Volume 92, Issue 9, 2014
November 2014
- Identifier:
- nela.2014_092_09
- Title:
- Volume 92, Issue 9, 2014
- Issue Name:
- November 2014
- Date Issued:
- 2014-11-01
- year:
- 2014
- month:
- November
- Season:
- Autumn
- PDF filename:
- NL_92.09_2014_Nov_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 092
- issue:
- 09
- number:
- 092.09
- 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
November 2014
Reuben J. Cogburn, a Labrador retriever belonging to Mike Remund of Tecumseh,
patiently waits for the next flight of ducks on a hunt at Langdon Bend Wildlife
Management Area near Nemaha. Photo by Eric Fowler.
NebraskalandMagazine.com
$4.95
INSIDE
Photographers and Plains Indians ● A Plant Rivalry
Autumn in the Panhandle ● Fall Turkey How-to
The Spike Deer Debate ● Langdon Bend
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 92
●
No. 9
●
November 2014
40
●
F EAT U R ES . . .
16 Photographers and the Plains Indians
BY JOHN E. CARTER
20 Save a Spike
BY JUSTIN HAAG
22 Falling for Turkey
BY JUSTIN HAAG
26 Plant Diversity – A Botanical Rivalry
STORY AND PHOTOS BY GERRY STEINAUER
32 A Short Fall
PHOTOS AND STORY BY JUSTIN HAAG
40 Langdon Bend
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
D EPARTM EN T S . . .
Comment .........................................................4
Mixed Bag.......................................................6
Nature Notes .................................................46
Portraits from the Past ..................................48
Page 49 ..........................................................49
Classifieds .....................................................50
In the Kitchen ...............................................52
Wine & Dine Guide ......................................53
The Last Stop ................................................54
NEBRASKAland Gift Collection .................55
26
●
22
●
O N TH E W EB . . .
WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL IN THE PAGES OF
N
NEBRASKALAND MAGAZINE, VISIT
NEBRASKALANDMAGAZINE.COM AND VIEW OUR INTERACTIVE
DIGITAL EDITION FOR MORE INFORMATION.
D
Cover: This image of Tatanka Witko “Fool Bull” of the Sicangu
Lakota was taken around 1900 by John A. Anderson. See story
on page 16. Photo courtesy of Nebraska State Historical Society.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 92 / NO. 9, 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 • NOVEMBER 2014
32
●
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 3
Emulating Eric
Ever since I saw Eric Fowler’s photo of the
tree limbs immersed in the fog at Wildwood
Lake in “Beautiful Nebraska” I’ve been wanting
to emulate something similar. The cool temps
in early September lent to the perfect conditions
so I headed out to Branched Oak one morning
and was welcomed by an incredibly dense fog.
When the sun began to rise I saw the perfect
opportunity, a bare old tree sitting some ways
out to the middle of the lake in direct path of the
rising sun. I was fortunate enough that there was
a cormorant to pose, too. I thought you might
appreciate it.
Thanks again for the inspiration, and for
keeping NEBRASKAland coming to my home
each month!
Erik Johnson
Lincoln, Nebraska
Nebraska’s Mountain Views
I wanted to bring to your attention something with regard
to your August-September “Beautiful Nebraska” edition. In
the introduction, the very first sentence reads “Not one of
Nebraska’s 77,000 square miles of land and water features
an ocean or mountain view.”
When I saw this comment, as a resident of the Nebraska
Panhandle, I knew immediately that this statement is not
completely true. There are, in fact, three places in western
Nebraska where mountains can be seen in neighboring
states.
The first is at Panorama Point, in the southwestern corner
of Kimball County, located at an elevation of 5,429 feet, the
highest elevated point in Nebraska, and 150 feet higher than
the city of Denver. On a clear day, the Rocky Mountains can
be seen from this vantage point.
The next place where a mountain can be seen from
Nebraska is at the top of Scotts Bluff National Monument in
Scotts Bluff County. Here, Laramie Peak, at an elevation of
10,276 feet, in eastern Wyoming, can be viewed on a clear
day.
The last place is in northwestern Nebraska, where views of
Harney Peak, at 7,242 feet, can be seen. So, it is possible to
view mountains in Nebraska, even if we can’t claim any of
them as our own.
Sincerely,
Kenneth J. Mayer
via e-mail
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
A 10-inch Bluegill
My stepson took my 7-year-old son
out fishing at Wildwood, which is just
north of Branched Oak, and he caught
this 10-inch bluegill. I am so proud of
him!
Scott W. Shafer
Lincoln, Nebraska
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
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
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
Russell Mort
Dan Evasco
Rich Berggren
Travis Shepler
City
Louisville
Auburn
Colon
Cortland
Eagle
Hebron
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln
Waverly
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
209-1506
616-5961
619-1355
613-2312
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone 402-332-3901
ADMINISTRATION
Officer
Craig Stover (Adm.)
Duane Arp (Ass.)
Jeff Clauson (Ass.)
City
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln
Phone (402)
471-5531
471-5531
471-5531
Omaha Office
8495 Frederick Street, Omaha, NE 68124
Phone 402-595-2144
Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers 1-800-742-7627
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.
Linda Jacox of Garland won first place
photo in the “Wild and Scenic Nebraska”
category at the Nebraska State Fair with
this west side view of Branched Oak
Lake.
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.
4 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
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
Cozad
402-613-2241
Alex Hasenauer
Wellfleet
660-4671
NORTHEAST
Officer
Tom Zimmer (Sup.)
COMMISSION
C
COM
OM
OMMIS
M SIO
SION O
SI
OFFICES
F CES
FFI
ES
S
With Scotts Bluff National Monument as
the backdrop, Mel Flick of Mitchell shot
this photo of fog rising from the North
Platte River on a frosty morning west of
Scottsbluff.
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
Headquarters/Southeast District Office
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone 402-471-0641
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone 402-370-3374
Southwest District Office
301 E. State Farm Rd. North Platte, NE 69101
Phone 308-535-8025
Northwest District Office
East Hwy. 2, Box 725 Alliance, NE 69301
Phone 308-763-2940
Bassett Office
524 Panzer St., Box 508 Bassett, NE 68714
Phone 402-684-2921
Kearney Office
1617 First Ave. Kearney, NE 68847
Phone 308-865-5310
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
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 5
Doe vs. Buck — Which
Meat is Better?
By Julie Geiser
The controversy between doe meat versus buck meat is
debated every deer season, and there are many factors that
determine which meat is really the best.
The age of a deer will make a difference in tenderness.
Meat is made of muscle cells connected by collagen, a
culprit of tough meat. Because younger deer have less
collagen than older deer, shooting a young buck or doe
versus an older deer of either sex will result in different
meat toughness.
The build-up of lactic acid can also cause a bitter or sour
meat taste. Lactic acid forms in the muscle of any deer
that has been running. After a shot is made, don’t track the
animal too soon – if pushed the deer will continue to move,
producing more lactic acid in the deer meat. Most wounded
deer will go a short distance, bed down and bleed out.
Soon after shooting a deer, rigor mortis, or stiffening of
the muscles, will set in for about 24 hours. Butchering or
cooking meat at this time leads to tough meat, as the muscles
are contracted. If temperatures allow for the deer to be hung
(above freezing and below 40 degrees) natural enzymes
will begin tenderizing the meat by breaking down collagen.
Aging meat like this in cool weather for three to seven days
will enhance the
flavor.
If temperatures
are not favorable forr
hanging, quarter and
d
cover meat with ice in
a cooler. Coolers aree good
for transporting (be sure to
abide by state laws on transporting) and for aging meat.
Keep the plug out off th
the cooler
the melted,
bloody
l tto allow
ll th
lt d bl
d
water to escape, and add ice as needed until the meat can be
processed. Leaving meat in bloody water allows bacteria to
start spreading.
A few more tips include:
● Make a clean shot. The more contaminants, including
entrails, that come in contact with meat will affect the flavor.
● Keep meat cool. Field dress and open the deer’s body
cavity in a timely manner. After washing the cavity with
cool water, use a stick to prop the body cavity open or, in
warm weather, cool the cavity by placing bags of ice in the
opening.
● Do not overcook deer meat. Many people overcook
venison, making it chewy and dry. Season, marinate and
cook deer meat as you would your favorite cut of beef.
When grilling, get the grate hot enough to sear the meat
surface for three to four minutes, leaving the inside pink
while locking in juicy flavors. ■
Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever
Wildlife Habitat Mixes
All Neewries!
S
RT V X
North America’s best-selling diesel utility vehicles just got better.
Get ready for a whole new Kubota RTV experience
with a smoother ride, better terrain-ability,
improved ergonomics and innovation throughout.
2PDKD7UDFWRU,QF
Over 280 species of grasses, legumes and wildflowers
available. Designed by wildlife professionals for maximum
results. Custom mixtures to meet your needs is our specialty.
Pricing includes delivery to your location in 6 to 8
working days. Quality customer service.
6WK6W
2PDKD1(
www.kubota.com
6W[PVUHSLX\PWTLU[TH`ILZOV^U
2\IV[H;YHJ[VY*VYWVYH[PVU
6 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 7
Travelogue Sponsors
By Eric Fowler
Pawnee City
f colorful collections pique your interest,
yyou can find plenty in Pawnee City.
At the Pawnee City Museum, you can find the requisite
collections
collll
co
of antique farm machinery, 21 buildings, including
the home of David Butler, Nebraska’s first governor, and a
barn donated by Dan Whitney, better known as Larry the
Cable Guy. You’ll also find colorful collections of 8,400
buttons and 1,600 sets of salt and pepper shakers donated
by residents. While not as colorful, the museum is also home to the
world’s largest barbed wire collection.
Another vibrant assortment can be found at the Pedal Clinic, a
former church where Bill and Elsie Sunneberg display more than 400
Pawnee City
pedal tractors, 250 pedal cars, and numerous wagons, tricycles and
bicycles, some dating to 1935, that Bill has restored and will happily
show you if you call for an appointment.
The color in Heavenly Treasures quilt store is almost blinding.
Located in a former Baptist church, Marie Glenn’s store draws
customers from around the country.
At Schilling Bridge Winery and Micro Brewery, the first such
combination in the nation, Sharon and Mike Schilling have plenty
of colorful drinks to choose from, from a darker Scottish ale to
a light golden lager, red, white and rose wines or an even more
colorful wine cocktail. The winery hosts many special events,
including murder mystery dinners and an annual Ugly Christmas
Sweater contest. Stop in on a Friday or Saturday and sample the
menu of pizza and wine and beer infused food, including prime
rib on Saturdays, but not without a reservation.
You can also grab a
bite to eat downtown at the
Adobe Grill, the Parkside Café or “The W,”
where you can get a steak dinner for less than $10.
Yvonne Dullage will be happy to put you up at My Blue Heaven bed
and breakfast, the latter of which includes blueberry pancakes served on
colorful antique china. You can also rent the rustic Three Pines Cabin in
town, or stay in a modern cabin surrounded by prairie and overlooking a
pond at the Big Blue Ranch near Burchard.
The town is surrounded by wildlife management areas open to
hunting and hiking, including Pawnee Prairie. Anglers can wet a line at
Burchard or Iron Horse lakes, both of which offer camping. You can
even putt on sand greens at the 9-hole Fairview Golf Club.
The town was settled in 1854, when Nebraska
was but a territory. The historic court
house on the town square of the town
was built in 1912. Visit the “Redbud
Capital of Nebraska” in April and you
can see a tree in bloom on every
lot in this town of 866 that is never
short on color. ■
Burchard Lake northwest of town
Salt
at theaPnadwpepper shaker c
nee City M ollection
useum
nery
Sch
e Wi
g
d
i
r
B
g
illin
8 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 9
Ledger Art
Amy Kucera
The depiction of events through
decoration of bison hides has long
been a part of artistic expression for
Plains Indian people. However, during
the late-1800s, the forced removal of
tribal people from their homelands onto
reservations, as well as eradication of
bison herds by Euroamerican settlers
required tribal artists to rapidly adapt
to changing conditions. Through the
access of new materials including
pencils, pens and lined record books,
a distinctive drawing style coined
“ledger art” emerged. View the historic
Plains Ledger Art Project collection at
Plainsledgerart.org. ■
New Photo Fiction Book From
Jeff Kurrus
NEBRASKAland Magazine Editor Jeff
Kurrus, following his 2012 Golden Sower
Award finalist “Have You Seen Mary?” with
Michael Forsberg, has recently released
“The Tale of Jacob Swift” with stunning
work from award-winning photographer
Rob Palmer, as well as a foreword by Dr.
Teresa Frink from Chadron State College.
“Jacob” chronicles a year in the life of
a swift fox family living on the shortgrass
prairie of the Great Plains, including all
the challenges and triumphs that this family undergoes.
At 48 pages featuring more than 50 beautiful photographs, it is both an
entertaining and educating story for readers of all ages. Visit the Gift Collection in
the back of this issue to order your copy. ■
Bring your family, bring your friends and
make plans to visit the Nebraska Prairie
Museum in Holdrege. See the 16’ wide
buffalo mural, a life-size buffalo, a two-bearded wild turkey and a sandhill
crane. For more information about visiting the museum and the
interactive museum map of our exhibits, check out our website.
Homemade Knives
nebraskaprairie.org
By Dylan Tegtmeier, Nebraska Outdoor U!
N. Hwy 183 Holdrege
308-995-5015
T
10 NEBRASKAland • OCTOBER 2014
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 am-5 pm | Sat-Sun: 1-5 pm
)LQGXVRQ
)DFHERRN
The
T
Th
he author’s
he
au
a
uttho
ho
h
orr’s
r’’s
sc
co
completed
omp
mp
mpl
plleted
ette
ete
e
ted kn
k
knife,
niiiffe,
n
nif
e,
antler
handle
and
witth a
wit
with
ntler
nt
ntl
tle
tl
err h
ha
han
andle
a
dlle
d
le an
a
nd rive
rrivets.
iv
ive
ve
v
ets.
tts
s
s..
blade, and any other metal shaping you feel is needed.
Now is the time to work the metal while it is still soft.
After you forge the steel, it will be much harder.
Once your blade is shaped, turn up the heat on your
forge and let the metal heat until it is orange or red.
You can test the heat with a magnet. If the blade is hot
enough, it will not be magnetized. Then quench your
blade in your old motor oil. Caution: if the blade is hot
enough, it will flame up quite a bit when you quench it.
To be safe during the forging process, use a pair of long
tongs to handle the blade, or use a wire to hook through
one of the holes in the tang. After your blade is forged,
polish and sharpen it, then add your finishing touches.
Finally, set your oven to 350 degrees and temper the
blade for 40 minutes. Allow the blade to cool in the
open air and then attach your handle. Your knife is now
ready for action. Visit OutdoorU.org and start your own
pathway to exciting and memorable experiences in the
outdoors. ■
SKILL LEVEL:
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced ✔
KNIFE PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
he trusty pocket knife is the essential tool for
many outdoor tasks. With a few common materials,
ss,,
you can even make one at home. You’ll need wood or
antler for your knife handle, some steel for your knife
blade, and cutting or grinding tools to shape your blade.
e.
You will also need a forge and some old motor oil.
The forge is the most complicated and important part
of this process. To build one, you’ll need some charcoal,
a large metal pan to burn the coal in, a smaller metal
container for the wind chamber (a large tin coffee can
works well) and an old blow dryer.
Drill a dozen or so air holes in the bottom of the coal
container, and drill a wind hole in the side of your coffee
tin container toward the bottom (this hole is where you
will route your blow dryer to feed air into the forge).
Next hook up your blow dryer to your coffee tin and
make sure the connection is mostly air tight. Then set
your charcoal container on top of the open coffee tin
to allow the air to flow up through the holes and into
the coals. Once you’ve filled your coal container with
charcoal, light it up, leave the blow dryer off for a while
and let all the coals ignite completely. Once the coals
are grey and black, you can turn on the blow dryer and
increase the heat.
Now that your forge is ready, cut the blade shape out
of a metal sheet of steel by using a hack saw or cutting
torch. Then drill 2-4 holes in the tang, which is the part
of the steel where the handle will go. These holes are for
your handle pegs, which provide extra strength to your
handle. After your holes are drilled, take your blade to a
grinding wheel and put an edge and drip guard on your
-HUNTING PERMITSDEER & TURKEY
Start planning at FiveDollarYouth.org
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 11
Nebraska Bird Library
Sponsored by
y
Passenger Pigeon
3101 O Street
Lincoln, NE 68510
402-620-3898
Mon. - Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Upland Game Forecast
By Jerry Kane
Nebraska pheasant hunting opportunities in 2014 should be on par with
last year or slightly better, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission’s upland game hunting outlook.
The consensus among Commission field staff is that habitat conditions
have improved across most of the state, providing more suitable nesting and
brood-rearing habitat for pheasants. However, spring storms seem to have
negatively impacted the pheasant hatch as seen by spring and summer upland
game surveys. Replacement nests for those lost to these early storms might yet
compensate for some of the losses.
The southwestern and Panhandle regions should
have the best pheasant hunting opportunities, with
populations beginning to recover from the 2012-2013
drought. Habitat loss in the eastern part of the state
continues to be a concern, particularly east of U.S.
Highway 81.
Bobwhite quail abundance was higher across the state
based on surveys and field observations. Southeastern
Nebraska, especially Johnson, Pawnee and Richardson
counties, should offer the best opportunities for hunting
quail, but conditions should be good rangewide.
Abundance of grouse is higher in the Sandhills and
central part of the state than in any other regions and is
higher than 2013 in both regions. ■
V
View
the full upland game hunting
outlook report.
o
Song or calls: Coos along with loud croaking, chattering and
clucking noises.
Description: Sexes similar. Long graceful pointed tail; slateblue head; black bill; and red legs. Slate-gray back with graybrown to olive-brown tinge; slate-blue rump and lower back;
russet or wine red underparts with a white belly. Iridescent
feathers on the sides and back of neck with metallic gold or
violet glow; and small black spots on wings. Dark tail had white
outer edge.
Habitat: Preferred beech-oak-maple forests. Beechnuts and
acorns were the favorite foods of passenger pigeons.
Where in Nebraska: Formerly ranged over much of eastern
North America. Was a common migrant and summer resident in
eastern parts of Nebraska.
Fun Facts: The passenger pigeon was an extremely social
animal that liked to live and travel in large groups at all times. A
roosting colony could comprise well over 100 million birds and
cover more than 800 square miles of forest, with as many as 100
nests per tree.
Additional Information: In the mid-1800s, the population of
passenger pigeons was estimated between 3 and 5 billion birds,
but the birds were extinct by 1914. ■
To learn about more birds visit NebraskaBirdLibrary.org.
EXPLORE NEBRASKA’S PAST
$29/year – Includes 4 issues
of Nebraska History and
4 of Nebraska History News
www.nebraskahistory.org/magazine
402-471-3270
facebook.com/pages/Nebraska-State-Historical-Society
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 13
Friendly Fences
Increasing after
Recent Incentive
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.
November 8
Old Fort Atkinson
Candelight Tour
Fort Atkinson State Historical
Park, Fort Calhoun, 6 p.m.,
402-650-0598
November 9
Virginia and sora rail hunting
season closes
November 11
All Game and Parks offices
closed in observance of
Veterans Day
November 15
November 1
First segment of crow hunting
season closes
November late doe/fawn
antelope hunting season
opens
November 16
November 1
Hunting and trapping seasons
open for raccoon, Virginia
opossum, long-tailed weasel,
mink, red fox, gray fox and
badger
November 1
Muskrat and beaver trapping
seasons open
November 1
Special public health hazard
order crow hunting opens
November 15-23
November firearm deer
hunting season
November 15-23
Restricted statewide buck
deer hunting season
November 23
Fort Robinson SP
Longhorn and Buffalo Sale
Most 2015 annual permits and Crawford, 308-665-2900
stamps available for purchase
November 27
at OutdoorNebraska.org
Thanksgiving Buffet
November 1
Lovin’ Dutch Oven
Eugene T. Mahoney SP,
Ashland, 402-944-2523
Wildcat Hills Nature Center,
Gering, 9 a.m., 308-436-3777
November 28
Families on Target
November 1-2
Cornucopia of Crafts
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park Lincoln, noon, 402-471-6141
(SP), Ashland, 402-944-2523
November 3
Woodcock hunting season
closes
November 3
Christmas Dinner Tickets
Tickets go on sale for the
historical Christmas dinner at
Fort Robinson SP, Crawford,
308-665-2900
November 29
Families on Target
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
Lincoln, 10 a.m., 402-471-6141
November 30
Dad’s Day at the Range
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
Lincoln, 1 p.m., 402-471-6141
14 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
By Justin Haag
Landowners in the Panhandle and a portion of northcentral Nebraska are enjoying the benefits of a twoyear program to install wildlife-friendly fence on their
properties.
In 2013-2014, the Game and Parks Commission
has awarded an incentive of up to $1,000 per mile
of fencing to landowners in its northwestern district.
With a signed contract prior to fence construction,
landowners receive incentive funds to help construct
wildlife-friendly fences within their property’s
boundaries and that border other properties.
The deadline for enrollment has passed this year, but
the Commission has 19 miles left to award on the grant
and is hoping to extend the program next year. The
$50,000 available for the projects was largely funded
by a grant from the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid
in Wildlife Restoration Act, the 1937 legislation that
created an excise tax on sporting goods to fund wildlife
management.
The program was originally limited to landowners of
the Pine Ridge and Oglala Grasslands regions, but was
expanded in 2014 to include properties of the entire
12-county northwestern district.
A wildlife-friendly fence design serves its purpose
for livestock while allowing wild animals to travel
over or under the fence with minimal chance of getting
caught.
The program is one of many efforts the Commission
makes to help landowners improve wildlife habitat.
“This program promotes fences that are beneficial
for both wildlife and landowners,” said Shelley
Steffl of Chadron, a Game and Parks private lands
wildlife biologist. “Not only are animals less likely to
become injured, but landowners who install wildlifefriendly fence are likely to encounter fewer costs for
maintenance.”
To be eligible for the
program, barbed-wire
boundary fences must be
no higher than 42 inches
and consist of no more
than four wires. Interior
barbed-wire fences need
no more than three wires
at a maximum height of
38 inches. Both interior
and boundary fences require a smooth bottom wire 16
inches from the ground and 12 inches between the top
two wires.
A design for high-tensile electric fence also was
made eligible, with design specifications similar,
though not identical, to those of the barbed wire. ■
NEBRASKAland
Visitor
A wildlife-friendly fence is
applicable to both boundary
and interior fences. In both
cases they require a smooth
bottom wire at least 16 inches
from the ground.
On the Shelf
By Justin Haag
“A Pronghorn Year: A Visual Tribute
to North America’s Pronghorn”
chronicles the life of one of the High
Plains’ most visible, and perhaps
misunderstood, game animals.
The new book conveys the
pronghorn’s excellent speed, eyesight
and hardiness for all seasons.
Close-up photos of newborn fawns
are among its more than 100 full-color
images.
The 80-page book was produced by Dick Kettlewell, a nature photographer and
writer from Rapid City, South Dakota, and published by Farcountry Press. ■
Youth Photo Contest Winners
NEBRASKAland Magazine hosted a photo contest for both adults and youth in
the August/September 2014 Beautiful Nebraska Collector’s Edition. While the
adult category winners were announced in the October issue, below are the 12 and
under and 13-17 winners in our youth categories. Congratulations to both Calli
Hunter and Emily Uphoff for their winning entries. ■
Calli Hunter, a 16-year-old from
Pleasanton, photographed this antler
shed this past spring near her home.
Emily Uphoff, a 12-year-old from Lincoln,
photographed this swallowtail butterfly in
her backyard.
October’s winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Ray Fansle of Fairfield, Illinois,
who found the Japanese Beetle on
page 14. Readers are encouraged to
contact NEBRASKAland within 10
days after this issue’s publication
with the correct page number and
name of this issue’s “Visitor” – a
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 7, 12, 15, 35 or 56.
The Japanese Beetle, (Popillia
japonica) is an exotic, invasive
insect. It is originally from Japan,
but was introduced to the U.S. in
1916. It has become established
in parts of Nebraska, primarily in
metro areas, and counties along
I-80 to North Platte. This shiny
beetle is up to ½" long and green,
with copper brown colored elytra.
A series of white tufts of hair are
visible on its abdomen; two tufts
on its rear and five on each side.
Adults feed on the foliage of a
large number of plants, including
lindens, roses, and soybeans.
Larvae are white grubs, similar to
June beetle grubs, and feed on
roots. They
overwinter as
larvae,
pupating and
emerging as
adults in spring,
around the
time chicory blooms.
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.
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 15
Photographers
and the Plains
Indians
N
who posed and those who composed,
manufactured, sold, bought, exhibited
and examined the images.
Photographers
Photography came along in the 1840s
just as the United States was expanding
into the American West. People were
NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, RG2066:5-1
ineteenth-century photographs
of American Indians are the
dynamic product of a variety
of cultural perspectives, individual
ambitions, economic factors and
personal beliefs. At first glance, the
images simply show us depictions of
tribal people. But as documents, the
photographs raise questions about those
hungry for images of exotic places
and their exotic inhabitants. During
the last half of the 19th century many
Euroamericans looked on indigenous
peoples as a part of that great Wild
West, another element to be tamed.
People were genuinely curious about
these many different cultures and their
“strange” ways. Photographers were
eager to feed that curiosity and reap the
economic benefits from doing so.
The subjects were attired and posed
to meet consumer expectations. Prior
to 1900, many consumers thought
of the Indian as either an enemy or
an anthropological curiosity. The
photographs are made as though the
subjects are specimens, something
for study. Compare most portraits of
Indians in the 1860s and 1870s with
the self-aggrandizing contemporary
portraits of Euroamericans and the
distinction becomes clear.
In these early photographs, subjects
are posed with particular symbolic
accessories. Especially prior to 1880,
men and boys would often be posed
with a weapon or a pipe, symbols of
war and peace. With the end of the
large scale hostilities after 1880, that
stereotype vanished. As Native peoples
are confined to reservations they are, in
the eyes of the dominant culture, tamed.
Plains Indians
This image of Standing Bear, of the Ponca, was captured by Stanley Morrow, circa 1875.
Standing Bear is known for leading his people in a march back to Nebraska from Indian
Territory, now Oklahoma, in 1879. Here he is posed with a pipe, a symbol of peace.
16 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
If photographers were inclined to
document and/or make money, what
motivated the Native subjects? In some
cases posing was a simple business
transaction; photographers exchanged
NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, RG2969:1-27
By John E. Carter, Nebraska State Historical Society
This photograph of Tatanka Witko “Fool Bull” of the Sicangu (Rosebud) Lakota tribe was taken by John A. Anderson, circa 1900.
Anderson’s work is typical of the romantic style of photography that emerged after 1898.
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 17
NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, RG2065:6-5
This photograph of an unidentified
Pawnee by John F. Jarvis, circa 1870, is
typical of photos of Indians prior to 1898.
Posed uncomfortably with a sword and
revolver, this Pawnee man is photographed more as a specimen than subject.
cash or gifts for a few moments in front
of the lens.
For others, appearing in photographs
was a matter of prestige. Delegations
to Washington, D.C. routinely sat for
photographs. These people were proud
of their role and more than willing to
be memorialized. Some, such as Red
Cloud who was photographed regularly,
actually controlled the images, carefully
choosing attire and hairstyles to fit their
political intentions.
Others were entertainers, such
as Native Americans traveling with
18 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
The real change in the portrayal
of Indians came in 1898 at the
Trans-Mississippi and International
Exposition in Omaha. The Exposition
was to celebrate the closing of the
American West and to welcome
the industrial and electric age. The
Congress of the American Indian at the
event was proudly vaunted as the last
great gathering of the Red Man.
The original idea of this Congress
was educational, to bring together
representatives of tribes from across
the nation and have them demonstrate
their traditional ways. But this was a
fair and the reality of demonstration of
traditional ways quickly disintegrated
into a series of mock battles, which
were decidedly more fun for both the
performers and the fairgoers.
For the educational effort, the
Smithsonian Institution’s James
Mooney contracted with Frank
Rinehart, the Exhibition’s official
photographer, to photograph as many
of the people from as many tribes as
possible. These images would go to the
Smithsonian to be added to its growing
anthropological archive.
Rinehart assigned his assistant,
Adolph Muhr, to make the images.
Muhr had a keen eye and photographed
his subjects not as specimens,
but as serious subjects for artistic
photographs. Individualized poses and
strong lighting created photographs that
are at once beautiful and intrinsically
interesting.
When the photographs became wildly
popular with the fairgoers, Rinehart
realized he had a real moneymaker.
He reneged on his agreement with the
Smithsonian and copyrighted the best
work himself. He sent a collection
John E. Carter is a senior research
associate with the Nebraska State
Historical Society. He has been with
the Society since 1976 – first as curator
of photographs. John has authored
several books, including Eyewitness
at Wounded Knee, and Solomon D.
Butcher: Photographing the American
Dream. John has been enlisted in
several projects from documentary
filmmaker Ken Burns including The
West series,
the Prohibition
documentary and
The National
Parks episodes.
His first
appearance in
NEBRASKAland
was in 1985.
NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, RG2063:27-1
NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, RG0798:2-12
Omaha Charley Bristol and a group of his performers were photographed by Macy and Doughty of Norfolk, circa 1890. Omaha
Charley was a collector and entertainer from Homer who toured the country with his collection of Indian objects. Often groups of
Indian entertainers, such as the one pictured here, accompanied him. Bristol stands in the back row, second from the right, sporting
an impressive mustache.
A New View in a
New Century
of clearly inferior photographs to
Washington.
Muhr’s style revolutionized Indian
portraiture. Native Americans no longer
represented the savage, but rather
became the symbol of America’s lost
romantic past.
By the 1920s the motion picture
began to replace the photograph as the
medium for capturing the American
West. The era of the large scale
photography of American Indians
ended. ■
DAILY NEBRASKAN
NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, RG3122-1
Albert Bierstadt photographed this Oglala village along the North Platte River in 1859.
Bierstadt is well known as the earliest of the Rocky Mountain School of genre painters
but he was also an adept photographer. In 1859 he joined Col. Frederick Lander’s
expedition to relocate portions of the wagon route to the Pacific Ocean. During this
journey, Bierstadt took many pictures, including a number of pictures of Plains Indians
encountered along the way.
Wild West shows, who understood
that photographs were part of public
relations. And some people tightly
controlled and franchised their images.
Sitting Bull often sold the pictures
himself and charged a dollar for an
autograph.
No doubt some images depict
unwilling participants, showing people
in some form of captivity where
they are offered little choice but to
cooperate.
wife, Mary Good Road
Road, which was taken by
Red Cloud poses for a photo with his wife
Mossman, circa 1900. Red Cloud is clearly the most photographed American Indian in
the 19th century. As both a skilled military leader, politician and diplomat, his image
was in demand. Red Cloud was sophisticated in how he appeared in photographs, and
used that skill to craft his own public image.
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 19
Save a Spike
By Justin Haag
Brow Tine:
The first
division or
point off of
the beam.
Also known
as the G1.
Bay Antler: The
second division
(or point above the
brow tine). Also
known as the G2.
Royal Antler: The third division on
the antlers (or point above the bay
antler). Also known as the G3.
Thoughts have changed regarding the value of
bucks with the smallest antlers.
T
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
20 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
White-tailed
Deer Rack
Surroyal Antler:
The fourth
division or
point above
the royal antler.
Also known as
the G4.
Fork/Palm: The end of the deer’s antlers,
where the central beam divides in two. On
whitetails, this division comes at the end of
the deer’s antlers. Mule deer racks exhibit
two forks.
Crown Tine: A tine growing
at the very end of the
deer’s antler; the points
above the fork or palm.
A deer rack, which refers to the set of antlers on a deer’s
head, is classified either typical or non-typical. Typical racks
are sets of antlers that have a classic, or matched, set of
antlers. The buck would have the same amount of points on
each side, and the location of these points would be the same.
A non-typical rack will exhibit unmatched (e.g. three on one
side and five on the other) or abnormally shaped points.
Why G? Many
experienced deer
hunters know the
difference between a
G2, G3, and beyond.
But why G? The
answer is simple.
The labels on the
Boone & Crockett
scoring sheet where
tines are assessed is
in section G of the
form.
Mule Deer
Rack
Beam: The central
stem of the antlers,
from which all other
points arise.
Burr/Coronet: The end of a buck’s
antler that flattens out at the base
of the head.
Pedicle: The base of the deer’s
antler, where the antler bone
meets the head of the deer.
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 21
DEER MOUNT IMAGES COURTESY OF CABELA’S, WWW.CABELAS.COM
here’s long been a debate in hunting circles about the value of spike
deer – the yearling bucks with merely two straight points for antlers.
While much of the thinking used to be that it’s best to sacrifice those
small bucks in an effort to improve herd genetics and reduce competition,
Beam: The central
most wildlife managers have now surmised it’s best to hold off on pulling
stem of the antlers,
the trigger and see how those racks turn out in a few years.
from which all other
points arise.
Todd Nordeen, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission big game research and
disease program manager, said many variables go into the development of quality deer,
including genetics, nutrition, good health and the ability to survive to old age. Some of
those spikes occasionally turn into giants, he said.
James Kroll, a college professor and director of the Institute for White-tailed Deer
Management and Research in Texas, has conducted extensive research to back up the notion.
The institute observed thousands of wild bucks in its landmark study and found no statistical
difference in antlers at maturity between yearlings with spikes and those with forked antlers.
Kroll is certain it’s more important to provide proper nutrition
instead of worrying about genetics. Deer are similar to people in that
they develop at different paces. “The kid who is smaller than his classmates
in the first grade may be the biggest kid in his graduating class,” Kroll said.
Bob Bentley, who manages his property north of Rushville with trophy deer in mind,
said he has followed the issue of culling spikes during the past three decades and has
witnessed a turnaround in thinking. He and his fellow hunters let the spikes walk. He
said the biggest factor for antler size is age, especially with whitetails.
“A lot of whitetail doe fawns get bred at 6-8
months old and their buck yearlings don’t
have time to catch up with those that
were bred to mature does,” he said.
Nordeen said the best bet for
improving the quality of a deer
herd remains in removing females
to control numbers and damage to
habitat.
“You can remove some bucks and
could remove spikes from a herd,
as well, but you may want to
consider what the bucks will
be like from age 2-4 before
removing them.” ■
Anatomy
of a Deer
Antler
Falling for
Turkey
Harvesting turkeys in autumn – the
traditional approach?
W
hen it comes to turkey hunting, the first
thing the average hunter thinks about is
a gobbler coming in at full strut toward a
yelp call and decoy on a spring morning.
When fall arrives, however, turkey often
loses favor in many hunters’ minds to deer, pheasant and
waterfowl.
What many fail to realize is that fall turkey hunting,
whether with bow or shotgun, was once just as preferred
and should still be just as attractive.
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
During the fall season, two turkeys of either sex may be
harvested with each permit.
22 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
Nebraska’s abundance of birds, a long season that
runs from September 15 to December 31, and generous
bag limits are among the state’s most enticing attributes.
Perhaps the most notable difference between Nebraska’s
fall and spring regulations involves sex. While only toms
can be hunted in the spring, the hen becomes fair game
in the fall and two birds of either sex can be harvested
with each permit. Turkeys can be found on both private
and public lands, especially in places with water that
also provide areas to nest, loaf, feed and roost. Many of
Nebraska’s state wildlife management areas, which are
open to the public, have just what the birds are seeking.
Putting the sneak on turkeys at a particular piece of
property not only provides the opportunity to harvest
a couple of birds, but also presents the opportunity to
explore and get to know the land and at a time when the
properties generally have less pressure from other turkey
hunters. Not to mention, the countryside, adorned with the
changing leaves of a crisp autumn day, serves as the ideal
hunting backdrop.
Fall turkey hunting does require a little different
approach than that of spring when hunters are able to
capitalize on the toms’ desire to court a willing hen. Most
hunters resort to a spot-and-stalk approach, but others
have success with calls. In the fall, turkeys are more
attracted to gobbles and clucks than the hens’ mating
sounds that are used in spring.
OPPOSITE: Roger Christianson (front) and Denny
Hall scout the area along the White River during their
annual Pine Ridge turkey hunt.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
By Justin Haag
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 23
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
A tom
tom turkey
turkey walks
walks a fen
fence
ce line
line along
along
alon
g Table
Table
Tabl
e Road
Road southeast
south
so
utheas
eastt of
of Chad
C
Chadron.
hadron
ron
24 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
is still considered to be a mecca for turkey hunters. The
population of the big birds has now exponentially expanded
throughout the state, providing ample hunting opportunities
from border to border.
Regardless of the many reasons to hunt turkeys in the fall,
statistics still show that Nebraskans, like most of the nation’s
hunters, prefer to hunt gobblers in the spring. About 35,000
hunt the state’s spring season compared to a third of that
number in the fall.
But the success rates of fall hunters prove that this could
be the best time to harvest a bird.
Of survey responders, 66 percent of fall hunters reported
success while about half of youth hunters killed a bird.
Those numbers even exceed the success rates of the state’s
spring hunters.
With an abundance of birds and two seasons
to chase them, Nebraska’s turkey population
is one of the great success stories in wildlife
management during the past half-century.
If you’re looking to put a bird on the table
for the holidays, don’t resort to Butterball as
your only option. Nebraskans can take the other
traditional route: a fall turkey. ■
NEBRASKAland Regional
Editor Justin Haag was raised in
southwestern Nebraska, where he
developed a love for fishing and
hunting. He lives in Chadron with
his wife and two kids.
A Mixed Bag
In the same areas that offer good turkey habitat, many
other in-season game species reside. Dove, squirrel and prairie
grouse, for instance, can be pursued during all or parts of the
fall turkey season, offering prospects for an impressive mixed
bag hunt.
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 25
NEBRASKAland PHOTOS
Some hunters even get their dogs into the act, using
flushing breeds to break up tightly grouped flocks so they
can be called back into shooting range. Others use pointers
to locate birds that have been pushed into tall grass.
Despite today’s popular notions, historians will tell you
that America’s turkey hunting tradition is really rooted in
the fall and winter. As the months got colder, after all, food
became scarce for the settlers who most likely didn’t care
when a bird was shot, as long as it fed the family.
More recently, Nebraskans have enjoyed hunting turkeys
in autumn since not long after birds were reintroduced to the
Pine Ridge in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. The northwestern
region was the first to have a season in the state.
With thousands of acres of public land and renowned
population of the Merriam’s subspecies, the Pine Ridge
Roger Christianson looks for turkeys from a high vantage point in the Pine Ridge southeast of Chadron.
By Gerry Steinauer, Botanist, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Factors Influencing
Plant Diversity
Large states, such as highly-ranked
California and Texas, both more than
twice the size of Nebraska, usually
encompass a wide range of climates
and landforms and, therefore, a
diversity of plant habitats and species.
Whereas, tiny Rhode Island, a mainly
forested state 50 times smaller than
Nebraska, ranked 47th largely because
of its small size. Then there is Alaska,
the biggest of states – more than eight
times the size of Nebraska – ranked
lower on the list at 48th, suggesting
factors other than size may influence a
region’s floral richness.
Botanists have long known that
plant species richness is higher in
warmer and moister regions, though
they are not exactly sure why. This
principal explains cold Alaska’s low
plant diversity, and, closer to home,
why Nebraska has a richer flora than
our northern neighbor South Dakota,
and a more depauperate flora than our
southern neighbor Kansas. The native
deciduous tree flora of our Missouri
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
W
hile surfing the web for what
some of my friends consider
“nerdy botany stuff,” I ran
across a ranking of the 50 U.S. states
based on native plant diversity. The
list, compiled by NatureServe, an
organization that tracks biodiversity,
tallied all vascular plants, such as
ferns, grasses, wildflowers and trees,
recorded for each state.
California topped the list with a
whopping 5,418 species, followed by
Texas with 4,509 species and Arizona
with 3,512 species. Scrolling down,
I found Nebraska at 45th with 1,561
species. Bringing up the rear was
North Dakota with 1,201 species. For
comparison, here’s how neighboring
states ranked:
The Missouri River bluff woodlands at Indian Cave State Park in southeastern Nebraska glow in shades of autumn. The deciduous
tree flora of the woodlands becomes less diverse northward as precipitation decreases and temperatures become cooler, but richer
southward as precipitation increases and temperatures become warmer.
No. 14: Colorado - 2,550 species
No. 21: Wyoming - 2,286 species
No. 29: Missouri - 2,095 species
No. 39: Kansas - 1,778 species
No. 44: Iowa - 1,583 species
No. 46: South Dakota - 1,504 species
26 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
PHOTO BY SARAH BAILEY
While examining the list, I could
not help but notice that northern
Plains’ states, including Nebraska,
were low on the list while mountainous
and southern states ruled the upper
echelons. Considering the primary
factors that shape a region’s plant
diversity – size, climate, topography
and geology – this makes perfect
sense, at least to a nerdy botanist.
Wind flower, a short, early blooming perennial, grows on a Platte River bluff mixedgrass prairie in Hamilton County. It is one of over 1,500 vascular plants native to
Nebraska.
River bluff woodlands illustrates this
principal. From the Kansas border
northward to Omaha, where annual
precipitation ranges between 30 to 34
inches, the woodlands contain 25 tree
species, such as oaks and hickories.
Whereas, from Omaha northward to
the South Dakota border, where annual
precipitation ranges from 24 to 30
inches and temperatures are cooler, the
woodlands support 13 tree species.
With regard to topography
Nebraska is relatively flat, just ask
any Coloradan. This flatness limits
our diversity of plant communities
when compared to mountainous or
other regions with marked elevation,
temperature and moisture gradients.
Prior to Euroamerican settlement,
Nebraska’s rolling hills and plains
were prairie-covered with tallgrass
prairie in the moister east, sand prairie
in the Sandhills, and mixed-grass
prairie in the drier west. In areas of the
Panhandle, annual precipitation drops
to less than 16 inches. Occupying a
small percentage of our landscape
were deciduous woodlands mostly in
eastern stream valleys, pine woodlands
on rocky western escarpments and
wetlands in stream valleys and other
lowlands.
The northern mountains of speciesrich California provide a rather stark
contrast of habitat diversity. There,
coniferous rain forests grow on cloudshrouded coastal slopes receiving
an incredible 120 inches of annual
precipitation. Up slope, stunted tundra
plants inhabit frigid peaks, while
eastward in the mountains’ rain shadow
are found dry woodlands, grasslands,
sagebrush scrub and desert each with
a distinct flora. On top of this, unusual
soils derived from mountain rocks
further diversify the region’s habitats.
The Golden State’s rare serpentine
soils, which lack essential nutrients
such as nitrogen and phosphorus,
alone sustain more than 250 highly
specialized species that grow only
on these soils. Nearly one-third of
California’s native plants are endemic
to the state, meaning they are found
nowhere else, whereas Nebraska has no
endemic plants.
Further bolstering a region’s plant
diversity, mountains can buffer
against extinctions during periods of
climate change. During the Ice Age’s
many glacial advances, most lasting
thousands of years, many species
growing in California’s mountains
survived the cold by simply migrating
downslope into warmer habitats.
By comparison, when glacial chill
descended upon the Great Plains – a
mere 14,000 years ago, the southern
front of the Wisconsin glacier was
perched at Nebraska’s northeastern
border, and during previous glacial
advances hundreds of feet of ice buried
portions of eastern Nebraska – our
pre-glacial flora was forced southward
hundreds or more miles to survive.
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 27
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
Blowout penstemon, an endangered
species adapted to open sand habitats,
was once thought endemic to the
Nebraska Sandhills until discovered in
Wyoming in 1996.
During the Wisconsin glaciation,
spruce woodlands and dry grasslands
composed of present-day northern
species occupied our state.
About 14,000 years ago, as the
climate warmed and the glacier
retreated northward, the displaced
species began a long, slow migration
northward. Our present flora has
formed mostly from these returning
28 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
migrants. And because our flora is
young, evolution has lacked time to
shape from it new species unique to our
state’s habitats, whereas California’s
flora has stayed in relative place for
millions of years allowing endemics to
evolve, adding to its richness. Blowout
penstemon, an endangered species
adapted to open sand habitats, was
once thought endemic to the Nebraska
Sandhills. In 1996, however, the lovely
blue-blossomed plant was discovered
in Carbon County, Wyoming, and with
that find, and much to my dismay,
Nebraska lost claim to its one and only
endemic plant.
The richness of Nebraska’s present
flora is greatest where rugged terrain
with varied geology and soils, similar
to mountains (though on a smaller
scale), promote habitat diversity.
Perhaps most botanically diverse is the
Niobrara River Valley in north-central
Nebraska. Here, in the early 1980s,
botanists inventorying The Nature
Conservancy’s newly established
56,000-acre Niobrara Valley Preserve
located east of Valentine, recorded an
amazing 581 plant species, including
some non-native species. Most
abundant were grasses (81 species),
members of the sunflower family (80
species) and sedges (40 species).
The Niobrara River flows west to
east for more than 400 miles from
its headwaters in eastern Wyoming
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
PHOTO BY JON FARRAR
The Norden Bridge spans the Niobrara River on The Nature Conservancy’s 56,000-acre
Niobrara Valley Preserve located in north-central Nebraska. The Preserve is one of
Nebraska’s botanical hotspots supporting over 580 plant species.
Due to its diverse topography and geology the Wildcat Hills escarpment in Scotts Bluff County
supports an array of plant communities including mixed-grass prairie, sandsage prairie,
shrublands, pine woodland, badlands and rock outcrops and therefore has a rich flora.
to its mouth at the Missouri River in
Knox County. Over the millennia,
plant species have used the deeplyincised and moist valley as a migration
corridor across the dry Great Plains.
Today, many far-flung migrants
still survive in the Central Niobrara
Valley because of the region’s unique
geology, forming a hodgepodge of
plant communities and species found
nowhere else. Here, western pine
woodlands, at the eastern limit of their
range, grow on the rocky, dry north
river bluff and breaks, while eastern
deciduous woodlands occupy the cool,
shaded and sandy south bluff. Northern
paper birch forests, relicts from glacial
times, survive in the deep and cooler,
spring-fed canyons that dissect the
south bluff. Sand prairie, with many
species of southern origin, cloak the
dry sand dunes that border the south
bluff, while northern mixed-grass
prairie cover the loamy flats north
of the valley. And finally, western
outliers of tallgrass prairie, as well
as cottonwood forests and wetlands,
occupy the moist valley bottom.
Also among Nebraska’s botanical
hotspots are areas of the Sandhills
where high dunes intermingle with
wetland-rich valleys. In 2006, for
instance, my brother Bob Steinauer,
also a botanist, found 429 native plant
species and 75 non-natives growing
on the 72,000-acre Valentine National
Wildlife Refuge located in central
Cherry County. Here, sand prairie
cloaks the high dunes while the valleys
support lush wet meadows, marshes
and rare fens, spring-fed wetlands with
peat and muck soils. Growing in the
fens’ cool, saturated soils, Bob found
bog bean, fen tussock sedge and other
glacial relict species not found in other
Nebraska wetland types.
As through geologic time,
Nebraska’s present day flora is
ever changing. Since Euroamerican
settlement in the mid-1800s, for
example, Nebraska has lost dozens
of native species, most to habitat
destruction. Among the vanished
are crested woodfern, collected once
from a “shrubby Sandhills marsh” in
1893 and lady fern, collected several
times in Long Pine Canyon in the
1890s. Neither species has been seen
in Nebraska since. These ferns as well
as other extirpated species perhaps
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 29
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
A wildflower-rich tallgrass prairie on the rugged Missouri River breaks in
Knox County.
were rare in Nebraska even at the
time of settlement hastening their
disappearance. Still other species teeter
on the brink of extirpation. In 2002,
for instance, my brother and I found
what we thought was our state’s last
surviving pale gentian. Botanists had
last seen the yellowish-white blooming
gentian in the 1930s in Nemaha and
Otoe counties. During two return visits
to the prairie in the years following, we
failed to find the gentian. We presumed
the plant was now extirpated from
Nebraska, but this past August, Krista
Lang, a Northern Prairies Land Trust
woodland ecologist working at Indian
Cave State Park, found two patches
of pale gentian growing on a ridgetop
in the park. Once prairie-covered, the
high hill is now overrun with brush and
non-native grasses, though the gentian
has somehow survived. Seed from the
plants will be sown in other areas of
the park.
Occasionally, botanists still discover
native species previously unrecorded
for our state. As a young botanist, my
first new state record was wild lilyof-the-valley, a species generally of
more northern and montane habitats
and whose nearest populations are in
the Black Hills. While hiking a maze
PHOTO BY KRISTA LANG
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
Pale gentian was thought extirpated from Nebraska until rediscovered this past
August at Indian Cave State Park.
High prairie-covered sand dunes overlook Dads Lake on the 72,000-acre Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in Cherry County.
The Refuge’s dry sand prairies and lush wetlands are home to nearly 430 native plant species.
30 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
of wooded, spring-fed canyons on the
Niobrara Valley Preserve, I stumbled
upon a colony of about 20 plants
huddled on a creek bank. This was in
the days before GPS, and when I finally
found my way out of the canyons, back
to my truck and looked at a map, I
could not pinpoint the plants’ location.
I have since trudged the steep-banked,
log-snarled canyons several times in a
vain search for the now lost colony.
For my brother, a landmark year
in our sibling botanical rivalry was
during 2010 when he discovered three
new state records – Pumpelly’s brome,
Richardson’s brome and heartleaf
arnica – all from Warbonnet Canyon
located at the western edge of the Pine
Ridge escarpment near the Wyoming
border. Here, he also found striped
coral-root, an orchid last collected in
Nebraska in 1890 also from
Warbonnet Canyon. The
western Pine Ridge rises
to over 5,200 feet in
elevation providing
suitable habitat for these
montane species,
unable to survive
eastward on the
descending Ridge. These
plants also grow in the
nearby Black Hills.
For botanists, it is now far easier,
though not nearly as ego-pleasing,
to discover non-native plant species
new to the state than new native
species. These newcomers are
mainly unintentional introductions or
escaped ornamental and forage plants
originating from Europe or Asia.
Though most are rather benign in their
new home, some such as dandelions,
yellow nutsedge and bindweed become
pests in lawns, gardens or crop fields,
while others, such as smooth brome
and Siberian elm, aggressively invade
wild lands displacing native flora.
More than 400 non-native plants
now grow outside of cultivation in
Nebraska, a number that unfortunately
will continue to grow.
Though our native flora is not among
the richest in the land, Nebraskans
need not fret. Our native plants form
picturesque prairies, woodlands and
wetlands that sustain wildlife, build
soils and provide other benefits on the
landscape. Surely this is something for
which we can all be proud. ■
V
View
NatureServe’s state rankings by
vvascular plant diversity.
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 31
Photos and story by Justin Haag
When fall arrives in
northwestern Nebraska, the
already scenic landscape
takes on a whole new
beauty. You’d better be
quick, however. Autumn’s
splendor often succumbs to
Old Man Winter quickly in
these parts.
32 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 33
While bees still visit
sunflowers in the Pine
Ridge, the seeds of
bluestem are dispersing
at Fort Robinson State
Park, and leaves from
cottonwood trees fall
in Chadron Creek at
Chadron State Park.
34 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 35
More frequently, the scene is decorated with snow and
frost, whether on the backs of bison at Fort Robinson State
Park, on leaves and dried sunflowers at Ponderosa Wildlife
Management Area and the Nebraska National Forest, or on
grass at Box Butte State Recreation Area.
36 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 37
As November gives way to
It’s early November, and the same roads of
the Nebraska National Forest southeast of
Chadron that were covered with fall colors
just a month prior are now adorned in white.
38 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
December, the chill in the air
prompts ice to begin forming
at wildlife management areas,
whether it be along the rocky
shore of Whitney Lake in Dawes
County or among the bulrushes at
Smith Lake south of Rushville. It
comes to the joy of ice fishermen
but disdain of those missing the
fall colors and warmer days. ■
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 39
Langdon Bend
Wetlands Work is Attracting
Ducks and Hunters
Story and photos by Eric Fowler
ork to dam and channelize
the Missouri River during
the past century erased
more than 500,000 acres
of fish and wildlife habitat
below Sioux City, Iowa. While
considerable work has been done
since the late 1980s to restore some of
the lost habitat, efforts have focused
primarily on creating shallow-water
habitat that is connected to the river.
Little has been done to restore the
shallow wetlands that once dotted the
Missouri’s floodplain, a fact that makes
the wetlands that have been restored at
Langdon Bend Wildlife Management
Area near Nemaha unique. Add in the
W
opportunity waterfowlers now have to
hunt ducks and geese in these shallow
water areas flooded with well water in
the fall, including some flooded corn,
and the wetlands are even more unique.
Langdon Bend is a 1,779 acre
property owned by the U. S. Army
Corps of Engineers and managed
by the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission. It is one of 16 such
properties in Nebraska and one of 70
in the channelized reach of the river,
which also includes Iowa, Kansas and
Missouri, that have restored under the
Missouri River Recovery Program.
All of the land purchased by the Corps
Clint Sejkora of Burchard and Grant Brueggemann of Peru hunt from standing corn flooded by well water to provide
wetland habitat for ducks and hunters at Langdon Bend WMA.
Low berms built on Langdon Bend Wildlife Management Area near Nemaha hold back
natural precipitation as well as pumped well water to create wetland habitat that is
lacking on the floodplain along the channelized portion of the Missouri River.
40 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
under this program – about 55,000
acres, including 10,500 in Nebraska –
has been bought from willing sellers,
most of whom are happy to divest
themselves of flood-prone land and the
challenges it presents.
Below the Platte River in Nebraska,
levees built by the Corps and farmers
to protect farmland in the riverbottom
from flooding line both sides of the
river. Nearly all of the mitigation
projects are located on the riverward
side of these levees. There, the Corps
has restored chutes and backwaters to
create shallow water habitat to benefit
the endangered pallid sturgeon and
least tern and the threatened piping
plover. Such was the case at Langdon
Bend, where a 1.5-mile long backwater
was completed in 2000 on the 750
acres of land located on the inside the
levee.
Before the river’s banks were
stabilized, its course channelized, and
the levees and dams built, the river
meandered dramatically, constantly
carving land from one bank and
depositing it on another. Created by
that constant movement of the channel
and by occasional overbank flooding
caused by winter ice jams and by
spring and summer rises of the river,
was a floodplain pocked with many
shallow wetlands and occasional oxbow
lakes. These low spots were filled by
rain or, when the river was high, either
directly connected to the river or by
groundwater seeping up from below.
Some wetlands have persisted since
the river was channelized, but many
were lost as farmland was ditched and
drained and many others disappeared as
they filled with soil.
Now the Missouri River rarely gets
outside of its banks above the mouth
of the Platte River. Below the Platte,
flooding does occur on occasion, but
rarely does the water get beyond the
levees. Between them, it deposits
sand and silt, filling most depressional
Langdon Bend WMA
Langdon Bend Wildlife Management Area
is located one-half mile east of Nemaha.
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 41
Mike Remund of Tecumseh and his
Labrador, Reuben J. Cogburn, retrieve
ducks from flooded corn at Langdon
Bend WMA.
wetlands that had existed and raising
the land further from the water table,
making it almost impossible for those
to fill from beneath.
The 1,034 acres located on the
landward side of the levee at Langdon
Bend offered the Corps and the
Commission the opportunity to recreate
some of those lost wetlands, something
Scott Luedtke, southeast district
habitat program manager with the
Commission, said the agency always
looks to do when land is acquired.
Discussions on wetland development
at Langdon began well before the
Corps transferred the management
of the property to the Commission in
2004. With soil surveys showing where
wetlands had previously existed on the
site, and that the soils in those areas
were capable of holding water, the
agencies began working on a plan to
pump and keep it there.
In the first phase of the project,
completed in 2009, low berms were
constructed to form three wetland cells
covering about 220 acres. Three wells,
connected by a pipeline, can be used
to fill the cells either individually or
collectively. Water control structures
installed at outlets to the cells can
be opened or closed to capture or
release pumped water or rainwater as
necessary. A drainage ditch that bisects
An immature bald eagle buzzes a flock of mostly
mallards stopped on a wetland at Langdon Bend
during the spring migration.
42 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
the floodplain was widened to create
additional wetland habitat but kept
functional to protect adjacent property
owners.
Since the Commission took over
management of Langdon Bend, the
Corps has purchased an additional 496
acres south of the original property it
acquired in 1955. Work began this year
on two more wetland cells on this new
property that will create about 70 acres
of additional wetland habitat.
“Like a lot of these floodplains, they
have a fairly flat slope, so you can put
very low level berms up and be able to
pond a lot of water if you have the right
soils,” Luedtke said.
Pumping water to maintain wetlands
for migratory birds in the spring and
fall is not unique to Commission
wildlife management areas: it does
so often in the Rainwater Basin
when Mother Nature does not fill
those wetlands. How the wetlands at
Langdon Bend are being managed,
however, is another unique aspect of
this project.
The land in each cell is farmed one
year and left fallow the next, allowing
annual weeds to flourish. If needed, the
A pair of wood ducks paddle through a flooded corn field at Langdon Bend during the spring.
pumps are turned on each fall
and spring to flood at least two of the
cells.
Pumping begins in late August
to provide water for ducks and
hunters during the teal season in
early September, said Mike Remund,
who manages Langdon Bend and
other wildlife management areas in
southeastern Nebraska. Pumps are shut
off in September and as water recedes,
the open mudflats attract migrating
shorebirds. Pumps are turned back on
before the regular duck season opens in
October, and the wetlands attract teal,
gadwall, wigeon, some mallards and
other early migrators in the first months
of the waterfowl season.
Pumping schedules are dependent in
part on when crops are harvested from
the wetland cells, and Remund said
tenants have made an effort to get crops
on the wetland cells picked as soon as
possible. When corn is planted in the
wetlands, a portion is left standing in
strips, and Remund turns the pumps
back on in November to flood that
crop, which becomes a magnet for
mallards that come through in late
November and early December, and
the hunters who pursue them.
“I’m not concerned about flooding
the corn until we get those late season
mallards,” Remund said. “We’ve got
so much barnyard grass and foxtail
and other annuals over there right now,
those early birds are going to have
plenty of high energy stuff to eat.”
“That flooded corn is why I hunt it,”
said Clint Sejkora, a Burchard native
who started hunting the area when
attending Peru State College, located
a few miles north of the area. “There’s
not very much of that in the state, and
there’s really no hunting pressure. You
get a lot birds moving up and down the
river.”
Pumping resumes in February
to provide water for ducks, geese
and shorebirds heading back north.
Mallards, pintails and snow geese have
been showing up in droves.
“We see a lot of snow geese,”
Remund said. “At one time last year
we had about 150,000 of them down
there. They weren’t there for long, but
they found that flooded corn and had a
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 43
Missouri River
Recovery Program
Teal circle a wetland as well water, pumped to provide wetland habitat during the
spring migration, pours from a pipeline riser.
Sejkora fires at ducks making a pass over his decoys on a wetland at Langdon Bend during a November hunt.
heyday for about three days.
“If the birdwatcher wants to go and
observe birds, spring is the time to go.
When the migration is at its peak, there
are mallards and pintails sitting right
next to road, and you can get all of the
pictures you want.”
Control structures can be closed
in cells that are not being farmed to
capture rainfall or snowmelt at any
time of the year. There have been
years since the project was completed
in which no pumping was required to
keep water in the wetlands. In other
years, however, it has been so dry that
pumping was not feasible. Precipitation
is a big part of that equation, but so
is the level of the Missouri River,
Remund said. Higher river levels mean
higher groundwater and less time
needed to saturate the soil and start
pooling water.
“Even though we have the ability
to pump, we’re still at the mercy
of Mother Nature,” Remund said.
“Langdon doesn’t have those heavy
clay soils like they do in the Rainwater
Basin soils that really hold water. We
44 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
can pump a cell up and if it’s a dry year
like it was a couple years ago, we can
go back two days later and it will be
dry.
“Some duck hunters think if you’ve
got a well you should be able to pump
water any time and go shoot ducks,
but that’s not always the case. In some
years it’s just not cost effective.”
While income from agricultural
leases on the WMA provide cash to
operate the pumps, maintaining early
successional habitat is the reason the
wetland cells are being farmed. This
type of habitat is rich in annual grasses
and forbs that are considered weeds by
some, which is why it is often lacking
in today’s agricultural landscape. But
these “weeds” produce seeds and attract
insects that feed a variety of wildlife,
especially grassland birds.
“We have pheasants on these river
areas and it’s simply because of that
wetland associated vegetation … the
forbs, smartweed, sunflowers, barnyard
grass, foxtail,” said Remund. “There
are always some pockets of cattails and
bulrushes and prairie cord grass that
give them some heavy winter cover,
too.
“We have a lot of annual weeds,
and it’s the size of the area that really
makes it click as far as the upland game
value. You get those big weed fields
and you get a lot of bugs and annual
weed seeds and you get pheasants.
It’s tough to walk. Some of those
sunflowers will grow 12 to 15 feet
tall or more. But the guys who work
for them can have some success on
pheasants there.”
The early successional habitat
complements a diversity of other
habitats found at Langdon Bend and
the adjacent 160-acre Aspinwall Bend
Wildlife Management Area, including
wetland and warm-season grasslands
and both mature and early-successional
riverbottom woodlands.
“I couldn’t begin to name all the
songbirds, raptors, furbearers, all kinds
of things associated with wetlands,
grasslands, the Missouri River and that
backwater area, that are using the area,”
said Remund.
The woodlands on the area and
those at Aspinwall are located on the
riverward side of the levee and home to
turkeys and white-tailed deer, providing
other opportunities for hunters. Anglers
regularly ply the waters of the Missouri
and the mouth of the Little Nemaha
River at Aspinwall for catfish.
Because flooding can quickly erase
habitat work on the unprotected side
of the levee – restored grasslands
were killed during historic flooding in
2011 – no major habitat work is done
there apart from prescribed fire and
farming to maintain open areas. Even
the backwater, completed by the Corps
in 2001, has suffered from flooding,
having been closed off from the river
and partially filled by silt and sand.
Rather than reopen the mouth, planning
is underway to convert it to a flowthrough chute by extending the channel
to the river.
On the protected side of the levee
at Langdon Bend, Remund is using
agriculture, water and fire to control
trees and shrubs that can quickly
overtake the wetlands and grasslands,
and also to keep cattails from overtaking
the wetlands. More of the area will be
planted to permanent grass cover in the
years to come, including a high diversity
mix of warm- and cool-season grasses
and forbs like big and little bluestem,
wheatgrass, Virginia and Canada wild
rye and others in the lower end of the
current wetland project.
The diversity of habitats at Langdon
Bend, especially the wetland habitat,
is an important part of a much larger
habitat picture as seen by migratory
birds. The property is only 20 miles
as the duck flies from Squaw Creek
National Wildlife Refuge, an important
stopover for migrating waterfowl,
especially snow geese in the spring, at
Mound City, Missouri. And there are
now 185 Wetlands Reserve Program
Projects, some similar to the wetland
work at Langdon Bend, that have
been completed by landowners in the
Missouri River Valley in Nebraska.
With the river hugging the bluff line so
closely in Nebraska, especially south
of the Platte River, “we have a limited
amount of floodplain accessible to do
this kind of work,” said Luedtke. “We
felt that Langdon Bend was a place to
emphasize that due to its proximity to
all of these other wetland habitats in the
lower corridor.”
This is the first project like this the
Commission has undertaken, and one of
only a few pumping projects the Corps
has completed under the Missouri River
Recovery Program. A similar project
is found at Benedictine Bottoms near
Atchison, Kansas. As such, Remund
said they are still learning how to best
manage the
system for habitat, wildlife and
hunters.
“We’re still in the early stages of
just trying to figure out how everything
works,” he said. “And we’re getting a
little better at it each year.”
The ducks and hunters have noticed. ■
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 45
The Missouri River floodplain
covers 1.9 million acres between
Sioux City, Iowa, and its mouth
at St. Louis. During the last
century, channelization and bank
stabilization of that reach of the
river, roughly a third of its 2,341
miles, by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and the development
that followed erased an estimated
168,000 acres of aquatic habitat
and 354,000 acres of adjacent
riverine habitat. Nearly 20 percent
of the combined losses were in
Nebraska.
Six massive dams built by
the Corps, inundating another
third of the river’s course, have
controlled flooding and changed
the historic flow of the river. All of
these changes have drastically
altered the river ecosystem to the
detriment of flora and fauna:
51 of 67 native fish species
are now rare, uncommon or
decreasing.
Reproduction of cottonwoods,
historically the dominant floodplain
tree, largely has ceased in many
reaches of the river.
Aquatic insects, a key link in
the food chain, have been reduced
by 70 percent.
The Missouri River Recovery
Program is an effort to replace
some of the habitat lost to the
Corps projects and help restore
fish and wildlife, especially
threatened and endangered
species like the pallid sturgeon,
least tern and piping plover.
This program includes
development of emergent
sandbar, shallow water, wetland
and terrestrial habitat, as well as
monitoring to ensure the work is
effective.
While some of this habitat work
was already being done by the
Corps, much is being done in
response to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s Biological
Opinion, released in 2000 and
amended in 2003, that said the
Corps operations of the river must
change to prevent other species
from being listed as threatened or
endangered.
•
•
•
Great-tailed Grackles
Opportunists for a modern world.
By Joel Jorgensen
A
s I pumped gas at a
convenience store at the
Interstate 80 York interchange,
I watched several large
blackbirds with absurdly long
tails standing on the open pavement,
foraging in the small strips of grass
and making raucous sounds in the few
scraggly ornamental trees between the
highway and a service road. This spot
seemed to be a long way from idyllic
natural habitat and most of my fellow
travelers appeared not to notice the
birds. However, there is a story about
these birds and why they are at this
location at this point in time.
The birds, great-tailed grackles,
are now fairly common, albeit local,
residents in Nebraska.
Great-tailed grackles are not necessarily pretty, but
they are distinctive. Males are glossy black with purple
iridescence. From the tip of their large bills to the tip of
their long tails males total 16 or 17 inches. Females are
smaller and browner.
Great-tailed grackle
males are also vocal.
The common
They have a repertoire
grackle.
of odd sounds which
to refer to any part
as musical or a song
would be generous. But
it is not this species’
appearance or their
vocalizations that is the
real story, here.
The great-tailed
grackle is an
opportunistic species.
Few other native
animals have been as
successful exploiting
changes made by
humans to the environment over the past hundred years as
this species does. When the first settlers cut across Nebraska,
up until the early 20th century, great-tailed grackles barely
reached the southern border of the United States. The birds’
distribution was restricted to Mexico and points south. It
was not until the mid-20th century that this species rapidly
increased and expanded its range northward. The great-tailed
grackle was first recorded in Nebraska in 1976 and found
nesting one year later near Hastings.
Now, a few decades later, great-tailed grackles are
46 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
The great-tailed grackle.
fixtures of the state’s bird life. Interestingly, the species is
typically found nesting in two types of habitats: marshes
with emergent vegetation and environs bustling human
development, such as interstate interchanges or along the
busiest parts of Cornhusker Highway in Lincoln. The reason
great-tailed grackles thrive in these two habitats boils down
to resources. Wetlands are, in an ecological sense, highproductive systems, but a collection of fast food restaurants
and gas stations are also productive, at least from the greattailed grackle’s point-of-view. Humans are messy and the
bits of refuse or food that do not find the proper repository
are quickly located and consumed. The constant stream
of vehicles also carries dead or dying insects. Great-tailed
grackles are typically not found in suburban environs that
are frequented by the more numerous and smaller common
grackle.
The story of the great-tailed grackle is one of success in
the face of change. Habitat loss has indeed reduced many
wildlife species’ populations. Even though habitats are
destroyed and lost, the space is not. Something else takes
the place of natural habitat. Prairies become gas stations and
fast food restaurants, wetlands become cornfields and so on.
Even though human development has limited biodiversity, it
is habitat for a few opportunistic species such as the greattailed grackle. It is something to keep
in mind the next time you are pumping
gas and happen to glance over at a large
blackbird with an absurdly long tail
consuming a discarded French fry on the
pavement. ■
)TSÏTHEÏIDEALÏCOMBINATIONÏOFÏlÏELDSÏANDÏTIMBERÏ4HEÏHARDWOODÏCREEKÏBOTTOMÏTHATSÏ
lÏLLEDÏWITHÏWILDLIFE ÏMILESÏFROMÏTHEÏCLOSESTÏPAVEDÏROADÏANDÏSUNSETÏVIEWSÏTHATÏWILLÏ
take your breath away. If you’re looking to buy the perfect hunting 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.
Joel Jorgensen is the Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission’s Nongame Bird
Program Manager.
ranchandfarmproperties. com
JASON SCHENDT | AGENT
LUKE WALLACE | AGENT
jschendt@whitetailproperties.tv
lwallace@whitetailproperties.tv
402.707.4885
402.340.6187
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 47
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
Perez, Broker - Licensed in IL, IA, KS, KY, MO, NE & OK | Jeff Evans, Broker - Licensed in AR, GA, IL, MN & TN | Wes McConnell, Broker - Licensed in AL, IL, OH, SD & WI | John
Boyken, Broker - Licensed in IN | Sybil Stewart, Broker - Licensed in MI & LA | Chris Wakefield, Broker - Licensed in TN | Joey Bellington, Broker - Licensed in TX
▲
This picture was taken in 1969 by the local
newsmen from Elm Creek with a Polaroid
camera of Jim Amsberry (pictured on the left)
who has since passed – and Larry Amsberry
(myself) now age 82.
We were hunting on the Platte River
south of Elm Creek and had shot our limit of
mallards when we came up with these lesser
Canadas.
Lesser Canadas were a real treat because
at the time there were very few geese on the
Platte River.
– Larry Amsberry,
Ansley, Nebraska
▲
As a subscriber to NEBRASKAland,
we enjoy the Portraits from the Past. The
enclosed photo was labeled mid-60s near
Bow Valley, Nebraska.
Pictured left to right are: Uncle Wayne
Schlecht; cousin Dick Schlecht and brother
Robert Bathke – all of Norfolk, Nebraska.
– Shirley M. Tscharner,
Jackson, California
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, NEBRASKAland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to
Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov. Photos should show people enjoying Nebraska outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing, and must have
been taken before 1980. We will give priority to unusual photos or activities. When possible, please include a story about the photograph and identify the
people, places and approximate date it was taken. Photos will be returned.
48 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
Ridin' Dirty
By Pat Molini, Commission Wildlife District Manager
I
’m a dog technician. I feed and water three yellow
labs as well as walk them twice a day, even though
two of them are supposedly owned by my daughters.
VinnyChuckyHildy we call them collectively, the way one
might combine the names of twins to make it easier on
everyone, and recently I found out just how much I love them.
It was at the conclusion of an evening walk on the frigid,
frozen minimum-maintenance road I live on. As I often
do after the walks, I allowed the dogs extra time to “sniff
and pee” across the yard. Seeing my neighbor Troy outside
having a smoke, all three dogs ran in his direction. But only
one dog, Vinny, ran out of Troy’s garage with a three-ounce
box of mouse poison in his mouth, spilling the blue/green
granules all the way out. Chucky and Hildy were lapping
up, what they felt, was their share of the granules as they
followed behind. Vinny sat the box down and began to eat
his ration. Finally, I realized what I was witnessing and
stopped the feast.
Then the dreaded uh-oh’s started. Should I rush them to a
vet? Hell, how about a regular hospital? I kenneled them and
started my Internet search engine steamin’ full speed ahead
with searching “dog ate mouse poison,” “how to treat dog ate
mouse poison,” “how much mouse poison can kill a dog,” and
onward. Later my vet told me the worst thing I could have
done is searched the Internet for answers. She was absolutely
correct. My family doctor has cautioned me against this same
quest for medical knowledge via the internet.
It all scared me but I did find a forum with one post
recommending hydrogen peroxide to make the dogs vomit.
The problem was, which was the same reoccurring problem
I had with the Internet search, it only gave me part of the
information and left out critical details like how much.
In fact one other post said to be careful giving your dog
hydrogen peroxide because it can kill your dog. It’s also
important to note that I couldn’t get connected with an
emergency vet. Also, doing the math with a 3-ounce box of
poison minus Hildy’s share minus Chucky’s share minus
Vinny’s share minus the ounce or so left in the box plus the
amount spilled on the driveway equaled that I was “sort of
sure” they individually didn’t get much.
I called my vet first thing the next morning and drove
them the 25 miles to get them treated. Step one, I was told,
is to inject the dogs with something that will cause them to
defecate and regurgitate and will take around 20 minutes to
half an hour. The vet wanted to see how much of the blue/
green coloration was in their feces and/or vomit, which
would give an idea how much they got and how much
treatment they need. Step two: take them out in the yard and
let them complete step one. After each finished in the yard, I
examined their output with a stick and, to my relief, no blue/
green color. Awesome news especially considering my vet
said that the new poisons are longer lasting and, because they
inhibit the blood’s ability to clot, a treatment of Vitamin K is
needed for three to five weeks. She gave me the price of one
bottle of pills needed for one dog for five days, and again I
did some math. It could have been a $600-plus bill to treat
the three of them.
She gave each a shot of Vitamin K and directed me to
watch them for signs of sickness. Also, Hildy gave us a
“warning gargle” like she might throw up. The vet said “you
might want to take that one out into the yard before you
leave, she may not be done.” No problem – we were all used
to the sniff and pee regimen.
I loaded them up in my 1998 four door Saturn. Good car,
one broken side mirror and not one of the four windows
rolls down anymore, but still goes from point A to point B
like no other. We got down the road about 5 miles and Vinny
vomited. No big deal. The seats were covered with old rugs
and towels. I pulled over, flipped the pile into a ditch and we
were back on the road in minutes. Another mile down the
road and Chucky vomited. Again – no reason for alarm.
Back on the road, and then more vomit came. This time
Hildy filled up the cup holders and between the seats.
Then Chucky spewed on the back of the passenger seat.
I was beginning to go into shock. Hildy then vomited on
my right leg, while Vinny added another pile on my right
shoulder that rolled down my chest and back. But I was still
optimistic. It didn’t smell bad. It was only wet dog food.
Then Vinny lifted his tail and defecated onto the rear door,
which prompted me, broken windows and all, to prop the
door open with my left knee while driving down the highway
to take in some much needed oxygen. Meanwhile, I was
beginning to lose track of the vomit piles amassing all over
the car. I begged for the dogs to hold on just a few minutes
longer. I was within a quarter mile of a public hunting area,
so seconds were precious at this point. However, seconds
were too long to wait. All three continued to decorate the
doors and seats of the car.
I got them out onto the public hunting area and, at this
time, must apologize to anyone who walked there shortly
after. You couldn’t walk five steps without having to dodge
a pile of something offensive. All this excitement must
have made the gang thirsty. They lapped up water from the
wetlands and 30 seconds later it sounded like toilets flushing
when they vomited it up. But eventually, the tide finally
turned. By the time I got home, I had never been so happy to
kennel my three dogs.
As for my poor Saturn, no vehicle should have to endure
what that one did. I opened the doors and squirted the chunks
out with a hose, then scrubbed everything with soap before
rinsing it out. Envision trying to clean foamy, slimy dog
food from that crack between your seat and the mantel/cup
holders.
While my youngest daughter didn’t believe me the next
morning on the way to school when she
asked what the stains and smell were
from and I replied “I spilt my coffee,”
this will be good news for my oldest
daughter. Once people get word of this
story, there’s no way any of her friends
will want to ride in her Saturn.
And all because I really love my
dogs. ■
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 49
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: 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.
from the comfort of your own home, go online to
OutdoorNebraska.org and click on Purchase a Permit
under Licenses and Fees.
FOOD/GIFTS/HOME
HOMEBREWING/BEER AND WINEMAKING.
Fermenter’s Supply, 8410 K Plaza, Suite #10, Omaha,
NE 68127. Phone orders only, (888) 655-2739. Advice
line (402) 593-9171. 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.
VACATIONS/RESORTS
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
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.
I-80 -Exit 59
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.
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.
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.
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
TAKE AN IN-STATE VACATION this fall! With
affordable rates and locations with a view, visit a Nebraska
Take in the fresh air of
Western Nebraska and
enjoy the many events
and attractions in Sidney
and Cheyenne County such
as the “original” Cabelas
and the National Pony
Express Monument. Great
shopping awaits you in
Historic Downtown Sidney.
For a list of events &
attractions call or visit our
web site.
Science with a Purpose
Water Science
Explore, through the School of Natural Resources, how the
earth’s water is impacted by drought, water rights, toxic
algae blooms, and endangered species issues and create
solutions to protect and allocate this resource.
EXPERIENCE BEAUTIFUL NEBRASKA
OutdoorNebraska.org
50 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
Cheyenne County Visitors Center
sidneycheyennecountytourism.com
866-545-4030 * 308-254-4030
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
103 Agricultural HallLincoln, NE 68583-0702
1-800-742-8800 ext. 2541
casnr.unl.edu casnr@unl.edu
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 51
Smoked Trout Pâté with
Horseradish
Home of Amazing Food at Great Prices
By Jenny Nguyen
W
•
•
•
52 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
to 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley,
• 2 chopped
and juice of 1 lemon
• zest
¼
teaspoon
ground
• horseradish,oforfresh
to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
1. Use your favorite recipe for
smoked trout, or buy a brine kit from
the store. Once smoked trout is cooled,
peel off the skin and pick off as much
meat from the bones as possible,
paying special attention to pin bones.
Place meat in a medium size bowl,
then add cream cheese, lemon juice,
lemon zest, onion, parsley, horseradish
and pepper. Mix well and taste before
adding any salt. Cover bowl and place
in the refrigerator for the mixture to
firm up before serving.
2. Serve in a sandwich or spread
over crackers and toast. To make the
sandwich in the photo, you will need
ciabatta bread, mozzarella cheese slices,
artichoke and tomato antipasto spread
(from Hy-Vee), lettuce and tomato
slices. Spread antipasto on the bottom
bun and cover with cheese slices. Toast
top and bottom buns until warmed and
cheese has melted. Then fill sandwich
Make your trip to Burwell complete with lunch and
dinner at the Sandstone Grill. Featuring fresh
Salads and Homemade Soups, Specialty Burgers
and Locally Raised Bison Burgers. We serve
Nebraska raised CAB Steaks and source local
producers for many of our specialty items.
Homemade dessert.
Full wine, liquor and beer selection.
Watch for trout bones when you make
this pâté.
Mon-Thurs 10:30am-9pm
Fri-Sat 10:30am-10pm
Brunch First Sunday of each month 10am-2pm
with a good helping of the trout
pâté, tomato slices and lettuce. Serve
sandwiches or spread with gherkins. ■
Find us on Facebook!
416 Grand Avenue · Burwell · 308-346-4582
This recipe and photograph
originally appeared
on Jenny's Food for
Hunters blog at
Foodforhunters.com.
Read Jenny's
R
NEBRASKAland
N
blog "Midland
b
Musings."
M
Enjoy the Holidays
with some of Miletta Vista’s
finest on your table.
PHOTOS
PHOT
OS BY
BY JENNY
JENNY NGUY
NGUYEN
EN
hen it comes to preparation
and taste, trout is obviously
different from other fish
in Nebraska. It’s fatty and
reminiscent of salmon,
which is a fish that people either love
or hate. Often too small and bony to
filet, trout are best cooked whole. Now
that can be a problem – fry it, grill it or
even wrap it in bacon, chances are, your
family members won’t have anything
to do with dinner that can stare back
at them. You may smoke a couple for
yourself, but sadly, end up feeding the
rest to the cat. Cats and the rest of the
world don’t mind eating around fish
bones, but apparently most Americans
do.
Trout is one of the healthiest fish
you can eat. High in omega-3 fatty
acids and relatively low in fat and
cholesterol, trout is a good substitute
for more fatty proteins like beef or
pork. But before I continue, I have
to admit that the recipe I’m going
to give you below will throw out all
those health benefits. With all that
delicious cream cheese to temper the
“strong” flavor of trout, hopefully this
recipe will get more people to at least
try it, and perhaps work their way up
to eating whole trout, preferably via
healthier cooking methods such as
grilling, baking or smoking.
Consider this, I once paid $30 to eat
one steelhead (rainbow) trout at the
Grey Plume in Omaha. Although it was
excellent, a $30 annual fishing permit
still sounds a lot better to me. It’s
November, and our fisheries biologists
have made their fall rounds stocking
thousands of pan-size trout in waters
near you. The fish are out there for
easy taking, waiting for you to take
them home and make them into pâté.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 14" smoked trout, or equivalent
4 ounces of cream cheese,
softened
3 green onions, chopped
Serve smoked trout pâté in sandwiches, over crackers or toast.
Available throughout Nebraska.
Ask a retailer near you.
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving
and a Merry Christmas!
milettavistawinery.com
4U1BVM /&r
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 53
W
NE
THE TALE OF JACOB SWIFT
This 48-page, all-ages photo fiction book is an endearing story about
T
tthe struggles and triumphs one swift fox family goes through to raise
ttheir sons in the harsh, but beautiful, shortgrass prairie of North
America. Written by NEBRASKAland Magazine Editor Jeff Kurrus
with a foreword by Chadron State College's Teresa Frink and
photographed by the award-winning Rob Palmer, Jacob is a mustha
h
have
avve
e for nature lovers everywhere. $16.99 PUB-2732
“Martha,” a passenger pigeon named after George Washington’s wife, was
the last of her kind. Immediately following her death in 1914 at the Cincinnati
Zoological Gardens, she was packed in an enormous 300-pound block of ice
and shipped to the Smithsonian.
HAVE YOU SEEN MARY?
This 44-page, all-ages photo fiction book tells the story of one sandhill
T
ccrane's search for his lost mate. Written by NEBRASKAland Magazine
Editor Jeff Kurrus with photography by NEBRASKAland Magazine
E
C
Contributing Editor and award-winning photographer Michael Forsberg,
Mary will not only entertain but also educate readers about these
M
ffascinating birds.
Hardcover $16.99 PUB-2728
No More Passenger Pigeons
W
W
hen I was a boy, I had a Time-Life book called The Birds. In it was a section showing the few
U.S. species we’d already lost to extinction; the great auk, the Carolina parakeet, the heath
hen. The biggest picture though was reserved for the passenger pigeon, and for good reason.
Once numbering three billion or more, this species flew in vast flocks, sometimes over
Nebraska, passing overhead for days at a time. Witnesses described seeing a "feathered river
in the sky."
Our hungry, growing nation also saw them as delicious and inexhaustible, and market hunted them to
near extinction in about 50 years.
From 3 billion passenger pigeons to none. I still can’t believe it.
Martha died 100 years ago, on September 1, 1914. Her demise proved to be a watershed event.
People finally began to care about the fate of our nation’s wildlife. Conservation groups sprang
up, including those formed by hunters to protect habitat, allowing many species to flourish including
grassland birds and waterfowl.
Today, it’s up to all of us to be good stewards. With appropriate hunting regulations
long in place, the key going forward is that we must preserve habitat for all living
species if we want to see them stick around in the coming decades. Specifically, this
means allowing dead timber to stand for cavity nesting birds like woodpeckers, and not
plowing under milkweed-laden prairies that support monarch butterflies. Wetlands are
critically important to preserve as well, nurturing everything from frogs to waterfowl.
We cannot count on our neighbors to do this for us. From now on, landowners who
care must step forward and do their parts. There can never be another passenger pigeon.
Joel Sartore
September 12, 2014
54 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
NE
Softcover $9.95 PUB-2728S
NEBRASKALAND MUG
This large, 14-ounce, tan
ceramic mug features a bighorn
ram and the NEBRASKAland
logo.
Ceramic Mug – $6 MUG-2013
Set of 4 – $20 MUG-2014
W
NE
2015 NEBRASKALAND CALENDAR
The NEBRASKAland Calendar is a lasting reminder to
friends and relatives – whether near or far away – of
you and home. Spectacular, full-color, all-Nebraska
photos highlight every month. A tremendous value.
$9.95 CAL-2015
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 55
NEBRASKA LIFETIME PERMITS
A great gift for grandchildren or graduates!
Treat someone special to the gift that lasts a lifetime . . . a N
Ne
Nebraska
eb
brras
ras
a ka
Lifetime Permit. Available to Nebraska residents and nonresidents,
it is the ultimate gift for any hunter or angler and an investment in the
e
future. All funds go into escrow, with the interest used to help supportt wildlife
ilild
ld
and fisheries management programs.
Get
G
et a tthree-year
hree year ssubscription
ubscription ttoo ssave
ave tthe
he m
most!
ost!
Now you can save 70% off the cover price
of NEBRASKAland when you subscribe
for three years! Don’t miss out on this
award-winning magazine about Nebraska!
Lifetime Hunt Lifetime Fish
Get it for yourself and send it to the special people
op
plle
on your gift list. Every issue is filled with
breathtaking photographs and informative,
enter taining articles about Nebraska’s outdoor
activities, history, parklands, people and wildlife.
e..
e
$18 for one year SUB-2901
Lifetime Hunt/Fish Lifetime Fur Harvest
es
stt
Residents
Residents
Residents
Residents
(0-5 years old) $148.50
(6-15 years old) $219
(16-45 years old) $300
(46+ years old) $219
(0-5 years old) $307.50
(6-15 years old) $366.50
(16-45 years old) $446
(46+ years old) $366.50
(0-5 years old) $425.50
(6-15 years old) $573
(16-45 years old) $699
(46+ years old) $573
(0-5 years old) $148.50
(6-15 years old) $219
(16-45 years old) $300
(46+ years old) $219
Nonresidents
Nonresidents
Nonresidents
(0-16 years old) $738.50
(17+ years old) $1,181
(0-16 years old) $632
(17+ years old) $951
(0-16 years old) $1,251.50
(17+ years old) $1,871
Lifetime Habitat Stamp
$400
Lifetime Waterfowl Stamp
(Great value – 64% off the cover price – 10 issues)
$100
$
$33 for two years SUB-2902
W
NE
(Better value – 66% off the cover price – 20 issues)
$44 for three years SUB-2903
Hunting for just the right gift for your
special hunter? Fishing for the perfect
present for your favorite angler?
Hunting and fishing permits are
passports to outdoor fun, and the
ideal gifts for that hard-to-buy-for
outdoor enthusiast on your list.
(Best value – 70% off the cover price – 30 issues)
The
T
he A
Award-Winning
ward-Winning Outdoor
Outdoor Magazine
Magazine
Just For Kids
Prices include agent issuing fee.
PERMIT
Resident Hunt and Fish Permit .................. $40
40
Resident Hunt Permit .................................. $14
4
Resident Fish Permit .............................. $28.50
50
0
Nonresident 2-day Hunt* ............................ $56
56
Nonresident Hunt Permit ............................ $81
Nonresident Fish Permit ........................ $60.50
Four colorful, 16-page issues of
Trail Tales per year, featuring
puzzles, games, drawings, photos
and interesting articles about nature,
Nebraska and the outdoors. Send
Trail Tales to a youngster, just $8 for
one year or $15 for two school years.
(4 issues each year)
(20 issues of NEBRASKAland Magazine and 8 issues of Trail Tales Magazine - two years worth)
BEAUTIFUL NEBRASKA
FIELD GUIDE TO
WILDFLOWERS
OF NEBRASKA
AND THE GREAT
PLAINS
A COLLECTOR'S EDITION
This special photo edition
features breathtaking images
of Nebraska’s landscapes,
wildlife and parklands. This
120-page, full-color collection
includes photographs taken
by NEBRASKAland's awardwinning staff, as well as by
NEBRASKAland subscribers.
This special edition is free
now with your one-year
subscription for only $18.
$9.95 MAG-0841
56 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2014
Out-of-print for 21
years, this classic,
time-honored favorite
has been updated and
reprinted. 384 pages,
279 color photos,
two color maps, 83
drawings, 6” by 91/8”,
paperback.
$29.95 PUB-2729
call toll-free
1-800-742-0056
2015 NEBRASKA
PARK PERMIT
Visit more than 80
beautiful state park and
recreation areas across
the state.
Annual Park Permit – $25
25
5
Duplicate Park Permit – $
$1
$12.50
12 5
50
0
22015
015 WIILDLIFE
LDLIFE HA
ABITAT
BITAT ST
TAMP
AMP
Required of resident hunters and trappers
age 16 and over and all nonresidents. Not
required for resident hunters and trappers
age 69 and over or resident veterans age 64
and over who hold a valid veteran or senior
hunt/fish permit.
Note: Printed with your annual permit - see
image above.
W
NE
Reading
R
Re
eadin
ad
din
ing material
ma
m
atte
ate
erriia
all for
for
or the
the
he whole
who
hole
hole
e family
fam
amiilly to
to enjoy!
en
njjo
oyy! Get
Ge
G
et both
bo
b
oth
th publications
pu
ub
blilica
lica
attiion
ons
ns shipped
ship
sh
pp
pe
ed to
to one
one
e address
add
ddrre
essss and
an
nd
d save!
sa
$40 for two years SUB-2926 (you save $8.00!)
W
W
NE
Permits will be mailed after November 1, 2014. Three- and five-year permits also
available online. *Valid for two consecutive days of upland game or waterfowl
hunting during the same calendar year.
$8 for one year SUB-2920
$15 for two years SUB-2921
NE
2015 ANNUAL HUNT AND FISH PERMITS
TS
Habitat Stamp – $20
W
NE
2015 NEBRASKA MIGRATORY
WATERFOWL STAMP
This stamp is required for all nonresidents waterfowl
hunters and all resident waterfowl hunters
age 16 and over. Not required for resident hunters age
69 and over or resident veterans age 64 and over who
hold a valid veteran or senior hunt/fish permit.
Note: Printed with your annual permit - see image
above.
Waterfowl Stamp – $5
NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS BUCKS COUPONS
The perfect gift for all outdoor enthusiasts, these “bucks”
may be used to purchase any Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission merchandise, including subscriptions and
permits. Available only in booklets with five $5 certificates.
$25 MIS-1919
These certificates will be accepted by all Nebraska Game and Parks offices where Nebraska Game and Parks
goods and services are sold. These certificates cannot be exchanged for cash.
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland
To see additional permits (and to order permits online) go to OutdoorNebraska.ne.gov
57
2015 Gift Collection Order Form
To order: mail this form to the address below, fax it to (402) 471-1984, call toll-free 1-800-742-0056 using your VISA or MasterCard, or go to NebraskalandGifts.com.
Charges for hunting and fishing permits will appear on credit card statements as separate transactions from other purchases.
For delivery by Christmas, orders must be received by December 17, 2014.
Your Name
Address
City/State/Zip
Phone (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
E-mail
Permits Permits good for their calendar year. For example, a 2014 permit expires December 31, 2014
Please provide the following information about the people for whom any fishing and/or hunting permits
are ordered on this form or on another sheet of paper. The last four digits of a permit holder’s Social
Security Number (SSN) are required for all hunting and fishing permits.
NEBRASKA PARK PERMITS
QTY
Name
Last 4 digits SSN
Address
PARK PERMIT TYPE
FEE
Annual Park Permit`
$25
Duplicate Park Permit
$12.50
TOTAL AMOUNT
City/State/ZIP
Date of Birth: Month
Weight
Day
Year
Sex
Hair Color
Height
HUNTING AND FISHING PERMITS
Eye Color
QTY
TYPE OF PERMIT(S)
Name
Last 4 digits SSN
Address
City/State/ZIP
Date of Birth: Month
Weight
Day
Year
Sex
Hair Color
Height
Eye Color
TYPE OF PERMIT(S)
PERMITS & STAMPS
2014
2015
Resident Hunt and Fish Permit ......................$40.00 ❏
$40.00 ❏
Resident Hunt Permit ....................................$14.00 ❏
$14.00 ❏
Resident Fish Permit .......................................$28.50 ❏
$28.50 ❏
Resident Fur Harvest Permit .........................$16.00 ❏
$16.00 ❏
Nonresident Fish Permit .................................$60.50 ❏
$60.50 ❏
Nonresident 2-day Hunt .................................$56.00 ❏
$56.00 ❏
Nonresident Hunt Permit ..............................$81.00 ❏
$81.00 ❏
Migratory Waterfowl Stamp ............................$5.00 ❏
$5.00 ❏
Habitat Stamp (required with all hunting permits) .......$20.00 ❏
$20.00 ❏
Give a
lifetime of
memories.
A lifetime permit offers a future
filled with fun for a young
hunter or angler. It also provides
funding for future conservation
efforts in Nebraska.
TOTALS
Lifetime Hunt Permit .............................................see previous page
Lifetime Fish Permit ..............................................see previous page
Lifetime Hunt and Fish Permit .............................see previous page
NEBRASKAland Magazine Subscriptions
For subscriptions to NEBRASKAland Magazine,
please call toll-free 1-800-632-5263
or go online to
NebraskalandMagazine.com
Gift Items
Lifetime Fur Harvest Permit.................................see previous page
Lifetime Habitat Stamp .................................................. $400.00 ❏
Lifetime Nebraska Waterfowl Stamp ............................ $100.00 ❏
Prices include agent issuing fee where applicable. No sales tax on permits and stamps.
TOTAL PERMIT ORDER $
Enter this total on the PERMITS and STAMPS line below.
Enter totals for gift items below on line A
Nebraska residents please add state and local sales tax on the following items.
QUANTITY
ITEM NUMBER
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Mail order form with your payment to:
NEBRASKAland Gifts
P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370
PAYMENT METHOD
❏ Check
❏ Money Order
❏ VISA
Credit Card Number
Security code (3 digits on back of card)
Expiration Date
Daytime Phone
❏ MasterCard
Shipping and Handling Charges
for Mail and Fax Orders
$0.01 – 0.99 ................................... $0.70
$1.00 – 4.99 ................................... $2.50
$5.00 – 10.99 ................................. $3.95
$10.01 – 25.00 ............................... $5.95
$25.01 – 50.00 ............................... $7.95
$50.01 – 75.00 ............................. $10.15
$75.01 – 100.00 ........................... $10.95
$100.01 and over............................FREE
Shipping and handling not required for
subscriptions.
For overseas shipping please call about
extra mailing fees that may apply.
COLOR
UNIT PRICE
TOTAL AMOUNT
(A) GIFT ITEMS $
SHIPPING & HANDLING CHARGES $
See accompanying text box
SUBSCRIPTIONS $
SALES TAX $
PERMITS & STAMPS $
Other lifetime permits include:
Hunt . Hunt and Fish . Habitat Stamp
Migratory Waterfowl Stamp . Fur Harvest
TOTAL ALL ITEMS $
For additional orders provide information on another sheet of paper. Please provide complete mailing information for items to be sent to additional addresses.
Order online at NebraskalandGifts.com (more items available online - some 90% off!)
Learn more online at OutdoorNebraska.org
Or by calling 1-800-742-0056
NOVEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 59
Position: 798 (13 views)