Volume 93, Issue 2, 2015
March 2015
- Identifier:
- nela.2015_093_02
- Title:
- Volume 93, Issue 2, 2015
- Issue Name:
- March 2015
- Date Issued:
- 2015-03-01
- year:
- 2015
- month:
- March
- Season:
- Winter
- PDF filename:
- NL_93.02_2015_Mar_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 093
- issue:
- 02
- number:
- 093.02
- Decade:
- 2010s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
Publis hed by the Nebr a s k a Ga m e a nd Pa r k s C o m m is s ion si nc e 1926
NEBRASKAland
March 2015
INSIDE
Crane Viewing
A horse-drawn mower is covered in snow near Hickman. Photo by Brad Moser.
Roadside Fossils
Restoring a Prairie
Helping Vets Hunt
Tall Tale Postcards
A Big Year for Birding
A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing
NebraskalandMagazine.com
$4.95
Paid Advertisement
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 93
●
No. 2
F EAT U R ES . . .
●
March 2015
20
●
20 Tall Tale Postcards
B M
L
24 First Bite
Y
ARGARET UKAS
A Beginner’s Fishing Guide
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JENNY NGUYEN
34 A Big Year
Our Family Goes Birding
BY KRISTAL STONER
38 Restoring a Prairie
STORY AND PHOTOS BY GERRY STEINAUER
44 Roadside Fossils – Highway Paleontology
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARK HARRIS
48 Nebraska’s Cranes
And Your Guide to Their Migration
BY JULIE GEISER
52 A Turkey Hunt For Warriors
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS
D EPARTM EN T S . . .
Comment .........................................................4
Mixed Bag.......................................................6
In the Field ....................................................54
Page 49 ..........................................................55
Outdoor Profile .............................................56
Portraits from the Past ..................................58
In the Kitchen ...............................................60
Wine & Dine Guide ......................................61
The Last Stop ................................................62
34
●
24
●
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
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 93 / NO. 2, 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 • MARCH 2015
38
●
Cover: This month, sandhill cranes will fill the Central Platte River Valley,
bringing visitors worldwide. Photo by Rick Rasmussen.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 3
COMMISSIONERS
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
Director Jim Douglas
NORTHWEST
Officer
City
Jim Zimmerman (S) Gering
Commissioners
Chairman - Dr. Kent Forney, Lincoln
Vice Chairman - Rex Fisher, Omaha
2nd Vice Chairman - Mark Spurgin, Paxton
Dick Bell, Omaha
Lynn Berggren, Broken Bow
Mick Jensen, Blair
Norris Marshall, Kearney
Dr. Mark Pinkerton, Wilber
Otters
I had to laugh when I saw the
“Other than Otters” article by Eric
Fowler in the December issue of
NEBRASKAland, and read about
his frustrations of getting a picture
of an otter. I snapped these pictures
with my phone of an otter that I
encountered last summer while fishing
a secluded Sandhills lake. The otter
was apparently very curious as to what
I was because he would swim straight
toward me, stop, look at me for a bit
then turn around and dive and swim
out farther, only to repeat this process.
Every time he swam in to check me
out he would get a little bit closer, until
finally he would approach to within
about 10 feet of me. After getting a
good look at his teeth I really started to
debate how close I wanted to let him
get!
Scott Buss
Via email
MAGAZINE STAFF
Michael Seay and his son, Bradley, found success pheasant hunting on walk-in land
near Sidney.
Public Land Christmas
As an out-of-state reader of your
publication for years, I wanted to share
with you this picture of my son and I
after a successful afternoon of pheasant
hunting on walk-in land near Sidney.
I moved to western Nebraska in
February to work for Cabela’s and my
son is home from his first semester at
UN-L and this was our first opportunity
to pheasant hunt together. It was a very
special Christmas gift for me!
Michael Seay
Via email
Interesting Article
I have been reading NEBRASKAland
Thanks to Ami Sheffield
Magazine for the past three years. I
We appreciate the recent collection
have enjoyed the articles about Native
of photos sent to our office, including
Americans. I especially liked the piece
in the December issue
these two white-tailed
white tailed deer.
about Crazy Horse.
Crazy Horse Rides
As a Native American
On
Beyond his untime
ly death at Fort Ro
I
binson
the legendary Oglala
myself, I am proud of
Lakota warrior live ,
s on.
our heritage and am so
glad to see an article
about my ancestors
and their spirit written
in such a positive
light.
Talia Villalpando,
Ponca Tribe of
Nebraska
Norfolk, Nebraska
By Amy Kucer
a
NEBRASKA STATE
HISTORICAL
t was the year of
the
100 horses, as the stealing of
Lakota winter
count keeper Horn
Chips (Ptehé
Wóptuh’a) would
describe 1840-41
when Miniconju
,
Lakota Rattling
Blanket Woman
(Tasina Hlahla
Win)
gave birth to a
son near Rapid
Creek in
present-day South
Dakota.
Though the child
received
the name
In The Wildern
ess (Cha-O-Ha)
at birth,
he would eventua
lly
of his Oglala Lakota take on the name
father, His Horse
Is Crazy (Tašúke
Witkó), and would
better known as
be
Crazy Horse.
PHOTO BY AMY
KUCERA
RCH 2015
4 NEBRASKAland • MARCH
DECEMBER
2014 • NEBRAS
KAland
41
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.
8
A group of young
17th annual Crazy riders cut a trail alongsid
e a stretch of
Horse Memoria
the Crazy Horse
l Ride.
Memorial Highway
near Chadron
on the first day
of the
• DECEMBER
2014
40 NEBRASKAland
Correction: In the January-February
2015 issue we mistakenly inserted
the wrong text with the license plate.
Above is the corrected version.
Correction: On page 26 in that
same issue, Lindsay Brown was
misidentified in the caption.
–Editor
SOCIETY, 11055-2241-1
The death of
Crazy Horse
at Fort Robinso
n, depicted as
Bull (Wanblí Wapháh
ledger art by
Amos Bad Heart
a), an Oglala
Lakota witness
to the event.
Though no known
photo of him
exists, even at an
Cheyenne warriors
early age the
appearance of the
defeated the U.S. overwhelmingly
young
7th cavalry led
was said to be striking. Crazy Horse
by
General George
He had fair skin
Armstrong Custer,
to match his curly,
who was killed
light colored hair,
in the
for which he was
With victory came battle.
given the nicknam
Curly (Gigi) by
e,
but life on the open much celebration,
relatives.
prairie would
In 1854, the young
soon change dramatic
ally for Plains
witnessed the openingCrazy Horse
tribes. After the
engagement
harsh
of war between
weakened his band, winter of 1877
the U.S. Army
Crazy
and
Lakota warriors
Horse
made
the difficult decision
near
to surrender to
present-day Wyomin Fort Laramie in
federal troops on
May 6, in order
of nearly a quarter- g. It was the start
to
protect his people.
century of warfare
that would forever
They camped awaiting
change the nations
relocation
who called the
to the reservation
Great Plains home.
on the Powder
incident, known
The
River as promise
as the Grattan Fight,
d to
began when a detachm
government. Howeve him by the U.S.
ent of soldiers
r, amid rumors
was sent to arrest
of
an escape, he was
an indian who had
brought to Fort
killed a cow that
Robinson to be
had wandered into
arrested on Septemb
camp. When a
5, 1877. Crazy
er
soldier immedia
Horse had been
tely
opened fire on
apprehensive to
the peaceful people,
go,
killing Chief Conque
resist soldiers until but did not fully
ring Bear (Mató
he was led to be
Wayúhi), Lakota
confined at the
warriors
Fort’s guardhouse.
and killed the remainin fought back
Accounts of this
g combatants.
historic moment
A decade later,
vary.
When the warrior
Crazy Horse grew
realized he
to be revered as
was entering a
a leader followin
jail, he struggle
g
his brave acts in
d
for his
freedom. A great
war. He led warriors
commotion ensued,
at the Battle of
during which Crazy
Rosebud
when General George in 1876,
twice with a bayonetHorse was stabbed
.
was halted by Lakota Crook’s army
His second cousin,
and Northern
Oglala Lakota
Cheyenne forces.
holy man Nichola
s Black Elk (Hehaka
Crazy Horse was
Sapa), describe
also a war leader
d the
in the Battle of
Horse to Nebrask death of Crazy
Little
an writer John
25-26, 1876. Commo Bighorn on June
G.
Neihard
t, as translated
nly referred
in Black Elk
to as “Custer’s
Speaks:
Last Stand,” united
tribes including
They took him to
Lakota, Arapaho
a little prison with
e and
iron bars on the
windows, for they
Frank Condello of Lincoln
has a simple credence when it
comes to fishing. “If it’s wet, I
fish it.”
If you have a unique outdoor
message plate you would like
to share, or know someone
who does, e-mail a photo (highresolution, JPEG format only,
please) of it to Eric.Fowler@
Nebraska.gov, along with your
name, hometown and a brief
description of the interests
expressed on your license plate.
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.
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 Chris Helzer, 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
Greg Hesse
Scott Brandt
Dan Kling
Frank Miller
Sean McKeehan
Terry Brentzel
Phone (308)
(office) 763-2940
(cell) 641-6138
Rushville
760-3647
Gering
631-0663
Harrison
430-0572
Valentine
402-389-0444
Bridgeport
279-9133
Oshkosh
458-7650
SOUTHWEST
Officer
City
Phone (308)
Roger Thompson (S) N. Platte (office) 535-8025
(cell) 530-3097
Ray Dierking
Brkn. Bow
870-0322
Michael Thome
Cozad
529-8146
Matt Andrews
Elwood
746-2418
Dirk Greene
Imperial
882-0015
Dale Johnson
Kearney
440-3847
Brian Piernicky
McCook
340-6627
Brandon O’Neal
N. Platte
530-3157
Nicholas Fix
Ogallala
289-0427
Bryce Streger
Ogallala
289-1169
Rich Routh
Rep. City
920-0367
Tim Williams
Grand Is
380-7331
Pat George
Kenesaw
402-705-9989
Matt Brandt
Loup City
202-0819
Andrew Heyer
Cozad
402-613-2241
Alex Hasenauer
Wellfleet
660-4671
NORTHEAST
Officer
Tom Zimmer (Sup.)
City
Norfolk
SOUTHEAST
Officer
Levi Krause (Sup.)
William Krause
Mike Luben
Dan Zuehlke
Heath Packett
Darin Gress
Douglas Kramer
Dina Barta
Stacey Lewton
Dudley Sorensen
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
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OM
OMMIS
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OFFICES
FFICES
FFI
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Headquarters/Southeast District Office
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone 402-471-0641
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone 402-370-3374
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)
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340-3981
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Wausa
613-8612
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 5
A Mammal
Brief
Kangaroo Rat
This Ord’s kangaroo rat was
photographed two miles from Wood
Lake in Cherry County.
6 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
PHOTO
PHOT
O BY JON FAR
FARRAR
RAR
By Lindsay Rogers
Found in western Nebraska,
Ord’s kangaroo rats prefer to live
in areas with sandy soil and their
nest consists of a burrow in the
ground. As their name suggests,
kangaroo rats have extremely
large hind legs which are used
to hop similar to a kangaroo
and are well adapted to arid
conditions.
Kangaroo rats are nocturnal and
feed on seeds and dry vegetation.
They are related to pocket mice
and kangaroo mice and all
species in this family have a small
fur-lined pocket or pouch inside
their mouth where they store
food. ■
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 7
Johnso
Joh
n on County
C
Courthouse, Tecumseh
h
Travelogue Sponsors
By Jeff Kurrus and Amy Kucera
Tecumseh
ho
home base, whether for fishing
or hunting, must have all the
o
qualities of home, which is
q
why th
the southeastern Nebraska town
of Tecumseh is the perfect for spring snow
goose hunting.
Located about an hour and a half northwest
of Missouri’s Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, this area
of the state is a stopover point for thousands of
snow geese each spring.
It’s also home to a number of eateries, including Frazier’s Cafe,
serving delicious home-cooked meals, including the cod fish dinner or
the local favorite, chicken-fried steak.
Walk along the old bricks of the historic downtown town square
to see the Johnson County Courthouse. The Romanesque, Classic
Revival-style building was completed in 1889 and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Continue your step through time at the Ramsey Family Fountain,
a restored 1938 soda fountain complete with antique furnishings.
It specializes in old-fashioned frozen favorites and has a unique
photographic tribute to the Johnson County veterans.
Bring home a gift from Liz’s Flower Shop, which features a wide
assortment of home decor, and visit southeast Nebraska’s oldest
floral shop, Tecumseh Floral and Gift, established in 1950.
Then get back on the road to find snows. With a conservation
season that doesn’t close until April 15 in the east zone,
Tecumseh becomes the
perfect home base for
taking an occasional
break during your trip down
south.
Ramsey Family Fountain
Tecumseh
Liz’s Flow
erShop
The cod fish dinner
is delicous at
Frazier’s Cafe in
Tecumseh.
ws
Sno
Hunting
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 9
A Brief History
The Ruins Along
Highway 2
By David Bristow,
Nebraska State Historical Society
NSHS RG2541-6-31
H
ighway 2 through the Sandhills
is one of Nebraska’s most scenic
drives. Deep in the Sandhills
lakes country, near the tiny town
of Antioch, stand desolate, oddlyshaped concrete ruins visible from the
highway – as if Antioch had once been
a much larger city, or home to some
inexplicably large enterprise. And that’s
pretty much what happened during
World War I when Antioch became a
potash boomtown.
Potash is a potassium compound
that was used as a fertilizer additive,
especially in the Cotton Belt. It was
also used to manufacture various
products such as glass and soap. Before
World War I, the United States imported
most of its potash from Germany.
Normally it sold for $8 to $10 a ton,
The ruins of the potash plant at the former town of Hoffland, Sheridan County,
Nebraska, July 9, 1955.
but during the war, the price soared to
more than $150 a ton. When alkaline
lakes in the Sandhills were discovered
to have potash, a new industry was soon
underway, resulting in the construction
of 10 huge plants that could each
produce 100 tons of potash per day.
The lakes were on state-owned
school land that was leased to a
private company, and rumors spread
of favoritism and dirty dealing. The
Nebraska state land commissioner and
the secretary of state responded with
a press release in which they stated
that they would tolerate no delays in
the project because “our country needs
the product for munitions.” That was
false – potash wasn’t used in munitions
– but the story was widely believed
and tended to shield the project from
criticism. (“So much for patriotism,”
complained the Alliance Semi-Weekly
Times after debunking the press
release.)
In true boomtown fashion, the
Sandhills potash industry rose and fell
quickly. Various companies struggled
for control of the industry, but the war’s
end re-opened the import market and
the Nebraska plants were soon priced
out of business. Their ruins stand
as a testimony to the wide-ranging
and unpredictable effects of war and
international commerce.
Look for a historical marker along
Highway 2 just west of Antioch. There
you can pull off the road and observe
the ruins to the north of the highway.
From there, if you’re heading west, it’s
only 15 more miles to Alliance. ■
Indoor Birding
10 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 11
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANIMAL PLANET
NSHS RG2541-1-7
Antioch became a potash boomtown during World War I as seen by this July, 1917
image by Van Graven Alliance.
By Callie Rietfors
Take birdwatching online: from your
computer, you can stream live camera
feeds of diverse North American birds.
With each season, view different
species’ mating, nesting and feeding
behaviors.
Here are a few available sites:
• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
has a variety of bird cams, featuring
such species as barn owls in Texas;
great blue herons and red-tailed
hawks in Ithaca, New York; and their
latest addition, great horned owls in
Savannah, Georgia.
Cams.allaboutbirds.org/
• The Iain Nicolson Audubon Center
at Rowe Sanctuary hosts a crane cam
which allows viewers to watch sandhill
cranes roosting on the Platte River in
Gibbon, Nebraska. Ustream.tv/channel/
rowe-sanctuary-s-crane-cam
• Watch peregrine falcons from
two cameras at the Nebraska State
Capitol, with close observation of
the nest box, or check out the falcon
cameras returning in March to Omaha’s • Returning in early February, Ventana
Woodmen Tower. Neblandvm.
Wildlife Society’s wild California
outdoornebraska.gov/2013/07/
condor cams capture the birds feeding
peregrine-webcam-click/ or
in Big Sur.
Falcons.woodmen.org/falcon_cam.cfm
Ventanaws.org/condor_cam/
• Between November and March,
• Animal Planet’s wild bird cam in
watch trumpeter swans in Monticello,
northern Virginia provides observation
Minnesota. (Viewers must use Internet
of its feeders’ common visitors:
Explorer.) Monticellofiber.com/
woodpeckers, cardinals, sparrows,
swancam.cfm
mourning doves and other locals.
Check
out
Bella,
an
Allen’s
Apl.tv/bird.htm ■
•
hummingbird that has built nests in
the same southern
California ficus
tree since 2005.
Bellahummingbird.com/
• Two cameras offer
different viewpoints
for watching adult
bald eagles Ozzie
and Harriet at their
southwestern Florida
nest. The eagles
have nested here
for October through
April since 2006.
Dickpritchettrealestate.
Bird cams, such as this one by Animal Planet, give an
up-close look at various species continent-wide.
com/eagle-feed.html#
Snow Goose Tips
By Mark Vrtiska
Keep these things in mind as you
snow goose hunt this spring:
• Movement in the decoys – you’re
trying to emulate thousands of geese,
so the more movement you can
introduce into the spread, the better.
• Concealment – these geese have
been shot at for about six months,
they’ll spot things and you need to
make sure your blind(s) are well
concealed or you’re well hidden.
• About 30 percent of snow geese
coming through Nebraska are blue
geese. I’d mix in a few into my spread.
• Use full body decoys near the
“hole” where you want them to land.
• Do something different. Again,
these geese have seen a lot of decoys
and heard a lot of calls. Try something
different or unique. ■
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
12 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 13
Your Next
New Boot
By Robbie Gaia and Jeff Kurrus
Nebraska Bird Library
By Jerry Kane
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission field staff have begun efforts to capture
and collar mountain lions.
This effort is the beginning of a four-year research project.
Game and Parks plans to place GPS tracking collars on seven to 15 mountain
lions captured in the Pine Ridge, Wildcat Hills, Niobrara River Valley and
elsewhere across the state.
Anyone who observes or captures an image of a lion on a trail camera should
call Game and Parks immediately at 402-471-0641. Timely reports from the
public will assist in locating animals for this project and help biologists learn
more about this elusive species. ■
Harris’s Sparrow
Sponsored by
y
Song or calls: Song is series of quavering whistles: two
notes on one pitch followed by two more on another pitch.
Description: Sexes similar. Breeding adult has black
crown, face and bib; pink bill; and grayish cheeks.
Upperparts are buffy brown with black streaking; white
belly with dark streaking on sides. Winter adult has
blackish crown; buffy cheeks; throat may be all black,
show white flecks, or have a white band; and flanks are
buffy. Immature is similar to winter adult but has less
black.
Habitat: Migrants and wintering birds prefer areas
with shrubs, low trees and tall weedy plants. Found in
rural, residential and urban areas, often near streamside
woodland edges.
Where in Nebraska: Abundant spring and fall migrant
in eastern Nebraska, and common farther west. Regular
winter visitor in southern parts of the state. Joins mixed
flocks of other sparrows during the winter.
Fun Facts: The largest sparrow in the United States.
Found in Nebraska during winter and migration, it is the
only bird that breeds in Canada and nowhere else in the
world. ■
To learn about more birds visit
NebraskaBirdLibrary.org.
Mountain lion prints appear in the snow in
Sioux County.
PHOTO BY ROCKY HOFFMANN
Kamik, a Montreal-based
footwear company, has
come out with Americanmade neoprene boots
known as the Elements
Collection you should try.
One model of boots, the
Coldcreek, is lightweight
and comfortable for even
long-walking distances.
The base provides great
durability and traction
while the waterproof upper
provides flexibility. – RG
The Huntsman (pictured)
is now my go-to winter
walking boot for sledding,
upland bird hunting and
ice fishing. Their rubberpatented bottoms keep my
feet dry and I trust their
durability near barbed wire
and crampons. The last
pair of rubber boots I had
split by the end of hunting
season, but this boot is just
hitting its stride with twice
as much wear. – JK
Collaring Mountain Lions
For more
information,
including
additional
styles, visit
Kamik.com.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
14 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 15
Turkeys Get
One-way Trip to
Montana
Micah Ellstrom,
northwest district
wildlife manager for
public lands, holds a
turkey to be boxed and
sent to Montana.
16 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
By Justin Haag
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Nebraska
reintroduced wild turkeys from other states
to its landscape after the big birds had been
extirpated decades earlier during the nation’s
westward expansion. The reintroduction was
so successful that turkeys have again become
common border-to-border, and Nebraska is
now able to return the favor to another state.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
led an effort in February to trap wild turkeys
on a ranch near Whiteclay in northern
Sheridan County for relocation to Montana.
The turkeys were held overnight and picked
up by Montana state wildlife staff for release
in the Great Falls area.
A total of 91 birds were caught, 61 birds
in the morning and 30 in late afternoon. The
total included 13 males.
Nebraska Game and Parks lured the birds to
three roughly 400-square-foot netted enclosures and closed
each door with the pull of a cord. Agency staff, along with
a cadre of volunteers largely consisting of Chadron State
College students, then processed the birds. After each bird
was chased down and caught in the enclosure it was checked
by a veterinarian and placed in a cardboard box, made just
for the job by the National Wild Turkey Federation. The
boxes of birds were stored in a livestock trailer until the
journey west.
“Although they can be tricky to catch in the enclosure, the
birds usually become rather docile
once caught,” said Todd Nordeen,
the Nebraska Game and Parks big
game research manager leading the
effort. “They won’t fight much when
hanging by their feet and they do not
even try to move around much in the
cardboard boxes.”
Nebraska has used wildlife from
other states for reintroduction efforts
of a variety of species within its
borders, including bighorn sheep
that were captured in Montana and
brought to Nebraska. Nebraska was
able to return the favor to Montana
by providing wild turkeys. It’s just
the latest example of interstate
cooperation to assist the range-wide
conservation of a species.
Nordeen said Montana’s state
wildlife division is seeking turkeys
with characteristics of the Merriam’s
subspecies. The distinct wide white
band found across the tail feathers
of those birds is predominant among
northwestern Nebraska’s turkey
population. ■
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 17
Meteor Showers
by Jerry Kane
Con
ontactt tthe
Nebras
Ne
ska
Gam
ame and
n
Parrks
k
Commis
Co
ission
n at
402-471
40
1-0641
41 or visit
OutdoorNe
Ou
Nebr
braska
ka.org
g
for more inf
fo
i orm
mation.
Vis
is
sit Hun
ntS
tSafeNebraska.o
a.org
g for
a llist
ist of hu
hunter education
n classes
and
d Boa
B tSa
tSafe
feNebraska.org
org
g for a list
of boating safe
of
afety classes.
March 3
Prescribed Burn
Workshop
Burning tree piles, Guide
Rock Community Center, 120
W. Douglas St., Guide Rock,
6-8 p.m.
March 4
Lake and Pond
Management Workshop
Lower Platte South Natural
Resources District, 3125
Portia St., Lincoln, 6 p.m.,
402-476-2729
March 6-31
U.S. Highway 34, Grand
Island, 6 p.m., Go.unl.edu/
GIpondworkshop
March 14, 29
Archery 101: Know Your
Bow
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
4703 N. 44th St., Lincoln, 4-6
p.m., 402-471-6141
March 17
Spring Turkey Hunting
Workshop
Fort Kearny State Historical
Park visitor center open for
crane viewing and history,
Kearney, 308-865-5305
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
4703 N. 44th St., Lincoln,
6:30-8:30 p.m., 402-471-6141
March 7
Leprechaun Chase 10K
March 18
Lake and Pond
Management Workshop
Eugene T. Mahoney State
Park (SP), Ashland, 4 p.m.,
402-944-2523
March 7
Bird Banding
Nebraska Extension Office,
8015 W. Center Road,
Omaha, 6 p.m., Go.unl.edu/
Omahapondworkshop
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, Gretna, March 18
Prescribed Burn
9 a.m., 402-332-3901
March 7
Youth Fishing Instructor
Training
Workshop
Firebreak management,
Ponca State Park, 88090 Neb.
Spur 26E, noon-3 p.m.
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, Gretna,
March 20
9 a.m., 402-471-5591
Nebraska Game and Parks
March 7
Commission Meeting,
Spring Turkey Hunting
Columbus, 8 a.m.
Workshop
March 28
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, Gretna,
National Archery in the
1 p.m., 402-471-5547
March 12
Prescribed Burn
Workshop
Schools Program State
Tournament
Lancaster Events Center,
Lincoln, 8:30 a.m.
Lake and Pond
Management Workshop
College Park, 3180 W.
March 31
Trapping seasons close for
muskrat and beaver
18 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
What causes a meteor shower?
During a meteor shower, there are a higher than average
number of meteors visible that all appear to radiate from
a particular place in the sky. This happens when the Earth
passes through a meteor stream. These streams usually
originate from comet nuclei, which is a ball of ice with
grains of dust and rocks embedded in it. As the ball nears
the sun in its orbit, the ice evaporates, rocks and dust are
released and the comet eventually disintegrates entirely. The
comet debris gradually spreads out around the orbit, forming
a meteor stream.
NEBRASKAland
and
Visitor
Last issue’s winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Jenny Deutsch of Omaha, who
found the bedbug on page 13.
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, 19, or 43.
2015 Predicted Major Meteor Shower Calendar
Active Dates
Meteor Shower
Predicted mtrs/hr
Dec. 28-Jan. 12
Quadrantids
120
April 16-April 25
Lyrids
18
April 19-May 28
Aquariids
40
July 17-August 24
Perseids
100
Dec. 4-Dec. 17
Geminids
120
When is the best time to view meteor showers?
There are about a dozen reasonably large meteor showers
per year that can be viewed from anywhere in the world,
including Nebraska. Meteor
showers are annual events and
come at the same time each year.
However, because the meteors are
not uniformly distributed about
the orbit, the strength of a shower
can differ from one year to the
next. An important factor when
trying to view a meteor shower is
the moon phase. The visibility of
a shower is greatly reduced by a
bright moon since meteor showers
are usually most active in the
few hours before dawn. Meteor
showers are much harder to see
anytime before midnight.
Where are the best places to
view meteors?
To see meteor showers, you
should find a dark place away
from city lights. In particular, you
should avoid places where lights
are bright in the East since that
is where you will normally be
looking for meteors.
Which meteor showers are
easiest to see?
Meteor showers vary from a
relatively few meteors per hour to
quite large numbers. Those with
A clear night
and a good
telescope makes
meteor watching
fantastic.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
Fire weather, Homestead
National Monument, 8523 W. March 25
Neb. Hwy. 4, Beatrice, 1-5 p.m. Archery and youth archery
spring turkey hunting season
opens
March 12
By Cristina Woodworth
One of the best ways to experience nature’s true wonders
is to stand beneath a black expanse of sky and gaze up at a
meteor shower. With more than 10 major showers viewable
throughout the year, stargazers have ample opportunities
to catch one of earth’s very own light shows. Here is your
guide to the basics of meteor showers, when they are easiest
to see and the best places to view them across Nebraska.
perhaps 30 or fewer per hour are not likely to be as impressive and sometimes are
only apparent if you actually count the meteors. Others have a lot more so those
are the ones to go for. There are predictions each year of the strength of some of
the showers so it is a good idea to look for them to find a shower that is worth
getting up early, or staying up late to see. ■
Thanks to Edward Schmidt, University of Nebraska-Lincoln physics and
astronomy professor for the scientific information for this story.
Bedbug. Just hearing the name
makes most people’s skin crawl.
Until recently, the bed bug (Cimex
lectularius) was just a reference in
a bedtime saying “… and don’t let
the bed bugs bite.” Unfortunately,
bed bug populations have risen
recently, spreading with our highly
mobile society. Bed bugs do feed
on humans, with bites causing skin
irritation and redness, but the bugs
do not transmit diseases. A bed
bug starts life as a small white egg,
about the size of a pinhead. After
hatching, nymphs go through five
instars before reaching adulthood.
Adults are about the size of an
apple seed (up to one-fourth inch
in length) and reddish brown.
Their body is oval and flat, unless
they have recently fed. Then they
look more elongate and
puffed up. Bed bugs are
not limited to “dirty”
locations; they
can live anywhere
humans live.
Special thanks to Julie
Van Meter, State Entomologist,
Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
Bugguide.net is a good site for identification.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 19
Tall Tale
Postcards
By Margaret Lukas
A
mericans have
always loved
their lore, finding
fascination in tall
tales such as Paul Bunyan
and Babe, his blue ox. There
was also Pecos Bill, who
used a rattlesnake as a lasso
to pull a tornado out of the
sky, riding that twister until
he’d petered it out. In that
spirit of western humor, the
exaggeration postcard was
born.
The cards were
introductions into
some of the earliest
photoshopping. This was
just before, through, and
after World War I. An
age before Twitter and
e-mails. Postcards were a
way of conveying simple
messages cheaply and
without the need to write
much. The “tall tale”
postcards, most popular
in small towns and rural
communities, also carried
with them a sense of
regional pride, bragging
rights and comedy when
the reality of the times was
often far different.
Though some
manipulated negatives,
photographers usually
created the cards by
This generic card doesn’t list a location. The back reads “An Average Catch in These Parts? Packing out a giant Rainbow
Trout can sometimes be a real chore. This beauty was one of the largest ever caught in this part of the country.”
The back reads “Nebraska The Cornhusker State.” This card, although possibly older,
was printed with a bar code on the back so is still being used today.
20 NEBRASKAland
●
MARCH 2015
altering the images. Two
pictures were taken, a wide
shot and a close up. The
subject – a vegetable or
grasshopper, for instance
– was shot close up, cut
out and glued over a wide
shot of a wagon or train
car. Then the photographer
simply took a third shot of
the combined two.
While the cards are alike
in the use of exaggeration,
various artists had their
specialties. One of the first
producers was William
Martin of Kansas. He began
producing exaggeration
postcards in 1908. His
cards mainly featured local
crops – ears of corn the size
of wagons, pumpkins the
size of railroad cars and
potatoes large enough for
one to feed a community.
He established the Martin
Post Card Company in
1909 and produced seven
million cards the next year.
F.D. Conard became
known for manipulating
images of giant
grasshoppers. Kansapedia
credits his inspiration to a
grasshopper plague that
descended on Kansas in
1935. “When a swarm of
grasshoppers descended on
Garden City,” the Kansas
Historical Society wrote,
“Frank ‘Pop’ Conrad had a
vision.” In his images, men
appear to be in physical
contact with the insects,
fighting them hand to
hand, a grasshopper on
its hind legs reaching over
the head of its human
opponent, delivering
blows with its front
legs. Other images show
grasshoppers milking cows
NEBRASKAland
●
MARCH 2015 21
TOP: “A Heavy One” is written on the
front. The back reads simply “ Archer
King, Table Rock, Neb., Publisher.”
MIDDLE: This (very generic) card reads
“I’M SENDING YOU A LEMON FROM
____________,” with Copyright 1910 by
Edward H. Mitchell, San Francisco.
BOTTOM: “Howdy from NEBRASKA” (no
doubt worked for other states as well),
with “Punching Cattle on a Jack Rabbit”
on the front. The back reads “And out
here in the West they do punch cattle.
Some of them do it on Broncs and, even
as you can see, some of them do it on the
lowly Jack Rabbit.”
and cowboys rounding
up cattle on the backs of
saddled grasshoppers.
“Lucky,” those cowpokes
because they never ran
out of mounts, and the
grasshopper’s reputation
promised that it would “eat
anything.”
Alfred Stanley Johnson,
who did the majority of
his work between 1909
and 1935, became known
for creating scenes in
which people are shown
with massive crops,
such as a man pushing a
wheelbarrow with a single
potato or carrying a cabbage
so large he can only manage
the weight of one.
Other artists featured
the elusive jackalope or
such mythical creatures as
the fur-bearing fish (yes,
it’s said, some lakes are
that cold). And you’ve
heard about the “one that
got away?” A popular
image on exaggeration
postcards was that of a
fish ridden like a bronco
or several times larger
than a boat occupied by
a single hapless man. The
fish is rearing up out of the
22 NEBRASKAland
●
MARCH 2015
“Bringing in the Sheaves, A common scene on a Nebr. farm” is a well done card, especially for its copyrighted date of 1908. Back
reads “Published by the North American Post Card Co. Kansas City, U. S. A.”
water, and the look on the
fisherman’s face matches
that of Roy Scheider in
Jaws when he turns to
Robert Shaw’s character
Quint and says, “We’re
goin’ need a bigger boat.”
Often after postcards
were printed, a town
or state name was
superimposed over the
image. These postcards,
referred to as “generic
cards,” allowed the
same image to be sent
to different regions with
different state names.
Sometimes the location
was written in script by
an artist, and sometimes a
name was simply stamped
on. Another popular image
was, and still is, postcards
of U.S. maps where Texas
or Florida are shown
exaggerated to five or six
times their true scale.
The cards are bits of
history and nostalgic, not
just for the pictures on
front, but for the cryptic
bit of news on the back. I
hold one dated 1938 that
reads; “I can’t remember
how long ago it was that
I wrote. I thought I would
send a card to let you all
know that I am still among
the living. Exams start
tomorrow. My last exam
comes June 4th.”
Another is sent to a
name in Schuyler in 1911.
At that time, no street
addresses were needed.
The card reads in part,
“We are all well so far [no
punctuation] child died in
town of dipitria [sic] so I
am in fear if the sickness
will spread. From Nettie.”
Each of these cards, from
front to back, has a story
to tell. And good news
for collectors is that these
cards can be purchased
fairly cheaply. Yet it’s
doubtful this will be the
case in just a few short
years as their popularity
continues to increase. ■
Margaret Lukas is an author
living in Omaha. Her debut
novel, Farthest House, was
released in 2014.
NEBRASKAland
●
MARCH 2015 23
F
IRST BITE
a beginner’s fishing guide
Story and photos by Jenny Nguyen
Learning how to fish isn’t as complicated as it seems. With a few pieces of
equipment and some basic knowledge, anyone can be successful on the water.
A
nyone can learn to fish, but it would seem otherwise
when you did not grow up around it. Rod length,
line test, spinning reel, baitcaster, spincast, soft bait,
crank bait, stink bait, jigs, spinners, spoons – just wading
through the vast availability of fishing gear and terminology
can make a person’s head spin. But fear not, neophyte,
because fishing isn’t as complicated as it seems. I, too, did
not start fishing until recently, and once I realized that it
only took a few basic pieces of equipment and knowledge
to learn how to fish, the world of fishing did not seem so
confusing anymore.
In addition to learning about equipment, you also need
to know which species to target. To begin fishing, don’t go
out looking for muskie or walleye on your first try. It can
get complicated quick. Learn the basics by catching panfish
first, which include bluegill and other sunfish like redear and
green sunfish, crappie, white bass, small trout and channel
catfish – species that are tasty, widely available throughout
Nebraska waters, and relatively simple to catch from the
shore.
S more information identifying
See
Nebraska’s fish species.
N
Equipment
Rod and Reel
Fishing line is measured by how much weight it can hold.
The bigger the fish, the heavier the line you will need, and
vice versa. Because panfish are relatively similar in size,
you can usually get away with using the same line for most
species. I’ve caught bluegill, trout, crappie, white bass and
even small largemouth bass on 4-pound and 6-pound test
line on a light action spinning rod and reel combo. However,
when targeting bigger bass and catfish, use at least 8-pound
line test or heavier on your medium to medium heavy rod
and reel.
As far as the type of line to use, stick with monofilament
line for now, which is a general, all-purpose line that can
be used in a variety of situations. It works beautifully with
panfish. As you become more advanced and begin to seek
bigger fish, then more expensive and technical lines such
fluorocarbon and braided can be explored.
Once you have chosen your fishing rod, reel and line, ask
a store representative in the fishing department to spool your
reel, or ask them to show you how to spool your own reel at
home by using the arbor knot.
The improved clinch knot is one of the most widely used fishing knots.
It provides a good method of securing a fishing line to a hook, lure or
swivel.
Author Jenny
Nguyen catfishing
on the Missouri
River.
PHOTO BY SCOTT WESSEL
2 NEBR
24
NE
NEBRASKAland
EBRAS
BRAS
BR
A KA
Ala
and
d • MARCH 2015
Line
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM REIGERT
Although serious anglers will have specialized rod and reel
combos for each species, even panfish, it is often impractical
for a beginner to go out and buy several rods on his or her
first visit to the sporting goods store. At these retailers, you
will have the option of buying a combo rod and reel package
that manufacturers have put together, or, if you know what
you’re looking for, you can buy the rod and reel separately
to build your own outfit. To start out, choose a 6- to 7- foot
light action spinning rod and reel combo, or a 6- to 7- foot
light action spincast (closed faced) rod and reel combo.
These two rod and reel combos are ideal for all-around
panfishing, including easy casting.
To catch catfish in a lake or pond, choose a 6- to 7- foot
medium to medium-heavy action baitcasting rod and reel
combo. Though a baitcasting outfit is more ideal for catching
bigger fish, a quality medium to medium-heavy spinning rod
and reel combo can also work for catching smaller, eatingsize cats.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 25
ball head near the eye, where line is tied, often painted
in fluorescent colors. These can be used to hook live and
plastic baits – experiment to see which shapes, colors and
combinations work best for you.
Besides worms, catfish can also be caught with stink
bait, a foul, smelly concoction that can be spread onto dip
ip
bait worm lures to entice catfish. Cut bait from oily fish
can also be used instead of worms on a hook. Or, just go
buy some mackerel at an Asian grocery store.
Bobbers, Weights and More
A few other items to throw into your tackle box would
be bobbers, weights, swivels, beads, pliers and nail
clippers for cutting line. Choose small bobbers for panfish;
round or spring stick bobbers are easy to use. When using
worms, having a split shot weight on your line will help
keep your hook and bait at the desired depth; choose from
sizes BB to 5 for panfish. To bottom fish for catfish and
in some cases trout, you will need to fish with a sliding
sinker rig (see sidebar), which will require heavier weights
(sinkers), beads and swivels. A fishing net will help you
safely lift caught fish from the water, and pliers will help
remove hooks from a fish’s mouth.
While catch and release will be required by rules in
many cases and voluntarily practiced in many others,
eating fish is also a desire for many. In this circumstance,
keep fish in the water on a stringer
while fishing, then immediately
put them in a cooler on ice and
get your fillet knife ready. Lastly,
always keep antibacterial wipes
and rags handy as well.
bobbe
bobber
Rainbow trout can be caught on worms in Long Pine Creek and at other locations across the state.
26 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
Lures and Stink Bait
Feather
Fish are unpredictable. One day
Marabou jig
they’ll go crazy for one lure, and another
day they won’t care for it. To get started on lures, jigs
can be used to fish for a variety of species, and
as far as panfish are concerned, crappie
anglers can benefit greatly from the
use of jigs. After one summer and
fall on the water, feather Marabou
Twister tail
jigs and soft plastic twister tail grub
grub jig
jigs quickly became my go-to lures. White and
chartreuse colors have worked best for me, but the rule of
thumb is to stick with lighter colors on clear days and darker
colors on cloudy days. These color patterns will allow fish to
see your lure against the contrast of the sky.
In addition to the twister tail, soft plastic jigs come in
a variety of shapes and colors that imitate grubs, worms,
crayfish, minnows, leeches and other prey. Other “dressed”
jigs can be adorned with hair, tinsel, plastic fibers, nylon
and mylar. Plain jigs show only a hook with a round lead
split
shot
What to Know
Before You Go
Fishing Rigs
To catch bluegill or similar
fish, the worm, hook, weight and
Weight
bobber rig is the most dependable
hook
and
bobber
route. To do this, tie a No. 8 to
rig
No. 4 baitholder hook to the end
of your line (see illustration) then
attach a split shot weight about 6
inches above the hook. Attach the bobber above the split
shot, depending on how deep you want your bait under the
water, and then finally bait the hook with a red worm or
small piece of nightcrawler.
To fish for crappies on live minnows, use the same rig
for bluegill, but instead use a No. 6 to No. 4 baitholder
hook. Clip the bobber a couple feet above the hook and
bait the hook with a live minnow. Hook it through the
back, but not through its vertebrae. A split shot should be
placed a few inches above the hook to keep the minnow
from swimming to the surface. Crappies can also be fished
with jigs. Try a feather marabou jig or a crappie tube jig.
Or, you can also hook a live minnow onto a plain jig.
he fishing reel is the component that holds the
line. It is also built with a rotating handle to
allow the angler to retrieve the line and, hopefully,
the fish. There are three basic types of reels to
choose from: spincast reel, spinning reel and
baitcasting reel. The type of reel to choose will
depend on what is most comfortable for you.
A spincast (closed
face) reel is exactly what
its name suggests – the
spool that holds the
line is entirely enclosed
and line is released by
pushing a button with
your thumb. The spincast
reel is ideal for beginners
and younger anglers, as
it does not require as much coordination. Because
the spool is enclosed, line tangles happen less
frequently.
The spinning reel is an
example of an open face
reel, and is mounted on
the underside of the rod
and features a completely
open spool. Because
there is no button to
release the line during
a cast, anglers have to
use their index finger to
hold the line against the rod. Although a little bit of
good timing and coordination is required to use the
spinning reel, it is easy once you get the hang of it.
Spinning rods are also more efficient when casting
lighter line and bait for panfish.
The baitcasting reel is ideal for catching bigger
fish, such as catfish and trophy largemouth bass.
Mechanically, they are
a tad more complicated
than the other two reels,
with a horizontal spool
that sits in a partially
enclosed case and built
with a braking system that
controls spool speed and
helps prevent “backlash,”
provided that the reel
was set up properly; “backlash” is when line gets
tangled up inside the reel, caused by the spool
revolving faster than the line is going out. Benefits
of the baitcasting reel are its durability, ability to
hold more line and heavier line for catching bigger
fish. Because of the way it’s built, the baitcasting
reel also has fewer tendencies to twist and tangle
line when used correctly, unlike the spinning reel.
T
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 27
PHOTOS BY KEN BOUC
See the 2015 Nebraska Fishing Guide.
S
heavier size hooks like 4/0 or 6/0 for fishing river catfish.
Although crappies will eat worms, they actually prefer live
minnows, which can be bought in bait shops. Use minnows
no larger than 2 inches. However, stay informed
on the latest bait fish regulations found in the
2015 Nebraska Fishing Guide.
PHOTOS BY KEN BOUC
Baitholder
hook
Despite the vast availability of fishing lures, trout, bluegill,
bass and catfish can all be caught on nightcrawlers or red
worms. Red worms are smaller and more suitable for the
smaller mouths of bluegill, which tend to nibble and steal
bigger pieces of bait.
When using live bait, hook size is an important
consideration. Too big, and fish may not be able to get the
hook into their mouths. Too small, and fish may swallow
the hook too deeply to be removed. For worms, choose
baitholder hooks, which will keep bait firmly in place.
While a book chapter could be written about hooks and
their sizes, let this be a mere introduction. Smaller hooks
are designated by larger numbers. For example, a No. 32
hook is much smaller than a No. 2. However, once a hook is
larger than size No. 1, a “/0” designation
Fathead
is added. For example, a No.
minnow
5/0 hook is larger than
a 1/0.
Choose No. 8
to No. 4 baitholder
hooks for bluegill, No. 6 to No.
4 for crappie and trout, and No. 8 to No. 4 for white bass. To
catch catfish, No. 1 or No. 2 hooks are suitable for smaller,
eating-size catfish out of a pond or lake, but choose bigger,
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM REIGERT
Live Bait and Hook Sizes
Reels, Explained
Trout stocked in small ponds can be caught
on a variety of baits and lures, depending on
their mood for the day. I’ve caught stocked
trout on jigs, spinners, worms, plastic bait and
marshmallows, and they are usually easy to
catch.
The best way to catch white bass is to use jigs
and spoons. Use a feather marabou jig or a plain
jig with a worm or plastic grub. White bass tend
to travel in schools at different depths, depending
on the time of year. To fish from the shore in
the spring and summer, look for surface activity
as white bass roam the open water to chase and
feed on baitfish. Find the school, and you may
reel in fish after every cast.
To fish for catfish, use a sliding sinker rig (see
sidebar) to bottom fish. Bait the circle hook with
a nightcrawler or cut bait. Using the same sliding
sinker rig, you can also use dip bait lures that are
designed to hold stink bait.
Sliding Sinker Rig
he sliding sinker rig can be used to bottom fish for
catfish and a variety of other fish. It allows fish to tug
onto bait without being spooked from the resistance of
your line. To set up a sliding sinker rig, cut a 12- to 18-inch
piece of line off your main line to use as a leader. Slip a
sliding sinker (weight) on to the main line and tie a swivel
to the end. If you think your swivel can get lodged into the
sinker eye (which can cause more resistance and spook
fish), thread a bead between the sinker and swivel. Next,
tie your leader to the other end of the swivel and then tie
the hook to the leader. Bait the hook, cast and allow bait to
sink near the bottom.
T
main
line
bait
hook
- to
18
barrel
swivel
-in
ch
lea
de
r
sliding
sinker
ILLU
LLU
LU
USTRA
STRATION
T
BY
Y TIM
TIM REIG
GER
ERT
12
Setting the Drag
After you’ve rigged up your fishing rod,
you will need to set the drag. The drag is a
mechanism on your fishing reel that determines
how much resistance the fish will feel when it
pulls on the line. The proper drag setting will
be tight enough to tire the fish when it fights,
but not so tight that the line breaks. While drag
locations differ from reel to reel, in general
Kelly Corman of Bassett teaches his wife Jen how to fish at Keller State Recreation Area by Ainsworth.
28 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
the drag on a spincast reel is above the thumb button. On
a spinning reel, the drag knob is located at the top of the
spool. On a baitcaster, the drag star is located near the
handle on the side.
The drag is measured in pounds and set by the breaking
point of your fishing line, not by the size of the fish. As a
starting point, the drag should be set to 25 percent of your
fishing line’s breaking point. For example, if you have
8-pound test fishing line, set the drag to 2 pounds. Most
people will learn to set the drag by feel, and you will too.
How to Cast
Before you begin fishing, learning how to cast properly
will save you time (and embarrassment) on the water. To
practice, attach a practice plug the same weight as you plan
to fish with at the end of your line and practice casting in
your backyard or other open area.
To cast a spincast (closed face) reel, pull out or reel in line
so that the lure or plug hangs 6 inches from the tip. While
holding the fishing rod with your dominant hand with the
reel facing up, push and hold down the thumb button with
your thumb and then bring the rod tip back to the 11 o’clock
position. Swing the rod forward towards your target with
one smooth motion, and then release the thumb button when
your rod tip reaches the 2 o’clock position to allow line to
come out with the momentum of your swing and weight of
your line and lure.
To cast a spinning reel, pull out or reel in line so that 6
inches hangs from the tip. Hold the rod with your dominant
hand so that the reel is below the rod. The reel foot should
go between your ring and middle finger. Then turn the
handle so that the line roller is directly below your index
finger and then grab hold of the line against the rod with the
crook of your index finger. Flip open up the bail with your
other hand, a thick half-circle wire that secures the line when
closed. Point the rod tip toward your target, then smoothly
swing the rod back to vertical and allow the rod tip to flex
behind you before propelling the rod forward again. Once
the tip reaches halfway to your target, release your index
finger to send the line and lure flying as you follow through
to 3 o’clock. The motion should come from your elbow and
wrist, not your shoulders. Allow a moment for your lure or
bait to sink, and then close the bail to stop more line from
coming out.
To cast a baitcaster, it’s important to first study any
literature that came with your reel to understand its
components. Also, modern baitcasters will look slightly
different from each other and older models. Once you’ve
set the drag correctly, as described previously, locate the
spool release button (thumb bar), spool tension knob and
brake. Turn the brake all the way off, then adjust the spool
tension knob just enough so that your lure and line comes
out smoothly and slowly when you push the spool release
button. If your lure and line comes out too quickly, the
tension is too loose and your line will backlash, causing a
tangled mess called a bird’s nest. If it’s too tight and barely
any line comes out, you obviously won’t be able to cast far.
Having your line too tight versus too loose, however, is an
excellent place to start. Once you get the right adjustment on
the tension knob, turn the brake up to 50 percent.
Once properly adjusted, begin with a sidearm cast, which
is easier for beginners. Push the spool release button to
unlock the spool, while maintaining pressure with your
thumb over the spool so that line doesn’t come out until
you’re ready. Let out a few inches of line, then with a
smooth back and forward cast (do not whip like a spinning
rod), slightly ease up your thumb pressure on the spool to
control or “feather” the line’s speed as it comes out. Right
before your lure hits the water, place your thumb back on
the spool to control the line. Cast with a practice plug first –
it will take a while to master the baitcaster.
T see these casts in action, visit the
To
Commission’s YouTube page.
C
Sam Roskeland from Battle Creek fishes at Niobrara State
Park’s Father’s Day Fishing Tournament.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 29
Where to Fish
Lake Map Reading
nowing how to read a lake map will help you
determine where to fish. Using Summit Lake
near Tekamah as an example, look at the map
key first to identify all the symbols and lines. For
fishing, contour lines, the green and blue lines on
this map, are most important. Contour lines allow
you to imagine what the bottom of a lake looks
like, as far as depth and its underwater features.
Contour lines simply designate different depths
of water, and can tell you where gradual slopes,
islands, holes, points, drop-offs, etc., are located
to help you make educated guesses on where
fish may or may not be feeding and spending
time. The bold numbers represent the depth
along a specific line in feet. The closer the lines
are together, the steeper the depth change; the
farther apart, the more gradual the depth change.
Depressions, bowls, holes and islands will be
indicated by circular contour lines, and all of
these places will hold fish at various parts of the
year.
Locating shallow water is also key to reading
lake maps, as these locations often include
vegetation and a variety of fish food that draws in
gamefish.
K
Refer to Outdoornebraska.org to find a public pond or lake
near you. If you have access to a private farm pond, some of
the best fish come out of them, too.
When fishing from the shore of a lake or pond, look for
cover such as logs, stumps, fallen trees, docks, brush and
rocks, which provide game fish shelter and protection from
predators. Good places to fish include breakwaters and rocky
riprap shorelines. If you know where underwater structures
such as weed beds or sunken objects are located, search for
fish in those areas.
On a lake map (see sidebar), find underwater shelves,
points and sandbars that gradually extend into deeper water.
Drop-offs are also great places to fish for species like
largemouth bass.
In open, flat areas with no structure, species like yellow
perch, bluegills, walleyes, white bass and channel catfish can
be caught in reservoirs because these areas are loaded with
natural fish food. In ponds, also look for channel catfish in
deep holes and near dams, levees and where ponds are fed
by creeks.
V
View
NEBRASKAland’s fishing
destination picks of the year.
d
When to Fish
When to fish is both a simple and complicated question.
Obviously, the best time to go is when you can, but there are
so many variables it is hard to generalize. In early spring,
bright, warm, windless mornings might be ideal. Prior to
storms and fronts, and mornings and evenings, can also
be prime. But it’s also trial and error. The best thing you
can do is keep a small journal of when fish have been the
most active and inactive for you, and for which species,
because they all function a little differently depending on the
weather.
How to Fish
Setting the Hook
S Nebraska Game and Parks
See
Lake Mapping Program.
L
30 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
Once you have cast, keep the line fairly taut so you can
feel the fish strike whether you are casting and retrieving
with a lure, bottom fishing or have your bait sitting below
a bobber. Once you feel a strike, you then need to set the
hook, meaning to force the hook into the fish’s mouth so that
it can be reeled in. For panfish, one sharp snap with the wrist
is all it takes. Do not use too much force when fishing for
panfish or the hook may rip through their paper-thin mouths.
Bigger fish such as catfish will require more force to set the
hook.
When do you set the hook? Look or feel for these common
signs: when your bobber is pulled under water, you hear and
feel line being pulled out from the spool, a thump on the
line, or when your rod tip quickly taps and bends. A cautious
fish may bite or bump into the bait lightly without taking it
into its mouth. As a beginner, it is best to wait until you feel
the weight of the fish before setting the hook. It may take
Justin Harms from South Dakota poses with a channel catfish at Keller State Recreation Area near Ainsworth.
some practice to tell the difference between a fish striking
and your hook catching on snags or the movements of water
current.
Reeling in Fish
To reel in panfish, keep your rod toward the fish at all
times with the tip up at a 45 degree angle. Panfish are
relatively simple to reel in, there aren’t too many tricks.
Bigger fish, however, pull harder and are tougher to reel
in. When you have hooked a large fish that wants to swim
away, let it swim and allow the drag to tire out the fish.
Keep your rod tip pointed up at 45 degrees until the drag
stops buzzing, indicating that the fish has stopped and the
time for you to work. Pull your rod back toward 90 degrees
or vertical without moving the handle, although the tip will
be bent with the weight of the fish. Then reel in as you move
your rod back toward 45 degrees, keeping the line taut the
entire time. Repeat this process to get the fish in closer. If
the fish wants to swim, allow it to swim. But once it stops,
reel in again with the pump and reeling motion as before.
Don’t let the fish rest – the point is to tire it out.
Landing a Fish
Once you have the fish reeled in, proper care must be
taken to avoid injuries to you, others and the fish, especially
if practicing catch and release. For panfish and other small
fish, carefully lift up the fish by hand or with a landing net.
Gently, but firmly, hold the fish around the belly to remove
the hook from its mouth with pliers. In all the excitement,
be careful not to hook yourself or others. Place fish on a
stringer or in a cooler if you plan to keep your catch, or
immediately return the fish back into the water.
A landing net is highly recommended for removing catfish
from the water. Catfish have sharp spines on their dorsal and
pectoral fins that can puncture your skin, which will cause
swelling and irritation.
Taking a Bag Shot
Holding a fish for a photograph differs for each species of
fish, but there are some general rules. Don’t put your hand in
a northern pike, walleye or catfish’s mouth, but feel free to
hold a largemouth bass, sunfish or white bass by its lip.
Regardless of fish species, try to support the weight of the
fish when handling it by placing one hand beneath its belly
and make sure you do the one thing that too many anglers fail
to do when having their picture taken with their fish: smile.
V
View
the 2015 Nebraska Fishing
Forecast.
F
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 31
Filleting a Panfish
Gutting a Whole Fish (Trout)
How to Clean
Panfish
Clam & Fish Chowder
Filleting a Panfish
1
2
1
2
Most people like to eat fish filleted.
When filleting panfish, meat is removed
from the skin and bones on both sides of
the fish to get two pieces of meat. You
can do anything with fillets – deep fry,
pan fry, bake or cut them into pieces to
put into fish chowder.
Step 1. With a sharp fillet knife, make a
long cut behind the gill cover and pectoral
fin until you hit the vertebrae. Then using
the sharp point of your knife, open up the
fish’s back by closely cutting along the
dorsal fin.
Step 2. When the blade is level with the
vent (anus), cut through to the other side
of the fish and continue to cut until you
reach the tail fin, but leave the skin at the
end attached.
Step 3. Then continue to fillet the
meat from the vertebrae, being careful
not to cut through any bones. Follow the
contours of the ribs and cut through the
skin along the anal fin.
Step 4. Next, flip the flap of meat over.
Using the attached skin near the tail fin as
an anchor, fillet the meat from the skin.
Check fillet for bones, rinse with cold
water, keep cold and repeat on the other
side of the fish.
Gutting a Whole Fish
3
4
32 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
3
4
Some fish, such as smaller trout, are
better left whole. Trout have small pin
bones that are time-consuming to remove
if filleted. You can remove them with
tweezers on bigger trout, but it’s not worth
it on pan size trout.
Step 1. Remove scales by scraping the
back of a knife against the fish’s skin.
Although not necessary, I like to scale
trout for frying or grilling to achieve
edible, crispy skin.
Step 2. Then turn the fish over on its
back. Slice the jaw on both sides and free
the gills, but do not completely cut them
off the trout.
Step 3. Cut through the abdomen
starting from underneath the jaw to the
anus. Then grab the loose jaw and gills
and pull the innards out.
Step 4. Scrape out the bloodline along
the spine with your thumb. Rinse trout
under cold water. ■
Clam and Fish “Try Pots”
Chowder, inspired by the novel
Moby Dick
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
● 4 slices of thick-cut bacon,
chopped
● 1 large yellow onion, chopped
(about 2 cups)
● ½ cup dry white wine, like
chardonnay
● 2 large Yukon gold potatoes,
peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
● 2 celery ribs, diced
● 1 bay leaf
● 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme,
or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
● 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt
● 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground
black pepper
● 1/4 teaspoon of Old Bay
seasoning
● 2 (10 ounce) cans of whole
baby clams
● 1/2 pound of firm white
fleshed fish fillets, cubed into
bite size pieces
● 2 cups heavy cream
● 4 to 8 tablespoons of unsalted
butter (optional)
● 3 tablespoons of corn starch
● 2 tablespoons of fresh Italian
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
● 2 ears of sweet corn, lightly
roasted over the grill or broiled,
and sliced off the cob
● Crusty bread
1. In a Dutch oven, or large
pot, render bacon and then
drain on papers towels. Over
medium-high
heat, add
chopped onion
to the bacon
grease and cook
until translucent,
about 5
minutes, stirring
occasionally.
Next, add ½-cup
of dry white wine
and reduce by
half. Then add
diced potatoes
and celery.
2. Add the juice from the
canned clams to the pot. Add
water if vegetables are not
covered. Then add Old Bay, bay
leaf, thyme, salt and ground
black pepper. Bring to a boil,
and then lower heat to medium
and cook covered until potatoes
and celery are nearly tender,
about 10-15 minutes.
3. In a small saucepan, heat
the cream until steamy, but not
boiling. Whisk in corn starch
and then stir cream mixture into
the chowder pot; keep chowder
at a simmer. Next, add the fish
pieces, half of the bacon pieces
and clams. Simmer for 10
minutes, or until fish is cooked
through and chowder reaches
desired thickness. (Use larger,
firmer fillets from fish like
wiper, walleye, catfish or paddle
fish – meat from smaller fish
like crappie and bluegill are too
delicate.)
4. Mix in butter, if desired,
to make chowder richer. Stir
in fresh chopped parsley and
roasted corn. Adjust seasoning
with salt and pepper. Garnish
chowder with bacon bits before
serving. Serve with crusty
bread and the rest of the chilled
chardonnay.
S Rainbow Trout Stuffed
See
with Clementine and more
w
ffish recipes.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 33
A Big Year
Our Family Goes Birding
By Kristal Stoner, Wildlife Diversity Program Manager
Birding is one of those great pastimes that take just moments to learn and get
started, but that you can spend a lifetime mastering. My idea to challenge my
family with a “Big Year” revealed unexpected competitive spirit, took us to new
places and was a fun learning experience for all of us.
I
could feel the cold seeping through the knees of
my coveralls, but I remained still, kneeling in six
inches of snow. I was cheek to cheek with my
9-year-old daughter Gabrielle as we concentrated
on the tree in front of us. Our breath hung in clouds
before us in the crisp January air, but we remained
quiet.
“Look right there,” I whispered, and quickly
pointed. “See where the tree makes a ‘Y’? Look
just below that … wait … it went behind the trunk.
Keep watching.” We were waiting to see a brown creeper;
a small brown bird that spirals around tree trunks. At this
moment, I appreciated how this bird earned its name. “Right
there!” I held my breath as the bird appeared.
“I see it!” Gabrielle exclaimed. “Number 14!” A moment
later, it flew across the creek. I quickly turned to watch
Gabrielle’s eyes follow the bird as it left. Victory! I knew
she had seen it.
It was important that we both see the bird to count it
for our Family Big Year. Our goal was to compile a list
of all the different bird species that our family identified
throughout one year. We got the idea from the book and
2011 movie The Big Year, but to make sure it was a family
activity, a bird could be counted only if two members of
our family saw or heard the bird. We made the additional
rule that the bird must be living free and in the wild;
domesticated birds do not count.
It was easy to get started. Birds are everywhere if you just
start looking, and equipment was not necessary (although
binoculars and a field guide are helpful). We were able
to quickly get the first dozen birds in one day right in the
middle of Lincoln.
Birding as a family turned out to be fun for many different
reasons. Gabrielle was driven by the challenge to see 100
34 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
birds in one year and felt rewarded every time she got to
write down another bird on our list. Her passion became
apparent one day as we stood along the edge of a lake
watching a mix of shorebirds dart around searching for food.
“Mom, I see all of them … what are they?” Gabrielle
demanded as she scanned the birds.
Now I like to call myself a birder, but I certainly have
much to learn. “I’m not sure.” I pulled my book out and was
preparing for a learning moment about using a field guide,
but Gabrielle’s distress interrupted me.
“Mom! You need to learn your shorebirds!”
My youngest daughter, Mira, loved the adventure of
exploring new places. Since we wanted to get to 100 birds
that meant that we made a point to visit different habitats
throughout the year. We took a short walk in Wilderness
Park in January looking for winter birds. We visited Lewis
and Clark Visitors Center near the Missouri River to find
warblers during spring migration. We stopped at some
shrubs along the roadside to listen for Harris sparrows one
evening just outside of town. We even walked along a bike
trail in the dark hoping for a screech owl. We didn’t always
find new birds, but we always found something.
My husband enjoyed the competition and tried to add
birds to our list before I could. Always the hunter, he was
proud to add number 50, a ring-necked pheasant. I received
many calls while he traveled, “I see another avocet! Does it
count?”
Nope. When birding solo, it can’t be a Family Big Year
bird. The American avocet eluded us most of the year, but
we finally found one while vacationing in Wyoming.
Our 8-year-old nephew joined us one early morning, and
he was drawn to birding technology. We were in the woods,
so we were frequently seeing and hearing the Eastern wood
pewee. This little bird doesn’t have flashy colors, but it does
ON A COLD DAY AT THE PARK, Kristal Stoner and her children Gabrielle and Mira watch for birds and listen for
the sound of their calls. When birding with children, don’t let equipment get in the way. Accept that there may be an
occasional binocular strap in the way, and swap out real binoculars for more colorful, creative toilet paper versions.
have a loud, distinctive call. We used a birding app so we
could quickly see what the bird looked like, play its recorded
call and then match it to the real bird in the woods.
We all learned identification and observation skills this
year. On a summer day morning on the way to work, I had
my 6-year-old daughter Mira with me when I saw a great
egret in Holmes Lake. We stopped and approached the edge
of the water very cautiously. Over the year, I had realized
that binoculars can be frustrating for children. It is hard for
them to hold the binoculars steady and keep a bird in view,
so Mira usually preferred to use her own binoculars that
she proudly made from toilet paper tubes. Today, however,
it was just the two of us and a big, white, slowly moving
bird which provided the perfect opportunity to practice with
Mom’s binoculars.
“Keep your eyes on the bird. Don’t move your head
and bring the binoculars up to your eyes.” I waited until I
believed she was actually looking at the egret rather than the
treetops.
“Mom … it has an orange beak,” Mira whispered. I
smiled. Not only was she viewing the bird through the
binoculars, but she was picking up on the clues to help
identify the bird. You never know how long a bird is going
to pose for you, so after the first glance at the overall color,
we then take a second look at the chest, back, head, legs and
tail for different colors and patterns. The bill can be helpful
both in color and shape. The relative size of the bird can be
difficult, but we found that we could talk about whether it
was sparrow-sized, robin-sized, crow-sized or hawk-sized.
We would use all these details to try to figure out what birds
we were looking at together.
“Good look Mira! But what color are the legs?”
We were successful last year, and had a grand total of
108 birds. Most were in Nebraska, but we also birded
in four other states. Now I have a family of birders who
actively seek birds and identifies them, rather than passively
watching.
This became apparent one summer afternoon when I was
watching a common grackle in our backyard. Gabrielle
came up to me and asked, “Is that a regular one or a greattailed grackle?” I kissed the top of her head, smiled and
asked, “What do you think?” ■
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 35
Birding at the State Parks
Ponca State Park
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park
Mahoney’s diverse recreational opportunities
provide something for everyone, including birders.
• Interior least tern (Missouri
River)
• Bald eagle
• Whip-poor-will (calling at
night)
PHOTO BY ROB PALMER
• Cooper’s hawk
• Turkey vulture
• Red-bellied woodpecker
• Eastern kingbird
• Tree swallow
• Red-eyed vireo
• Chipping sparrow
• Brown-headed cowbird
The parks fine forests provide habitat for many western species
which have a very limited distribution in the state. Western
Tanager is a show-stopper. Do not discount “burns” as being
productive areas to find birds. Woodpeckers, nuthatches and other
cavity nesting species often prefer burned areas.
Platte River State Park
• Tufted titmouse
• Blue-gray gnatcatcher
• Louisiana waterthrush
• Scarlet tanager
• American kestrel
• Common nighthawk
• Hairy woodpecker
• Western wood-pewee
American kestrel
Fort Robinson State Park
The mix of open high-plains prairie, escarpments, upland pine and
riparian forests provide ample opportunities to see a diversity of
species. Be sure to check out Carter P. Johnson Lake for waterbirds.
Wild tom turkey
• Western kingbird
• Lazuli bunting
• Black-billed magpie
• Mountain bluebird
Indian Cave State Park
Indian Cave offers terrific opportunities to see and hear
several southeastern species, such as the Acadian flycatcher
and Kentucky warbler, whose range barely reach Nebraska.
36 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
• Yellow warbler
• Western meadowlark
• House finch
• Bullock’s oriole
Yellow warbler
Niobrara State Park
Indigo bunting
From rivers to rolling hills, the park’s
diverse habitats provide ample
opportunities to see various birds. The
small number listed here are merely a
few of the many resident species.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
PHOTO
PHOT
O BY JEF
JEFF
F KURRUS
KURRUS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Pygmy nuthatch
• Violet-green swallow
• Western tanager
• Spotted towhee
PHOTO BY LUKE KATHOL
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
PHOTO BY ROB PALMER
The trail along Stone Creek provides the best opportunity in the
state to see and hear the Louisiana waterthrush. Listen for its
loud musical song and watch for this small warbler in the stream
constantly bobbing its tail along with other local denizens.
Pileated woodpecker
Great-crested flycatcher
Acadian flycatcher
Wood thrush
American redstart
Kentucky warbler
Summer tanager
Indigo bunting
Eastern towhee
Chadron State Park
Cooper’s hawk
• Wild turkey
• Barred owl
• Red-headed woodpecker
• Eastern wood-pewee
• Carolina wren
• Ruby-throated hummingbird
• Eastern bluebird
• House wren
• Rose-breasted grosbeak
• Eastern towhee
PHOTO BY RICK RASMUSSEN
Wooded bluffs, unchannelized Missouri River and floodplain prairie
all in close proximity provide opportunities to see a diversity of
species in a small area. Watch for interior least terns fishing in the
Missouri River and if you are spending the night in one of the parks
cabins, open up the windows and be serenaded by whip-poor-wills
and possibly barred owls.
Red-winged blackbird
• Downy woodpecker
• White-breasted nuthatch
• Field sparrow
• Red-winged blackbird
• Orchard oriole
• American goldfinch
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 37
Restoring a
Family Prairie
Returning wildflowers and wildlife to the land
Text and photos by Gerry Steinauer, Botanist
I
have always wanted a prairie of my own to care for and
manage. Lo and behold, five years ago I was fortunate
enough to marry Grace Kostel, a fellow botanist, prairie
enthusiast and owner of a 43-acre tallgrass prairie on her
family farm in Charles Mix County, South Dakota – a short
three-hour drive north from our home in Aurora.
Like most tallgrass remnants, our prairie had suffered its
share of hard use since the land was settled and was in rather
poor condition when Grace purchased the farm a few years
earlier from her mother Lucille. Grace had long wished
to restore the wildflower-laced grassland of her youth and
together we decided to undertake the task.
The Prairie’s History
A diversity of seeded native wildflowers and grasses now grow
in a former smooth brome stand near where the sod house once
stood.
38 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
The prairie has been in Grace’s family since 1895 when
her great-grandparents, Anna and Ferdinand Wagner,
homesteaded the land. The young Czech couple began
their marriage in a sod house placed on the prairie above a
small creek. Anna described the soddy to her granddaughter
Lucille as “cramped, dirty and at times mouse- and snakeinfested.” It was their home for three years, until Anna
convinced Ferdinand to build a more livable wood frame
house on a rise across the creek. Like all homesteaders,
early on they labored at breaking sod on their 160-acre plot
of grass using a horse-drawn plow. They grew mainly corn,
but also pumpkins, to feed their livestock and themselves.
Our prairie survived as a pasture near the house for the work
horses and a few milk cows and beef cattle.
Anna and Ferdinand worked the farm until after WWII
when their middle son Henry took over. In 1961, after her
husband was killed in a farm accident, Lucille, along with
Grace and her younger sister, moved onto the farm with
their bachelor Uncle Henry. The prairie became Grace’s
playground where she rode horses, chased butterflies amid
the tall grass and caught tadpoles from old, rain-soaked
buffalo wallows. On walks in the prairie, Henry would pick
young buffalo bean pods or dig wild onion bulbs for Grace
to eat. He taught her the names of prairie plants and, most
importantly, instilled in her his love of prairie.
In the late 1970s, following the advice of the county
extension agent, Henry seeded several grazing-stressed
areas of the prairie to smooth brome, a popular European
forage grass. “He thought he was just adding another grass
to his prairie,” said Grace. “Uncle Henry had no idea how
aggressive brome was.” In a few years he was regretting
his decision and helplessly watched the as the brome spread
Purple prairie coneflower
was one of the first
wildflowers to reappear in
the prairie after the annual
haying was stopped and the
prairie was burned.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 39
STEL
OF GRACE KO
TESY
PHOTO COUR
Henry
Wagner
along
with
H
W
l
i h young Grace
G
and her cousin Wayne Wegleitner after a
successful fishing trip in the early 1960s.
through the prairie, displacing his
cherished wildflowers and prairie
grasses. At the time, techniques to
check brome’s spread, such as spring
prescribed fire, were unknown in the
area.
When Henry retired in 1979, Lucille
bought the farm from him. Grace
had grown and left home and, with
her horses also gone, Lucille leased
the prairie as a hay meadow. In the
decades that followed, annual July
mowing stressed the summer-growing
native prairie plants while further
prom
promoting the spring- and fallgrowing brome and Kentucky
gro
bluegrass, another non-native
blu
coo
cool-season grass. When
Canada thistle and musk
Ca
thistle, both noxious weeds,
thi
be
began to spread through
the prairie, it was sprayed
th
several times with herbicide
se
and the wildflowers took it
an
hhard. In 2010, when Grace
aand I began managing the
pprairie, they and the native
ggrasses were hanging on by
a thread.
Our first task was to
stop the annual haying to
sto
prairie plants the
give the surviving
surv
entire summer to grow, replenish
depleted roots, and, for some, a chance
to flower and set seed. In late April of
the following year, with a burn crew
composed of friends, we set fire to the
prairie. The brome and bluegrass were
well into their growth, and defoliation
from the prescribed burn set them back.
That summer, after a year’s rest and
a single burn, the prairie murmured
with signs of returning life. In June,
on a slope near the driveway, a
colony of purple prairie coneflower
bloomed. Lucille swore she had not
seen coneflowers in the prairie for
decades. These perennials likely
survived the years of haying as small,
few-leaved plants, choked by brome
Seeded compass plants are now well established in several areas of the prairie. A
member of the sunflower family, its flowering heads can reach over six feet in height.
40 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
Big bluestem, a dominant grass of the tallgrass prairie, has responded well to
prescribed fires and stands are expanding in areas previously occupied by smooth brome.
and too weak to flower. Long-bracted
spiderwort, plains goldenrod and
slender beardtoungue were among
other wildflowers to show themselves.
In late September curing bluestems
and side-oats grama again splashed the
prairie with their autumn shades of red
and yellow.
We have now found more than 60
native plant species in our recovering
prairie. Expected species, such as
poison milkvetch, compass plant,
Indian turnip, downy gentian, and
rough gayfeather, however, are
missing, likely eradicated over the
years. We had seen them in other
local prairies, road ditches and pioneer
cemeteries, evidence they still survived
in the area. Their natural recolonization
in our prairie seemed improbable since
no seed likely remained in the soil
and there was slim chance that seed
from nearby populations would find
its way to our prairie across miles of
intervening crop fields. So we decided
to seed the species into our prairie.
Seeding Lost Species
On summer and fall days we
walked nearby prairies and roadsides
harvesting ripe wildflower seed, tossing
it into five-gallon buckets belted to
our waists. The seed was dried for
a few weeks on tarps spread on our
garage floor. The tight seed heads of
some species, such as sunflowers, were
rubbed against a sandpaper-covered
board to release the individual seeds.
All seeds were combined into a rich
mix.
Our first seeding occurred four
winters ago during Christmas, near
where the old soddy had stood. In
preparation, the previous October, I
sprayed a house-sized patch of brome
with the contact herbicide glyphosate.
At the time, the cold-hardy brome was
still green and growing and herbicide
susceptible, while the few surviving
native plants had been frost-bitten and
were now dormant and glyphosate
immune. Two weeks after spraying,
and unknown to my mother-in-law, I
borrowed her riding lawn mower and
shredded the withered brome. After
raking away the litter, I sowed the seed,
then drove the mower over the plot to
firmly press the seed into the bare soil
to increase germination.
Good rains came the following
spring and prairie seedlings sprang
from the earth. The plot is now home
to stiff sunflower, compass plant,
rough gayfeather and other wildflowers
previously absent from our prairie. Stiff
sunflower, rigid goldenrod and a few
other more hardy species are spreading
beyond the plot into the prairie.
Hopefully in time, more will follow.
Some frown upon using herbicides
to restore prairie, but often there is
little choice. Seedlings of prairie
plants struggle to establish in dense
brome and bluegrass sod, and by
killing or stressing these grasses with
herbicide the native seedlings have a
fighting chance. Without some type of
disturbance, even dense native grass
sod can stifle wildflower seedlings.
Heavy livestock grazing in late summer
or fall can set back grasses, reduce
litter, and expose soils in preparation
for late fall or winter seeding. The
summer following seeding, additional
grazing can further stress grasses
reducing competition for seedlings.
We have mowed areas of brome
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 41
fritillaries’ larvae feed solely on violets, and prairie violets
now abound in our prairie. On dewy June mornings, the tall
grass hums with the boisterous song of male bobolinks, redwinged blackbirds and dicksissels defending their territories
from rivals in melodic fashion. This past summer we saw
our first brood of young prairie chickens, and in winter,
sharp-tailed grouse are occasionally present as well.
Restoring our family prairie has demanded many trips
to the farm to dig musk thistles, mow fire breaks, and
undertake other tasks, but for us it is a labor of love. Overly
optimistic at first and frustrated at times, we now measure
success in small increments – a bit less smooth brome here,
more compass plants there, a louder clamor of summer birds.
We are heartened by the thought that Uncle Henry would
appreciate our efforts.
For more information of restoring prairies see “A Guide
to Prairie and Wetland Restoration in Eastern Nebraska”
available online at prairienebraska.org.
See more photos from this story.
S
PHOTO BY CHRIS HELZER
roots into the soil that inhibit the growth of other plants.
We have settled in for a long and drawn out battle with
brome. With the aid of spring and fall prescribed fire or
grazing, native grasses can gain the upper hand, but a few
years without this stress and brome returns in force. Areas
of our prairie have few native grasses remaining to compete
with the fire-weakened brome allowing it to persist there in
abundance. Eventually, we may interseed these areas with
natives to provide competition.
Last October, the neighbors and I installed an electric
fence around the prairie, and in November and December it
was grazed with eight of their cows and 13 horses. Our hope
is that fall and spring grazing will impact the brome more
than prescribed fire. Fire-scorched brome can resprout and
be growing again in a week or two, while heavy grazing puts
a more prolonged stress on the plants.
Occasionally we still discover a plant species new to
our prairie, a sign of continued healing. The prairie’s
now-richer flora and more varied vegetative structure has
attracted wildlife. We commonly glimpse rare regal fritillary
butterflies flitting about on summer afternoons in search of
nectar-filled wildflowers. A grassland-dependent species, the
The rare regal fritillary butterfly is one of the many wildlife
species recolonizing the prairie as native plants recover. Its
larvae feed solely on violets.
Grace Kostel, the author’s wife, sows wildflower seed onto a
badger mound on a warm winter day. The seeds of most prairie
species require extended exposure to cold and moisture to
break dormancy and germinate therefore restorationists often
seed in fall or early winter.
in late summer using an ATV-pulled shredder, and then
sprayed the more herbicide-vulnerable brome regrowth in
late October; this followed with winter seeding with no
other site preparation. Using this method, fewer wildflowers
have established compared to our Christmas planting where
the seed was pressed into bare soil. We have also scattered
wildflower seed onto the bare soil of badger mounds and
randomly about the prairie.
Our prairie has now been burned four consecutive springs.
The Kentucky bluegrass is significantly reduced, but the
deeper-rooted and tougher smooth brome still carpets
large swaths of the prairie. Brome is the nemesis of prairie
managers throughout the upper Midwest. When treated
harshly with fire, grazing and herbicide, brome may be
weakened, but is often difficult to kill. It initiates growth
in early spring, flowers and sets seed by June, is semidormant through the heat of summer, and greens up again
in autumn. Emerging early, it drains the soil of moisture
and nutrients needed by later emerging native plants. Unlike
native species, the non-native brome has no natural pests and
disease stressors in North America to limit its growth and
reproduction. And, as if it needs more ammunition, some
believe brome is allelopathic, releasing chemicals from its
42 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
This past November, horses graze a smooth brome-dominated area of the prairie.
Spring and fall livestock grazing can stress this non-native, cool-season grass giving native plants a chance to grow.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 43
Roadside
Fossils
Working late along Nebraska
Highway 71 near Kimball,
highway paleontologist Shane
Tucker excavates a 7-millionyear-old shin bone from barrelbodied rhino.
Highway Paleontology
Text and photos by Mark Harris
The University of Nebraska State Museum has
had a long fossil-finding collaboration with the
Department of Roads, one that continues to open
roads to our ancient history.
L
ong ago, near what is now
Kimball, a giant tortoise took its
last steps. Nearly 80 years of age,
he had grown to 350 pounds. Seven
million years later, giant machinery
bumps into his fossilized shell. He lies
in the path of progress; a new road will
cross the ancient river valley which
was his home. Close behind a rumbling
road grader walks Shane Tucker,
scanning disturbed earth for signs of
Nebraska’s past.
Weeks later, dug up and wrapped
for transport, the tortoise won’t
budge against a Bobcat loader’s
horsepower. The tires spin uselessly.
Reinforcements come; there is no
resisting the added might of a front-end
loader, and on a drizzly morning in a
landscape the tortoise would not have
recognized, he is loaded into a truck
bound for Lincoln.
Any sizeable dug-up area in
Nebraska will likely reveal a fossil.
Some are eureka moments, but
more likely they are unnoticed small
Shane Tucker holds the lower jaw from a “bone-crushing dog,” excavated and sunlit
after eleven million years underground in Cherry County.
44 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
bones or fragments tossed aside with
the dirt. Tucker, paleontologist for
the University of Nebraska State
Museum’s Highway Paleontology
Program, doesn’t miss the small stuff.
Walking a cut bank in dwindling
evening light alongside Highway 71,
Shane stops and reaches down. “Found
a frog’s leg,” he says, holding a
toothpick-sized bone pulled from where
it had lain for millions of years.
Full-time highway paleontological
programs are incredibly uncommon,
but Nebraska is fossil rich and the
Nebraska Department of Roads has a
long-standing culture of preserving our
natural history. Established by law in
1959, it was the first program of this
type in the nation and is supported by
a mixture of state and federal funds.
Fossils collected from state right-ofways belong to Nebraska’s citizens
and are cared for by the University of
Nebraska State Museum. Studied by
students and researchers from around
the world, these remnants shed light on
projects focusing on evolution, climate
change and Nebraska’s prehistoric past.
Tucker knows which regions
will more likely yield fossils, but
finding them is a combination of pure
chance and grinding dawn-to-dusk
work. Checking 150 to 200 highway
projects per year, Tucker and his
student assistant may juggle several
excavations at once, all hundreds of
miles apart. Discoveries are prioritized
and some won’t be revisited until years
later. Extraordinary localities need
safeguarding, some requiring camping
expeditions in remote areas for weeks
at a time.
At it for 15 years, Tucker has stories
to tell of snakes, bobcats and other
Nebraska wildlife quietly conducting
their business around him. Mother
Nature shrugs at Tucker during
stifling heat, fist-sized hail, blizzards,
demoralizing wind and mud-stuck
trucks. Busier roads add traffic stress.
The vast majority of travelers zip past,
never to know what’s being dug, but
a curious few stop with thoughtful
questions springing from true interest.
Tucker likes sharing what’s known
about the find and digging in the
dirt can be lonely work, so they are
welcome.
Tucker’s easygoing nature serves
him well in recurring conversations.
Kimball
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 45
Shane Tucker covers an ancient tortoise with a plaster field jacket in preparation for
transport to UN-L’s State Museum.
Bumped into by
road crews near
Kimball, this
7-million-yearold giant tortoise
shell receives final
excavation by
Shane Tucker.
46 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
“No, I’m not hunting for artifacts,
archaeologists do that. I’m a
paleontologist looking for fossils.
Nope, it’s a Columbian mammoth;
the woolly kind lived farther north.”
Nebraska’s mammoths were far less
hairy and bigger than woollies – more
majestic.
“No, it’s not a dinosaur, we don’t
find those here.” During the dinosaur
era, Nebraska was covered by inland
sea as deep as our state capitol. Seventy
to 80 million years ago, imposing
predators such as the mosasaur swam
here – 40 feet long, reptilian, with a
jaw full of dagger teeth.
Nebraska’s Panhandle is a fossil
hotspot. Craig Lind, the area’s highway
district engineer, has worked with
Tucker for years. “Everyone looks
at Shane’s projects positively; we
know it’s important in preserving our
history,” said Lind, who often assigns
workers to ensure Tucker has all he
needs. “People are eager to get that
assignment. They want to be part of the
discovery,” he said.
Some sites are legendary, such as
when huge metal blades revealed a
23-million-year-old riverbed near
Gering. Flush with fossils – 60 species
in all – it included camels, tapirs, bear
dogs and three-toed horses. Without
Shane’s trained eyes following loud,
dusty machines, most sites would
remain anonymous. “Equipment
operators have their mind on where
the dirt goes,” he said. “When I spot
something, then work comes to a brief
halt and sometimes things get tense.
Contracted operators think their project
might be shut down, but I explain that
I only need to work a small area and
that they can keep working just up the
road.”
Moods shift as Shane explains what
they’re looking at and operators’
concern turns to fascination.
“Discoveries have never stopped a
highway project,” says Shane. “It’s
a cooperative effort and road crews
always find a way to work around us.”
After transport to the lab, Shane and
his students remove soil and stabilize
fragile fossil material to become part
of the vast, internationally-recognized
collections in the University of
Nebraska State Museum. Many are on
exhibit in Lincoln’s Morrill Hall on
UN-L’s city campus.
During colder months, Tucker
speaks to organizations statewide,
leaving both kids and adults awestruck
by our distant past. But it’s springtime
Shane craves: diesel engines, dusty
roadsides and that new species that
might pop up.
“It’s extremely rare for a bone to
become a fossil in the first place,” he
says, “then to be the first person to
see it after thousands or millions of
years – that’s exciting. I feel forever
tied to those fossils
and I want to find
more.” ■
Mark Harris
is the Associate
Director of the
University of
Nebraska State
Museum.
Department of Roads employee Lucky Franklin transports the giant tortoise shell to an
awaiting truck as Tucker inspects its underbelly.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 47
and your guide to their migration
By Julie Geiser
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
When the cranes visit this small
piece of the Platte, visitors flock to
Grand Island and Kearney, filling
educational centers, hotels, and
restaurants. These and other attractions
become home bases for first- and longtime visitors interested in witnessing
this once-in-a-lifetime phenomena
every single year.
Here’s your start to this year’s
migration.
The Audubon Rowe
Sanctuary
The Audubon Rowe Sanctuary
near Gibbon includes nearly 1,900
acres of land and is dedicated to
the conservation of sandhill cranes,
whooping cranes and other migratory
birds along with habitat utilized along
the Platte River. Education services are
provided year-round to the public at
Rowe’s Iain Nicolson Audubon Center,
which includes classrooms, educational
displays, a viewing area along the river
and reservable viewing blinds. Rowe
Sanctuary is also a popular meeting
place for guided crane tours.
According to Rowe director Bill
Taddicken, approximately 17,000
people visited the center last year
during the six-week crane season,
including guests from 52 different
counties and all 50 states.
At Rowe.audubon.org, learn how
to plan your trip and view links to
local motels, visitor bureaus and other
attractions in the area.
Fort Kearny State
Historical Park
(SHP) and State
Recreation Area
(SRA)
The visitor center at Fort Kearny
State Historical Park starts crane
watchers off with information about
cranes and their migration as well
as crane viewing etiquette, a slide
presentation and maps for self-guided
tours.
Opening March 6 to April 6 just for
the crane season, the visitor center will
see an estimated 3,000 people. Outside
the crane season, the visitor center
at the state historical park is open on
weekends after May 1, and is open
every day after Memorial Day through
Labor Day.
Some visitors make their way to
Fort Kearny State Recreation Area and
camp for a couple of days, while others
simply hike the trail to the old railroad
bridge for crane viewing.
Guided trips at Rowe Sanctuary will be
conducted from March 6 to April 11.
Reservations are required to use the
blinds that house about 32 people at
a time for great panoramic views and
photos of cranes and other birds on the
river.
48 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
E
very March and April, an
estimated 70,000 visitors travel
to the Central Platte River Valley
of Nebraska to view the sandhill
crane migration. During their visit,
bird watchers, nature lovers and other
tourists have the chance to view the
feeding and courtship rituals of three
different species (lesser, greater and
common) of more than half a million
sandhill cranes. Lucky crane watchers
might even get a glimpse of one of the
endangered whooping cranes along
with large numbers of waterfowl during
what is considered one of nature’s
greatest wonders.
The major migration of cranes to
the Platte River Valley occurs in what
could be explained as an hourglass
shape when charted on a U.S. map. The
narrow stretch of the Platte River and
surrounding wetlands and cornfields
provide a crucial staging area where
birds rest and put on body fat for the
remainder of their journey to breeding
grounds that range from northern
North America to Canada, Alaska and
northeastern Siberia.
Cranes come to roost on the
Platte River at sunset.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 49
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Additionally, a series of walking
trails run through 240 acres of prairie
and river habitats. Along one of the
trails is a 35-foot observation tower
offering expansive views of the valley
and twin footbridges along the river.
Two new cabins draw folks from
around the country and nation to spend
the night and enjoy the blinds.
In 2014, 42 genetically pure bison
were relocated to the Trust from
Crawford. Researchers will study the
effect the bison have on the landscape
in comparison to the cattle that grazed
the land before, and will observe the
integration of bison and cranes.
Each year, between 25,000 and
30,000 people from all 50 states and
50 different countries visit the Trust,
which continues to find creative ways
to increase visitors both during and
outside of spring migration. For more
information on the Trust, including
hours throughout the year, visit
Cranetrust.org.
Just off I-80 near Alda sits the Crane
Trust Nature and Visitor’s Center. The
Crane Trust is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the protection and
maintenance critical habitat along the
Big Bend Region of the Platte River
Valley for whooping cranes, sandhill
cranes and other migratory birds. In
2012, the Crane Trust acquired the
Nebraska Nature & Visitor Center.
“Our main focus is habitat, and
working with our partner organizations
to keep the tallgrass prairies and
wet meadows as they functioned
historically, and keeping the river
valley free of vegetation,” said Brice
Krohn, senior director of the Crane
Trust. “Without this type of land
management the migration wouldn’t be
what it is now.”
Calling itself the “Spring Migration
Headquarters,” the Crane Trust
manages seven blinds for morning
and evening tours from February 28 to
April 5, and welcomes donors, special
interest groups, photographers and the
general public.
In addition to the blinds, the center
includes a butterfly garden, art gallery,
wildlife displays, a gift shop and
interactive touch screens that give
visitors a glimpse of the migration any
time of the year.
Other Crane
Viewing Hotspots
If you’re looking for new
places to venture during
migration season, first take a
look at Martin’s Reach Wildlife
Management Area near Wood
River.
You may need waders to
access this area, but your walk
will be less than one third of a
mile in. Located by the Platte
River, this could be your own
private viewing locale.
There are no blinds, but you
may have the place to yourself
to watch thousands of cranes
return to this major roost.
Also, ride gravel roads
adjacent to Interstate 80 to
see cranes feeding and loafing
in fields and meadows. You
might find your own private
spot a stone’s throw from
everyone else.
Unguided tours at crane
viewing locations, such as the
Kearney Bridge, give viewers
the ability to do activities on
individual timelines.
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
50 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
Crane Trust Nature
and Visitor’s Center
For visitors wanting less-crowded
viewing opportunities, the North Platte
area is a great place to observe cranes.
Biologists estimate 160,000 cranes use
the river valley between North Platte
and Sutherland each season.
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Recreation
Area in North Platte offers two
blinds for birders. The first blind is a
renovated horse trailer in a meadow
fitted with Plexiglas windows and
seats. This blind holds 15 people and is
available on a first-come, first-served
basis at no charge. The second blind
is located along the river a short hike
from a nature trail connected to the
state recreation area campground.
Visit Outdoornebraska.org and click
on Parks for more information ■
V
Visit
NEBRASKAland’s crane
ccentral to view maps, links and
photos.
p
Rowe Sanctuary’s Iain Nicolson Audubon Center features a gift shop, lecture rooms and a wide-angle view of the Platte River.
The bridge spans the width of the
Platte River and is a perfect place
to view cranes in flight and witness
beautiful sunrises and sunsets along
with the more than the 300-500 visitors
who will visit every day during crane
season. Visit Outdoornebraska.org and
click on Parks for more information.
Buffalo Bill Ranch
State Historical Park
and State Recreation
Area
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 51
A Turkey Hunt
for Warriors
Story and photos by Jeff Kurrus
A scratch on a box call, a respond
from a bird. Scratch. Gobble. Scratch.
Gobble. But each time the response
was farther and farther away. “We need
to get on the opposite side of him,”
said Tim Cahoy, a volunteer guide
from O’Neill, to fellow hunter and
guest Travis Marshall who quickly, but
silently, followed.
When they stopped this time, Tim
scratched again. Gobble. Another
scratch. Gobble. But there was
something different this time. The
bird was getting closer. Even before
Tim could call again, the bird was
interrupting him, belting out that heartpumping, cacophonous sound that
turkey hunters know so well. Before
they knew it, the bird was 50, 40, 30
yards, running as if being chased from
behind.
Boom! The sound of Travis’s gun
also echoed and then, surprising all of
us, the bird turned and bolted through
the woods, uninjured.
After a couple of common
obscenities, Tim and Travis looked for
feathers and blood, quickly determining
that the extra full pattern on the
shotgun, combined with the running
bird, was the reason for the miss. But
those facts still weren’t going to help
the potential problem once we arrived
back at camp. For Travis was an Army
Green Beret, and the others back at
camp may not let him live this one
down.
Travis and five Special Operations
brethren were guests on the land of
Ron and Eileen Schmit, staying in
their guest house for their first-ever
Nebraska turkey hunt. Yet even as
first-timers in this state, these young
men had seen far more than many of us
Landowners Eileen and Ron Schmit accept an American flag that had flown over a
base in Afghanistan as a gift from the green berets who had the opportunity to hunt
on the Schmit’s land for turkeys last April.
52 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
Guide Tim Cahoy works a box call in
an attempt to draw a tom turkey within
shooting range.
would see in a lifetime. These were all
combat-injured soldiers who had spent
a significant part of their adult life
fighting in the Middle East.
The guest house had a dorm room
atmosphere, as each ribbed the others
about their wounds like college kids
would do about a recent basketball
game. But instead of making
disparaging, yet humorous, remarks
about each others’ jumpshots, these
friends took time to poke fun at the
eight bullet holes in one of their
backs, or the “two feet” of intestines
still left after one of them had been
hit by an explosive device. It was no
holds barred, even when I entered the
room. One soldier, Trevor Peterson
from New York, asked if I worked for
Cosmopolitan, the famous women’s
magazine.
The conversation was edgy, not
unlike what you would see in a military
movie or documentary, but it was
also real. This is what needed to be
remembered later that evening.
These soldiers had come to O’Neill
through the Wounded Warriors
Program started by Ken Barnard,
who seeks opportunities for injured
military personnel to hunt throughout
the country. Ken and Tim had met in
2011 when Tim was guiding in South
Dakota, and Ken had come along
with a couple friends on a deer hunt
that year. After the hunt was over, the
outfitter that Tim worked with had
found out what Ken did for wounded
soldiers so they decided to invite two
for a turkey hunt. Since then, Tim
has been involved with several of
these trips, known as “patriot hunts.”
Together, as they would hunt both
turkey and pheasant, they had found
passion in being able to give back to
those who had sacrificed so much.
Tim had come back from these
hunts and talked with different friends
and community members about them.
Everyone who heard what these hunts
were about wanted to get involved.
Soon after, Ron and Eileen offered
their land for one of Ken’s patriot
hunts, where these six men visited
for a three-day visit last spring.
The soldiers were guided by a
group of locals, including Tim,
Randy North, Mason Heiss, Dustin
and Gary Wollenburg, and Rod
Ludemann to hunt birds across the
rolling hills of Holt County. And while
the hunts were just as interesting as
any other Nebraska turkey hunt, the
conversations throughout the day
were even more fascinating. It was
storytelling at its finest.
“I grew up next to a military base,”
said Jason Thomas from Alabama.
“From my youngest days I remember
watching troops jumping out of
airplanes. So I’d make my little forts
and I had my play guns. Jumping out
of those planes was what I wanted to
do since I was a little boy. Then, when
I saw the movie Rambo, it was all over.
My career path was already decided.”
We learned about the brotherlike love of the soldiers for the F-14
Tomcat, a military airplane that will
soon be retired by the United States
government. “That one is going to hurt
really bad,” said more than one of them
who knew all too well how important
these planes were to their missions.
Missions that, as they state it, they do
quietly and modestly. “The Navy Seals
talk about doing it,” said Marshall, “we
just go ahead and do it.”
The jokes and stories continued
throughout the day, but the mood
changed quickly at the after-hunt
ceremony dinner, when the guests
described what it
meant to them for
the time dedicated
by the landowners
and guides setting
up these hunts. They
ey
y
honored Ron and Eileen
Eil
ileen
ag that had flown
Schmit with a U.S. flag
over one of many military bases in
Afghanistan.
Then everyone turned their attention
to Ken, whose support has become so
important to the more than 500 soldiers
who have participated since 2007.
“He’s talked more than one soldier off
the ledge,” said David Hargitt from
Indiana.
And this fact was quite evident
after seeing the outpouring of support,
and love, among a group of strangers
spending a few days hunting turkeys
last spring in northeastern Nebraska. ■
Thanks to Tim Cahoy for his
reporting on this story.
L
Learn
more about the Patriot Hunts
Program.
P
Cahoy and hunter Travis Marshall watch turkeys on a field edge in Holt County before getting within shooting range of a tom.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 53
Learning the Subtleties of the Prairie
Grandfather Time
Moving to Nebraska cultivates an appreciation of the Great Plains.
A tale of two Ottos.
By Ariana Brocious
By Amy Kucera
W
southeastern part of the state, I found
my eye drawn to the ground, searching
for minor notes in the symphonic play
of subtle – yes, subtle – auburn, butter,
indigo, cream and ash-colored grasses
sashaying in the unceasing prairie
winds.
Mountains consume the frame. They
dominate the horizon and pull your eye
up, up, away from the ground. Like
other striking scenery, they demand
little from the observer; they’re easy
to admire. Here on the plains, I’ve
learned to readjust my focus, zooming
in to notice the details, the quilted light
on the clouds, the delicate blossom of
the Chinese lantern, the thorns on the
locust trees. So much so that when I
returned to my desert home for the
holidays, I found myself startled at the
overwhelming nature around me – a
sensory overload of details here, there,
everywhere.
I know Nebraskans, and many Great
Plains residents, tire of this trope. Of
the sense of surprised wonder, the
loudly-stated realization of outsiders
upon discovering flyover country isn’t
actually empty. And I expect that they
know and love this land in a way I
never will, because it’s not my home.
A part of me will never stop missing
the shimmering dance of aspen leaves
on an alpine lake, or the way purple
shadows walk across the lap of desert
mountains. But I’m gaining a deep
appreciation for this new place I’ve
landed, and how the people here
connect with their homeland. And I’m
grateful to be granted space among this
big, wide-open country to learn and
live for a while. ■
PHOTO BY MIKE FORSBERG
During those first few months, on
the phone with other western friends, I
secretly scoffed at the “subtle beauty”
of the plains that Nebraskans talked
about. Sure, we’d say, that’s just a nice
way of admitting nothing here inspires
like the red rock, craggy peaks, powder
bowls and wild coastlines of other
places we idolized. I dreamt of driving
west all the time, while hardly leaving
the confines of Lincoln and Interstate
80.
Early in my time here, I wrote about
my unsettling sense of loss living
away from the mountains: “A native
Nebraskan told me he couldn’t bear
to live among them; they make him
claustrophobic. I nodded agreeably, but
couldn’t disagree more. Here, without
them, I feel there’s nothing grounding
me, standing watch over me, no place
to moor my mind and body. I worry the
next whirlwind could blow me away.”
When I finally found people who
understood how I felt about these
lands, I was ashamed of my myopic
mindset. And even when I finally did
make it out among the blue grama and
Indian grass at a preserve just south
of Lincoln, it took time to appreciate.
I quickly delighted in Nebraska’s big
skies, finger-painted with the sweeping,
sculpted cloud sunsets like those in
Arizona, but other features took time
to reveal themselves. I knew not to
expect any big topography, but initially
still looked for familiar things, such
as canyons and valleys. And I found
them, carved into rambling loess hills
in Nebraska’s southwestern corner. The
land divulged other familiar things,
too; spindly yucca plants along country
roadsides, cactus tucked under patches
of big bluestem in the Sandhills and the
cooing melodies of the mourning dove.
Soon enough, and with due credit
to those patient enough to guide me, I
began to see the heartland differently.
Even more surprising was to experience
this transition in winter, a season I
often dread. In a dry and particularly
cold year, I wandered curiously,
admiring patches of dried milkweed
pods nearly perfectly preserved on
desiccated vines. I saw the sun set and
moon rise over the same wide, icy
Platte River. Walking among some of
the last remaining virgin prairie in the
hen I first met Otto LeRoy, he was
volunteering his time with youth at
the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska office in
Lincoln. He instantly reminded me of
my own Grandfather – though mine
was just as Czech as he was Ponca – both had a
wide grin and a short stature, enjoyed the outdoors,
music, visiting and dancing. In fact, they even
shared the same first name. We also had much in
common and became good friends.
He was thin, with a wide grin and deep, booming voice.
His graying hair was just long enough for a short ponytail. It
was routine he would visit the office each morning, greeting
me with an enormous coffee cup in hand. “Hello, Miss
Amy.” Talk would soon turn to the latest local newspaper
headlines. Or the Oklahoma Sooners. Or the Lincoln Indian
Center where, as a veteran, he was active in the Gourd
Dance Society and Color Guard. He had enlisted in the
Navy in 1963 and was honorably discharged four years later,
after serving on the USS Canberra. Though he never once
mentioned it, he had received the National Defense Service
Medal, three Bronze Stars, Vietnam Public Campaign Medal
and Vietnam Gallantry Medal.
During coffee one morning, he invited me to join him at
an upcoming powwow at the University of Nebraska. When
the sunny Saturday arrived, I walked my bicycle through the
campus and found him on the outer rim of a crowded circle
with a seat saved for me.
“Where’s your shawl?” he said as his smile brightened.
I laughed. “I’m not dancing today, Otto.”
As the spring afternoon went on, he would continue to
share with me stories of his cultural experiences, as the
sound of drumbeats filled the grounds. Food smells of warm
frybread mixed with the burning of sage grass. Beaded
jewelry, bells and shells on the colorful regalia of passersby
competed for our attention with those moving within the
dance arena.
“Everybody, Intertribal!” the master of ceremonies
announced, calling out an invitation for everyone to dance.
Otto motioned for me to join him. I shook my head.
“Oh, c’mon!” he said in a low tone.
Not one to disrespect an elder, I found myself moving with
him toward the forming circle. My feet shifted awkwardly,
but it felt good to be a part of the dance.
The sun lowered slowly behind us as dancers continued
their turns on the flattened grass. Suddenly, an eagle feather
fell to the ground. It was a solemn moment. The eagle
feather is sacred, shown the highest respect and honor at all
times. Though each dancer makes every effort to ensure it is
properly secured, it can still happen to fall.
In an instant, the arena director moved to protect the
54 NEBRASKAland • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015
PHOTO BY JON AUGUSTINE
I
knew the prairie existed, vaguely,
in the back of my mind, had
heard mention of the wonder of
the Sandhills and the thrilling
cacophony of birds on the Platte
River during spring migration. But in
the beginning I hardly gave such places
credence. It pains me to admit I lived
in Nebraska for nearly a year before
I ever really ventured out to explore
it. Born, raised in and still enchanted
by the Sonoran Desert of southern
Arizona, I’d spent my mid-twenties
seduced by the golden aspen and the
tumbling diorama layers of western
Colorado’s mountains before moving,
somewhat reluctantly, to Lincoln.
Arriving to the plains in late January,
I immediately felt sure nothing in this
flat, desolate landscape could compare
to the heart-soaring glory of ascending
a 12,000 foot peak, still snow-covered
in mid-June, nor the sweet, aromatic air
and unexpectedly verdant views of the
desert following a summer monsoon.
Otto LeRoy at his last Gourd Dance at the Indian Center in 2013.
feather until the drum song stopped. As a veteran and elder,
Otto was chosen to give a blessing. The entire crowd stood
in silence. A humbled man then spoke of his sorrow that it
had happened, asked for forgiveness and in an act of respect
and appreciation, he gave Otto the eagle feather.
“This is a beautiful feather,” he said upon return to his seat
next to me.
“It certainly is,” I marveled.
When the drum started up again, Otto suddenly leapt from
his chair.
“This is a good song! I’ve got to dance!” He smiled and
readied his feet.
“Here, hold this for me,” he said. “And don’t drop it!”
I sat there paralyzed. As I recalled, The Bald Eagle
Protection Act stated the possession of an eagle feather by a
nonnative person carried a fine up to half a million dollars.
My grip tightened. The song lasted longer than any song I
could remember. When he finally returned, he brought with
him an old, familiar grin. “Gee, you were white to begin
with, but now you really look pale!”
We were making dreamcatchers with the Ponca Circle
of Youth when Otto joined us at the table. “They said the
cancer is spreading.” He shrugged his shoulders. “By the
way, there’s a gourd dance at the Indian Center in two
weeks.” He smiled. “Bring your shawl.”
It would be a dance held in his honor. When I arrived,
it was standing-room only; the crowd flowed out into the
doorways, as his many friends and family were there to wish
him well. Otto danced every song.
“It’s good to see you, Miss Amy.”
Though it would be the last time I would see him dance,
it wouldn’t be our final visit. Less than two weeks later, I
would find him resting under the shade of the tall pine trees
overlooking the Niobrara River Valley at the Ponka Indian
Cemetery. As the buffalo graze the nearby grasses softly
shifting under the prairie sky expanse, I go to visit him, just
as I still do with my own grandfather, after the same fate
took him to rest just a few hills down the road.
Now, whenever I am invited to dance, I recall a number of
people who took the time to teach me how. Two were Ottos.
And though they came from different backgrounds and
bloodlines, they shared the same name, love for life and land
in which to forever call home. ■
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 55
The Tools of Eugene Cromwell
Genoa man proves a new passion can start at any time in life.
By Jenny Nguyen and Jeff Kurrus
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
W
This plow plane, as well as the one pictured on the previous page,
both belonged to Eugene's grandfather, who had used them as a
boy. Eugene's grandfather passed away in 1913.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
This assortment of tools includes a wooden scoop shovel.
Wooden pitchfork that Eugene restored.
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
hat will we be doing in 20 years? The question is simple if one
doesn’t consider what they were doing a mere 10 years ago, the
day-to-day now that was not even a radar blip back then. Yet we
were faced with this question when we met Genoa resident Eugene
Cromwell, whose antique tool collection, relics of bygone days and
country life, was on display for us during a trip to his hometown.
Each painstakingly cleaned, sorted and numbered, they hung like fossils in a
museum. Mangled wrenches, oil cans, pitchforks and plows, drill bits of every
shape and size – collecting, cleaning and displaying old tools and furniture
became Gene’s obsession, a hobby he picked up when he turned 50 and one that
he fervently continued upon his wife’s passing.
Now in his 90s, the collection still drives him. Gene continues to go out to the
old tool shed to scrape and polish, to knock off years on unwanted objects so
beaten with time, to give each a home. Why do you do this? “It’s just something
to pass the time,” he replied in quiet modesty. Though the man revealed little,
his collection was more than capable of speaking for itself.
While our current hobbies often disappear after the end of a gun barrel or rod
tip – Gene gives excitement to think that there’s no telling what’s around the
corner for each of us in this world. New friends, new purpose, new passions –
the world is still a mystery, if only we keep our eyes open long enough to not let
it slip by. And we thank Gene for that. ■
Oil cans and other antiques line the shelves of Eugene's collection.
56 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Eugene sits at his work bench restoring a plow plane.
This drill, along with a horse, was used to plant wheat or rye.
These blocks and tackles were used as a pulley system to
lift heavy objects.
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 57
Bounty from a short
a
afternoon
of fishing at Dead
Timber Recreation Area
near Scribner in June 1968.
n
Pictured (L-R) with greatP
Uncle Gus Legband of rural
U
Snyder are Roger, Fred,
S
and Jim Spath (myself) of
a
Webster. All of the bullheads
were literally caught a few
w
ffeet off of the bank. Uncle
Gus was an avid fisherman
G
who loved taking his
w
grandchildren and grandg
nephews to Dead Timber
n
and was almost speechless
a
tthat day that so many could
be caught so close to the
b
bank. He could only surmise
b
that a school of fish was
swimming by at the time.
Adding to the feat was the
fact Uncle Gus spent most
of the afternoon untangling
lines.
– Jim Spath,
North Platte, Nebraska
▲
▲ This picture is of my brother, Leo Marek, who
farmed four miles south of Exeter, now deceased.
There were two small ponds in his pasture. You
could sneak up the dam and pop over the edge.
There were so many ducks on the pond they were
shoulder to shoulder. The pond was completely
covered with the ducks. Together we shot the ones he
is holding in the picture. This was in 1958 about corn
picking time.
– Don Marek,
West Des Moines, Iowa
▲ The photo was taken in the fall of 1973 of Uncle Royceton Jones and his
nephew, Steve McDonald, with a Vizsla named Lady. Taking a break from work
and football, these two would sneak off to enjoy the camaraderie and beauty of
the Nebraska countryside near Bennett. Uncle Royceton made sure his nephew
Steve was educated in the rules and techniques of bird-hunting (and fishing in the
summer months) – a love that Royceton passed on to his own sons, and nephew
Steve passed on to his.
– Donna J. McDonald, Lincoln, Nebraska
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, NEBRASKAland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to
Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov. Photos should show people enjoying Nebraska outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing, and must have
been taken before 1980. We will give priority to unusual photos or activities. When possible, please include a story about the photograph and identify the
people, places and approximate date it was taken. Photos will be returned.
58 NEBRASKAland • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015 • NEBRASKAland 59
Rainbow Trout Stuffed with Clementine
Asian-inspired grilled whole trout.
By Jenny Nguyen
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
Grilled trout stuffed with orange and finished with ginger scallion soy sauce.
G
rilled is my favorite way to eat whole trout. I like
the slight char, when the skin becomes crispy and
smoky. It’s a satisfaction that is equivalent to the
crust on a perfectly grilled steak, the crunchy bits
on properly rendered bacon, or the brown, buttered
edges on heated toast. You don’t get this when you bake or
smoke fish. It’s the hot coals and grates that do the trick.
A couple years ago, I read in a Bon Appétit magazine
about stuffing snapper with tangerines. I stowed the idea
away in my head, which resurfaced last summer after a
few successful trips of trout fishing. Using clementines/
mandarins (“Halos” or “Cuties”), these little oranges gave
the trout a subtle sweetness. And the finishing ginger and
scallion soy sauce added an Asian flair that paired well
with the citrus. This was probably the best trout I’ve ever
prepared.
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-10 minutes
Ingredients:
2 whole pan size trout, scaled and gutted
kosher salt, to taste
2 green onions, 1 chopped and 1 sliced in half
lengthwise
peanut oil for brushing
1 clementine orange, peeled and segmented
•
•
•
•
•
Ginger Scallion Sauce
2 tablespoons of peanut oil
3 green onions, white and light green parts minced
•
•
60 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
of fresh ginger, minced
• 1¼tablespoon
cup
of
low
soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon ofsodium
oil
• 1 tablespoon ofsesame
rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of white
sugar
• 1 Thai (bird’s eye) chili,
thinly sliced
•
1. Prepare grill to high heat. In a small saucepan, combine
peanut oil and 3 minced green onions. Warm up mixture
for a couple minutes, but do not brown. Pour green onion
mixture into a small mason jar, along with other sauce
ingredients. Shake well before use.
2. Rinse trout under cold water and pat dry with paper
towels. Brush the skin and cavity with oil, and then sprinkle
lightly with salt. Stuff cavities with clementine wedges,
sliced green onion and a drizzle of ginger scallion sauce.
3. Clean grill grates and brush oil over grates before
cooking. Lay down stuffed trout and cook for 3-5 minutes on
each side until slightly charred and cooked through. Cooking
time will vary. Drizzle ginger scallion sauce over fish and
garnish with chopped green onion before serving. Tip: When
eating, mash up the tangerine/clementine wedges to release
juices on meat. ■
This recipe and photograph originally
appeared on Jenny's Food for Hunters blog
at Foodforhunters.com.
Read Jenny's NEBRASKAland blog
R
""Midland Musings."
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 61
Mystery in the Snow
I
was taking an early morning hike through a snowy prairie in my hometown of Aurora
when I found this print in the snow. It was clearly made by a bird, but what kind?
To my untrained eye, it appears the print was made by a bird that was unable to
recover from a dive before it hit the snow. I think I can see two places where the feet
of the bird dragged through the snow – once at the trailing edge of the wings and
once at the “head” of the print – before it regained the air. The linear scuff to the left is
as intriguing as the bird print itself because it was likely made by whatever the bird was
chasing. My initial guess was that the print was made by a small raptor chasing a sparrow
or other small bird, but upon reflection, I don’t think the wingspan (10-12 inches) was large
enough for even the smallest of Nebraska raptors. It seems more likely a couple birds were
chasing each other around while feeding on seeds from nearby plants.
I’ll never know what really happened to create those prints in the snow, but I’m grateful
to have had my imagination stoked by it. Seeing the actual event
might have been much less interesting!
Chris Helzer, December 22, 2014
62 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 63
Position: 820 (12 views)