Volume 94, Issue 5, 2016
June 2016
- Identifier:
- nela.2016_094_05
- Title:
- Volume 94, Issue 5, 2016
- Issue Name:
- June 2016
- Date Issued:
- 2016-06-01
- year:
- 2016
- month:
- June
- Season:
- Spring
- PDF filename:
- NL_94.05_2016_Jun_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 094
- issue:
- 05
- number:
- 094.05
- 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 io n si nc e 1926
NEBRASKAland
June 2016
Inside:
Best
Parks to
Photograph
The photographer takes a cold seat under the falls at Smith Falls State Park in Cherry
County. Photo by Jeff Kurrus.
NebraskalandMagazine.com
$4.95
PLUS
5 Great Beaches ● Bed and Breakfasts
Kayaking Women ● 25 Years at Mahoney State Park
Scuba Waters ● Rock Stars ● A Gavins Point Fishing Contest
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 94
●
No. 5
●
June 2016
F EAT U R ES . . .
22 Our Top 15
2
BY NEBRASKALAND MAGAZINE STAFF
32 Time Well Spent – What to Do in June
R
B
34 Where the River Bends
BY ENAE LUM
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JENNY NGUYEN
40 Rock Stars
PHOTOS AND STORY BY JUSTIN HAAG
50 Dive Nebraska
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
54 25 Years and Counting
PHOTOS AND STORY BY JEFF KURRUS
58 Grassland Resilience
50
●
STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS HELZER
64 Species Contest at Gavins
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JENNY NGUYEN
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E ...
Mixed Bag – Hoary Bat, Travel to Kearney, Buffalo
Bones, Fireflies, 5 Great Beaches and More .................8
Along the Road – Bed and Breakfasts .................... 68
Out and About – Kids Camping............................... 70
Page 49 – Roger Welsch – Old Dog Tooth .................. 71
In the Field – Eagle Heron Nest................................. 72
Wilderness Workshop – Bettering Bird Photos ..... 74
Portraits from the Past ..................................78
In the Kitchen – Butterflied Trout ......................80
The Last Stop – Remembering Ken Bouc ................. 82
64
●
40
●
Cover: A campsite is reflected in the still water of the inlet at
Lake Minatare State Recreation Area. Night or day, June brings
anglers to this popular fishing spot in the western Panhandle.
Photo by Justin Haag.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 94 / NO. 5 ISSN 0028-1964) is published monthly, except
for the combined Jan./Feb. and Aug./Sept. issues, by the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission, 2200 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, NE. Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln,
Nebraska, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
NEBRASKAland, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.
2 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
54
●
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 3
Above: Brian Foster runs 108 biuebird boxes and fledges over 200 birds annually southeast of Bartley. "As of April 23, I had 28
active nests with 115 eggs and 16 babies," Foster said.
Below: Beth Merkle photographed lilac in bloom at Arbor Lodge. "One of the things I enjoy about Nebraska is how Nebraskans
embrace the outdoors and all it has to offer," said Merkle. "I lived in Minnesota for 25 years and can count the number of times I
visited a state park on one hand. Relocating here just three years ago I've already visited seven state parks and several historical
and wildlife management areas."
Dear NEBRASKAland,
During a morel outing, I was
asked by a good friend, Brad, to
go walk a little piece of property
he leased for hunting along the
Elkorn River (which was his first
mushroom hunt ever). It was slow
going at first, but after the recent
rain and the warm spring days we
had, I was sure we would run into
them.
After about an hour of walking
and checking stands, we ran into
our first big patch of morels. After
covering a little more ground
we ran into the biggest morel
mushroom I have ever seen in my
life. I know others have probably
found bigger, but in my 27 years
of mushroom hunting this is the
biggest one I had ever seen.
I wanted to share my find with
the magazine and my family
tradition of morel mushroom
hunting in hopes that it might
make NEBRASKAland.
This magazine got my son
and I through some long days
of potty training and sleepless
nights. During potty training your
magazine became his go to for
animal pictures!
Joshua Gibbs
Bellevue, Nebraska
Jeff
photographed
toward
field
J ff Dale
D l off Walton
W lt
h t
h d this
thi raccoon going
i
t
d a picked
i k d corn fi
ld
from this hollow cottonwood tree.
Roger Cox sent us this photo of a white-tailed buck deer from private land in
Harlan County.
This trail cam photo of what appears to be flying insects, captured by
NEBRASKAland Magazine's Jeff Kurrus, was taken in Cass County.
4 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 5
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Outdoor Plates
When someone sees Jerry Steinke’s
plate, they know what fish he is after.
Steinke has called Lake McConaughy
home since 2001, but has been
dragging worms, leeches and lures
around southwestern Nebraska waters
for more than 40 years since growing
up in Trenton.
If you have a unique outdoor message
plate you would like to share, or know
someone who does, e-mail a photo of
it (high-resolution, JPEG format only,
please) to Eric.Fowler@Nebraska.
gov, along with your name, hometown
and a brief description of the interests
expressed on your license plate.
CCONNECT WITH US
Above: This autumn sunset photograph taken at Frank Shoemaker Marsh in Lancaster County was sent in by Ingrid Crummey of
Lincoln. Below: Ingrid also sent in the image below, of the waterfall at Platte River State Park in Cass County, which she shot during
a family hike last spring.
For outdoor news and events,
subscribe to our
weekly e-newsletter.
Text “NGPC Newsletter”
to 468 311.
Or visit OutdoorNebraska.org
to sign up.
Follow us on your favorite social media
COMMISSIONERS
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
Director Jim Douglas
Commissioners
Chairman - Mark Spurgin, Paxton
Vice Chairman - Rex Fisher, Omaha
2nd Vice Chairman - Dick Bell, Omaha
Dr. Kent Forney, Lincoln
Robert Allen, Eustis
Pat Berggren, Broken Bow
Mick Jensen, Blair
Norris Marshall, Kearney
Dan Kreitman, Wahoo
ADMINISTRATION (Lincoln)
Craig Stover (Administrator)
Duane Arp (Asst. Administrator)
Jeff Clauson (Asst. Administrator)
MAGAZINE STAFF
Communications Director Christy Rasmussen
Editor Jeff Kurrus
Art Director Tim Reigert
Associate Editor Jenny Nguyen
Regional Editors Eric Fowler, Julie Geiser,
Justin Haag
Contributing Editor Michael Forsberg
Regular Contributors Chris Helzer, Gerry
Steinauer
Photo Librarian Jaclyn Cruikshank Vogt
Circulation Donna Robinson
For address changes and questions about
your subscription, e-mail donna.robinson@
nebraska.gov or call 800-632-5263
Advertising Sales Manager
For advertising information contact
Shane G. Gilster, 402-742-0125
Email: shanegilster@gmail.com
NEBRASKAland Magazine Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
NEBRASKAland is available in audio from the Nebraska Library
Commission Talking Book and Braille Service, Suite 120, 1200 N St.,
Lincoln, NE 68508. 800-742-7691. NEBRASKAland Magazine and the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reserve the right to reject any
advertising not in keeping with the agency mission.
Rates: $18 for one year; $33 for two years; $44 for three years. Nebraska
recipients must add appropriate sales tax. To subscribe call
1-800-NEBLAND (632-5263), or go online to: NebraskalandMagazine.
com.
COMMISSION
C
CO
COM
OM
MMIS
MISSIO
S NO
OFFICES
FFICES
FF
FFI
CES
S
Headquarters/Southeast District Office
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone 402-471-0641
Northeast District Office
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Phone 402-370-3374
Southwest District Office
301 E. State Farm Rd. North Platte, NE 69101
Phone 308-535-8025
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. Photographs are also welcome.
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
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who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program,
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Program, U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C
Street NW, Mail Code 0008, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001.
6 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
Northwest District Office
East Hwy. 2, Box 725 Alliance, NE 69301
Phone 308-763-2940
Bassett Office
524 Panzer St., Box 508 Bassett, NE 68714
Phone 402-684-2921
Kearney Office
1617 First Ave. Kearney, NE 68847
Phone 308-865-5310
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone 402-332-3901
Omaha Office
8495 Frederick Street, Omaha, NE 68124
Phone 402-595-2144
402-471-5531
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NORTHWEST (Includes counties covered)
Jim Zimmerman (District Supt.)
308-641-6138
Sean McKeehan
(Cheyenne, Morrill, Box Butte)
308-279-9133
Scott Brandt
(Kimball, Banner, Scotts Bluff)
308-631-0663
308-760-3647
Greg Hesse (Sheridan, Dawes)
308-430-0572
Dan Kling (Sioux, Dawes)
Terry Brentzel (Deuel, Garden, Grant) 308-458-7650
402-389-0444
Frank Miller (Cherry, Hooker)
NORTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Tom Zimmer (District Supt.)
402-649-8053
402-760-0712
Dale Davis (Keya Paha, Brown, Rock)
402-340-3981
Jonathan Andreasen (Holt, Boyd)
Mitch Johnson (Knox, Antelope, Pierce) 402-613-8612
402-762-5022
Jeff Jones (Knox, Cedar)
Alex Thomas
(Dixon, Dakota, N 1/2 Thurston)
402-241-7615
Jon Reeves
(S 1/2 Thurston, Burt, Washington)
402-889-8508
402-719-1108
Dan Roberts (Dodge, Colfax)
Cory Krause
(Cuming, Wayne, Stanton, Dodge)
402-380-6410
Steve Oberg
(Colfax, Platte, Madison, Stanton)
402-910-3366
Randy Pomplun
(Nance, Greeley, Wheeler, Boone)
308-550-0489
308-730-7050
Doug Pollard (Loup, Garfield, Valley)
SOUTHWEST (Includes counties covered)
Roger Thompson (District Supt.)
308-530-3097
308-202-0819
Matt Brandt (Sherman, Howard)
308-380-7331
Tim Williams (Hall, Hamilton, Merrick)
Pat George
(Clay, Adams, Nuckolls, Webster)
402-705-9989
308-920-0367
Rich Routh (Franklin, Harlan, Phelps)
Matt Andrews
(Gosper, Furnas, Frontier, Red Willow)
308-746-2418
Andrew Heyer (Dawson, Gosper, Phelps) 402-613-2241
Brian Piernicky
(Red Willow, Frontier, Hayes, Hitchcock)
308-340-6627
308-289-0427
Nicholas Fix (Keith, Perkins)
308-289-1169
Bryce Streger (Keith, Arthur)
Brandon O’Neal
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
308-530-3157
Alex Hasenauer
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
308-660-4671
308-440-3847
Dale Johnson (Kearney, Buffalo)
308-529-8146
Mike Thome (Dawson)
Ray Dierking (Custer, Thomas, Blaine) 308-870-0322
SOUTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Levi Krause (District Supt.)
402-949-0593
402-619-1355
Rich Berggren (Douglas)
402-616-5961
Dan Evasco (Sarpy)
402-210-0888
Heath Packett (Cass)
402-209-1506
Russell Mort (Otoe, Johnson)
William Krause
(Nemaha, Richardson, Pawnee)
402-274-8063
402-806-9084
Dan Zuehlke (Gage, Saline)
402-890-6463
Dina Barta (Lancaster)
402-890-6465
Doug Kramer (Lancaster)
402-937-3422
Dudley Sorensen (Lancaster, York)
402-613-2312
Travis Shepler (Lancaster)
402-890-7140
Stacey Lewton (Lancaster, Seward)
402-443-6392
Mike Luben (Saunders, Butler, Polk)
Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers
1-800-742-7627
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 7
A Mammal Brief
Hoary Bat
By Lindsay Rogers
Liind
ndsa
ay R
Ro
oge
gers
r is
rs
a out
an
u do
door
o edu
or
duca
duca
c tion
tiion
n
sp
pec
ecia
iali
list
li
sstt wit
ith th
the
Ne
N
ebras
brasska
br
ka Gam
ame an
a d
Pa
P
ark
r s Co
rks
omm
mmiis
ssion.
Lasiurus cinereus
8 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
PHOTO BY JOEL SARTORE
A relatively large
bat, by United States
standards, the hoary
bat has a wingspan of
about 16 inches. It is
easily identified by its
large size and distinctive
color. It has dark brownblack fur tipped in white
which gives it a frosted or
hoary appearance. Like all of
Nebraska’s 13 bat species, the hoary
bat is an insectivore; each individual
eats hundreds (if not thousands) of insects every
night. They consume mosquitos, moths, beetles, flies
and wasps. Their importance in insect control cannot be
overstated. Hoary bats arrive in Nebraska from their wintering grounds in May.
They have one litter of pups, usually twins, annually. With young ready to fly, they depart
in October for wintering grounds which provide a steady source of insects throughout the winter
months. ■
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 9
Travelogue Sponsors
By Christy Rasmussen
Kearney
o Never Forget Kearney” they say.
ou’ll
y is Nebraska’s best big small town. The city offers
K
Kearne
the
th exciting atmosphere of a college town, with lots of
things to do, entertainment and outdoor recreational
opportunities with friendly people who welcome visitors.
For outdoor lovers, the Kearney hike bike trail was expanded
in 2015 and gives cyclists and runners a 17-mile long stretch
to see sites along the way including Yanney Park, Kearney
Country Club Golf Course and ultimately ending at Cottonmill
ful
Lake. Cottonmill Lake, just northwest of Kearney, is a beauti
fish, float or rent a paddle boat. The rolling hills
barn,
nature
the
visit
rs,
outdoo
the
enjoy
to
and serene place
within the wooded oaks make for a serene walk.
ions such as the
Kearney is home to a plethora of historical and cultural attract
of History and
Archway, the Museum of Nebraska Art, G.W. Frank Museum
on, educational
Culture, and Kearney Area Children’s Museum, the best handstion features
kids' museum between Lincoln and Denver. The Classic Car Collec
present day.
more than 200 historic automobiles from the early 1900s to
fishing,
Buzz’s Marine in Kearney is Nebraska’s oldest boat dealer, selling
’s in
Cabela
oom.
runabout, and pontoon boats with an amazing indoor showr
hosts
also
and
Kearney serves outdoorsmen and women with sporting goods
.
educational events
Rose,
Visit one of Kearney’s best locally-owned restaurants, the Alley
is a traditional
located “on the bricks” in downtown Kearney. The Alley Rose
beers and
dark-wood eatery offering surf n' turf, potato casseroles, local
cocktails.
strations
Fort Kearny State Historical Park features living history demon
Memorial
throughout the summer on major holidays with a special event
n firing at
Day weekend May 28-30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the canno
2 p.m. Fort Kearny State Recreation
Area offers camping amenities, picnic
tables, shelters, quality fishing, handicap accessible
fishing piers and walking trails. A park entry permit is
required.
Kearney
Kearney has two public 18-hole championship golf
i
Awarr
and
e
Cours
courses, Meadowlark Hills Golf
Dunes located 5 miles south of town.
Thunderhead Brewery and Platte Valley Brewery
unique pizza
are two local breweries in downtown Kearney. Both feature
ngham’s
Cunni
is
e
favorit
local
great
er
menus and guest beers. Anoth
e about
favorit
e
definit
A
bar.
e
outsid
their
Journal and the Courtyard,
on the
find
can
you
music
live
the
all
is
fe
downtown Kearney’s nightli
weekends.
rock
The Buffalo County Fair will be July 27-Aug. 1 and will feature
Owen
Jake
and
29
July
on
use
Fireho
and
Ford
star Brett Michaels, Lita
with Chase Rice on July 30.
In addition to the Fair, Kearney is home to many annual events
or Expo,
such as the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic, Nebraska Outdo
and
Nite
Cruise
game,
ll
Footba
and
Parade
Nebraska Shrine Bowl
org.
arney.
Visitke
to
go
ation
inform
more
For
Gateway Farm Expo.
Archway Museum near Kearney
Reenactme
State Hist nt at Fort Kear
orical Par
ny
k
PHOTO
EY
KEARN
SY OF
COURTE
VISITO
EAU
RS BUR
useum
kM
GW Fran
10 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 11
1204-3-22294-71
1
NSHS, RG1204-3-1
Unloading buffalo bones at rail terminal, Dakota Territory, in 1885.
Buffalo bones piled at Fort Totten, Dakota Territory, in 1885.
A Brief History
Buffalo Bones Once Plentiful on
Nebraska Prairie
By Patricia C. Gaster and James E. Potter
Nebraska State Historical Society
A
lthough the native peoples of the Great Plains had
slain buffalo (bison) for generations to provide
themselves with food, shelter, clothing and other
useful products, the great herds’ rapid demise began
in the 1870s with the advent of commercial “hide hunters.”
As the nation became industrialized, buffalo hides were in
demand for the manufacture of factory machine belting,
boots, winter coats and many other leather products. This
demand was met by professional hunters armed with
large caliber, breech-loading rifles, who could kill scores
of buffalo in a day, taking only the hides and perhaps the
tongue, leaving the rest of the carcass to rot on the prairie.
Military and political leaders encouraged depletion of
the herds as a means of forcing the Plains Indian tribes to
abandon their nomadic, buffalo-dependent lifestyle and settle
on designated reservations under government supervision.
The Indians’ former hunting grounds would then be available
for occupation by an ever-increasing tide of white settlers
12 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
moving west. They would also be available for the great
herds of domestic cattle that would soon dominate the
grasslands. By the mid-1880s, the buffalo in their millions
had been virtually exterminated from the Plains, leaving only
a few hundred survivors in Yellowstone National Park and
other remote regions.
The slaughter of the buffalo left the prairie marked by
millions of tons of their bones, the skeletal remains of an
entire species. Settlers wanting to augment their meager cash
incomes sometimes collected and sold these bones, which
were usually ground for use as fertilizer. Harry B. Harlan,
born on a farm near Waverly, Nebraska, in 1874, recalled
alo bones with family members during the
gathering buffalo
80 in Furnas County:
summer of 1880
ummer I
“That first summer
ng with
remember going
nd his
Uncle Allen and
on with
team and wagon
n, to
side-boards on,
gather a load of
buffalo bones. In
ney was
those days money
scarce, and a dollar
looked as big as a wagon
ettlers. A man
wheel to the settlers.
ork all day for
was glad to work
a dollar. Some one in Arapahoe
would buy the bleached bones to ship to some fertilizer plant
perhaps. A big load of the bones would bring two or three
dollars, perhaps more, so, if a man put in a day with his team
gathering up a load, and another day to take it to town – it
would be hard money, wouldn’t it?”
Harlan said the bones were plentiful, “usually scattered
here and there, where the animal happened to fall, and
sometimes two or more skeletons were in one place. There
were many huge skulls with wide spreading short horns;
bulls horns thick and stubby; cows horns more slender. I
found lots of flint arrowheads nearby, or sticking in a bone
when the buffalo had been killed by an Indian. We found
some bones with a big lead bullet smashed into them. Some
of the bullets were as big as the end of a man’s thumb, being
from large bore ‘buffalo guns’ sometimes used by hunters.”
fro
Harlan also remembered another artifact of the buffalo
H
valuable to settlers: the buffalo robe. A buffalo hide,
val
carefully tanned or softened and with the hair left on, “would
car
be in nearly every farmers rig for a warm wrap in riding.
Some carried a robe the year round as padding for the wagon
Som
seat. We had one of those buffalo robes, the inside leather
sea
soft and pliable, the outside long curly hair making it perfect
sof
protection for winter weather. The robes were plentiful then
pro
and comparatively inexpensive for millions of buffalo had
been slaughtered a few years previously intirely [sic] for
bee
their hides.” ■
the
Visit the Nebraska State Historical Society’s website at
Ne
Nebraskahistory.org.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 13
Bowfishing
Mentor
Program
14 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
By Jenny Nguyen
Fishing combined with the thrill
of hunting and shooting archery,
bowfishing is one of the fastest growing
outdoor activities in the country. Many
hunters do it during the off-season,
and it’s a fun activity for fishermen
during the hot, dog days of summer. If
equipped correctly, bowfishing can also
be a fast-action sport at night.
Interested in learning how to bowfish
but don’t know where to start? Sign up
for the Bowfishing Mentor Program
at Ponca State Park this July. The
course will be taught over four nights:
July 6, 13, 20 and 22 from 6-8:30
p.m. You will learn basic bowfishing
skills, including knowledge on archery
equipment and how to find, identify
and shoot fish. A cleaning and cooking
demonstration will be held July 20.
The program will wrap up on July 22
at Gavins Point Dam in Yankton, South
Amphibian or
Reptile?
Mentor Nick Tramp instructs Brock Floyd about technique and equipment during a
Bowfishing Mentor Program session at Ponca State Park.
Dakota, where local bowfishing experts
have volunteered to take students out
on boats to test their skills.
The program is limited to 25
registrants, and students must be 10
years old or older. Program is free
and most gear will be provided,
sponsored by the Nebraska Big Game
Conservation Association, Bowfishers
of Nebraska, Whitetails Unlimited,
and the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission. Participants should
bring insect repellent, sunscreen and
polarized sunglasses.
Ponca State Park is located at 88090
State Spur 26E, Ponca, NE, 68770.
To register, contact Nick Tramp,
nicktramp@myunitedagent.com. ■
By Dan Fogell
As a herpetologist I get a lot of crazy
calls about a group of animals most
people know very little about. One such
call was about bright blue salamanders
someone had in their yard. Bright blue
salamanders. We don’t have any bright
blue salamanders in Nebraska, so this
was going to be fun. I asked for more
details and got blue with a little green,
but it was hard to see because they
move so fast through the sand. But they
were always out there in the middle of
the day.
None of this screamed salamander to
me, but by now I knew what they were.
I explained they were not salamanders,
which are amphibians, but rather they
were lizards, which are reptiles. Prairie
racerunners to be precise. Males turn
a bright blue in spring to impress the
ladies, they are extremely fast, and
they prefer sandy environments. The
caller responded with “Well what’s the
difference?” Good question.
The science of herpetology involves
the study of amphibians and reptiles …
two very different groups of animals.
Why they are linked together is
beyond me and makes very little sense,
other than they are both ectothermic
tetrapods. Ecto what? Ectothermic,
meaning they gain heat from an
external source – like the sun, and
tetrapod, meaning they have four legs
(or at least they DID at one point in
their evolutionary history). Other
than that, they have very little in
common.
Amphibians and reptiles haven’t
shared a common ancestor for more
than 300 million years. The amphibians
include frogs, toads and salamanders.
Their name is from two Greek words
meaning “double life” (amphi = both,
bios = life), a description of their life
history. Their ties to water make them
both anatomically and physiologically
different than reptiles. They have scaleless, usually moist, and very porous
skin. Some breathe using lungs, but
all of them breathe through their skin,
and some actually have gills … like
fish. And while they may be adapted
to terrestrial life they return to the
Reptiles, like this prairie lizard, have scaly, dry skin and either lay leathery, shelled
eggs on land or give live birth.
Amphibians, like this barred tiger salamander, are tied to water and have scaleless,
usually moist and porous, skin.
water to reproduce. Most lay eggs
similar to fish eggs with a jelly-like
coating around the embryo, which
hatches into an aquatic, gilled larva.
Larvae metamorphose to become landdwelling adults. Due to their reduced
number of neck vertebrae, amphibians
have a relatively immobile skull.
Reptiles, from the Latin word reptilis
meaning creeping or crawling, include
snakes, lizards, crocodilians, and
turtles. Compared to amphibians they
have scaly, dry skin that is somewhat
impervious. All reptiles breathe using
lungs, and reptiles either lay leathery,
shelled eggs on land or give live birth.
Their shelled egg – called an amniotic
egg – keeps the embryo in an aquatic
environment without having to be in
the water, thus completely severing
their ties to water. Even reptiles that
are somewhat “amphibious” (such
as turtles) return to land to lay eggs.
Newly born reptiles are not larval
and require no metamorphosis, but
instead are small versions of the adults.
Numerous neck vertebrae give reptiles
a highly movable skull making them
better hunters.
So while the tendency is still to lump
“cold-blooded terrestrial vertebrates”
together into a single group of animals
called herpetofauna, the truth is that
amphibians and reptiles are much more
different from each other than they are
similar. ■
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 15
Fireflies
•
16 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
PHOTO
PHOT
O COURTESY
COURTE
COURTE
URTESY
SY OF
OF FIREFL
FI
FIREFLY.ORG
REFLY.OR
REFL
Y ORG
ORG
By Paula Hoppe
The show is about to begin. Wait for
it – the first twinkle far in the distance
drifting across the landscape. At first
there are only a few glimmering points
floating in the cooling air, but as the
darkness grows around us the lights
brighten, and we are witness to a
beautiful mating dance. The dance of
the fireflies.
What we may not realize is that the
characters on this moonlit stage have
been waiting to perform for almost
a year. They begin as eggs, usually
deposited in moist soil or leaf litter.
The larvae, which have light organs on
their abdomen similar to those of the
adults, will hatch in three to four weeks
and begin to feast and grow. They hunt
at night, eating slugs, snails, worms and
other insects until winter, when they
hibernate in the larval stage. In late
spring, emerging larvae feed briefly
before pupating and transforming into
adult fireflies.
Fireflies, or lightning bugs, are
actually beetles.
•
A chemical
reaction from the
light organ on the
fireflies’ abdomen
produces a very
efficient “cold
light” using a
substance called
luciferin. Besides
causing them
to glow, it also
protects them from
predators by virtue
of its foul taste.
Different
firefly species
produce different
colored light –
yellow, green, or
even pale red – and also have unique
flash patterns. The firefly seen most
often in Nebraska is the common
eastern firefly; its light is a yellow/
green color. It flashes brightly, then
flies up and forward as the light fades.
About 45 minutes after sunset,
males begin looking for mates by
flying over vegetation and flashing
in flight. Females, lying in wait on
•
•
vegetation below, signal when they
recognize a male of their own species.
So when the sun sets on our summer
days, look to the fields and watch the
dance begin. The light fades as the sun
sends its rays of farewell arcing into
the sky. The curtain of darkness rises,
and the meadows and backyards of
the plains set the stage. This is their
moment. This is their dance. ■
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 17
Five Great
Beaches
Louisville State Recreation Area
This Cass County beach, located on
Lake No. 2, welcomes couples as well
as kids.
By Jeff Kurrus
While we don’t have an ocean view,
Nebraska does has plenty of waterside
beaches that allow you to close your
eyes, bury your feet in the sand, and
feel water creep between your toes.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Windmill State Recreation Area
You may have this one to yourself, as
many travelers passing by on Highway
Bug Banter
80 will drive right by. But it’s their
mistake. You’ll definitely enjoy this
quiet beach at Lake No. 5.
Emerald Ash Borer
rer
and Firewood
Summit State Recreation Area
Adjacent to the area’s campground,
this beach is a one-stop shop for
summer fun for the entire family. ■
Lake McConaughy
Let’s go big first. Whether you’re
here with a group of friends or by
yourself enjoying the sounds of a
windy western Nebraska day, sitting
lakeside at Lake Mac can sometimes
feel like you’re sitting oceanside.
18 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Calamus State Recreation Area
The sun-filled afternoon sky at
Calamus State Recreation Area, on
the edge of the Sandhills, is enough
to make anyone stay on vacation with
their family for an extra day.
By Julie Van Meter
State Entomologist, Nebraska
Department of Agriculture
Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an
exotic, invasive insect, originally
from Asia, which feeds on ash trees
(Fraxinus sps.) The Nebraska Forest
Service estimates Nebraska is home
to more than 40 million ash trees.
How many ash trees are in your yard,
along your street, or in your favorite
campground? Each of these ash trees is
at risk of infestation by EAB.
EAB has not yet been found in
Nebraska, but has been confirmed in
25 states since its discovery in the
U.S. in 2002. Several surrounding
states are infested with EAB, including
Colorado, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
Firewood is the primary means by
which this pest spreads; the beetles
emerge from cut firewood to infest new
Presented by
trees. The federal EAB
tree
quarantine requires that all
quaran
hardwood firewood, both commercial
firewood and firewood for personal
use, be officially certified before it
leaves an EAB infested area.
EAB is a 1⁄3- to ½-inch long, metallic
green beetle. EAB larvae are legless
and creamy white and up to 1¼ inches
in length, with distinctive, bell-shaped
body segments. Larvae feed under the
bark, damaging the phloem of the tree
and creating S-shaped galleries. This
damage prevents the movement of
water and nutrients throughout the tree,
and eventually the tree dies.
All ash trees, regardless of the
age, size or health can be attacked
by EAB. Symptoms of an EAB
infestation includes branch or crown
die-back, bark splitting, suckering, and
woodpecker damage. Signs include 1⁄8inch D-shaped exit holes and S-shaped
larval galleries.
A number of native insects also
infest ash trees, including ash-lilac
borer, redheaded
ash borer,
and the eastern ash bark beetle. These
insects typically target stressed or
declining ash trees, and produce round
exit holes of varying size. Several
insects also have green coloring similar
to EAB, including dog-bane beetles,
the poplar flatheaded borer, and even
some metallic bees, or share a similar
body size and shape, like the bronze
birch borer.
None of us want to be responsible
for bringing EAB, or any other invasive
plant pest, to Nebraska. Minimize
the risk by leaving your firewood at
home and purchasing locally harvested
firewood at your destination. Don’t
bring firewood back home with you,
either. Leave it for the next camper.
If you think you’ve found an EAB
infested tree, contact your local
extension office, the Nebraska Forest
Service, or the Nebraska Department of
Agriculture at (402) 471-2351. ■
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 19
by Jerry Kane
June 1
Underwater spearfishing
season begins at Box Butte
Reservoir and on private
waters
June 1, 8, 15, 22
Beyond Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman (BOW)
Archery Series
June 4
Critter Corner
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
Lincoln
June 4-5
Living History
Fort Atkinson SHP, Fort
Calhoun
Platte River State Park (SP),
Louisville
June 4-5
Becoming an OutdoorsJune 1-3
Family Governor’s
Eligible landowners may apply Campout
for one elk permit
Two Rivers SRA, Venice
June 1-30
June 4-5
Rock Creek Trail Days
Archery paddlefish season
June 2
Ladies Day at the Range
Rock Creek Station SHP,
Fairbury
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
Lincoln
June 5
Inaugural Director’s Cup
Archery Tournament
June 2, 9, 16, 23
Explore Archery
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
Lincoln
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
Lincoln
June 7
Family Fishing Event
June 3
TaHaZouka Park, Norfolk
Final day eligible landowners
may apply for one elk permit
June 7, 21
Women’s Firearm Series:
Introduction to Handguns
June 4
Family Fishing Event
Yanney Park, Kearney
June 4
National Trails Day
Lewis and Clark State
Recreation Area (SRA),
Crofton; Ash Hollow State
Historical Park (SHP),
Lewellen; Indian Cave SP,
Shubert
A Birding
Obsession
Contact the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at 402-471-0641 or visit
OutdoorNebraska.org for more information.
Visit HuntSafeNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and
BoatSafeNebraska.org for a list of boating safety classes.
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
Lincoln
June 8
Family Fishing Event
Benson Park, Omaha
June 9
Campfire Chef
Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center,
Lincoln
June 9
Family Fishing Event
Oak Lake, Lincoln
June 9
Beyond BOW Beginning
Canoe
June 16
Buzz Into Action Educator
Workshop
Wehrspann Lake, Omaha
Pioneers Park Nature Center,
Lincoln
June 11
Family Fishing Event
Camp Hayes, Hayes Center
June 11
Family Fun Day
Red Willow Reservoir SRA,
McCook
June 11
Rimfire Steel Plate Fun
Shoot
Platte River SP, Louisville
June 11, 17
National Park Service
Event
June 16
Family Fishing Event
Mormon Island SRA, Grand
Island
June 17
Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission meeting, McCook
June 17
Beyond BOW Platte River
Canoe Trip
Schramm Park SRA, Gretna
June 17-18
Ash Hollow Pageant
June 21
Family Fishing Event
Holmes Lake, Lincoln
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
Ash Hollow SHP, Lewellen
June 21
Growing Up WILD
June 13, 15
Introduction to Civilian
Marksmanship
June 18
Ride the Ridge
Mid-Plains Community College,
McCook
Fort Robinson SP, Crawford
Platte River SP, Louisville
June 18
Dance of the Summer
Moon
June 21-23
Outdoor Explorers’ Day Camp
June 13-24
Residents and nonresidents
may apply for one deer permit
in any draw unit
June 13-24
Residents and eligible
landowners may apply for one
buck or either-sex antelope
permit in available units
June 13-24
Residents may apply for one
elk permit
June 14
Family Fishing Event
Indian Cave SP, Shubert
June 18
Buffalo Cookout and
American Folk Music
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
June 18
Carp-O-Rama
Branched Oak SRA, Raymond
June 18
Very Important Kid Day
Victoria Springs SRA, Anselmo
Birdwood Wildlife Management June 18-19
Friends of Fort Robinson
Area, North Platte
June 14
Family Fishing Event
Walnut Creek Reservoir,
Papillion
June 15
Family Fishing Event
Bowling Lake, Lincoln
June 15
Introduction to Shotguns
and Trapshooting
Platte River SP, Louisville
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center, Lincoln
June 22
Family Fishing Event
Mormon Island SRA, Grand Island
June 23
Family Fishing Event
Cottonmill Lake, Kearney
June 23
Pony Express Re-ride
Fort Kearny SHP, Kearney
June 23
Family Fishing Event
Towl Park, Omaha
Intertribal Gathering
June 25
Family Fun Day
Fort Robinson SP, Crawford
Red Willow Reservoir SRA, McCook
June 19
Father’s Day Buffet
June 25
3-D Archery Shoot
Platte River SP, Louisville; Fort
Robinson SP, Crawford
Red Willow Reservoir SRA, McCook
June 19
Father’s Day Fishing
Tournament
Branched Oak SRA, Raymond
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
June 19-26
High Plains Regional
Rendezvous
Fort Atkinson SHP, Fort
Calhoun
By Jeff Kurrus
Birder Kermit
Cummings, author
of A Backyard
Birding Experience,
recently offered
these steps to begin
birdwatching as a
family.
b k d andd
1) Start in your own backyard
learn about birds in your area. You
might be surprised how many different
species there are.
2) Attract new birds with feeders
by providing a mixture of 90 percent
sunflowers and 10 percent small grains.
Another must is a birdbath for bathing
and drinking.
3) Expand your knowledge by buying
a field guide for birds in your part of
the country. Pairing it with a children’s
field guide improves the experience for
the entire family.
4) Purchase a pair of quality
binoculars. These open up a whole new
world of beauty, especially when many
birds species spend a lot of time in the
tops of trees.
5) Record all the different bird
species you see, then include
information on when and where you
saw it as well as any other interesting
details you noticed.
With these simple steps, birding can
become a family obsession, one that
starts in your own backyard. ■
June 25
Family Fishing Event
June 29
Family Fishing Event
Prairie Queen Recreation Area,
LaVista
Last issue’s winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Janet VanHouten of Denver,
Colorado, who found the American
bumble bee on page 56.
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 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
pages 16, 19, 21, or 61.
Bumble bees (Bombus sps) are
a common sight buzzing around
flowers in Nebraska. There are
approximately 50 species of bumble
bees in North America, and roughly
20 species are found in Nebraska.
Bumble bees overwinter as mated
queens underground in a small
chamber called a hibernaculum.
The queens become active in the
spring, feeding and preparing to lay
eggs. Each queen will search for a
proper place to establish her colony,
often in an old rodent burrow. The
first offspring are workers; later
offspring will include males and
future queens. The colony will
reach its peak in the fall, and then
the colony members will die off,
with only the new mated queens
surviving
sur
until
the next
spring
to start
sp
new
n colonies.
June 30
Family Fishing Event
Carter Lake, Omaha
A young American robin perches on a
fence in the author's backyard in Sarpy
County near Gretna.
20 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
NEBRASKAland
and
Visitor
Special thanks to Julie Van
Meter, State Entomologist,
Nebraska Department of
Agriculture.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 21
Our Top 15
Photographers share their
favorite places to take pictures in
Nebraska parks
W
By Renae Blum
e all know that Nebraska is a photographer’s dream, from the
forested buttes in the west, to the rolling Sandhills plains, to
fo
the many lakes, rivers and fields bursting with wildlife. Every
th
sh
shutterbug has their favorite spot or two. Few of us, though,
are lucky enough to travel the state for a living with a camera in hand. I asked
NEBRASKAland Magazine staff photographers Jeff Kurrus, Jenny Nguyen, Julie
Geiser, Justin Haag and Eric Fowler to name their favorite public spaces – namely
state parks, state recreation areas and wildlife management areas – to stake out
with a camera and capture Nebraska in the wild. Here, in no particular order, are
their top 15 suggestions for your photography bucket list.
Platte River State Park
“What Platte River State Park offers that a lot of others don’t is
big timber – a true forest setting,” Kurrus said. “It lends itself to
immediate intrigue. If you’re an adventurous type, you can strap
on a camera, grab your bike and go. You have easy access to some
beautiful scenery.”
In addition, two observation towers afford enviable views of the
Platte River, and a waterfall can be found along park trails.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
Eastern Nebraska
Chadron State Park
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
22
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Nestled in the scenic Pine Ridge, Chadron State
Park features towering buttes, soaring ponderosa
pines and sweeping canyon views. Haag
said, “Although it’s not as big as other parks,
Chadron State Park offers a lot of variety. I can
almost always count on some interesting photo
subjects popping up here. From bighorn sheep
to spiders, it has great wildlife diversity, and the
scenery is outstanding. Not to mention, it’s easily
accessible, and there are usually some people
to photograph doing one of the many activities
available.”
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
Northwestern Nebraska
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 23
Yellow Banks Wildlife Management
Area
Northeastern Nebraska
Yellow Banks Wildlife Management Area is notable for its
splashes of color: red sumac, purple phlox and yellow clay
along the banks of the Elkhorn River. “Turkeys often frequent
the area, and the wooded areas are interesting in the spring
– there are all sorts of different plants, flowers and fungi that
grow here,” said Nguyen. “It’s a good place to catch views of
the Elkhorn River.”
Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area
The Wildcat Hills region along the North Platte River Valley
“is magnificent,” Haag said. The area features canyons, forested
buttes and ridges that in some places rise to nearly 1,000
feet. Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area features a great view
of the valley. Four miles of hiking trails winding through this
landscape around ponderosa pines and hills are sprinkled with
colorful flowers. Bighorn sheep, pronghorn, elk, mule deer and
wild turkeys live in and around the hills. During your trip, you’ll
definitely want to make time to see Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff
National Monument, Courthouse Rock, and Jail Rock, which are
outcroppings along the northern and western edges of Wildcat
Hills.
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
Western Nebraska
Ponca State Park
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
24 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Northeastern Nebraska
“You can get lost – in a good way
– at Ponca,” Kurrus said. “It really
feels like you can ‘get away’ here.
The sheer amount of hiking trails
lends itself to a lot of creativity. Plus,
the great trout fishing opportunities
brings lots of people to the area,
so you can get some good shots of
people as well.”
Visitors will also want to stop at
the Three-State Overlook, which
affords views of Nebraska, South
Dakota and Iowa, along with the
Missouri River.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 25
Gallagher Canyon State
Recreation Area
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
Want to get off the beaten path
and enjoy a beautiful spot with
nobody else around? Gallagher
Canyon State Recreation Area is the
right spot for you.
“It’s a truly unique area, and one
of my favorites to photograph,” said
Geiser. “There are numerous birds,
deer and other animals around to
take photos of, as well as beautiful
sunrises and sunsets.”
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
South-central Nebraska
Sutherland State
Recreation Area
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Southwestern Nebraska
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Niobrara State Park
Northeastern Nebraska
It’s all about the big views at Niobrara State Park. The park is situated on a bluff overlooking the
confluence of the Missouri and Niobrara rivers. Photographers have found much to love about the
interplay of light between the water and the sky. Wildlife viewing is excellent here, too – you can spot
beaver, muskrat, mink, bald eagles, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys roaming through the park.
26 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
Medicine Creek State Recreation Area
South-central Nebraska
Medicine Creek State Recreation Area is a natural choice
for landscape photography. It’s a quiet, very green area, with
tranquil blue water and plenty of mature trees and grassy areas.
Gorgeous dawns and dusks are frequent. Keep an eye out for
numerous animals and birds, including deer, turkeys, hawks,
owls, songbirds, osprey, eagles and waterfowl.
“This area is great year-round
for bird species,” Geiser said.
She explains that the birds are
attracted to the warm water
coming out of a nearby power
plant. “It’s always warm and
never freezes over, so they
love that,” she said. “I’ve seen
cormorants, pelicans, blue
herons, bald eagles and so
many varieties of waterfowl.”
Beyond the birds, there are
other draws for shutterbugs at
the Sutherland State Recreation
Area. “The scenery is nice on
the shorelines and tree areas,
and you can photograph mule
deer near the reservoir,” Geiser
said. “Spring and summer
is a great time for capturing
photos of people and outdoor
recreation as well.”
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 27
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
Long Pine State
Recreation Area
Toadstool Geological Park
Northwestern Nebraska
North-central Nebraska
Dubbed “the Badlands of Nebraska,” Toadstool Geological Park
feels otherworldly, like you’ve been dropped onto the moon.
Creamy sandstone pillars rise from the earth. Rugged outcroppings
trace wavy lines across the sky. Researchers love this site for the
prehistoric fossils captured in the rock.
Low light, particularly at dawn and dusk, really brings this
dramatic landscape to life. Bring hiking boots for the well-marked
one-mile trail loop.
Pine trees shade a winding
crystal-clear creek at Long
Pine State Recreation Area.
“This is one of my favorite
places in Nebraska,” Nguyen
said. “It reminds me of
California, where I grew up.
It’s not big, but it’s a little
hidden gem and a great place
to camp. I often see turkey
there. I enjoy catching brown
trout out of the creek as well.
It’s where all of my brown
trout photos have come
from.”
Wood Duck Wildlife Management Area
Northeastern Nebraska
28 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
Wood Duck Wildlife Management Area is all about variety.
Here, you can find several different kinds of habitats: wetlands,
oak woodlands and Sandhills-esque plains. “There’s something
to photograph year-round,” Nguyen said. “The wetland and lake
areas are gorgeous at sunset.”
A diverse range of wildlife can be found in the area as
well. Pelicans, cormorants, trumpeter swans and bald eagles
have been spotted here, as well as beavers, muskrats, deer,
pheasants and quail.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 29
Indian Cave State Park
Southeastern Nebraska
Curled around the Missouri River, Indian Cave State Park offers gorgeous
views of the river, a beautiful hardwood forest and an impressive trail
system. You have to hunt a bit to find the vistas, but you don’t need them
to get a good photograph. “Here, you can think ‘micro’ instead of ‘macro,’”
Fowler said. “You can find some really cool compositions in the trees and
the interesting rock formations.”
Northwestern Nebraska
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Less heavily forested than
its relative neighbor, Chadron
State Park, Fort Robinson State
Park provides sweeping views
of expansive grasslands. “They
stretch on forever,” said Fowler,
a native of western Nebraska.
He also notes the spectacular
views from the Red Cloud
Buttes. “I never get tired of
exploring them,” he said.
30 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Fort Robinson State
Park
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park
Eastern Nebraska
There’s always something going on at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, making it a fun
place to grab shots of people and outdoor activities. Kurrus noted that wildlife is easier
to photograph at Mahoney. “Deer, turkey and other species seem to stand still just a
little longer than they do at private locations,” he said. “They’re used to people being
around, but are still in a natural setting.”
The observation tower offers an impressive view of the Platte, which is particularly
spectacular in full autumn color. A number of lakes and hiking trails also afford good
photography opportunities.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 31
Time Well Spent
Friends of Fort Robinson
Intertribal Gathering
June 18-19
Fort Robinson State Park
What to Do in June
The steady beating of drums … a flashing rainbow of color
… a palpable sense of pride and community in the air.
These are a few of the sights and sounds you can expect
at the 17th annual Intertribal Gathering at Fort Robinson
State Park, in which Nebraskans and South Dakotans from
across the High Plains will gather to celebrate their Native
American heritage.
By Renae Blum
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
T
ake advantage of the long summer days and try any one of the activities below. You
can hit the trail, enjoy kayaking and scavenger hunts, try carp fishing and more. For
a full list of this month’s events across the state, or for more information on any of the
activities listed here, visit Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. ■
A half-kilometer race for kids 12 and younger starts at
8 a.m., followed by a 5K for adults. The main events,
including dancing, drumming, and singing, begin at noon
and last until 9 p.m. The event is free to the public with the
purchase of a park permit.
Ash Hollow
Pageant
National Trails Day
June 4
June 17 and 18
Ash Hollow State Historical Park
Indian Cave State Park
Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area
Ash Hollow State Historical Park
Travelers on the Mormon Trail in the
mid-1800s passed through the Ash
Hollow area, remarking on the land in
their diaries. On June 17 and 18, a live
band and costumed actors will retell
the stories of these pioneers through
their diaries and song. In addition to
the performance, there will be a chuck
wagon supper of roast beef, beans
cooked over an open fire and the muchloved fry bread. The dinner begins at 5
p.m. and the performance at 6 p.m. Bring
your blankets and folding chairs. The
area is handicap-accessible.
Traverse an old Oregon Trail path at Ash Hollow State Historical
Park starting at 9 a.m. at the Visitors Center, care for the trails
at Indian Cave State Park with a day of trail restoration or enjoy
a day exercising outdoors at Lewis and Clark State Recreation
Area.
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
Carp-O-Rama
June 18
Branched Oak State
Recreation Area
Stop by the ever-popular Carp-O-Rama from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
You’ll learn all about carp fishing, and watch demonstrations
on cleaning, preparing and cooking the freshly-caught fish.
The battered-and-fried carp will then be served as a free
lunch. Meet at Liebers Point.
Red Willow
Family Fun Nights
June 11 and 25
Red Willow Reservoir State
Recreation Area
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
32 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
Bring the family for a cookout at 6 p.m.,
and then enjoy an evening of kayaking,
fishing, archery, scavenger hunts, hiking
and biking. At the end of the night, relax
at the campfire with some s’mores.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 33
Where the River
Bends
Story and photos by Jenny Nguyen
S
ometimes when the light
is just right and I squint
just so, the Missouri River
reminds me of Vietnam. The
Cái River is wide, and the
trees grow thick on both sides like the
cottonwoods of the Missouri. I was 18,
and I remember my uncles laughing on
the boat, drinking their Tiger beer and
smoking their cigarettes, teasing my
mother as if 16 years had not passed
by. South Vietnam in the summer is the
most humid place in the world, and on
some days, I think Nebraska is its equal
in this regard.
I was born in Nha Trang in the
Khánh Hòa Province, in the general
hospital on Yersin Street – just a
5-minute walk from the ocean to the
east and a 5-minute taxi ride to the Cái
River to the north. From old pictures
In 2014, a group of women prepare to kayak the Missouri River from Sunshine Bottom to Verdel, a 16-mile trip.
34 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
we feel so completely at home on the water or it’s some crazy river
“Wmagic,hetheryouit’shavebecause
conversations on a river that just don’t happen in other places. Floating
forces you to really be present with people and with your surroundings.” – Cassidy Gerdes
my parents have kept, I know that
I’ve spent many days on the beaches
at Nha Trang Bay. I honestly have no
memories of that time, but the delight
in my infant eyes suggest that I may
have really enjoyed it.
We left Vietnam when I was 2-years-
old in 1992 and transplanted by the
same ocean, though the Pacific was to
the west now. Out of the 5,023 miles
that is the border of Vietnam, 2,140
of it is coastline. It is no coincidence
that Southern California is home to
the largest population of Vietnamese
people in the United States.
What is it about water that makes
people return? People often say things
like “I miss the river” or “I miss the
ocean.” “We had so much fun jumping
in the swimming hole by our house
as kids.” For many of us, our fondest
memories revolve around water. We
speak of it as though we feel a kinship,
like a beloved, zany family member
who visited every summer to play with
us and show us neat things.
“I spent a lot of time growing up
in a canoe,” said my friend Cassidy
Gerdes, whose childhood home is in
Columbus. Her first float memory was
with her parents, little brother and dog
all loaded into the canoe, and taking a
trip down the Loup River from Duncan
to Columbus.
“I was really young. It must have
been July, because I also remember my
dad pushing instead of floating most of
the trip.” For many years on, that old,
banana-yellow fiberglass canoe became
a summer-time fixture.
“We’d paddle across the lake to go
see the neighbor kids and spend the
day catching turtles or sneaking over
to play on the big sand and gravel piles
where the pumps were running. When
it got too hot, we’d tip it over and use
it as our diving platform out where the
water was deep. I think all of us pretty
much scratched tiny fiberglass slivers
out of our butts all summer long from
that thing.”
On average, the adult human body
is made up of as much as 60 percent
water. And as newborn infants, we
come into the world with as much as
73 percent water in our little bodies.
We’re told that water molecules
are highly attracted to other water
molecules in high school. Perhaps our
affinity to water is just pure chemistry.
I asked Cassidy why she kayaks
every summer, why she returns to the
river every year.
“Because half the blood that runs
through my veins is actually river
water,” she said.
“The Missouri River was my first
love,” another friend shared. He told
me in passing, three years ago while
we were driving along the river’s
southern banks near Yankton, South
Dakota, shortly after my move to
Nebraska. From the passenger window,
I was meeting the Missouri for the first
time, an icy ribbon of sapphire, flowing
east and shimmering under the cold
midday sun like nobody’s business in
January. It was not the ocean, but it
had its own allure and magic.
To declare a river, or any body
of water, as a “first love” – there is
something profound in that. Those
who grew up by water learned to love
it before we ever loved another boy
or girl, and for a time – before the
knowledge of heartache – it provided
all the excitement a young, passionate
soul could ever want or need.
One spring morning, I found Scott
Wessel chucking stones off the truss
bridge that sits at the confluence of
the Niobrara and Missouri rivers. It is
a handsome bridge, built with a solid
wooden pathway and tall, rusting
beams. After foolishly attempting to
get me to eat some catfish stinkbait, he
then suggested that I climb the metal
beams to take pictures from the top of
the bridge.
It was a rhetorical suggestion, of
course, and to this precarious proposal,
I returned with a flippant grin. But
Scott just smiled – a deep, guarded
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 35
“I
was terrified. It was incredibly windy and freakin’ cold. But I had a blast and loved it. I
don’t think I’ve missed a year since.” – Marilyn Tabor
smile
thatt came ffrom within,
il th
ithi ffrom
somewhere secret and safe. He looked
out onto the river for a moment and
then his gaze followed the bridge’s
rigid metal framework.
“I’ve spend a lot of time sitting on
top of this bridge,” he admitted, leaning
back against the railing, reminiscing.
I can only guess at what made the
memory so pleasurable, but I suspect
it was the peace and beauty – the
enchanting silver moon, the river’s
voluptuous bends and the thousand
gazes of brilliant stars. It was an
infatuation that could not be compared.
What secrets he shared with the river
(and what all he drank with her before
21) during those sleepless, dark hours
of the night – I will never know.
In parts of the world, many rivers are
associated with a gender, wrote Susan
Farlowe in her story “Sex and the
river – female and male waterways”
published
bli h d in
i SFGate.
SFG t
The Cái River in Nha Trang,
Vietnam, literally means “female
river.”
The Rhine River in Germany is
known by some as “Father Rhine” for
its hazardous whirlpools and rocks
that protect against invaders; and the
Moselle River, the Rhine’s tributary,
is known as his daughter for her calm,
tranquil waters.
In China, the Mekong River means
“‘mother of all rivers’ as it births and
feeds many of the great and life-giving
waters of China,” said Richard Bangs,
author of The Lost River: A Memoir of
Life, Death and the Transformation of
Wild Water.
But in the United States, rivers are
not often given such distinctions.
“Very often, if a river is mighty,
overpowering, dangerous, it is male”
and “if it is gentle, curvaceous, easy
on the eyes, it is often female,” Bangs
said,
id though
th
h he
h
admits that the
distinctions are
stereotypical.
If one
considers the
Missouri River
under these
requirements,
then I would not
hesitate to say that our river is female,
with her life-giving water, her beautiful
clay bluffs and tranquil flow.
But stereotypes are just stereotypes
– they’re true until they’re not. Though
easy on the eyes and usually temperate,
the Missouri can also be powerful,
dangerous and devastating. Her most
recent flooding caused major damage
to Nebraska homes, agriculture and
infrastructure in the summer of 2011.
Those who know what’s good for
them have a healthy respect for rivers.
For rivers are always more complicated
Sarah Doxon, a former naturalist at Ponca State Park, kayaks near the confluence of the Niobrara and Missouri rivers.
36 NEBRASKALAND
• JUNE
2016
NEBRASKAland • JUNE
2016
Commission wildlife biologists Bekah Jessen (left), Jamie Bachmann and Cassidy Gerdes float down the Niobrara River along breathtaking rocky bluffs near Niobrara State Park.
than they seem— even the quiet ones.
Generous, beautiful, adaptable,
powerful and enduring – these are
qualities that may personify rivers in
poems and songs, and also qualities that
I admire in many of the women I know.
Every summer, I kayak with a group
of women. I know them through work
– most have worked with Game and
Parks at one time or another and we
get along because we share similar
experiences and interests, and we are
all outdoor women.
I don’t mean to sound special, but
to make it in the outdoor industry as
a woman, you must possess certain
qualities. It’s no secret that our line of
work is dominated by men, and most
of the time, it’s fun and awesome.
We are fortunate to be able to work
with so many supportive, passionate
and intelligent people. And there are
many days when I thank my lucky
stars for all the things I’ve learned and
seen as an outdoor photographer for
NEBRASKAland that my girlfriends
back in California cannot. I don’t doubt
that my female kayaking companions/
coworkers feel the same way about
their jobs. We get to play with snakes,
work with snapping turtles and ride
in boats during the summer and call it
work – our office is the great outdoors.
But to earn and maintain respect as
a female outdoor professional from a
day-to-day basis means that we have
to be “one of the boys.” We sort of
live double lives. At work, we’re
even-keeled, strong women whose
wardrobes seemingly comprise of
only hiking boots and jeans, and we
can handle dead animals without a
flinch. But at home, we’re moms,
wives, girlfriends or content single
women, who like to sip wine, enjoy
art, wear frilly clothes once in awhile,
and get upset and cry over things that
we desperately hide at work – though
don’t expect any of us to master
walking in high heels anytime soon;
years of playing and working in hiking
boots have resulted in a permanent
ogre-like sway.
So kayaking is our escape. Being
on the river with each other and
sometimes alone allows us to take
stock in who we are to ourselves, the
people we love and the world around
us. It’s something only outdoor women
understand, because going to the mall
and getting our nails done together just
doesn’t do the trick.
In 2002, Marilyn Tabor, a Nebraska
Environmental Trust employee and
avid participant in our yearly kayaking
expeditions, had her first kayaking
experience on the Missouri River.
“I was terrified,” she said. “It was
incredibly windy and freakin’ cold. But
I had a blast and loved it. I don’t think
I’ve missed a year since.” Conquering
her fears, Marilyn then worked up to
kayaking solo from Mulberry Bend to
Ponca into a horrific headwind in 2006.
For her, kayaking and floating on
the river is empowering. Marilyn’s
favorite things about floating are
sharing the experience “with other
powerful women, both physically
and spiritually;” feeling the sun while
lounging on the cool sand during
breaks; jumping off the boat dock by
Standing Bear Bridge; being outside
and seeing all the colors.
“But when my daughters, Danielle
and Kelli, can come with me, it is the
best.”
Bekah Jessen got her first taste of
kayaking while assisting a Beyond
JUNE
2016
• NEBRASKALAND
JUNE
2016
• NEBRASKAland 37
o man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the
same river and not the same man.”
– Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher, Born 535 BC.
“N
Our kayak trip from Niobrara to Santee in 2013 was halted by torrential rainfall. We got off the Missouri as quickly as we could and
broke into a cabin in Running Water, SD, with a marshmallow roaster. We are forever indebted to the owners, who were on vacation
at the time, for not getting angry and allowing us shelter and a marvelously absurd story to remember.
Kayakers found bones of an unidentified animal, most likely bovine, fossilizing on a
sandbar in the Missouri River.
38 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman
kayaking event on the Niobrara River
in 2010. In spring 2011, she purchased
her own vessel, and since then each trip
has been unique and exciting.
“Kayaking is a great way to connect
with nature. Every time I go out I see
something new. It’s been a great way
to make new friends and strengthen
bonds with old friends. Nothing beats a
sunny day on the water with a handful
of people that you care about,” Bekah
said.
Our friend Jamie Bachmann said it
best.
“I think the thing for me, when any
of us women get together to do any
kind of outdoor experience, is doing it
without men. There is just something
special about lifting your own yak on
top of a vehicle and ratchet strapping
it down all with the power of my own
freaking uterus – I suppose some upper
body strength, too. There is power and
freedom floating all day with just the
ladies. It’s liberating and outside of any
construct of woman role models I have
ever known.
“I think woman like us create new
definitions for what being a woman is.
We pave paths for other women and
we do it together and not with caddy
chick bull[crud]. Well, maybe a little,
but we learn and get over it, sometimes
better and quicker than many men I
know,” Jamie said.
Perhaps we enjoy kayaking so much
because it reminds us of what we
should strive to be. Being on the water
inspires us and allows us to recalibrate,
to reset our inner compass and
rejuvenate our purpose. Being on the
water is a rebirth of sorts, and it keeps
us young and kicking.
Do rivers grow old? They do,
in a temporal sense. The Missouri
River, according to some sources, is
roughly 35 million years old, but
it continues to cut and shape the
landscape that holds it, constantly
adapting despite the obstacles that may
be in its way – despite human efforts to
tame it.
Always moving forward and always
reinventing itself, we can learn
valuable lessons from the lives of
rivers. Our group of kayakers include
women from ages 20 to 60, and though
– metaphorically – we each paddle at
different paces and at different points
in the river, we are all going to the
same place, and hopefully we all leave
with the same conclusion: that it was a
fun, wild and fulfilling ride.
“There’s a special independence with
being on the water for sure that was the
main allure when I was younger,” said
Cassidy Gerdes, now 29 and looking
back on her days on the water since
her first canoe ride with mom, dad,
brother and dog. “You prescribe your
own challenges and you’ve got all the
room in the world to make your own
mistakes and figure out how to recover
from them. It’s always an adventure,
and for me that’s always been a draw.
“But nowadays, it’s more-so
that floating is my medicine. The
destination is known but moot. All
pressure’s off, you just get to let go for
a while, and watch where it takes you.
And most of the time – in a metaphoric
sense – it takes me home.”
Marilyn Tabor’s first kayaking
experience happened at age 46. Now
60, she has this to say, “I absolutely
do not understand how some or most
women age. I think that is why most
women age the way they do, because
they think they are getting older – men,
too. Well maybe I’ve watched one too
many people die before I wanted them
to and have watched way too many
people quit living before I wanted
them to. For god’s sake, never ever
do something or don’t do something
because of how old you are – only do
things because you want to and mostly
because it will be fun.”
Jamie Bachmann, at age 38, said, “I
love having you ladies as role models,
especially as I start tipping toward the
end of an older woman rather than
a younger woman. I have to search
and pay attention and be grateful and
humbled by the very few women that
don’t grow old and live by some sense
of what women are supposed to be and
do and look like and love.”
As for me, young and restless at 26,
being on the river helps me to maintain
perspective. I often have to remind
myself to quit being so hasty – to go
with the flow. It’s important to take
stock in how far you’ve come, but
equally valuable to appreciate how far
you still have to go. The river reminds
me to slow down and pay attention.
I look forward to seeing the stretches
of river that the others are paddling,
but I’m going to revel in where I am
first. ■
Bekah Jessen jumps off a dock while
taking a break from kayaking the
Missouri River.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 39
Rock Stars
Photos and story by Justin Haag
B
etween 38 and 10 million years ago,
thousands of volcanic events in what
is now the Great Basin area of Nevada
and Utah emitted fine particles of sediment
– many of which were carried downwind.
The particles from that then-hellish place
accumulated over the High Plains ever so
slightly over millions of years. And, in the
millions of years following those eruptions,
erosion has whittled away at the ash and
carried materials from the Rocky Mountains
to make the magnificent rock features of
the highlands of the Nebraska Panhandle.
They seem especially extraordinary to a
visitor who has previously defined Nebraska
as “cows and cornfields.” On clear nights,
under the light of the moon or Milky Way,
the visitor might get an even clearer image
of this unique place’s grandeur – and an
appreciation for just how small, and young,
we are.
Much like a satellite dish, or some other form of equipment
in a science fiction movie, one of the rock formations at
Toadstool Geological Park near Crawford points to the Milky
Way on a July night in this moon-like scene.
40 NEBRASKAland
NEBRASKALAND
• MARCH
• JUNE
2016 2009
MARCH
2009
JUNE
2016• •NEBRASKALAND
NEBRASKAland 41
Above: Trunk Butte by Whitney. Opposite: Crow Butte near Crawford.
I
t’s strange to think of the Pine Ridge of northwestern
Nebraska and Wildcat Hills along the North Platte
River Valley as being relatively flat land with a
blanket of volcanic ash as it was millions of years ago.
One wonders if it was just dumb luck that made the
sediment gather more tightly in some areas than others
over those millions of years, making our escarpments and
buttes more resistant to erosion than their surroundings.
Regardless, we find ourselves thankful nature did what it
did – especially when witnessing a scene such as the full
moon hanging over northwestern Nebraska buttes on a
September night.
42 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 43
G
eologists refer to it as inverted
topography. It’s not easy to fathom
the relative enormity of a river
in this region flowing strong enough to
move bowling-ball-size stones along its
bottom, but that’s what is believed to have
once been the scene above this location at
Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area
near Melbeta. That massive river has long
been dry and erosion has removed the
less bound sediment alongside it. In more
recent times, many chunks of the riverbed
with those cemented stones have tumbled
more than 200 feet below to a much newer
river valley – that of the North Platte.
Above: Tumbling stones at Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area near Melbeta.
Opposite: Wildcat Hills south of Gering.
ountless fascinating landforms of the North Platte
River Valley have been shaped by erosion. Known
as the Wildcat Hills, they provide eye candy for
travelers along this valley just as they did westward
pioneers of the 1800s and others who lived here before
that. Of course, it may not be the most fertile ground on
earth, but one would be hard-pressed to find a better
backdrop for country living – especially with the cows
grazing in the stalks on a moonlit night.
C
44 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 45
Above: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Sioux County.
Opposite: The Cliffs Picnic Area in the Pine Ridge Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forest.
I
n northwestern Nebraska, the earth on each side of a fault that
follows the White River has been raised slightly by force. The
perceived beauty of the Pine Ridge can largely be attributed to
this feature. When spring water escapes to the earth’s surface through
elevated rock, its persistence will eventually cut a trail to lower
elevations. In this case, the spring water, now known as Bordeaux
Creek, has beautifully carved through this popular place in the Nebraska
National Forest known as The Cliffs Picnic Area.
W
ith so many otherworldly rocks jutting from the landscape, it
seems appropriate that Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
is near the unincorporated village named Marsland. Especially
at night, the landscape is so quiet that the most prominent sound is
prairie rodents scurrying about their business among the rocks or the
occasional howl of a coyote. Evidences of man’s presence are few, save
for the visitors center that by day teaches about its discovered fossils
of remarkable mammals of 19-21 million years ago – and a satellite
streaking by the moon.
46 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 47
W
hen naming Pine Cone Butte at Chadron State Park,
the inspiration surely came from nearby. While
corn and soybeans may not be best suited for this
challenging soil, ponderosa pines have taken hold in the loose
material at the base of the buttes. Many of the seeds somehow
sprout to life in cracks and crevices of the rock, eventually
wedging the stone making their own contribution to changing
the landscape. Whether at night or day, these rocks and
evergreens are always suitable subjects for postcards and
tourism guides.
Above: Pine Cone Butte at Chadron State Park.
Opposite: Badlands in Dawes County.
A
summer thunderstorm can serve as a reminder
of how the Panhandle’s terrain has become so
wondrous. Each gully-washer eats a little away
at the surface of this landscape – hardly noticeable in
terms of days, but over time shapes places such as this
section of badlands west of Chadron. In the relatively
brief period of just centuries, humans have documented
the erosion of prominent landmarks such as Chimney
Rock. Regardless, barring any incredible natural or
unnatural events, these stubborn landforms will still
be around for countless generations to gaze upon. We
must enjoy them while we can, though – they will
surely look much different millions of years from
now. ■
48 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 49
Dive Nebraska
Scuba Diving in an
Unlikely State
Story and photos by Eric Fowler
any of us, especially those
of us who fish, have stood
on a lakeshore, dock or boat
and wondered what is going
on beneath the water. What does
the bottom look like? Where are the
fish? What are they doing? Scant few
Nebraskans have taken scuba lessons,
strapped a tank of air on their back and
jumped in to find out.
Even if they had, only a few of the
state’s waters are clear enough that
they could actually find the answers
to those questions. Which is why most
Nebraskans who take scuba lessons do
so prior to a vacation in the tropics,
where ocean visibility can top 100
feet. The closest you will find to that
in Nebraska, according to dive shop
owners, is under the ice at a sandpit
lake in the dead of winter.
But those few waters with enough
visibility for an enjoyable dive,
including sandpit lakes along Interstate
80 and Lake McConaughy, are enough
to keep some dedicated divers happy,
whether they’re wanting to simply
keep their skills sharp for their tropical
dives, swim with the fish or grab their
spear gun and fill a stringer with them.
In most Nebraska waters, especially
in eastern Nebraska, visibility is so
poor you are lucky to see your hand at
arm’s length. The problem is most are
reservoirs fed by rivers and streams,
which are fed by overland runoff that
carries fine silt and clay that clouds the
water and rarely, if ever, clears.
“It’s no fun diving in an ink bottle,”
said Don Stanger of Underwater World
Scuba Center in Omaha. “You want
some clarity.”
Wind- and boat-driven waves lap the
shorelines and stir more fine particles
Kenny Beans of Kearney and a few bluegills swim through a tire reef in Lake No. 8 at Sandy Channel State Recreation Area
near Elm Creek. Dive shops train in the lake and have placed the tires and other items in the lake for divers to locate.
Sunlight streams through the surface of Pelican Lake on the Valentine National Wildlife
Refuge near Valentine, illuminating coontail covered with filamentous algae.
50 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
of soil into the water. Visibility is also
limited by algae, small plants that live
adrift in the water, or are set adrift
from wave action that breaks them free
from the plants, rocks or lakebottom
on which they grow. Algae, the base
of the aquatic food web, is found in all
waters, but just like plants growing on
the land, it grows most rapidly in the
heat of summer.
These things considered, divers will
tell you the keys to finding clear water
in Nebraska are to go early or late in
the year, when algae is less abundant,
and go west, where the soils contain
little to no clay.
One of the top destinations for divers
actually stretches half-way across the
Cornhusker state: the more than 50
sandpit lakes, including 40 open to the
public, found along Interstate 80 and
the South Platte and Platte rivers from
Big Springs to Grand Island. The lakes
were created when crews building the
interstate borrowed soil to build the
overpasses at each interchange. The
pits, with maximum depths reaching
10 feet in some and 30 in others, filled
with groundwater, and because of the
sandy bottoms and little surface runoff
they receive, they stay relatively clear,
offering visibility of 10 to 20 feet on
most days, and even more on some.
“The great thing is if [visibility] is
bad in one, you can go to another one,”
said Randall Purdy, owner of Heartland
Scuba Center in Kearney.
At the behest of the Game and Parks
Commission, construction crews varied
the depth within the lakes to make
them more fish friendly, and they are,
with most lakes holding largemouth
bass and bluegill, and some adding
channel catfish, crappie, smallmouth
bass and common carp, giving divers
plenty to see.
There are a number of sandpits with
similar characteristics in the Platte
River Valley – and elsewhere in the
state – that have remained following
gravel mining operations, but most are
private. The exception, and the one
most popular with divers, is Lake No.
8 at Sandy Channel State Recreation
Area south of Elm Creek. Dive shops
from Kearney and Lincoln use the
lake, which is actually four connected
lakes, for their open-water certification
classes. Through the years, with
permission from the Commission,
divers have sunk numerous items
in the portion of the lake just north
of the park entrance, including
boats, a satellite dish, a tire reef and
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 51
concrete lawn ornaments, that divers
are challenged to locate using their
underwater navigation skills.
Dive shops chose Sandy Channel
because its visibility is the most
consistent of all the sandpit lakes in the
region. “I’ve had 60 feet of visibility
in Sandy Channel in October,” Purdy
said. “That doesn’t happen often, but
when it does it’s nice.”
Lake McConaughy, known for its
white sand beaches, may be the top
dive spot in Nebraska. The lake’s
excellent walleye population draws
Go Fish
While only a few offer enough visibility
to do so, most of the state’s irrigation
reservoirs are open to underwater
spearfishing for game fish from July 1
through Dec. 31. Box Butte Reservoir
opens June 1. Spearfishing for nongame
fish is allowed year-round on 19 sandpits
along Interstate 80 in Buffalo, Dawson,
Hall and Phelps counties. For a complete
list of open waters, consult the Nebraska
Fishing Guide.
Dive Shops and Clubs
The following dive shops offer a variety
of services, including lessons, equipment
rental and sales, and air fills.
Aquatrec, Lincoln. Aquatrec.com
DiVentures, Omaha. Shop sponsors
Landlocked Scuba Club.
DiVentures.net
Heartland Scuba Center, Lincoln.
HeartlandScuba.com
Heartland Scuba Center, Kearney.
ScubaHeartland.com
Underwater World Scuba Center,
Omaha. ScubaUWW.com
Watersports Unlimited, North Platte
and Lake McConaughy (weekends
Memorial Day through Labor Day).
WatersportsUnlimited.net
Greater Omaha Scuba Club.
GO-Scuba.net
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nebraska Dive Spots
The following public areas offer enough
visibility for an enjoyable dive and the
chance to see numerous fish, including
bluegill, largemouth bass and channel
catfish.
Sandy Channel SRA, Elm Creek
Area includes six sandpit lakes left from
a gravel mining operation. Lake No. 8,
which is actually four connected lakes, is
used for open water certification classes
by several dive shops, which have sunk
boats, a satellite dish, concrete lawn
ornaments and other items for divers
to locate in the portion of the lake just
north of the entrance. Depths to 24 feet.
Visibility 10-25 feet, sometimes more.
Interstate 80 Lakes
More than 50 sandpit lakes between
Big Springs and Grand Island, 40 of them
52 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
spear-fishermen from across the state
and many more from Colorado and
other neighboring states.
“It’s a lot easier than fishing,”
Dan Nichols of Ogallala said of
spearfishing. Nichols spends plenty of
time in his boat trolling for walleye,
and the time he spends under it with
his spear helps him understand the fish
better.
While walleye are the main draw,
recreational divers enjoy exploring the
rock-covered face of Kingsley Dam
and the rocky points on the lake’s
public wildlife management areas or state
recreation areas operated by the Game
and Parks Commission, created when
Interstate 80 was built. Depths from 10 to
30 feet. Visibility varies from lake to lake
and day to day, ranging from 5 to 60 feet,
with 10 to 25 feet common. Hershey, East
Hershey, East Sutherland, War Axe are
lakes mentioned by dive shop owners, but
any may be good on a given day.
Lake McConaughy SRA, Ogallala
Lake’s walleye draw spearfishermen
from across the Midwest. Rock-covered
face of Kingsley Dam and rocky points on
southeast side of lake are most popular
dive spots. Boat traffic on busy summer
weekends limits visibility. Visibility 10 to 20
feet. Depths to 160 feet at full pool.
Lake Ogallala, Ogallala
Located below Kingsley Dam. Fed
by water released from bottom of Lake
McConaughy, which keeps it cold, helping
it support trout but making it not for
everyone. Visibility to 15 feet. Depths to
40 feet.
Elwood Reservoir WMA, Elwood
Irrigation reservoir filled with water
pumped from canal fed by Platte River
diversion. Numerous coves and flooded
trees. Visibility 6 to 12 feet. Depths to 75
feet.
Lake Minatare SRA, Minatare
Canal-fed irrigation reservoir filled with
water diverted from North Platte River.
Ringed by trees flooded when at full pool
in spring. Visibility 6 to 12 feet. Depths to
48 feet at full pool.
Sandhills Lakes
Carp-free lakes can be crystal clear
on calm days. Depths rarely top 10 feet,
making snorkeling an option.
Box Butte Reservoir, Hemingford
Irrigation reservoir on Niobrara River.
Swimmer’s itch common in late summer.
Visibility from 3 to 20 feet, best when lake
is full. Depths to 39 feet at full pool.
Louisville SRA, Lake No. 2
One of three lakes in popular area along
Platte River and the only public dive spot
east of Grand Island. Visibility to 10 feet.
Depths to 27 feet.
southeast side. Some divers come to
the lake to clean up after the fishermen,
gathering crankbaits and other lures
they snagged in the rocks.
“You’ve got a lot more opportunity
diving up there just for fun,” said Jim
Wiezorek of North Platte, who operates
the Watersports Unlimited dive shop
there and opens a satellite shop at
Lake McConaughy on weekends in the
summer to fill air tanks for divers. “I’ve
been diving up there for lots of years
and I’ve never gotten tired of that,” he
said of the rocks. “It seems every time
I go diving it’s a little different because
of the changes in the water level.”
Visibility is highly variable at
the 20-mile long, wind-swept lake.
Recreational divers may have better
visibility in the month or two before
spearfishing season opens July 1.
Rising and falling water levels, heavy
inflows, and heavy boat traffic on most
summer weekends can cloud the water,
as can algae, which is at its worst in
August. Wiezorek found 20 feet of
visibility last November. “Every once
in a while we’ll catch it to where it’s
real good, but if we get 10 feet we’re
happy with that,” said Wiezorek, who
also dives I-80 lakes and trains divers
at Hershey Wildlife Management Area.
You don’t have to be a scuba diver to
explore Nebraska waters. Mark Schafer
of Alliance and his son, Hunter, have
for years donned wet suits and snorkels
to spear fish in Box Butte Reservoir,
another spot that occasionally offers
good visibility and draws divers.
“Sometimes you can see it as clear as
20 feet and other times it’s 3 feet,”
Schafer said, noting that sometimes he
has to search for clear water.
Spearfishing season for game fish
opens June 1 at Box Butte, a month
earlier than other waters. Schafer said
visibility is best when water is high and
in the trees, and warns that swimmer’s
itch, a rash caused by a microscopic
parasite, is prevalent from late July or
August into the fall.
Purdy has dove in several other
lakes, both for fun and with his spear
gun, and found Lake Minatare and
Elwood Reservoir often have visibility
of 6 to 12 feet. “It’s a fun lake to
dive. There’s a lot of trees and a lot of
structure to look at and a ton of fish,”
he said of Elwood, which is fed by
water pumped from a canal rather than
Dan Nichols of Ogallala pulls in a walleye he shot with his underwater spear gun while diving at Lake McConaughy. Spearfishermen
from across the Midwest come to the lake to hunt walleye.
direct flows, and has numerous coves
protected from the wind.
While there are plenty of sandpits in
eastern Nebraska, they don’t offer the
water clarity of those in the west due
to the soils that surround them. Brian
Shreve of Heartland Scuba in Lincoln
said more than one diver has come
to his shop to rent gear or fill tanks,
saying they stood on a dock and could
see the bottom in 10 feet of water, only
to find once they were in the lake they
could only see 2 or 3 feet. “Because
of the way light reflects differently off
particulates, the horizontal visibility is
always less than what vertical visibility
is,” Shreve said.
That said, members of the Greater
Omaha Scuba Club have found one
eastern Nebraska sandpit offering
enough visibility to dive: Lake No. 2 at
Louisville State Recreation Area. The
lake had offered good diving decades
ago, but it wasn’t until the Commission
removed rough fish and used alum
to control algae in the lake that clear
water returned. The deepest of three
sandpit lakes at the park at 27 feet,
visibility at Lake No. 2 reaches 10 feet
on a good day. “We can’t expect much
more than that in the Midwest,” said
Connie Springer, a member of the club,
who dives there at least twice a month
in the summer.
The club does underwater lake
cleanups around eastern Nebraska,
collecting all of the garbage they can
find around the shoreline to raise
awareness of the littering problem, and
at places like Branched Oak, Fremont
and Wehrspann lakes, the visibility
has never topped 3 feet. “We’ve done
lake cleanups where you can’t even
see your gauges,” Springer said. “They
call it brail diving, where you’re just
feeling your way along the bottom to
see if you can find anything.”
There are other opportunities just
across the border for Nebraska divers.
DiVentures and Underwater World
Scuba, both dive shops in Omaha, have
dive sites in abandoned rock quarries in
Iowa with good to excellent visibility.
More experienced divers enjoy diving
and spearfishing in the tailrace of Fort
Randall Dam in South Dakota. “You
can see remnants of when the dam was
built, the air hoses and truck tires they
left down there,” said Mark Rettig,
superintendent of Niobrara State Park
and an expert diver. “It looks like they
blew the horn and everybody rushed out
of there and they let the water go and
what was there stayed there.”
There are abundant fish, including
huge paddlefish, in the tailrace. Some
people enjoy drift dives below the
hydroplant, and others escape the
current in two other spillway basins.
Visibility in the tailrace is dependent
on the conditions in Lake Francis Case,
but can reach 20 feet or more. Rettig
said those conditions can carry down
the Missouri River into Nebraska past
the Sunshine Bottom area to the mouth
of Ponca Creek. While best suited
for the experienced due to the danger
snags present, drift diving in this part
of the Missouri can be enjoyable
Purdy said diving in Nebraska
is “underrated.” While visibility is
limited, learning to deal with it makes
better divers, and helps them appreciate
days when visibility is limited in places
where it is typically limitless.
“It’s all relative,” he said. ■
Editor’s note: The author was
certified to scuba dive in 2014 and
is still trying to learn how to take
photographs in the alien underwater
world and to not breathe through his
nose.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 53
25 Years and
Counting
Eugene T. Mahoney State
Park Celebrates
Photos and story by Jeff Kurrus
B
P TO
PHOT
O BY
Y ERI
RIC
C FOWLER
FOWLER
WLER
ER
R
ecause Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Roger
Kuhn has seen the development of Eugene T. Mahoney
State Park since its opening 25 years ago, it was
natural to ask him about its impact on the state of Nebraska.
“Millions of people have visited Mahoney since 1991,” Kuhn
responded. “Family vacations, reunions, weddings, birthdays,
anniversaries, an event or retreat. A day at the pool, horseback
ride, walk a trail, participate in educational programs or
staying overnight. It’s about how Mahoney has touched lives
in a positive way, how it’s provided millions an opportunity to
make lifetime memories.”
Here are a few memories to share, serving as a reminder to
visit and create our own. ■
TOP: Eugene T. Mahoney State Park,
named after the former Nebraska state
senator, director of the Game and Parks
Commission and executive director of the
Henry Doorly Zoo Foundation, overlooks
the Platte River Valley in Cass County
near Ashland. At 690 acres, the park is
open year-round and has hosted millions
of visitors since its opening in 1991.
LEFT: A family watches the wave pool at
the Family Aquatic Center, open Memorial
Day through Labor Day.
OPPOSITE: The Peter Kiewit Lodge has
40 guest rooms for lodging, meeting
rooms for conferences, workshops and
other group events, and The Lodge
Restaurant.
54 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 55
OPPOSITE TOP: The Activity Center has
a large indoor playground and is popular
for birthdays and other group outings.
Connected to the center is the ice skating
pavilion, which is open during the winter.
OPPOSITE MIDDLE: David Hesford, of
Springfield, Missouri, plays disc golf on
Mahoney’s 18-hole course.
OPPOSITE BOTTOM: The toboggan run
at Mahoney gets sledders of all ages,
including Sherry Sinn (gray), Kris Moore
(blue) and Jane McDonough, each winter.
TOP: On a steam-filled September
morning, two anglers fish from the dock at
CenturyLink Lake.
LEFT: Adara Fowlkes, of Omaha, plays at
the Family Aquatic Center. The Aquatic
Center and Mahoney’s other attractions
(see sidebar) have employed thousands
through the years. “The lives of the
employees have also been impacted by
the park,” added Kuhn. “These employees
are extremely important and deeply
appreciated, because without them
providing quality service to our guests
and making sure everything is safely
operating and maintained, like the Aquatic
Center, we would have no visitors.”
56 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
Other Attractions
The following details just a few
more of Eugene T. Mahoney State
Park’s attractions.
Walter Scott Jr. Observation
•Tower
• John Wayne Riding Stable
John R. Lauritzen Golf Driving
•Range
• Owen Tennis Complex
Denman and Mary Mallory
•Kountze
Memorial Theatre
• Sand Volleyball Court
Marie Daniel Miniature
•GolfEsther
Course
• Owen Marina
The Park also has playgrounds,
trails for wildlife viewing and
other nearby attractions. Visit
OutdoorNebraska.org for more
information and reservations.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 57
Grassland Resilience
in a Changing Climate
Story and photos by Chris Helzer
T
he weather in Nebraska is crazy. From day to day
and year to year, you never know what might happen.
From all indications, the coming decades are only
going to get crazier. We’re likely to see more intense storms
and longer hotter droughts. That will create a number of
challenges for people, of course, but also for wildlife and
the habitats they rely on. Grasslands play a huge role in
supporting Nebraska’s economy, through both ranching and
recreational opportunities. A broad diversity of plants and
animals define and drive the ecology and productivity of
grasslands. That diversity will also be the key to ensuring
the future of grasslands.
The size and diversity in the Nebraska
Sandhills, including The Nature
Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve
in Brown County, help build ecological
resilience in those grasslands.
58 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
Nebraska’s grasslands are naturally resilient. They
have survived thousands of years of wild climate swings,
including droughts that lasted for many decades at a time.
Prairies bounced back easily from numerous bouts of intense
grazing by hordes of bison and plagues of locusts. Frequent
fires kept trees at bay, but made prairie plant and animal
communities stronger. The changes we’re seeing in climate
these days should be no problem for Nebraska grasslands,
except that today’s grasslands are not quite the same as they
were back in the day. We can’t turn back the clock, but there
are ways we can help those grasslands regain and sustain
much of that old resilience.
The Foundations of Resilience
In the engineering world, resilience is the ability
of something to bend or squish under pressure
but then bounce back exactly to its prior state. In
the natural world, resilience is a little different.
A resilient prairie is like a ball in a bowl. Events
like droughts, grazing or mowing might push the
ball around the bowl, but as long as it remains in
the bowl, it is still a prairie. As it moves around
that metaphorical bowl, a prairie can look very
different from year to year – vegetation might
be short-cropped in some years, tall and dense
in others, or full of “weedy” opportunistic plants
in others. The key to resilience is that the prairie
maintains its community of species and those
Droughts are likely to intensify in coming years, making ecological
species continue to perform their roles in the
resilience in prairies even more important. While some species do poorly in
droughts, others are able to thrive.
ecological system, regardless of what happens to
the prairie or how it looks as it responds.
There are two major factors that make grasslands resilient. bees will be wiped out in a drought, disease outbreak or
fire. Some individuals will probably survive and rebuild
The first is size, the second is species diversity, and the two
the population. Even if a population does get knocked out
are strongly interconnected. Large grasslands can support
big populations of species, and lots of them. Big populations by a severe event, a large grassland will have numerous
other populations that can send colonizers in to start a new
are resilient because it’s unlikely that every individual in
population where the old one previously was.
a population of pocket mice, sharp-tailed grouse or digger
Large grasslands also provide lots of habitat types. Soils
and topography combine to create a broad array of growing
conditions for plants, creating various plant communities
that each support characteristic species of invertebrates
and wildlife. Clearly, larger grasslands will have more
combinations of soils and topography than will smaller
grasslands, and so will have more habitat types. Not only
does that variety support lots of different animal and plant
species, it also gives them alternatives as weather and
climate change. For example, during periods of dry, hot
weather, species that normally enjoy sunny south-facing
slopes might seek out cooler moisture north-facing slopes
instead. If those hot dry conditions persist for many years,
even plants can move (over multiple generations) to find
more appropriate habitat.
In addition to soil and topography combinations, habitats
are also defined by factors such as fire and grazing, which
alter the structure of the vegetation. Every wildlife species
has its own set of habitat structure requirements, so more
variety in patches of habitat structure supports more wildlife
species. Most habitat structure today is controlled by land
managers who employ strategies such as haying, grazing
and prescribed fire. Small prairies are likely to contain only
a few management units (a pasture or two and maybe a hay
meadow), meaning that there are few options for habitat
patch types. A large grassland landscape, however, will have
a much wider variety of those patch types, giving wildlife
species a good chance to travel around and find what they
need.
The second major factor that defines grassland resilience
is species diversity. Healthy prairies have an incredible
diversity of animals, invertebrates, plants and even soil
microbes. That diversity allows that prairie to function as a
community through just about any weather, fire or grazing
event. In human communities, we each play different roles
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 59
and contribute to society in our own way. We
have teachers, firefighters, police officers, postal
workers, trash collectors and many others, and
the combination of all of them makes an effective
community. The loss of any of those important
functions ripples through the community
and weakens it. Fortunately, we rarely have
communities with only one postal worker or trash
collector. If someone is unavailable because they
are sick, there is usually someone else who can
step up and fill that role.
Natural communities in prairies are very
similar. Every species plays a unique role in the
ecosystem, and the combination of all of those
roles makes the community function. Predators,
herbivores, pollinators, scavengers, nitrogen fixing
bacteria and many others contribute to the prairie
community, and they all rely on each other. Just
as in human communities, there is redundancy
within each of those roles so that if one species is Pollinators rely on plant diversity, but a diversity of pollinators is also
important to maintain diverse plant communities. A combination of both
unavailable for a while, others can fill in.
builds resilience.
In many ways, prairie species diversity starts
with plants because the number of plant species
in a prairie affects nearly every other group of organisms.
Ensuring that Nebraska’s grasslands remain as resilient
Herbivores, for example, obviously rely on plants for
as possible means protecting the two biggest features that
survival, and need to have a constant supply, no matter
make them so – prairie size and species diversity. There
what happens to a prairie. In dry years, many plant species
are numerous economic, sociologic and other factors that
go dormant during the middle of the summer, making them
unavailable to herbivores (including livestock). Prairies with lead to prairies being converted to row crop agriculture or
other land uses, but the end result is the same: increased
strong plant diversity, however, have plenty of other plant
species that can thrive under those hot dry conditions, giving grassland fragmentation and decreased size and connectivity
herbivores something to feed on – and also providing habitat of remaining prairie patches. Restoring prairie habitat lost
during periods of high commodity prices is exponentially
structure for numerous other species of animals and insects.
Fires, intensive grazing, diseases, and many other events will more expensive and difficult than breaking it out, and the
costs are shared well beyond the individual landowner
weaken or temporarily deactivate some plant species, but in
who plowed up the grasses. Our best strategy, by far, is to
a diverse prairie, there are always others to take their place.
do everything we can to protect what’s left of Nebraska’s
Pollinators are another group that relies on plant diversity.
They also help preserve it. There are hundreds of bee species prairies, especially in parts of the state where grassland still
dominates the landscape.
in Nebraska grasslands, along with numerous butterflies,
In parts of Nebraska where grassland has been highly
moths, wasps, flies, and other pollinators. Some of those
fragmented by rowcrop agriculture, the strategic restoration
insects specialize on one plant species, or a particular group
of some prairie habitat can help rebuild resilience. This
of species (sunflowers, for example, or legumes). Other
doesn’t mean turning back the clock and trying to make the
pollinator insects visit different kinds of flowers day to day
landscape look like it did before farming. Instead, it means
and season to season, depending upon what’s available to
looking for small but important opportunities to enlarge and
them. When plant diversity is low, there are few choices
reconnect some of the remaining prairie fragments. While
for pollinators, and a relatively high likelihood that there
we don’t know how big a prairie needs to be to support the
will be periods of the year when nothing is available to
majority of species and ecological processes, we do know
eat – especially for more specialized pollinator species.
that bigger is better, and more connectivity helps species
Since pollinators are required for most prairie plant species
move around to find the habitat they need. Adding a little
to produce seeds, losing pollinators because of low plant
more prairie habitat adjacent to, and between existing
diversity can mean losing even more plant diversity and
prairies, can make a big difference to the species trying to
create a self-perpetuating downward spiral.
survive there.
Plant diversity affects much more than just herbivores
When creating new prairie habitat, it pays to invest up
and pollinators. Plant diversity begets, and is begotten by,
front in the highest plant species diversity possible. Using
soil microbial communities that regulate soil productivity.
seed mixes of 50 or more plant species helps ensure that
A high number of plant species leads to high numbers of
there is a constant supply of flowering plants for pollinators
insect species, which provide all kinds of services that keep
ecosystems humming along. The availability of lots of insect and forage for herbivores. High plant diversity also means
that invertebrates and soil microbes that are tied to particular
species also stabilizes the prey base for the wildlife that
species can find those hosts in the new habitat. More
depend upon them, including most breeding bird species.
Protecting and Building Resilience
Plant diversity helps maintain consistent resources through the season for pollinators, herbivores and more. It also adds to the
complexity of habitat structure, helping to increase the diversity of wildlife and invertebrates in prairies.
60 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 61
Prescribed fire is an important tool for prairie managers trying to maintain ecological
resilience. Fire helps promote plant diversity, suppresses invasive species and can be
used to manipulate habitat structure.
diverse plant communities are also
more stable, and less likely to become
dominated by a few grass species
or by invasive plants over time. A
number of conservation organizations
across the state have been using seed
mixes of between 100 and 200 plant
species in restoration projects and have
seen consistent success in terms of
establishment and longevity of those
plantings. Landowners can often find
cost-share assistance from agencies
such as Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission and the Natural Resources
Conservation Service to help pay the
additional cost of high-diversity prairie
restoration seedings.
Within both restored and remnant
(unplowed) prairies, it’s critically
important to maintain the species
diversity and health of plant
communities. Invasive species such
62 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
as smooth brome, reed canarygrass,
crown vetch, leafy spurge, sericea
lespedeza and many others that can
form near monocultures in prairie
habitats are serious threats to plant
diversity. Eastern red cedars and other
trees can also destroy prairie habitat
if they are left unchecked. However,
while controlling these and other
invasive species is imperative, it’s
also necessary to ensure that the cure
isn’t worse than the disease. Perhaps
the greatest losses of prairie plant
diversity in Nebraska have come
from broadcast spraying of herbicides
aimed at killing weeds. It is nearly
impossible for prairies to recover from
the loss of plant diversity that results
from spraying of chemicals that wipe
out a large proportion of the plant
community.
Herbicides are not the enemy, they
are
a just a tool that has to be used
judiciously.
There are four key ways
j
in
i which more strategic herbicide
application
can save plant diversity
a
while
still preventing invasives from
w
taking
over. The first of those is to be
t
on
o the alert for invasions and prevent
nasty
species from gaining a strong
n
foothold
in the first place. Every part
f
of
o Nebraska has its own set of nasty
invaders,
the names of which can be
i
found
at NEinvasives.com. Identifying
f
and
a killing these invaders when they
first
appear is the absolute best defense
f
against
them.
a
The second strategy is to be selective
in
i both the chemicals used for invasive
control
and the application methods.
c
Some
invaders, including musk
S
thistles
and eastern red cedars, can be
t
controlled
without chemicals at all.
c
Digging
thistles has been a kind of rite
D
of
o passage for many rural Nebraskans,
and
a continues to be the most effective
way
w to keep populations from reaching
the
t point at which herbicides become
necessary.
While some herbicides can
n
kill
k eastern red cedars, cutting big ones
off
o at ground level and using prescribed
fire
f to kill little ones has been shown
to
t be much more cost effective.
When
herbicides are used, choosing
W
chemicals
that target only the species
c
being
controlled, or at least a narrow
b
list
l of plants, helps keep preserve the
strength and integrity of the plant
community around the sprayed weeds.
In addition, spot spraying individual
plants or clumps may take a little more
time than broadcast spraying big areas,
but it is almost always the best choice
in the long run. When large areas of
grassland are sprayed, it is nearly
impossible for the plant community to
recover its lost diversity.
Third, it’s important to be sure that
the weeds being controlled are truly
invasive. Many species, including
ragweeds, hoary vervain, buffalo bur,
ironweed and many others are not
aggressive, they are opportunistic.
These species take advantage of
situations in which dominant grasses
have been weakened by grazing,
drought or other factors. When grasses
are allowed to recover their vigor,
those opportunistic species give way
fairly easily. Spraying those “weeds”
tends to lead to more weeds, while
letting the grasses recover their strength
and dominance resolves the situation
with no loss of life. A great way to
see whether weeds are aggressive or
opportunistic is simply to erect a small
grazing exclosure for a year or two and
see if the grasses come back or weeds
continue to dominate.
The last and most important strategy
for controlling invasive species is also
the best strategy for overall prairie
vigor and resilience – a management
regime that strengthens the prairie
community through alternating periods
of stress and recovery. A healthy plant
community is much like a healthy
human body. Both can more easily
repel invaders than their weaker
counterparts. The analogy works
particularly well because both a healthy
prairie and healthy body benefit from
a good workout. When we exercise,
we temporarily stress our muscles,
heart and lungs and then allow them
to recover. That kind of fitness regime
creates a body that is less prone to
injury and disease and also can recover
more quickly if those ailments occur.
Prairies also thrive when they are
stressed and allowed to recover. Fires,
droughts and intensive grazing all
strain plant and animal communities,
but going through the process of
recovery from those temporary shocks
keeps prairies diverse and more
resistant to invaders.
Managing a prairie in the same way
year after year weakens the ability
of a prairie to respond to unexpected
disturbances, including droughts.
Regardless of whether the management
includes grazing, fire, haying or rest,
applying the same treatment in the
same way each time favors some
prairie species over others. Eventually,
that can lead to the loss of those
species not favored, and a loss of
both species diversity and community
function. There are many ways to
manage for prairie resilience, but one
key strategy is to shift the location of
grazing, fire or haying from place to
place each year and provide adequate
rest between disturbances.
Hope for the Future
Prairies are naturally resilient.
Nebraska’s grasslands have been
around for thousands of years, and will
survive for thousands more if we help
foster their intrinsic toughness and
adaptability. While we’re likely in for
some pretty drastic weather conditions
in the coming decades, large and
interconnected prairies with diverse
plant and animal communities should
survive just fine.
Nebraska’s prairies provide us with
livestock production, help protect our
groundwater resources and give us
places to hunt, hike and enjoy nature.
Prairies are the foundation of our
identity as a state. Let’s keep them as
fit and hardy as the Nebraskans that
rely upon them. ■
Plants such as fourpoint evening primrose (far left), upright prairie coneflower (dark yellow) and hoary vervain (purple) are often
considered to be weeds, but play critical roles in helping plant communities recover from stresses such as drought and intensive
grazing.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 63
Species Contest
at Gavins
Story and photos by
Jenny Nguyen
Gavins Po
Point Dam is located near Yankton,
Dakota, on the Missouri River between
South Dakota
Nebraska-South Dakota border. It impounds
the Nebraska-S
Lewis and Clark Lake.
Gavins Point Dam
he rules
ru
are simple. “The winner is the
T
fishe
fisherman who catches the largest number
of different species of fish in a defined period
For 17 years, colleagues Gus Carlo (left), John Flowers and Rick Bevins make the trip to Gavins Point Dam to find out who
can catch the most species of fish. All three have been faculty members at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Psychology
Department. Flowers is now retired, Bevins is department chair, and Carlo recently accepted a position with the University of
Missouri, but he continues to return to Nebraska for this annual competition.
64 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
of time,” said John Flowers, who created the
Gavins Point Species Fishing Contest with his
fishing buddy, Rick Bevins.
Both are faculty colleagues at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln. Seventeen years ago, after
a highly productive fishing trip on the Missouri
River, the idea for the contest was born.
“We found that to be so much fun, we have
been pursuing this activity on an annual basis
– except for the 2011 flood year,” Flowers said.
Seven years ago, Gus Carlo, a former UNL
faculty member, also joined.
To date, the anglers have caught
25 different species of fish, not
including accidental snagging of
paddlefish and non-fish species
such as turtles or birds.
The most species caught
in any one contest among
the three anglers was 15
in 2012, and the most
species caught by any
single angler was 12 in
2012 by Rick Bevins.
The prize consists
of a traveling trophy
and exemption
from chipping in for
beer and pizza that
evening.
The anglers usually
hold their contest
in late spring, a
time when large
To catch as many species as possible, Carlo, Flowers
and Bevins use all the baits and lures they can acquire,
including corn, shrimp and crankbaits.
Top Left: Rick Bevins poses with a freshwater drum. Top Right: John Flowers
releases a northern pike. Bottom: Gus Carlo passes over the “Gavins Point Dam
Species Fishing Contest” trophy to John Flowers, the winner in 2014.
66 NEBR
NEBRASKAland
RAS
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2014
20
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numbers of different fish
are most active, though
they have also gone in the
summer and fall. Typically
outfitted with two or three
rod-and-reel combinations,
and fishing with two at a
time with different rigs,
they have used baits such
as crayfish and shrimp
for drum, canned corn for
carp, minnows and worms
for a variety of species,
crankbaits, spinnerbaits,
and more to lure in as
many species as possible.
Once a species is caught,
bait and tackle is switched
to attract a different one.
The contest usually begins
at 11 a.m. and ends at 5
p.m. with a lunch break in
between.
“Sometimes fish bite on
both of an angler’s rods at
once, and that can lead to
some humorous chaos,”
Flowers said.
These photos were taken
in 2014, when Gus Carlo
passed the trophy to John
Flowers, who won again in
2015. The trio’s 2016 trip is
planned for early July, just
after the holiday. Should
readers of this story
happen to be at Gavins
Point and notice them,
don’t hesitate to say hello
and ask questions about
how to enjoy this activity.
“It’s always fun,” said
Carlo, who has recently
moved from UNL to accept
a position at the University
of Missouri. “John also
retired several years ago,
but we still get together
every year.”
Who will win this year? ■
John Flowers and Rick Bevins each caught a northern pike on
crankbaits during their competition in July 2014.
This shortnose gar was caught on a Mepps spinner. Many others were
caught on worms. In past contests, longnose gar have also been caught.
Often mistaken for carp, the shorthead redhorse is a good indicator of
healthy river systems.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 67
Along the Road
A Home Away From Home
Nebraska bed and breakfasts take vacationing up a notch.
By Renae Blum
W
hen Karen Baker first began planning her dream
bed-and-breakfast, she started with a list. “My
husband and I have traveled a lot,” Karen said.
“I sat down and thought, ‘What have I liked best
about the places we’ve stayed?’ ”
Answers came quickly: privacy, a feeling of safety, plenty
of blankets and linens and counter space. Most of all, a sense
of community, of family.
Today, Bakers Bed and Breakfast in Blair, Nebraska,
entertains guests from places as far away as Finland and
Canada and provides a getaway for all sorts of folks, from
lawyers to newlyweds to groups of scrapbooking friends. “I
love hearing their experiences, and getting to know them,”
Karen said.
Interest in bed-and-breakfasts in Nebraska is growing fast,
innkeepers say. People are drawn to the serene atmosphere,
homey touches and personalized attention that staying at a
bed-and-breakfast affords.
“The experience is just more special,” said Sally Hansen,
innkeeper at the Kaley House Bed & Breakfast in Red
Cloud, Nebraska. “At a bed-and-breakfast, you have a lot
more privacy. In our case, we have three parlors you can
enjoy. It’s kind of like having a home away from home.”
Innkeeper Kay Wunderlich, of Roca, Nebraska’s Wunder
Roost Bed & Breakfast, said that their guests are often lovers
of the outdoors. “We’re out in the country – we have goats,
chickens, the stars, the farm life,” she says. “A lot of people
just want to get away from the hustle and bustle and create a
new memory.”
Staying at a bed-and-breakfast is as affordable as any other
lodging, Wunderlich added, and you’ll get more for your
money. “We create an experience, not just a place to sleep,”
she said.
If you want to find a reputable bed-and-breakfast to
stay at, a good place to start is with the Nebraska Bed and
Breakfast Association, at nebraskabb.com. Each of the 29
member locations has been inspected to ensure that it meets
high-quality standards for a bed-and-breakfast. ■
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
Oft’s Bed & Breakfast in Bennington.
68 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
Out and About
Camping With Kids
Root Canals, Archeology and an Old Dog Tooth
Tips for introducing camping to your children.
Questions always arise when teeth are found.
By Julie Geiser
By Roger Welsch
C
Getting your children involved with
camping activities teaches them the
importance of safety at the campsite.
If you have toddlers or young children,
have them mark tent stakes and lines
with small, inexpensive solar lights
so they will remember to stay clear of
them.
Make sure they understand the
dangers of fire, and don’t leave the
campfire unattended with children
around.
Get each child a flashlight and attach
a whistle around the flashlight handle.
They can keep the light with them
in case they become frightened or
disoriented, and if lost, they can blow
the whistle.
Make sure your children know where
70 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
Play Tents
Bring two tents when camping with
children. The smaller tent can hold
toys, provide shade, and give children
an area to play safely. Your larger
tent is used for sleeping and storing
sleeping bags, clothing, and all the
other paraphernalia of camping. This
will give kids their own get-a-way and
will keep them occupied.
Activities for Children
Never be bored when camping and
don’t fret rainy days – there are many
ways to keep kids busy after they’re
tired of swimming or fishing. Pack a
plastic tote full of craft supplies for
those drab days.
Sand Drawings
Bring some heavyweight
construction paper and white glue from
home. Help the kids gather some sand
or lightweight soil from around the
campground. Let them draw pictures
on the paper with the glue. While the
glue is still wet, pour the sand over the
glue and allow it to dry.
Rock Crafts
Allow kids to look for rocks during
your hikes and around your campsite.
When they find rocks that they would
like to use, wash them off and dry them
thoroughly, and then let the kids glue
them together with white glue making
shapes and creatures. When you get
home, you can coat them with a layer
of clear varnish to help preserve them.
Both of these activities for kids will
keep them busy for a while, and give
them something to remind them of
their camping trip.
Scavenger Hunt
Have a scavenger hunt by looking for
these items or make up your own list:
Perfect skipping rocks
Straight walking stick
A flower in perfect condition
A perfectly round stone
A piece of litter (this also teaches
camping ethics)
Picture of a big fish you caught
A photo of wildlife
Proof of visiting with another
camper; again, use your camera
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Games and Other Fun
Be sure to bring along some games
from home to play during down times.
Games seem more enjoyable outdoors,
and if you play by lantern or fire
light, it seems even more fun. Bring
some toys too, such as balls and bats,
or badminton for quick games in the
afternoon.
Some campgrounds will offer
activities for children and families; it
is always good to ask when looking
for places to camp. If you are camping
elsewhere, games and toys are a great
alternative to boredom and inactivity.
Camping can bring a lifetime of
enjoyment to young and old alike.
Passing down the love of the outdoors
from parents to children is a way to give
them a lifelong love of camping. ■
or some reason I am thinking about
teeth this morning. Maybe it’s because
yesterday I had the occasion to enjoy
a root canal. As the dentist spent an
hour with a diamond bit drill, blasting
powder and a backhoe chiseling his way
down through my molar, I was once again
struck by the remarkable durability of teeth.
Even though this particular one had decided
to fail me and require repair.
From what little I have learned about
archeology and paleontology I know that
teeth are the most enduring part of organic
substances. Flesh fails, bone disintegrates,
but those teeth hang in there to the very
last and are therefore what we often find
when nothing else remains. I’ve been
skinny dipping down here in the Loup River
for almost 40 years, something readers
downstream might be dismayed to learn I
know, and so I know the sandbars fairly well.
And the riverbed. Even the great anthropologist, essayist
and poet commented on the joys of “floating down the
incline of the continent” as he butt-bounced his way down
the Platte River a century ago. I imagine it is a part of the
story of the survival of the human race that my ancestors
learned long ago to pay some attention to what lies beneath
them under the water, in the sands and directly below my…
Well, directly below me. The sand bottoms of the Middle
Loup are fairly fine; there are few pebbles, let alone rocks.
An occasional bit of wood, but not even much of that. So
when one’s bottom contacts something hard down there,
unseen, it tends to focus the mind.
So what is down there under the water? I’ve come up with
a lot of bones over the years and not the sort of livestock you
might imagine. I’ve found bison rib bones and a half dozen
skulls – one a truly ancient Pleistocene example of bison
antiquus, the species that roamed the Plains even before the
modern buffalo, bison bison. There have been vertebrae, leg
bones, bits and fragments, but most of all … teeth. Buffalo
teeth, prehistoric horse teeth, camel teeth (yes, camels
did once roam the Great American Desert) and rarest and
most exciting … elephant teeth. There is some romance in
knowing that this same ground where I now see fauna like
deer, muskrats and raccoons was once grazed by mammoths
and mastodons. And that the evidence for that is right here,
in my hand. Sure, that was a long time ago, but not so long
ago that I can’t still find the occasional tooth, not all that
different after all than the molar Dr. Destructo was grinding
away at just yesterday at this very hour.
Of all the teeth I have picked up along the way the
one that means the most to me is an ordinary dogtooth I
PHOTO BY ROGER WELSCH
Camping Safety
F
the campsite is
and keep a close
eye on youngsters
so they don’t
wander off. Children
should understand the
dangers and the joys of
camping. Let them help with
setup and chores around the camp
to make them more responsible
campers.
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
amping with children is one of
the true joys in family life. I
remember when our kids were
little and all the fun we had
camping; it brought us all closer
but it always took some pre-planning to
make it safe and fun.
Keeping youngsters from having
the camping jitters is sometimes an
issue, especially for tent campers. Tent
camping can be a ton of fun until night
rolls around and different noises start
happening. To get kids familiar with
camping do some pre-camping right at
home in your backyard. The kids will
learn what will be happening at camp,
and you can make sure you have all the
equipment you need before your first
trek into the wilderness.
Practice cooking outdoors with
your child. Set up the tent and let
your child spend the night in his/her
sleeping bag to get used to it. Make hot
chocolate or s’mores outside. Get a pair
of binoculars and look at the moon,
stars and birds with your child. Share
camping etiquette with your child.
Helping your child become comfortable
with camping activities is almost as
fun as camping itself; we had many
backyard campouts with our kids.
“My precious!”
sometimes wear on a cord around my neck. I have written
here and elsewhere about my love for dogs. Dogs are my
favorite kind of people. But this tooth has special meaning
for me. It was in a discard midden pile from an archeological
dig not far from my home, an excavation of an ancient
Pawnee earthlodge. Among the potsherds, flint fragments,
charred bits of wood and unidentifiable and insignificant
debris the researchers dug from the site there was this dog
tooth.
The tooth is interesting to me because this dog was part
of Pawnee village life long ago but also because it was part
of family life. The tooth was found inside the lodge, so this
wasn’t just some stray that wandered the village. It was
inside the lodge, perhaps someone’s favorite. Even though
his life may have been a tough one and his death in the lodge
fire a terrible one, he was a dog. A household dog. And for
that I hold him in regard … even as he is represented only
by this one tooth. Notably … a canine.
This dog knew things, saw things, heard things, tasted
things, lived things that still fascinate me and so I honor that
dog in this little bit of him left on this earth. Maybe some
day far in the future someone will find my tooth, showing
signs of a root canal and cap, and think, “You know, this old
dog knew things, saw things, heard things,
tasted things, lived things that are now
long gone.”
Or maybe it’s just the anesthesia. ■
Roger Welsch is an author, humorist
and folklorist. He has written for
NEBRASKAland Magazine since 1977.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 71
Eagle Heron Nest
Unlikely roommates share blue heron rookery.
By Eric Fowler
W
hen the fox comes near the hen house, the hens
tend to make quite a racket. Imagine if the fox
moved in?
Something along those lines happened in 2014
in rural Lancaster County when a pair of bald
eagles commandeered a nest in a blue heron rookery, added
on and began nesting. That first nesting attempt resulted in
eggs that apparently never hatched, as the adults were seen
incubating in March but left in April before chicks were seen.
That was likely much to the delight of the herons, which
returned to their rookery, which had been active for a few
years, in late March to find the interlopers.
The eagles’ second attempt in 2015 resulted in two chicks
being fledged. This year’s attempt may have been even more
successful had high winds not blown the nest from the tree
in early April, killing two to three young hatchlings.
The birds have similar nest building techniques that begin
with sticks laid in the crook of the upper reaches of a tree.
The eagles and herons were nesting in a cypress tree, the
only case in Nebraska of eagles nesting in something other
than a cottonwood. Herons nest in colonies that commonly
contain from 30 to 75 active nests. Both eagles and herons
Eaglets test their wings as a heron returns to the rookery.
72 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
continue to add material to their nests during the nesting
season and are apt to return year after year. Eagles’ nests get
much larger over time, with the largest measuring more than
12 feet wide and 20 feet tall and weighing several tons.
Bald eagles arrive at nesting territories in January or
February in Nebraska. Herons don’t arrive at their colonies
until late-March or early-April. This gives eagles the chance
to usurp a nest, which they are known to do. Eagles taking
over a heron nest has happened before. Joel Jorgensen,
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission nongame bird
biologist, knows of one such case near Nehawka. But what
happened there and appears to often happen elsewhere is
the herons abandon the rookery and build a new one. Which
makes sense to Jorgensen.
“To have an opportunistic predator that close to your
offspring … which for these birds and all other animals,
producing their offspring is really the most important
business in their minds … that’s almost like having a
criminal stay over in your house and hoping he doesn’t rob
the place,” Jorgensen said.
An internet search did find another case of herons
continuing to use their rookery despite the eagle’s presence.
The search also found a case of eagles raiding it and preying
on heron hatchlings. People living near the Lancaster County
nest didn’t report witnessing predation, but it was readily
apparent when the eagles were returning to the nest from the
racket the herons made.
The number of bald eagle nests dropped from an estimated
100,000 when it became the nation’s symbol in 1782 to
fewer than 500 in 1963, the result of habitat loss, poisoning
and widespread pesticide use. When the bald eagle was
removed from the endangered species list in 2007, there
were about 10,000 active nests in the United States and 54
in Nebraska, where the first successful nest in recent times
came in 1991. Last year, there were more than 12,000 nests
nationwide and 118 in Nebraska.
Jorgensen said he expects that number to keep rising.
“They’re already blowing away any expectations,” he said,
pointing to the 1980s when researchers thought 10 active
nests would be a success. “I think that the big question is
when does this start leveling off and we start seeing the
habitat in the state becoming saturated.”
Up to 7 percent of bald eagle nests in Nebraska are blown
down from trees each year, Jorgensen said. Sometimes the
chicks can be rescued and raised by Fontenelle Forest’s
Raptor Recovery. Eagles typically return to the same
territory the following year and build a new nest. People
living near a heron rookery in Lancaster County, and the
herons living in it, will be watching to see if they choose to
start from scratch or take over another nest. ■
An adult bald eagle tends to its young as great blue herons tend
to theirs last June in the Lancaster County rookery in which the
eagles chose to nest the past three years.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 73
Bettering Bird Photos, Naturally
To make bird photos appear to be more natural, it helps to provide dinner and set the stage.
By Justin Haag
I
t’s no secret. One of the easiest ways to attract birds
within your camera’s reach is to appeal to a feature
of their anatomies – their stomachs. Common photos
of birds on backyard feeders are effective at capturing
details of a species’ characteristics and beauty; they don’t
always evoke a sense of the wild, however.
In order to capture photos of birds in a more natural
setting, a photographer can position feeders near areas where
avian visitors will perch on branches nearby. Placing feeders
above shrubs and cut branches is a way to better your
chances at getting photos that appear to be from deep in the
woods.
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN HAAG
A male downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is one of
the many birds that have visited the makeshift feeder designed
for photography. The attractive bark of a cherry tree adds to the
photo’s appeal.
The author used a spade bit to drill three shallow holes in a
log for holding feed. Another smaller hole was drilled on the
bottom of the log so the makeshift feeder and photo prop could
be perched on a rebar fence post. As long as the holes are
concealed from the camera’s view, bird photos appear more
natural than those taken of retail feeders.
74 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
An even better way to help boost the natural appeal of bird
p
photos
is to construct a feeder from natural materials that
llook good in a photo: for me, it’s a log with a few holes in it.
Elevated by a simple inexpensive four-foot rebar fence
ppost, the 15-inch log provides the appearance of a natural
pperch in tightly cropped photos. By choosing a log with
aattractive bark, in my case from a cherry tree, additional
aappeal is added to the photo. Shallow holes atop the log,
ddrilled from spade bits, are effective for holding feed and
aattracting birds to the scene. A smaller hole at the bottom,
ddrilled about halfway through the log, allows the makeshift
ffeeder to rest on the 3⁄8-inch rebar post. The skinny rebar also
poses
p
a challenge for pesky squirrels to climb.
A photographer can reposition this feeder to any location
in
i the yard to vary backgrounds, capitalize on places of
concealment,
c
and adapt to lighting situations. On this day,
the
t camera with telephoto lens are on a tripod to my left,
fixed
f
to a view of the feeder, while I write this story and
respond
r
to emails with a laptop computer – keeping watch
o the feeder from the corner of my eye. Multitasking
of
h rarely been so fun, especially when the birds are
has
c
■
cooperating.
Justin Haag of Chadron enjoys photographing the wildlife
and landscapes of the Panhandle while serving as regional
editor for NEBRASKAland.
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 75
76 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 77
NOVEMBER 2015 • NEBRASKAland 77
Pictured above is my father Lawrence “Sandy”
Sandoz and a bag of pheasants.
The picture to the right is of Lloyd Terwilliger
(left), my father Lawrence Sandoz, and my uncle
Roy Barta with a bag of pheasants on Roy
Barta’s farm near Niobrara, Nebraska in 1944.
Thanks for considering the photos.
– Jerry Sandoz, Lincoln, Nebraska
Editor’s Note: Jerry also submitted a hunt/fish
permit (top) from 1942.
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.
78 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 79
Butterflied Trout with Compound Butter
A preparation of boneless trout that will impress.
By Jenny Nguyen
W
PHOTO
PHOT
O BY JENNY
JENNY NGUYEN
NGUYE
NGUYE
GUYEN
N
hile I was growing
up, my parents
often bought and
served fish whole
with bones intact
and the head still on. It was
cheaper, but I think my parents
truly enjoyed the challenge of
eating – navigating – whole
fish. They believed that the
tastiest, sweetest fish often have
the tiniest, sharpest bones, and
though I generally agree, it does
not compensate for my being
still hungry after most fish
dinners with my family.
For me, the slightest graze
may deflate all appetite, invoke
fear and stress. Getting fish
bones stuck in the back of
your throat is not a pleasant
Deboned and grilled rainbow trout served with a compound butter of shallot, chive and garlic.
experience, and if you “suck”
at eating fish, as my parents
often tell me I do, this happens a lot – a
Your favorite lemon and herb spice both sides of the fish. Brush both
certain memory still makes me shudder. blend seasoning
sides of the fish with olive oil. Lightly
Trout falls into this category. They
Kosher salt, to taste
sprinkle salt on both sides and generous
are delicious and so much fun to catch,
Olive oil for brushing
amounts of the lemon and herb blend,
but they are also bony. They require
Compound Butter
but first, taste the lemon and herb blend
too much care and attention to eat. It
4 tablespoons of salted butter,
to determine how salty it is.
was one of those meals that I looked
softened
3. Prepare grill to cook on high,
forward to but one that I also ate with
1 teaspoon of chive, chopped
direct heat. Once hot, clean grill
much trepidation.
1 teaspoon of shallot, chopped
grates thoroughly with a wire brush;
After catching limit after limit of
Zest of 1 lemon
cooking fish on a dirty grill will result
trout at Two Rivers State Recreation
Pinch of salt
in sticking. Cook trout skin-side up
Area, however, I was inspired to
for about 3-4 minutes, or until meat is
learn how to debone trout this spring.
1. To make compound butter,
slightly golden. Slide a metal spatula
And I have to say that this new skill
combine softened butter, chive, shallot,
under the fish and flip. Cook skin-side
has been life changing. (Thank you
zest and a pinch of salt. Lay a piece
down for an additional 3-4 minutes or
YouTube!) Thus far, butterflied,
of plastic wrap on a flat surface, place
until skin is slightly crisp and fish is
boneless grilled trout has become my
compound butter in the middle and
cooked through.
favorite preparation of this fish. Though then roll up compound butter into a
4. Serve fish hot with pats of
a bit time-consuming, deboning fish is
log. Twist the ends and refrigerate to
compound butter on top. Warn dinner
worth the effort, and your guests will
harden.
guests about leftover
appreciate it. It’s also an excuse to buy
bones. ■
2. Rinse fish under cold water
a new kitchen toy – fish tweezers.
and pat dry with paper towels.
This recipe
Debone whole trout according to
Servings: 4
and photograph
these directions: https://youtu.be/
Prep Time: 45 minutes
KkmkbJtrhFY. Open up trout all the
originally appeared
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
way down to the tail and remove as
on Jenny’s Food
Ingredients:
much of the spine as possible. Use fish
for Hunters blog at
4 whole trout, scaled and deboned
tweezers to remove pin bones along
Foodforhunters.com.
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JUNE 2016 • NEBRASKAland 81
Remembering Ken Bouc
I
just noticed the obituary for the photographer Ken Bouc, who passed
away April 8.
Ken Bouc was the NEBRASKAland magazine editor and photographer
who met my wife Carolyn on the shore of Branched Oak Lake almost 37
years ago.
It was at sunset, on the north shore near our campsite, where he asked
Carolyn to pose for a picture next to our little sailboat.
I don’t remember where the kids and I were at that moment, but I
distinctly remember Carolyn coming back from the shore all smiles, and
mentioning somewhat modestly that she had posed for one Ken Bouc at
our sailboat. She recalled that Ken asked her only to stand by the boat,
look like she was doing sailboat things. She said she did as asked and her
photo would likely appear with others in the magazine soon.
Ken’s photograph captured this young women with the sailboat
rigging and the sunset in her outstretched hands. We treasured that
photo when it was published, but, like so many other things a young
family does, we put our copy of the magazine away in some shoebox
or other in the attic for safekeeping. Carolyn passed away January 4 of
this year. A few days before the funeral, this photograph, and Ken’s
name and the publication, came into my head in a dream that meant
we needed to find the photo and share it.
So our family went to Lincoln in a rush, and worked with the
good people at NEBRASKAland to look for this photo. They
found and delivered to us Ken’s photo and a copy of the May
1979 magazine in which it appeared.
I never had a chance to meet with
Ken, or to say thanks and tell him
how much that one photo, from all
of his good photography, meant to
Carolyn and me and our family,
then and now.
Anyway, thanks Ken, from all of
us to you for sharing your artful
views of the beauty of Nebraska
and its people through the lens
of your camera.
Jim Boucher
Valley, Nebraska
KEN BOUC
Ken worked at NEBRASKAland
Magazine as a writer and
photographer from 1969 until 2007,
producing more than 260 articles
and countless images.
Ken died April 8, 2016.
82 NEBRASKAland • JUNE 2016
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