then we take it a step further with some personal coaching
or small group coaching where we really get into all of the
subtleties of what’s called the national training system.”
The Outdoor Education Center is the sixth Easton
48 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
Foundations Affiliate Archery Center in the country, with
others in Florida, Utah, California, South Dakota and
Michigan. Three more will open this summer or next spring
in Michigan, South Dakota and Georgia. Three are owned
and operated by the Easton Foundations, while others are
partnerships with cities, universities or organizations. Three
other centers will have a firearm range.
Expanding access to archery and developing Olympicclass archers is the goal of the Easton Foundations and why
they fund programs to help clubs, schools or organizations
buy equipment and pay from 10 to 30 percent of the cost of
developing shooting centers such as this. Easton helps with
everything from building design to developing a business
plan, and then will help bring the top coaches in the country
to the centers to train coaches from around the state and
region so they can expand shooting opportunities elsewhere.
Jillian Dicke of Waverly takes aim at the archery range during
the center’s grand opening June 7.
“It’s a way for people who want to get involved in archery
to come to first class facilities across the country and learn
what it takes to be in the Olympics,” Doug Engh, Easton
Foundations Outreach Director, said of the affiliate program.
“But we recognize that a lot of people aren’t interested in the
Olympics. They want to learn bowhunting or field archery or
anything else. We’re cool with that. That’s all part of it. Fling
arrows down range, that’s what we want to see.”
The Easton $611,000 grant provided the lion’s share of
the matching funds needed to acquire nearly $2 million
from the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program,
which redistributes proceeds from an excise tax on firearms,
ammunition and other hunting and shooting equipment to
the states. Another $78,000 in private grants helped build the
center. Only 3.5 percent of the cost of the facility came from
local funding: $28,000 was from hunting permit sales and
$70,000 from boating license revenue.
Rawlinson said the center will help connect new shooters
with other organizations or clubs such as the Isaac Walton
League or Prairie Bowmen, where they can continue to
develop their skills and “find a niche they can continue for
the rest of their life. That’s the beauty of shooting sports.”
The center is opening at a time when interest in the
shooting sports is booming. Sales of firearms in 2013
were up 77 percent from 2009. Bow and arrow sales were
up 58 percent in the same time. Some of the growth in
archery, especially among youth, can be attributed to the
The Hunger Games books and movies. Katniss Everdeen,
the bow-yielding heroine of the series, first appeared on the
big screen in 2012, and between 2011 and 2013, individual
memberships in USA Archery doubled. Sales of youth
equipment jumped 20 to 30 percent following the first
installment. Growth continued with the sequel, Hunger
Games: Catching Fire, released last November, and two
more films, Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2, are scheduled for
release this November and next.
Interest in the sport hasn’t bypassed Nebraska. Hundreds
of people braved single-digit temperatures to shoot in
the Commission’s Archery On Fire promotion at Platte
River State Park last November. The number of schools
participating in the National Archery in the Schools Program
is up 24 percent from 2012 and the 2014 state tournament in
March climbed from 400 to a record 640 shooters.
While a handful of full and part-time staff will run the
center, volunteers will be critical to its operation, just as
they are to the Commission’s boating, hunting and fishing
education programs, as they have been to maintaining the
outdoor range at Boosalis Park since it opened. Rawlinson
isn’t worried about finding enough help. “There are a lot of
people that are passionate about hunting and the shooting
sports and want to be a part of this facility,” he said. “It’s
exciting. I’ve had a lot of people call me and say, ‘Hey. Are
you guys going to need any volunteers?’”
The center is another step in the Commission’s plan
to provide Nebraskans more places to shoot. For years,
they have built modest archery and shotgun ranges at
state parks, recreation areas and wildlife management
areas around Nebraska, including a rifle sight-in range at
the Valentine Fish Hatchery and a rifle range at Pressey
Wildlife Management Area that hosts the annual Nebraska
Wildcat
Hills
SRA
Completed
Proposed
Outdoor
Education
Center
Buffalo
Bill
SRA
Wood
Duck
WMA
Fort
Killdeer
K
Kearny WMA
SRA
Omaha
Platte
River SP
Twin
i Oaks
k
WMA
High School Small Bore Rifle Silhouette Championships.
The Commission has also provided grants to assist in the
construction of private indoor and outdoor ranges.
But it has raised the stakes in recent years. Its biggest
venture to date had been the Roger G. Sykes Outdoor
Heritage Education Complex, which opened in 2011 at Platte
River State Park. That range features a 10-station, 60-yard
small-bore firearm range, a 14-station, 40-yard archery range,
a 5-station trap range and a 10-station, 10-meter indoor
air rifle range. A similar shooting complex in the planning
stages at the Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area south of
Gering will add a sight-in range and should open sometime
in 2015. Two more are tentatively slated for Fort Kearny
State Recreation Area and Buffalo Bill State Recreation Area
in the coming years. An indoor/outdoor center similar to
the one now open in Lincoln is planned for Omaha. Work is
also underway to construct a rifle sight-in range at Killdeer
Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Lincoln, with
plans to build other sight-in ranges at Twin Oaks WMA near
Tecumseh and Wood Duck WMA near Stanton.
“Hunting and the shooting sports are directly tied to this
agency’s mission,” Rawlinson said. “Our ability to manage
the state’s natural resources is directly linked to hunting,
fishing, shooting sports and the revenue they generate.
“And this facility serves as a major milestone in providing
recreational and educational shooting sports activities for
recruitment and retention of hunters and shooting sports
enthusiasts.” ■
INDOOR RANGE HOURS: Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 12
a.m. - 8 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday: Noon 6 p.m. Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Firearm Range: Fees: $20/hour/lane; $12/half-hour/
lane; $5/youth 15 and under. Small-bore gun rental:
$5.50/person with 25 rounds. Annual Pass: Individual
$325, Family $400.
Archery Range: Fees: $10/hour/lane; $3/lane Youth
15 and under. Bow Rental: $2.50/person for bow and
arrows. Annual Pass: Individual $250, Family $300.
OUTDOOR RANGE: Open daily, year-round, sunrise to
sunset. Fees: $3/hour. Youth 15 and under/Free. Annual
Pass: Individual $40, Family $60.
TOTAL SHOOTING SPORTS PACKAGE: Annual pass for
all ranges. Youth $100. Individual $450, Family $575.
CLASSROOM USE: $75/day, $200/banquet with use of
archery range.
Note: Visitors may bring their own firearms, bows and ammunition.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 49
Stuck in the Weeds
Antlions
A guide to Nebraska's invasive plant experts.
The relentless, and sometimes violent, doodlebug.
By Karie Decker, Assistant Wildlife Administrator
By Chris Helzer, Eastern Nebraska Program Director, The Nature Conservancy
T
efficiency by maintaining communication across these areas –
the Nebraska Weed Management Areas Coalition. Be on the
lookout for great information coming from this group.
In addition to weed management areas, UN-L Extension
staff scattered across the state can provide invaluable
help, assisting with everything from farms and ranches to
communities and local economies. To find staff in your area,
visit Extension.unl.edu/officeslist. In fact, some important
invasive plant research and education is being conducted by
this group at the West Central Research and Extension Office
in North Platte: Westcentral.unl.edu.
Narrowing down even further are our weed control
authorities. Each county has a designated weed control
authority and county weed superintendent and can be located
at Neweed.org/Control.aspx. These folks are responsible for
administration of noxious weed control laws at the county
level.
Identifying, preventing, and controlling invasive plants
doesn’t have to be done alone. We are lucky to live in a state
that invests in helping organizations and landowners with
a difficult, and oftentimes expensive, task. I have contacted
nearly everyone on this list, and each was more than
willing to go the extra mile and help with my invasive plant
questions. If you’re not so internet savvy, try calling the
NDA Noxious Weed Program Manager at (402) 471-6844,
or the Nebraska Invasive Species Project Coordinator at
(402) 471-3133. Either way, next time you find yourself
stuck in the weeds, refer back to this guide to help get
you out. ■
V
Visit
the Nebraska Department of Agriculture website for
more information on the state's noxious weed program.
m
ntlion” is a tough name for
an insect, and one that is
well-earned. The ½-inch long
antlion larva excavates a coneshaped hole in sand or other
loose soil, and then buries itself just
below the bottom of the cone, leaving
only its impressive mandibles (jaws)
showing. Then, it waits.
Eventually, a passing insect (often
an ant) will get a little too close to
the edge of the cone and slip in. A
cascade of loose sand, dislodged by the
unfortunate creature’s misstep, carries
the insect inexorably down the slope to
the waiting jaws of the antlion. When
it reaches the bottom of the cone, the
poor insect is violently attacked and
bitten, and then pulled beneath the
surface to die. If, by some chance, the
insect is able to start crawling back
toward the rim before it’s caught, the
antlion will throw mouthfuls of sand
to trigger a small avalanche, which
carries the insect back to the waiting
jaws of doom. Besides being big and
sharp, those jaws also contain a venom
that both paralyzes and liquefies the
innards of prey. Once the prey is
immobilized, the antlion quietly sucks
out the liquefied contents of the body
and then flings the hollow corpse from
the cone and prepares the trap for the
next victim.
While “antlion” is a great name for
this terrifying little creature, humans
have given it another one that would
surely mortify the antlion if it found
out (if antlions were capable of being
mortified). That secondary name is
“doodlebug.” For an ambush killer
that lies in wait beneath the earth and
lunges out at prey sliding helplessly
to their death, “doodlebug” seems
rather inappropriate. Calling an antlion
“doodlebug” is like nicknaming the
leader of a rough biker gang “cutie
pie” or calling a big strapping cowboy
“daisy.”
The doodlebug label comes from the
winding trails made by larvae as they
search for an appropriate place to build
their pits of death.
The seemingly
aimless, wandering
trails resemble
the mindless
scribbling of
a bored high
schooler in the
margin of their
notebook. It’s
a bug, and it
doodles. I guess.
The irony of
the doodlebug
name is that it was
given because of
the actions of the
larvae, which are
about as scary as
ANTLION adults look more like a
damselfly rather than the larvae
(above).
PHOTOS BY CHRIS HELZER
50 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
“A
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
hink controlling or managing invasive plants on
your property is a daunting task? You’re not alone.
There are an estimated 450 non-native plants
in Nebraska. While only a fraction of those are
considered invasive, new harmful plants threaten to
cross our borders each year. We currently have 12 noxious
weeds listed by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture:
Canada thistle, leafy spurge, musk thistle, plumeless thistle,
purple loosestrife, spotted knapweed, diffuse knapweed,
saltcedar, phragmites, Japanese knotweed, giant knotweed,
and the most recently listed, sericea lespedeza (pictured).
While these noxious weeds generally represent our most
troublesome plants, there are many other invasive plants that
give us grief. Luckily, there are a multitude of experienced
folks in our state willing to help. Whether you’re a
landowner concerned about a new weed in your pasture, or
a homeowner in Omaha trying to get rid of leftover purple
loosestrife, options are available.
First, we have the Nebraska Department of Agriculture
(NDA) that houses the noxious weed program. The
folks there are certainly experts in their field, and full of
knowledgeable tips to help with your concerns. They can
also help you better understand our state's laws on noxious
weeds, which residents are required to follow. Start with
their website: Nda.nebraska.gov/noxious_weed/index.html.
Also at the state level, the Nebraska Weed Control
Association is a non-profit organization comprised of
representatives known as weed control authorities in county
government. The purpose of the Association includes
advancing the interests of agriculture in the improvement
of Nebraska’s weed control program; promoting a
comprehensive weed control program concerning uniformity
in services and charges, explaining proper chemical usage
and product quality and control; and actively participating in
legislative measures concerning weed control. Neweed.org.
The Nebraska Invasive Species Project helps to provide
information statewide about aquatic and terrestrial invasive
species, and is a source for invasive species contacts and
other resources. The project manager also coordinates
activities of the Invasive Species Council; a diverse group
of federal, state, non-governmental organizations and
landowners that help guide management of all invasive
species statewide. Neinvasives.com.
Because it makes sense to group invasive plants by regions
of the state that share similar habitats, weed management
areas were formed. These organizations bring together
landowners and private, city, county, state and federal
managers in a geographical area to coordinate efforts
and expertise against common invasive weed species.
Nebraska currently has 13 weed management area groups,
all of which can be found at Neweed.org/Wma.aspx. And,
actually, there’s a new over-arching group that helps increase
Antlion dens are cone-shaped depressions in fine, loose material.
an insect can look and act. If you were
going to give a namby pamby name
to antlions, you’d be more justified
to base that name on the adult phase
of the species. Adult antlions look
somewhat like a damselfly, but are
very weak flyers, and barely manage
to flutter feebly about looking for a
mate. They certainly do not look like a
creature that would inspire much fear
among its fellow invertebrates.
Names aside, antlions are common
throughout much of Nebraska, and
are probably living somewhere near
you. Be on the lookout for little coneshaped depressions in dry crumbly
soil, especially around the base of
buildings or naturally-occuring cliffs
or overhangs. If you find one, feel free
to grab a nearby ant or other small
invertebrate and drop it into the cone.
Don’t worry, you won’t have to listen
to any screams of terror as the poor
creature slips to its sure and violent
death. But only because insects can’t
scream. ■
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 51
Salt Creek Tiger Beetle
Captive rearing program makes strides.
By Eric Fowler
A
▲
The attached photo was taken at Woods sand pit in
Schuyler, Nebraska in 1951. Pictured from left to right are
Milford Svasek, Don Salak (my father-in-law) and Bob
Bernhiesel.
My husband Dave and I are avid readers of the
magazine and would love to see an old photo of his dad
enjoying the Nebraska outdoors in an upcoming issue.
– Jennifer Salak
Omaha, 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.
52 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
▲ The morning after the night before. From left: Roy Patterson,
Lew Landmesser, Dr. Hanna, Ford Curtis, John Springman, and
Frank Harris.
These are all businessmen from Ansley, Nebraska in the late
1920s. Note the cane fishing poles.
My dad,Verney Ansberry, used to fish with John Springman and
Frank Harris, and they dragged me along to the South Loup River
where I think most of the mosquitoes lived.
I knew all these men except Doc Hanna; I'm 82 now and still
fish the South Loup River.
– Larry Amsberry,
Ansley, Nebraska
fter three years with little to
show for their efforts,
researchers may have cracked
the code to rearing endangered
Salt Creek tiger beetles in
captivity.
In early May, 148 tiger beetle larvae
were released at three saline wetlands
along Little Salt Creek north of Lincoln.
Another 25 larvae were released later
or will be studied at the Henry Doorly
Zoo which, along with the Lincoln
Children’s Zoo, helped raise the insects.
The total was far above the previous
high of 27 larvae produced in 2011-12
by the program, aided by staff from the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The larvae were produced by 15
pairs of adult Salt Creek tiger beetles
captured last spring and taken to the
lab, where they bred and laid eggs in
petri dishes filled with special saline
soil. Researchers transferred 332 larvae
to tubes, another record, and kept them
in rearing chambers where they were
fed fruit flies and crickets until they
were released in May.
The insects, one of the rarest in
North America, will live underground
as larvae until next May or June. Then,
they will emerge as adults and feed and
breed for 6 to 8 weeks before they die.
Volunteers from the Master
Naturalist Program will be monitoring
the larvae, which wait in the mouths of
their burrows and ambush insects that
walk by. Whether the burrows are open
or closed and changes in size helps
researchers track survival and growth,
said Mike Fritz, natural heritage
biologist with the Commission.
Surveys in 2013 by UN-L researchers
found just 365 adult Salt Creek tiger
beetles in the three remaining wild
populations, all of which are located
along a seven-mile long stretch of
Little Salt Creek. Listed as endangered
in 2005, the population has ranged
from 115 in 1993 to 777 in 2002.
The captive-reared larvae will help
Steve Spomer of the University of Nebraska and Mike Fritz of the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission transplant Salt Creek tiger beetle larvae into a saline wetland.
build the wild populations. Next year,
researchers hope to release larvae into
saline wetlands where beetles were
once found, eventually expanding the
number of populations to six.
“It’s encouraging,” Bob Harms, a
Grand Island-based USFWS biologist
overseeing Salt Creek tiger beetle
recovery, said of this year’s success in
the rearing program. Getting the proper
mixture of sand, soil and salinity to use
in the lab, critical to egg development
and larvae survival, was the key.
Researchers had tried several mixtures,
even taking soil from saline wetlands
where tiger beetles were found. The
right mix was found after they brought
a similar species of tiger beetle into
the lab, presented it with many choices
and “let them choose which soil they
wanted,” Harms said.
Researchers will continue to tweak
the process in hopes of finding even
greater success. Fritz has deployed 10
sensors that monitor soil temperature
and moisture from the surface to 36
inches to help further define the needs
of the species both in the rearing
chambers and in the wild.
Also in May, the USFWS announced
a revision in the amount of habitat
critical for the species’ recovery. While
the 1,110 acres now deemed critical
is less than the 1,933 acres listed in
2010, it does expand the coverage, all
of which is in Lancaster and Saunders
counties, from Little Salt and Rock
creeks to include Haines Branch and
Oak creeks. Only 35 acres of habitat
currently hold beetles, a fraction of the
20,000 acres of saline wetlands that
historically were found in the region
but lost to urban and agricultural
development and stream channelization.
Harms said the critical habitat
designation will protect the creeks
and wetlands from development, but
there will be little affect on private
landowners. Grazing around the
wetlands and farming on adjacent sites
can continue. More importantly, the
designation will guide conservation
efforts and could boost funding for
habitat restoration, conservation
easements, land purchases and
beetle reintroduction on sites where
landowners are interested.
“It’s bigger than the Salt Creek tiger
beetle,” Harms said. “It’s protecting
the saline wetland ecosystem, and the
Salt Creek tiger beetle is our rallying
insect.” ■
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 53
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
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.
GET YOUR FISHING PERMIT online today! Don’t
wait until tomorrow to enjoy Nebraska’s great outdoors
by going fishing with the family. To purchase a permit
from the comfort of your own home, go online to
OutdoorNebraska.org and click on Purchase a Permit
under Licenses and Fees.
VACATIONS/RESORTS
THE OLDE MAIN STREET INN. A historic bed and
breakfast listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Beautiful dining room with fireplace. Headquarters for
General Nelson Miles, Wounded Knee Incident, 1890-91.
115 Main Street, Chadron, NE 69337 (308) 432-3380.
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.
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.
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
54 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
Nebraska Crossing Outlets, Gretna
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.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 55
Squirrel with Salsa Verde
Mexican-inspired slow-cooked squirrel served with cilantro-lime rice and fresh avocados.
By Jenny Nguyen
A
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 5½ hours
Ingredients:
2 squirrels, broken down
2 tablespoons of butter
kosher salt and freshly cracked
pepper
1 cup of chicken broth
queso fresco cheese
1 large avocado, sliced
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
medium tomatillos, husked and
• 8 rinsed
to 2 jalapeño peppers, stems
• 1 removed
garlic cloves, peeled
• 412large
sprigs
• choppedof fresh cilantro, roughly
of an onion, chopped
• ½quarter
cup
of
• 1 teaspoonwater
of kosher salt
•
PHOTO
PHOT
O BY JEN
JENNY
NY NGUYE
N
NGUYEN
GUYEN
N
widely available wild game,
squirrels have offered many
young hunters hours of escape
in the woods before the lure
of bigger game. They taste
somewhere between a lighter meat
such as rabbit and a darker, more
flavorful meat such as dove. Because
squirrels’ diets consists of mostly nuts,
specifically black walnuts in Nebraska,
squirrel meat sets itself apart from
other upland game for its nutty, buttery
and sweet taste. Squirrels are best
slow-cooked or braised, but are also
tasty fried.
Nebraska has a relatively long season
for hunting squirrels, running from
August 1 to January 31. The bag limit
is 7, you can hunt them just about any
time during the day, and the ammo to
hunt them is inexpensive. For all these
reasons, squirrels are the ideal game in
my book.
1 tablespoon of olive oil
• zest
of 1 lime
• ½ teaspoon
salt
• 3 tablespoonsof ofkosher
chopped
cilantro
•
1. To make salsa verde, place
tomatillos, jalapeños and garlic in
a rimmed baking pan. Broil until
jalapeños are roasted, garlic is browned
and tomatillos turn a blotchy black.
Garlic will brown faster – take it out
before it burns. Allow ingredients to
cool, and then add tomatillos (and their
juices), garlic, jalapeños, salt, cilantro
and ¼ cup of water into a blender.
Pulse until smooth, and then pour into
a bowl. Mix in chopped onion and set
aside. Add more salt to taste.
2. Dab squirrel pieces dry with paper
towels, and then season well with salt
and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet over
medium-high heat and brown squirrel
pieces on both sides. You don’t have to
cook the meat through.
Cilantro-Lime Rice
cup of uncooked long grain rice,
• 1 rinsed
• 2 cups of water
56 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
3. Move browned pieces of squirrel
into a slow cooker. Pour in the chicken
stock and about ¾ of the salsa verde,
reserving the rest to serve on the side
or for tortilla chips. Cook on low for 5
hours or until squirrel is tender. Then
serve squirrel over cilantro-lime rice
with queso fresco cheese crumbled on
top and fresh avocado slices on the
side.
4. To make cilantro-lime rice,
combine rice, water, oil and salt in a
heavy pot. Boil on high uncovered until
the water reduces down to skim the
top of the rice, then reduce heat to low
and cook covered for 15 minutes. Then
take off heat and keep covered for an
additional 5 minutes. Finally, toss in
cilantro and lime zest. ■
This recipe and photograph
originally appeared on Jenny's Food
for Hunters blog at
Foodforhunters.com.
R
Read
Jenny's
NEBRASKAland
N
blog "Midland
b
Musings" to see
M
other stories from this
NEBRASKAland Regional
Editor.
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 57
The Dance Hall
H
itting the blinker at the intersection of Norden Road and Apple Street, the
unincorporated village of Norden’s only crossroad, I smile wryly at my entrenched
city reflexes. I’ve seen only one lonely ranch truck in two roundtrips totaling 100
miles along scenic Norden Road. Legendary in these remote regions of northern
Nebraska, Norden’s population will swell by 300 times come nightfall – the same
factor as Woodstock. Sure, the population is only three, but the math still works. In the
distance stands the unimposing structure where calm will become crazy.
Since 1931, folks within a broad rural radius have gathered together at the Norden Dance
Hall. High wheat-colored crossbeams frame a sprawling dance floor smoothed by decades
of sliding boot soles. Every other summer Saturday here, the smell of hamburgers and the
sound of humans fill the air. Night breezes slowly cool the hall through open windows, but
it’s hot. Sweaty dancers don’t care; they smile and swing to the live band. It’s not a fixed
rule, but I gauge the span of relationships by measuring smiles shared. Some young couples
throw down impressive swinging moves and are given wider berths as if creating their own
kinetic force field. Choreography is the general rule; you can’t merely bust a random move at
country dances, so that mercifully leaves me out. It’s loud. I limit my nearness to the twangy
band like one would to a cracked nuclear reactor, for fear of permanent damage.
Almost imperceptibly, all couples move counterclockwise around the floor, spinning like
planetary systems within a greater revolving galaxy. And like the center of a galaxy does, this
place pulls. The Dance Hall is the focal point up here, yet regardless of its intense vibrancy,
it somehow remains distant and obscure to outsiders, still to be discovered.
High dollar steaks come from high dollar herds. High dollar herds come from high
dollar pasture. Whether you’re looking to buy prime ranch property or cash in by
selling a piece of land, we can help.
Contact a Ranch & Farm Properties agent to discuss selling
or buying hunting, ranch and farm land in Nebraska.
Mark Harris
August 24, 2013
58 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2014
ranchandfarmproperties. com
JASON SCHENDT | AGENT
LUKE WALLACE | AGENT
jschendt@whitetailproperties.tv
lwallace@whitetailproperties.tv
402.707.4885
402.340.6187
JULY 2014 • NEBRASKAland 59
Whitetail Properties Real Estate, LLC. DBA Whitetail Properties | In the State of Nebraska DBA Whitetail Trophy Properties Real Estate LLC. and Ranch & Farm Properties | Dan
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