Volume 95, Issue 3, 2017
April 2017
- Identifier:
- nela.2017_095_03
- Title:
- Volume 95, Issue 3, 2017
- Issue Name:
- April 2017
- Date Issued:
- 2017-04-01
- year:
- 2017
- month:
- April
- Season:
- Spring
- PDF filename:
- NL_95.03_2017_Apr_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 095
- issue:
- 03
- number:
- 095.03
- 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
April 2017
This barred tiger salamander photograph was taken by Eric Fowler.
NebraskalandMagazine.com
$4.95
INSIDE
A Kayak Evolution ● Spring Flowers on the Prairie
Cattle Branding in the Sandhills ● Fly Fishing for Carp
Eastern Woodrat ● Growing Mussels ● Babe Ruth in Nebraska
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 95
●
No. 3
●
April 2017
F EAT U R ES . . .
24 Spring Wildflowers
2
PHOTOS AND STORY BY GERRY STEINAUER
32 Time Well Spent
What to do in April
BY RENAE BLUM
34 Kayak Evolution
Are you looking to go plastic?
BY JUSTIN HAAG
40 Mussels in Nebraska
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JULIE GEISER
48 The Beef State
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JENNY NGUYEN
56 Chasing Shadows
Fly fishing for carp in Nebraska
BY RYAN SPARKS
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E ...
48
●
Mixed Bag – The Eastern Woodrat, Travel to Elkhorn,
Roadway Cougars, Geocaching, and more......................... 8
Page 49 – The Two Faces of the Dandelion ................ 63
Nature Notes – Rattlesnake Bites for Dogs............... 65
Wilderness Workshop – The 5-Yard Turkey ........68
In the Field – Spawn is in the Air .............................. 69
Outdoor Update – Bighorn Sheep Transmitters ....... 72
Portraits from the Past – Reader's Photos ............. 74
In the Kitchen – Catfish with Bacon Cream Sauce... 77
The Last Stop – How About the Time ....................... 78
56
●
24
●
THROUGHOUT 2017, NEBRASKALAND MAGAZINE WILL
PUBLISH ARTICLES ASSOCIATED WITH THE STATE'S 150YEAR CELEBRATION. LOOK FOR THIS LOGO TO READ ABOUT
NEBRASKA'S RICH HISTORY AND VIEW OUR INTERACTIVE
DIGITAL EDITION FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Cover: Jenny Feeken of Gretna kayaks at Lake No. 4 at Two
Rivers State Recreation Area near Yutan. Photo by Jeff Kurrus.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 95 / NO. 3 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 • APRIL 2017
40
●
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 3
Dear NEBRASKAland,
Last week when I came home, I
had an armadillo rooting around in
my mulch. I had no idea there were
armadillos anywhere close to here.
Daron Smith
Murray, Nebraska
March
arch Visitor and Williams Art
You are one sneaky devil.
I spent over a half hour looking
through butterfly identification
guides looking for the name of the
butterfly on the bottom of page 8.
Then the next day reading the rest
of the magazine I find the answer
on page 57.
Guess I should read the
magazine first then look for the
visitor. This isn’t the first time
you pulled one on us. LOL.
Bill Bolte
Central City, Nebraska
Dusty Coulter of Gothenburg sent in these two images – one of a bobwhite quail
near the Medicine Creek and the other of mule deer at sunrise during the firearm
season in Frontier County.
I really loved the articlee
on painting The Spirit of
Nebraska with Todd A.
Williams. It is wonderful
how NEBRASKAland
includes state-wide
general interest stories
and history as well as
hings
hunting, fishing and all things
outdoors. Keep up the great work!
Eva Johanson
Omaha, Nebraska
It is a mourning cloak butterfly
with its tail hiding the number on
page 8.
My wife, Bente, is enthralled
with the paintings by Todd A.
Williams - they "say" so much!
G. E. Dave Fuller
Lincoln, Nebraska
We found the “mourning
cloak” butterfly on page 8 – was
pretty sneaky by giving us the
clue on page 57. Thanks to my
husband who reads the magazine
completely!
I really enjoyed Todd A.
Williams's paintings, especially
“Early Harvest.”
Thanks again for a great issue.
Janelle Downing
Norfolk, Nebraska
Noticed the mourning cloak
butterfly covering up the corner
of page 8. I have raised many of
them from caterpillars.
Jim Brooke
Durango, Colorado
4 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
More on Brief History's Nebraska vs. Notre Dame Game of 1922
Dear NEBRASKAland:
My uncle, William Clayton “Bill” Gallaway, was one of the football players
on the field that day when Nebraska defeated Notre Dame. He played guard.
Attached is one of the few pictures we have of him – with his football letter
jersey.
He didn’t return to the University after that year. With the onset of the
Depression, he and several friends from Crawford went to Alaska to earn
money fishing for salmon. He was murdered there on Sept. 16, 1935 and is
buried in Ketchikan.
Lela Louise Kennedy Criswell
Daughter of Bill’s youngest sister, Josephine Louise Gallaway Kennedy, of
Estes Park, Colorado
Editor's Note: See NEBRASKAland's November 2016 issue pages 14-15.
O see the article "Game Day 1922"
Or
on NEBRASKAland's Digital Edition
o
by clicking here.
b
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 5
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Outdoor Plates
Lyle Reising of Ralston tells people
when it’s time to fish on his plate. He’s
on the water at least two days a week
in search of catfish and released at least
400 pounds of fish last year.
If you have a unique outdoor
message plate you would like to
share, or know someone who does,
e-mail a photo (high-resolution, JPEG
format only, please) along with your
hometown and a brief description of
the interests expressed on your license
plate to Eric.Fowler@Nebraska.gov.
COMMISSIONERS
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
Director Jim Douglas
Commissioners
Chairman - Mark Spurgin, Paxton
Vice Chairman - Rex Fisher, Omaha
2nd Vice Chairman - Dick Bell, Omaha
Rick Brandt, Roca
Robert Allen, Eustis
Pat Berggren, Broken Bow
Jim Ernst, Columbus
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
Aaron Beckman of Madison County took this photo of an opossum near the Elkhorn River last January.
NEBRASKAland Magazine Copyright 2017, 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
S
Headquarters/Southeast District Office
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone 402-471-0641
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone 402-370-3374
Andrew Bebout of Lemoyne shared this
sunset photo of Lake McConaughy.
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.
Chris Haynes of Louisville sent us this photo of Marissa, Kelsey and Whitney Haynes photographing snow geese on private land in
Cass County.
6 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
Any program that receives federal funding from the National Park
Service, or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service prohibits unlawful
discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, marital
status, national origin, age, disability or political affiliation. Any person
who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program,
activity, facility, or service, should contact the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-0641, the Equal Opportunity
Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-2024, TTY/TDD 402-471-4693;
United States Fish Wildlife Service, Civil Rights Coordinator, 4401
N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203; Director, Equal Opportunity
Program, U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C
Street NW, Mail Code 0008, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001.
Southwest District Office
301 E. State Farm Rd. North Platte, NE 69101
Phone 308-535-8025
Northwest District Office
East Hwy. 2, Box 725 Alliance, NE 69301
Phone 308-763-2940
Bassett Office
524 Panzer St., Box 508 Bassett, NE 68714
Phone 402-684-2921
Kearney Office
1617 First Ave. Kearney, NE 68847
Phone 308-865-5310
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone 402-332-3901
Omaha Office
8495 Frederick Street, Omaha, NE 68124
Phone 402-595-2144
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
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
Greg Hesse (Sheridan, Dawes)
308-760-3647
308-430-0572
Dan Kling (Sioux, Dawes)
Terry Brentzel (Deuel, Garden, Grant) 308-458-7650
402-389-0444
Frank Miller (Cherry, Hooker)
Andrew Heyer (Dawson, Gosper, Phelps) 402-613-2241
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)
Owen Johnson
(Dixon, Dakota, N 1/2 Thurston)
402-266-1759
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
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
(Harlan, Franklin, Phelps)
402-705-9989
Matt Andrews
(Gosper, Furnas, Frontier, Red Willow)
308-746-2418
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
Dale Johnson (Kearney, Buffalo)
308-440-3847
308-529-8146
Mike Thome (Dawson)
Ray Dierking (Custer, Thomas, Blaine) 308-870-0322
John Lee (Hitchcock, Dundy, Chase, Hayes) 308-414-1432
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
Dan Zuehlke (Gage, Saline)
402-806-9084
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)
Matt Taylor (Thayer, Fillmore, Jefferson) 402-200-9597
Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers
1-800-742-7627
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 7
A Mammal Brief
By Lindsay Rogers
8 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
PH
PHOT
PHO
HOTO BY JON FARRAR
Primarily found in the
southeastern United States,
the range of the eastern
woodrat (Neotoma floridana)
extends into the
southern half of Nebraska.
This large woodrat species
builds large nests of sticks
to protect itself from
rain and cold temperatures.
Lindsay Rogers is an outdoor
Typically associated with eastern
education specialist with the
woodlands, the eastern woodrat
Nebraska Game and Parks
can also be found in prairie and
Commission.
grassland areas. Its nests are
often found near rocky outcrops
or under large logs.
Eastern woodrats breed multiple
times per year but the average litter contains only two young. The helpless, blind young immediately fasten
themselves to the mother’s teats where they remain firmly attached for three to four weeks. When the mother
leaves the nest, young are often dragged unharmed along the ground while still attached to the teat.
As herbivores, they eat nuts, berries, seeds, stems, roots, and buds. They will occasionally eat insects. Starting
in the fall, they will store or cache food in their large nest for the winter months. They will also cache random
found objects including jewelry, bottle caps, bones, and broken glass. This hoarding behavior has earned them
the nickname of “pack rat.” ■
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 9
By Hannah Hundley, Nebraska Tourism Commission
Elkhorn
ll aaboard! This month, travelers looking for an outdoor
adven
ad ture are making their way to Two Rivers State
Recreation Area. Two Rivers is one of the most popular
R
ti areas in the state. Located in eastern Nebraska, only
recreation
20 miles west of Omaha’s metropolitan area, the park is the
perfect day-use spot for a picnic or an afternoon of grilling.
g
But what really draws people in is its unique overnight lodgin
options.
The park has 10 Union Pacific cabooses that have been
refurbished into cabins. These train carts offer a one-of-a-kind
experience for park-goers. They sleep six people, with two
cabooses have been modernized; they are airbunk beds in the rear and two mattresses in the cupola. The
a fully functional
conditioned for hot summer use and each is equipped with
a deck with
has
cabin
each
,
dining
r
bathroom. For those who enjoy outdoo
rs, this
quarte
g
sleepin
ive
exclus
its
a picnic table and grill. In addition to
a variety
with
s
ground
ng
campi
tent
and
beautiful 622-acre area also has RV
.
beach
ing
swimm
a
and
of fishing opportunities, hiking trails
miles away
For the artsy souls, the charming town of Elkhorn is only 10
’s
Kimba
.
shops
craft
and
arts
from Two Rivers, and it has many lovable
“Come
all…
it
says
slogan
Their
.
Touch Pottery is one of these shops
leather
Clay With Me!” Kimba’s has loads of tools, stamps, cut outs,
enjoy
can
s
Visitor
more.
much
so
craft tools, slab rollers, wheels and
their
putting
while
n
Elkhor
Towne
the old market atmosphere in Olde
n’s
Elkhor
ns.
creatio
clay
with
ment
imagination to the test as they experi
town.
the
within
gem
hidden
r
Main Street Studios & Gallery is anothe
collection
They have two large gallery spaces filled with a heartwarming
s that
studio
art
se
in-hou
have
of paintings and sculptures. They also
acrylic
an
and
mith
silvers
a
r,
include a glass worker, a bronze sculpto
painter. The possibilities are
endless.
At night, travelers can grab
dinner at one of the nearby,
small-town food joints. Farmer
Brown’s Steak House in Waterloo
Elkhorn
specializes in steaks, seafood
and chicken, and just down the
street from it is El Bees, a local
Tex-Mex restaurant. There is a
place to satisfy everyone’s taste
buds!
And for those looking for a
real good time, live music and
cold drinks can be found at
Buck’s Bar and Grill, the only
bar in Venice, Nebraska. This
local dive bar boasts about
having the best original
touring bands folks will see
anywhere. ■
Two Rivers' caboose cabins
Kimba's T
ouch Potte
ry
uck's
ic at B
Live mus
10 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
Main Street Gallery
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 11
A Brief History
The "Babe" of Baseball Meets the
"Babe" of Hens
By the Nebraska State Historical Society
W
NSHS RG3882-52-59
Lou Gehrig and “Babe” Ruth flank an unidentified man in this
photo by Omaha photographer Nathaniel Dewell, which may
have been taken during the Ruth-Gehrig visit in October 1927.
12 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
NSHS RG3
RG3882-3-927
RG3882
882 3
8823-92
927
927
hen New York Yankee sluggers Babe Ruth and
Lou Gehrig came to Omaha for an exhibition
game in October 1927 following the Yankees’
victory in the World Series, the “Bambino” met the
“Babe Ruth” of the poultry world. The chicken, officially
named “Lady Norfolk” and belonging to A. R. Lander of
Norfolk, Nebraska, had just set a world record with 166
days of continuous egg-laying. The hen had been fed on
“Amco Egg Mash” produced by Omaha’s American Milling
Company, which sponsored the egg-laying contest. Company
Superintendent George Danforth had the record-setting egg
No. 166 carefully wrapped in a jewel case and airmailed to
President Calvin Coolidge at the White House to be served
for breakfast.
After establishing the record, more eggs were forthcoming
from Lady Norfolk, whose prowess had earned her the
nickname “Babe Ruth.” Eggs No. 170 and 171 coincided
with the real Babe Ruth’s visit to Omaha. Naturally the
American
Milling
Company could
not pass up an
opportunity to
gain even more
publicity for the
chicken and the
feed supposedly
responsible
for her prolific
output.
The Omaha
Bee-News of
October 17,
1927, gave the
meeting of the
An unidentified man holding Lady AMCO of
two “Babes”
Norfolk, April 10, 1927.
front page
coverage.
“It was a sight for sore eyes when Babe Ruth, king of the
bat, and Babe Ruth, queen of nonstop egg-laying hens of
the entire world, shook hands, exchanged compliments, and
smiled at each other in the backyard of the American Milling
Company at 11 a.m. Sunday ... When the Babe arrived at the
C
rroosts, a crowd of several hundred persons gathered around
tthe milling company grounds to see the world champs.
“The first item of this formal affair, at which Ruth and
Gehrig were bedecked in their ball togs, was the
G
iintroduction of the latest egg to both players by E. L. Altrock
aand Frank Robinson, managers of the company. But this was
aall routine to the Babe – he wanted to meet the little hen
hherself. ‘The chick! The chick!’ Babe exclaimed when he
sspotted Superintendent George Danforth with the ‘Babe’ in
hhis arms. At this point the crowd was tense.
“‘May I introduce Babe Ruth (the hen), champion of the
world as far as eggs are concerned,’ said Mr. Robinson to
w
‘Mr. Babe Ruth, famous home run king.’ ‘Howdy chick,’
ssaid the Babe with one of his largest and most inviting
ssmiles. ‘Cut, cut, cut, cut’ clucked ‘Babe Ruth,’ flapping
hher wings wildly. The hen was excited and the crowd was
ccheering. ‘I’ll bet this chicken won’t lay any more eggs after
tthis, and I sure want her to,’ said the Babe, with the smile
nnow changed to a worried expression. But Mr. Robinson
aassured the Babe that it was all right for she had already
eestablished a record for the world and that was enough.”
After the exhibition baseball game held that afternoon, egg
No. 170 was presented to Babe Ruth in front of a crowd of
N
44,500 fans. It was in a jewel box inscribed,
““From the Queen of Eggs to the King of
Hitters.” The article noted that the egg would
H
bbe sent to New York and there drained and
ppreserved so Ruth “can keep a souvenir of his
nnamesake.” ■
Visit the Nebraska State Historical Society’s
website at nebraskahistory.org.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 13
Roadway Cougars
A new Nebraska license plate that supports
conservation education is proving popular.
photos, features a reposed
cougar with the scenic
backdrop of the Wildcat Hills
near Gering. Each sale of the
new plate is helping foster the next
generation of naturalists as, by statute,
the Game and Parks Commission
receives the extra proceeds from the
plates for conservation education.
The plates are proving to be popular.
In the opening four months of their
offering, drivers bought more than
3,200 of them. Rhonda Lahm, director
of the Department of Motor Vehicles,
said it is the second most popular of
the four most recent specialty plates. A
plate honoring the military is the most
chosen one by a sizable margin, but the
cougar design is outpacing selections
for the sesquicentennial and breast
cancer awareness.
Commission Director
Jim Douglas reported in January
that the initiative had procured about
$28,100 to that point. The plates are
available for an extra $5 for standard
numbering or $40 for those wanting a
personalized plate.
Cougars, also commonly referred to
as mountain lions or pumas, have had a
confirmed presence in Nebraska since
the early 1990s. Sen. Ernie Chambers
of Omaha, an outspoken supporter
of the species, sponsored the 2015
legislative bill that created the license
plates following a suggestion by Sen.
Charlie Janssen the previous year. ■
PHOTO BY JUSTIN WAMBOLD
By Justin Haag
Cougar sightings are becoming
more common on Nebraska’s roads
these days; at least they are for people
observing vehicle license plates.
In October 2016, the Nebraska
Department of Motor Vehicles added
to its offerings a license plate featuring
an image of the big predator. The
design of the plate, which was created
by the Nebraska Department of Motor
Vehicles using NEBRASKAland
Ponca BBQ
Challenge
14 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 15
PHOTO COURTESY OF PONCA STATE PARK
By Lynn Mellick,
Ponca State Park
Mark your calendar! Ponca
State Park is hosting its second
“Smoke on the River, BBQ
Challenge,” Saturday, Sept. 16,
2017, at the Missouri River
Outdoor Expo. There will be
three main categories: pork,
poultry and beef. An “other”
category of wild game will be
judged separately.
No registration fee is
required. Prizes will be
awarded in each division for
first, second and third places.
First place in each category
BBQ pork ribs was one of the dishes entered in the "Smoke on the River, BBQ Challenge" last
earns a one-night stay in a
year at Ponca State Park's Missouri River Outdoor Expo.
Ponca State Park mini lodge.
The grand champion prize will
be announced at a later date.
We are looking for certified judges. If interested in judging
The BBQ challenge is open to 12 teams. Charcoal,
or competing, please contact Tyler Uthof at 402-369-2530 or
uthof_13@hotmail.com. For general Expo questions, contact
stick burners and pellet grills are allowed. No electric or
Ponca State Park at 402-755-2284. ■
gas grills.
Exploring Nebraska
One Post at a Time
Kyley Petersen of Malcolm makes an etching at a Great Park
Pursuit post. Participants in the summer program can win prizes
for making etchings at posts and mailing them in.
PHOTO BY ELISHA PETERSEN
By Renae Blum
Consider this your invitation to hit the road this summer
and get lost in some of Nebraska’s most interesting places:
The Great Park Pursuit is just around the bend.
The premise is simple. Each summer, organizers select
20 sites around the state – usually state parks and recreation
areas, national monuments and trails – and place an
engraved post there. Participants can visit as many of these
sites as they wish between May 1 and Sept. 16, locating the
posts and making an etching with pencil and paper to prove
they were there. You then mail in these sheets of paper to
enter a drawing for dozens of prizes, including free cabin
stays, an iPad, gift cards, magazine subscriptions and an
outdoor recreation package worth $1,500. The more pieces
of rubbings you submit, the more chances you have to win.
The Great Park Pursuit is free and easy to sign up for.
More than 16,000 Nebraskans have participated in the
Great Park Pursuit since 2008, forming teams of friends
and family members to go on adventures with. Participants
often comment that it’s a great way to find out about places
in the state that they didn’t know were there, and to learn
more about what Nebraska has to offer. You’re encouraged
to take your time at each site, enjoying whatever you find
there – horseback riding trails, campgrounds, swimming
areas, playgrounds, historical exhibits and more. Negpp.org
has ideas for more than a dozen activities you can do with
your kids at a location, including making leaf and flower
pressings and identifying different kinds of animal tracks.
Teams can be made up of individuals, families, friends,
coworkers, youth organizers or any other group you
belong to.
Register your team and get started at negpp.org. Watch the
Great Park Pursuit Facebook page for clues on where to find
the traveling “bonus” post, Parker the Frog. ■
Anchoring the Right Way
16 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
bow eye.
Then I tie off using a cleat up on
top of the gunwale. It is an easy tie-off
point to manage, but my contact point
is still low to the water, preventing
excess movement in the wind.
If you use these tips for strategic
anchoring, you will be amazed at how
much better your boat control can be
during a variety of weather conditions
and maybe how many more fish you
put in the boat. ■
Navy anchor
with 3-foot log
chain between
the anchor and
rope
The metal fluke style anchor
PHOTOS BY BRIAN ROBINSON
By Brian Robinson
Anchoring your boat is not only
conducive to catching fish, but it is
also a good skill to master for boat
control and safety reasons. Here are a
few ways to improve your anchoring
technique.
First, let’s get to the equipment. I use
a 20- to 25-pound Navy anchor for my
21-foot walleye boat and it works well
in most applications. The metal fluke
style anchors also work well. I like
to have 100 feet of rope because the
general rule is to use enough rope to
cover three times your depth. If you are
in 20 feet of water, you will need about
60 feet of rope.
The most important part of this
setup is a 3-foot piece of log chain
between your anchor and main rope.
This essential piece keeps the anchor
weighted down at an angle that will
cause it to catch on the bottom.
The next important consideration is
where you attach the rope to your boat.
Attaching at the lowest part possible
is the best place, which is usually the
bow eye, where you connect it to the
trailer. I use a heavy carabiner on my
main rope that will easily attach to the
A Wild Event
By Amy Rummel, Joslyn Art Museum
To celebrate its Wild Spaces, Open Seasons exhibition,
the Joslyn Art Museum will host a public lecture event by
Lily Raff McCaulou, author of Call of the Mild: Learning
to Hunt My Own Dinner, on Friday, April 7, at 7 p.m. An
urban environmentalist who moved west and became a
hunter, McCaulou learned to hunt the food she loves in a
sustainable way. Call of the Mild records her story, and
her lecture will reflect on the complex issues that surround
ethical hunting in America today. Following McCaulou's
presentation, guests will enjoy gallery viewing, a booksigning, and an hors d'oeuvres reception with a cash bar.
Advance reservations are required for this public
lecture event: $10 for Joslyn members or $20 for the
general public. Fee includes exhibition admission, hors
d’oeuvres and one free cocktail ticket (cash bar thereafter).
Reservations may be made online at joslyn.org or by
contacting Susie Severson, director of adult programs, at
402-661-3862 or sseverson@joslyn.org.
If you cannot attend the event, the Wild Spaces, Open
Seasons: Hunting and Fishing in American Art exhibit is
open to the public Feb. 12 through May 7, 2017. It is a
ticketed exhibition: $10 for general public adults; members,
youth ages 17 and younger, and college students with ID
enter free. The museum offers special Thursday pricing
(4-8 p.m.): $5 for general public adults.
Docent-guided tours of the exhibition are offered
weekly – view the calendar of events at joslyn.org for tour
offerings. Free Wi-Fi is available in all Joslyn galleries.
Guests may use their own web-enabled mobile device or
borrow one of Joslyn’s to access the dual language mobile
tour.
The Wild Spaces, Open Season collection encompasses
a wide variety of portraits, landscapes, still lifes and genre
scenes that reveal the connection of these outdoor activities
to all aspects of American history. The collection includes
iconic works by Thomas Cole, Thomas Eakins, Paul
Manship, and John Singer Sargent, as well as pictures by
artists who specialized “in the field,” such as Charles Deas,
Alfred Jacob Miller, William
T. Ranney, and Arthur
Fitzwilliam Tait. The
exhibition also sheds new
light on modernist studies
of sporting subjects by
Arthur Dove, Marsden
Hartley, and Max Weber.
Together, the 64 works in
the exhibition illuminate
changing ideas about
community, environment,
national identity,
landscape, and wildlife,
offering compelling
insights into one of our
most familiar shared
adventures. ■
18 NEBRASKAland • APRIL
L 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 19
Virtual Treasure Hunting
Uncover clues to Nebraska's past using your GPS.
PHOTO BY RENAE BLUM
By Renae Blum
You may have heard of geocaching (pronounced GEOcashing) – the popular outdoor game of hunting down
hidden treasures, called caches, using Global Positioning
System (GPS) devices or smartphones. Players follow GPS
coordinates to locate the caches, containers which hold a
logbook for players to sign and usually small trinkets of
some kind for trade. The player then puts the geocache back
for the next person to find and logs his or her successful find
online. Caches can range in size from buckets, bins and even
railroad cars to nano caches, which are 3⁄8" by 3⁄8" in size and
contain nothing more than a tiny rolled-up slip of paper for
logging purposes. Caches also range in difficulty; some are
easily visible, while more challenging caches may be tucked
inside bolts or compartments in logs and rocks, or require
you to figure out a lock combination. More than 2.8 million
geocaches have been placed by geocachers in over 180
countries; most people in North America and Europe live
within a short walk of at least one.
Not all caches are physical. Players looking for
EarthCaches are searching for answers to questions laid
Finding an EarthCache requires you to explore a place that
is geologically interesting and to answer questions about it.
Looking for an EarthCache can be a fun, interesting outdoor
activity.
20 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
out by that EarthCache’s creator, rather than for physical
containers. The questions have to do with the landscape
surrounding the GPS coordinates, a site that is geologically
interesting in some way. After exploring the site, reading
its online notes and determining answers, you email them
in to the EarthCache’s owner and log your visit online to
get credit for your visit. Inevitably the player walks away
knowing more about the Earth, Nebraska’s ancient history
and the story of the land in a unique area. Because they are
non-physical, EarthCaches may be located at sites where
typical geocaches are not legally allowed, such as national
pparks and geological monuments.
Nebraska holds more than 60 EarthCaches. Six of
N
Nebraska’s eight state parks have EarthCaches, as well as
oone state historical park (Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical
P
Park). Some Nebraska EarthCaches focus on the state’s
aancient animal and plant life. At Toadstool Geologic Park,
vvisitors are encouraged to examine fossilized footprints;
tthe questions for Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park
ffocus on the stunningly well-preserved species of rhinos and
ccamels at the site. Several EarthCaches highlight Nebraska’s
rrivers and waterfalls, such as Smith Falls, the Missouri
R
River and Stone Creek Falls at Platte River State Park. Other
N
Nebraska EarthCache adventures include exploring the
S
Sandhills, the Platte Valley Rainwater Basin in York and the
H
Heron Haven Wetland in Omaha. You do not need advanced
sscientific knowledge to complete an EarthCache; both kids
aand adults can enjoy the activity. Some EarthCaches require
a bit of walking; at an EarthCache situated in Lincoln’s
ssaline wetlands, you’ll need to make a trip of about 1.5
m
miles through the wetland to answer questions. Educators
ccan download an extensive guide to using EarthCaches in
tthe classroom, including lesson plans, online – it is available
oon Google as a PDF under its title, “EarthCaching – an
Educator’s Guide.”
E
To start geocaching, register for a free basic account at
ggeocaching.com and click “Play” to find caches near you. To
nnarrow your search to EarthCaches, click “View Geocache
Maps” under “Play” and deselect the other icons until only
M
tthe EarthCache icon remains, a globe with a
ppiece cut out of it. To make your search even
eeasier, download the free geocaching app.
EarthCaches are just one of several different
E
types of geocaches; read more about other
types under the “Learn” tab. ■
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 21
Stick Bait
Success
by Jerry Kane
Contact the Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission
at 402-471-0641 or visit
OutdoorNebraska.org for
more information.
Visit HuntSafeNebraska.
org for a list of hunter
education classes and
BoatSafeNebraska.org for a
list of boating safety classes.
April 1
Youth Fishing Instructor
Certification Class
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center, Lincoln
April 1-9
Sandhill Crane Migration Viewing
Fort Kearny State Historical Park
(SHP), Kearney
April 5
Light Goose Conservation Order
closes in Rainwater Basin and West
zones
April 5
Spring Turkey Hunting Workshop
Game and Parks Southwest District
Office, North Platte
April 6
Crow Hunting
Statewide crow hunting season closes
April 6
Spring Turkey Hunting Workshop
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, Gretna
April 6
Growing Up WILD Workshop
for after-school providers, Florence
Community Center, Omaha
April 8
Spring Youth Shotgun Turkey
Spring youth shotgun turkey season
opens
April 8
Happy Birthday, Nebraska!
Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area,
Gering
April 8
Nebraska State Conventional
Pistol Championship
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center, Lincoln
22 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
April 11
Linking Literature and Science
workshop for after-school providers,
Florence Community Center, Omaha
April 15
Spring Shotgun Turkey
Spring shotgun turkey season opens
April 15
Light Goose Conservation Order
closes in East Zone
April 15
Project Appleseed .22
Competition
Platte River State Park (SP), Louisville
April 17
Bighorn Sheep Lottery
Application period begins for bighorn
sheep lottery permit
April 21
Meeting
Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission meeting, Norfolk
April 22
Republican Valley Archery 3-D
Shoot
Red Willow Reservoir SRA, McCook
April 28
Arbor Day
Game and Parks offices closed
April 29
Roger G. Sykes Outdoor Heritage
Education Complex
opens on weekends, Platte River SP,
Louisville
April 29-30
Beyond Becoming an OutdoorsWoman
Experience Platte River SP, Louisville
By Brian Robinson
Traditionally, stick baits like Husky
Jerks and Rogues are deadly when
used early and late in the season. I
have found this to be particularly true
in some areas and have found a few
tips that really help catch fish.
For the most part, I lean toward
sticks that suspend, like the above
mentioned weapons. I’ve found that
having a variety on hand will help you
dial in what the fish want. Some days
they want 3” baits, some days 4½”.
Every bait has a different wobble,
roll and appearance at rest while
suspending. Pay attention to these
aspects and let the fish tell you what
they want.
Finding the right cadence is also
important when using sticks. I will
usually cast out, rip them down a few
cranks then completely stop them.
Then I try to figure out if
I should reel slowly,
twitch the bait or reel a
couple times and stop
it again. Pay attention
to when the fish strike;
is it on the pause or right
when you start cranking
again? Once you find
the right cadence, you
will stay busy.
I recently read
an article about a
bass pro who said
he never uses a stick
bait without a dressed hook
on it. A few lures come
with this style hook,
but for the ones that
don’t, I have tied
a few hooks with
mylar and feathers,
adding flash to the
presentation. Once
again, let the fish tell you if
they want a flashy bait or one
that’s a bit dull and slower.
Use these tips, find a
pattern that works and
you’ll be amazed at how
many different species
of fish will strike a well
presented stick bait. ■
Monarch Count from Mexico
By Kristal Stoner, Wildlife Diversity Program Manager
Although the monarch butterfly appears small and delicate, it maintains one
of the last great animal migrations. Every year milkweed-fed monarchs born in
the United States and Canada undergo a 3,400 mile journey to the Sierra Madre
Mountains of Mexico. Monarchs fly about 100 miles each day, so their migration
can take two months each fall.
Monarchs spend the winter roosting in oyamel fir forests that typically have
cool temperatures and ideal humidity that allows them to conserve their energy.
They cluster together to stay warm. Tens of thousands of monarchs can cluster on
a single tree, so the trees appear to be orange.
Since 1994, scientists have been measuring the area of forest covered with
monarchs as a way to estimate the monarch population east of the Rocky
Mountains. The monarch population peak was in 1996, when butterflies covered
18 hectares. This year’s official population estimate is 146 million monarchs,
covering an area of just 2.91 hectares (7 acres).
Unfortunately, this is down 27 percent from last year’s area of 4.01 hectares. In
early 2016, just when the monarchs were preparing to begin their migration north,
storms blew down over 100 acres of forest. The storms happened after the official
monarch survey, but scientists speculated that those storms killed over 6 million
butterflies.
Unfortunately, this means the monarch still faces possible extinction for the
entire eastern half of the United States. The current population is only half of the
necessary 6 hectares necessary for monarch recovery. With such low population
numbers, winter storms and summer droughts could have devastating effects.
There is still hope for monarchs. While it faces many challenges across its
migration, it has tremendous potential for recovery. In early June, Nebraska
usually sees the first migrants north. You can help monarchs by planting
milkweed, a variety of flowers that will bloom from June until fall and avoid
using pesticides. For more information, visit: monarchwatch.org/blog. ■
NEBRASKAland
ASKAland
and
Visitorr
Last issue’s winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Cindy Fankhauser of Kearney,
Nebraska, who found the mourning
cloak butterfly on page 8.
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
page 5, 15, 17, 23, or 63.
The mourning cloak is a large
butterfly, with a wingspan of 2-4
inches. These butterflies can be
found throughout much of the
U.S., including Nebraska. Their
wings are deep maroon to black,
with a thick yellow band along the
edge. This insect overwinters in
the adult stage, with adults seeking
shelter in cracks and under bark.
They may become active on warm,
sunny winter days. Mating occurs
in the spring, and females lay
eggs on host plants, which include
willows, hackberry, birch, elm and
cottonwood. Caterpillars hatch and
begin to feed, staying together on
the plant. In mid- to late-spring,
the caterpillars will pupate. Adults
emerge in June and July and feed
for a short time on tree sap and
fermented fruit before becoming
inactive. This summer inactive
period is termed aestivation. They
will resume feeding in the fall
before finding a spot
to overwinter.
Special thanks to
Julie Van Meter,
State Entomologist, Nebraska
Department of Agriculture.
Migrating monarch butterflies are pictured on a fir tree branch in Michoacan, Mexico.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 23
Spring Wildflowers
of the Tallgrass Prairie
Photos and story by Gerry Steinauer, Botanist
The pink to dark purple flowers of ground-plum (Astragalus crassicarpus) mature into clumps of plum-shaped pods that sprawl
on the ground. Late in summer, nests of the withered, leathery pods mark where plants once bloomed. Rodents gather and
cache the dried pods.
Spring arrives to the tallgrass prairie with a splash of
The first tallgrass wildflower to emerge
from its winter slumber is the prairie
fawn lily (Erythronium mesochoreum).
As early as late March, when snow
and cold still threaten, fully-formed,
bell-shaped flowers push through the
soil, followed by two fleshy leaves. This
increasingly uncommon wildflower is
found only in our southeastern counties.
24 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
wildflowers – whites, yellows, pinks and purples. The first to
emerge from thawing soils are only a few inches tall, a stature
well-suited to weak sunlight and lingering cold. These diminutive
plants will bloom but briefly then rush to set seed before the
prairie comes fully to life.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 25
As spring progresses, longer days and a
stronger sun bring a greater diversity of
wildflowers and revives prairie grasses turning
the land from winter brown to green.
In mid-spring, the leaf rosettes
of field pussytoes (Antennaria
neglecta) send forth a stem
crowned by the plant’s
namesake, fuzzy flower heads.
This colonial plant secretes
chemicals into the soil that stunt
the growth of other wildflowers
and grasses, allowing the
ground-hugging pussytoes to
compete for sunlight.
Prairie violet (Viola pedatifida) flowers fade after a hard April frost. The most
common and widespread violet in our eastern prairies, this species is vital to
the survival of the rare regal fritillary butterfly whose larvae feed exclusively on
violets.
26 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
A delicate perennial growing from a
shallow, scaly bulb, all parts of the
violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea) are
edible, raw or cooked. The Omaha and
Ponca tribes called the plant “hadesathe,” meaning sour herb. The plant
contains oxalic acid, imparting
a tart taste.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 27
To compete against the prolific grasses, wildflowers
now are taller, some reaching a foot or more in height.
These species will have their day in the sun, but in
time, they too will be supplanted by a new parade of
blooms: those with a constitution to withstand the heat
and aridity of summer.
ABOVE: The early morning dew settles on the flowers of the prairie ragwort (Packera plattensis). This plant grows statewide in
prairies and is the most common of our nine ragwort species. Their flowers can be boiled to make a yellow dye for wool.
OPPOSITE: The beautiful, sculpted flowers of the prairie larkspur (Delphinium virescens) mask a hidden danger for this late
spring-blooming perennial – toxic alkaloids to dissuade grazers. Cattle are acutely susceptible to the poisons if plants are
consumed in quantity. Several species of Delphinium were used as a folk remedy to kill lice. A tincture, made of the seeds and
flowers, was mixed with soap and used as a shampoo.
28 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 29
Tallgrass prairies are now rare in eastern
Nebraska, but for those who seek, native
wildflowers can be found and enjoyed. ■
In this recently burned prairie with
scant plant litter, ample sunlight
reaches and warms the soil,
encouraging the growth of the longbracted spiderwort (Tradescantia
bracteata) and other wildflowers. The
frail and succulent petals of spiderworts
last but a day before dissolving into a
mucilaginous mass. Their persistently
fresh, showy flowers with large yellow
stamens set against complementary
purple petals make them a focus of
nature photographers.
The pleated and funnelshaped flowers of Macoun’s
bindweed (Calystegia
macounii) are characteristic
of the morning-glory
family to which this plant
belongs. An uncommon and
little-known wildflower of
loamy prairies in eastern
Nebraska, its close relatives
include the more twining
and weedy hedge bindweed
(C. sepium) and the dreaded
field bindweed (Convolvulus
arvensis) that invades lawns,
gardens and croplands.
30 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
Red-tinged in bud, the lemon yellow flowers of plains evening primrose (Oenothera serrulata) unfurl in May and bloom into July
as new buds form on elongating stems. Unusual among primroses, its flowers remain open throughout the day.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 31
Time Well Spent
Spring Turkey
Hunting
Shotgun season starts
April 15
Statewide
What to do in April
Nebraska boasts not only the best turkey
hunting in the country, but also one of
the longest seasons in the nation, with
archery and shotgun seasons closing
May 31. Turkeys can be found in every
county of the state, and hunters will find
good turkey opportunities on more than
500,000 acres of public and public-access
land in Nebraska. To learn more, visit
Outdoornebraska.org/wildturkey.
By Renae Blum
Fields and forests are perking up with fresh signs of life; make sure you don’t
miss any of it, from spring turkey hunting to white bass fishing to morel
mushroom hunting. For a complete list of upcoming events across the state
or for more information on any of the activities listed here, visit
Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.org.
■
White Bass Fishing
Late April
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Statewide
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
This open-water predator is spawning at
reservoirs across the state. According to
the 2017 Nebraska Game and Parks Fishing
Forecast, the top reservoirs for white bass
fishing are Swanson and Harlan County.
Sherman, Maloney, McConaughy and
Calamus are also good bets. If you’re in
search of the largest white bass – perhaps
exceeding 15 inches – visit Minatare, Elwood
and Lewis & Clark.
Nebraska
Sesquicentennial
Events
Throughout the month
Junior Olympic Archery
Development and Adult
Archery Program
April 3 – June 27
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education
Center in Lincoln
32 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
PHOTO BY AMY KUCERA
If you’d like to develop your archery skills, consider joining
this 10-week program for adults and kids ages 8 and up. With
the help of expert instructors, students work at their own pace
while striving to develop their form and meet their archery goals,
whether that is recreational enjoyment or competition. Four
programs are available at different times; two begin Monday,
April 3, and two begin the following day. Call the center at
402-471-6141 to learn more and sign up.
Nebraska turned 150 in March, and celebrations
are ongoing throughout the year. This month,
head to Tekamah on April 15 for the Spring Fling,
the largest Easter egg hunt in Nebraska. If you
enjoy art, visit the Art of the American West
and the Wild Spaces exhibits at the Joslyn Art
Museum in Omaha, and check out the
Nebraska State Quilt Guild’s NE150
Quilt Competition display in Seward.
Other events include Nebraska City’s
146th Annual Arbor Day Celebration
and a youth poetry festival. For
details and more events, visit
ne150.org.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Statewide
Morel Mushroom Hunting
Late April
Statewide
It’s time once again for that most treasured of scavenger hunts:
morel mushroom season. Good locations include recently burned
woods, moist wooded areas near dying or dead elm or ash trees,
old apple orchards, timbered areas along rivers and streams, and
sunny, south-facing slopes.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 33
Kayak
Evolution
By Justin Haag
L
ook up the word “kayak”
in the dictionary and the
first words you see might
describe a small, light
canoe-like vessel, made
watertight with coverings of animal
skins, developed by the Inuit long
ago to fish and hunt. That definition,
especially the part about the animal
skins, is poles apart from what you
are likely to see floating the surface
of your local lake or gleaming on the
floor of your nearest outdoor retailer.
Without doubt, though, the Inuit
were on to something when they first
began using this innovative watercraft
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
It has taken a few thousand years, but
adaptations have made kayaks one of
the most popular vessels afloat. Are you
looking to go plastic?
Marty Hughes of Lincoln fishes from a kayak at Wanahoo State Recreation Area in Wahoo in Saunders County.
Pictured is a vintage 1873 engraving showing Inuits seal hunting.
34 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
in Greenland thousands of years
ago for hunting and fishing to feed
their families and communities, and
they would love to see how far their
innovations have come.
During the past decade or so, kayaks
of the plastic variety have progressed
from being something of a novelty in
Nebraska to a common sight at lakes
and rivers of all sizes. Once people
climb aboard these modern vessels,
they come to understand the magnetism
of this national trend.
Users love that modern kayaks are
lightweight and provide freedom for
the independent-minded floater. Even
in waters choked by vegetation, kayaks
smoothly glide over the surface and get
users to places inaccessible by other
vessels. Whether for fishing, hunting or
just splashing around the beach, kayaks
appeal to a wide variety of users at an
attractive price range beginning at just
a few hundred bucks.
As time goes on, manufacturers have
continued to improve on the pioneering
vessel first used by the Inuit. With each
passing year, kayaks get a little better
and some of the newest designs are
sure to make converts of any doubters.
This article is intended to help readers
make the right choices as they seek to
join the nation’s ever-growing plastic
navy.
Where’s Your
Water? What’s Your
Purpose?
The greatest advantage to the kayak,
perhaps, is its versatility. A floater
assumes a great deal of freedom when
not having to worry about finding a
boat ramp and dock for launching and
retrieval.
Among the most important questions
to ask when choosing a kayak is
where will you use it and for what
purpose? With so many kayaks on the
market, making a choice can be an
overwhelming task. The choice can
become much easier by considering
a few points. It is a lot like choosing
a vehicle, with choices akin to the
little shiny sports car, the big hardy
four-wheeled drive truck and points in
between. From small, brightly-colored
recreational kayaks to big, camouflage
fishing and hunting models loaded with
features, today’s consumers have many
options to suit their style.
One attribute to consider is length
and width. Most consumer grade
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 35
kayaks range from nine to 15 feet
long at various widths. Do you want a
boat that is small and light for lugging
through a mile of backwoods before
getting to water? Shorter kayaks excel
on a wide variety of waters, providing
the capability to make short turns
and maneuver along small streams
and flooded timber – not to mention
taking up less space for storage and
transportation. However, a longer,
narrower kayak tracks better, staying
on course and making easier work
over long distances.
A bigger vessel also provides ample
room for storage and often enough
stability to stand upon for a casting
platform or to carry your trusty
waterfowl-retrieving canine. A wider
kayak will excel in stability but it is not
going to get high marks for speed.
If possible, those purchasing a
kayak would be wise to sit in it, or
even better, take it for a float, before
taking it home. Each model handles
a little differently, not to mention
provides different features in varying
arrangements.
Another of the nation’s foremost
manufacturers, Wilderness Systems,
has created “tri-powered” vessels that
give users the option of what type of
power to use on each trip. They can opt
to paddle or make use of the vertical
chute through the middle of the kayak,
which provides space for a specially
designed electric motor or a pedal unit.
Regardless, it is always a good idea
to have a back-up method of power
available. We all know the term about
being up a certain creek without a
paddle. This can take on a literal
meaning for the careless or unlucky
kayaker. Regardless of the vessel’s
power source, it is a good idea to stow
away an emergency paddle. Even a
small one-bladed paddle is certainly
better than nothing during emergencies.
Modern sit-on-top
kayaks such as the Lifetime
Tamarack Angler often come from
the manufacturer with amenities popular for
anglers, including rod holders, padded seating and
hatches for storage.
Anchors Aweigh
Kayakers, especially those who hunt
and fish, often need a way to keep
the kayak stationary. Just as kayaks
Sit-in kayaks
such as the Sun
Dolphin Aruba 10 have
basic features, but give users
an inexpensive way to get on the water.
glide with ease across the water, they
also move easily with the slightest
of breezes or wakes. This is where
anchors become critical. Small anchors
of two pounds or less are ideal for
kayaks and other small watercraft.
An anchor trolley, such as a kit
marketed by Seattle Sports, allows
the drop point of the anchor to be
adjusted for the conditions. Adding
a hand reel can make quick work
of raising and lowering the anchor.
Whether using a trolley or not, users
will most likely want to drop anchor
below either the stern or the bow.
Anglers often prefer dropping the
anchor at the back of the boat in
order to cast toward the bank with
the wind at their backs – both more
enjoyable and often more successful
as certain fish species are known to
gather to forage on whatever the wind
is carrying to those locations.
The riskiest drop point, which also
happens to be the most convenient, is at
center of either side of the boat. Under
high winds, wake or strong current, this
location puts the kayak in danger of
capsizing or becoming submerged when
water meets the broadsided vessel.
Group
Considerations
Many lovers of the outdoors are
attracted to the peaceful solitude and
freedom of a day afloat in a personal
watercraft. As with most outdoor
ventures, though, kayaking can be best
enjoyed with family and friends.
Paddlers who know they will need
a place for children are often attracted
to tandem kayaks, which provide
comfortable seating for two. These
models provide a fun way for two
people to spend time afloat. Tandems
often lose their popularity, however,
when a user is required to paddle one
alone.
Malibu Kayaks has produced the
Gator Hatch, a large hatch cover for
Just like their caribou-skinned
predecessors, sit-in kayaks, in which
users are seated in a cockpit, provide
a heightened barrier for those battling
heavy surf, whitewater and big waves.
While Nebraska may not have much
of the first two, many of its reservoirs
often feature big waves and wakes
where some extra protection from the
water is desirable – especially in colder
temperatures.
Regardless, the virtually unsinkable
hollow-bodied sit-on-top kayak,
with its molded ergonomic deck, has
become the chosen option for many
floaters for a variety of reasons. For
one, this style is much easier to get in
and out of, especially for larger users.
Once aboard, operators are freer to
move about. Many larger kayaks even
have big enough platforms for users to
stand, especially true of newer models
that even have seats that will transform
to leaning bars. Most also have hatches
to access storage space below the
deck.
36 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
The “Propeller”
Once aboard any vessel, the captain
needs a way to propel his or her ship.
The most common form of power for
the kayak, of course, has long been
the humble paddle. Paddles remain
the lightest of the options and popular
for people who got into the sport for
its minimalistic attributes. Not only is
a paddle low maintenance but it also
provides great exercise. No winterizing,
recharges or oil changes needed.
Perhaps the one item that most
distinctly separates a kayak from a
canoe is the style of paddle. Kayakers
use a double-bladed set-up that allows
for quickly moving through the water
with less time between strokes as the
single-bladed variety.
Many of today’s kayaks come with
apt paddles, but not all are created
equal. Considering kayakers rely so
heavily on this piece of equipment,
they are wise to choose a good
one. Length is critical, with taller
paddlers ensured a better experience
with a longer paddle and vice versa.
Boat width is also an important
consideration. Paddles generally range
from 78 to 98 inches.
Blades are most commonly
constructed of nylon, aluminum and
plastic, but higher performance models
of fiberglass and carbon fiber are
available. Regardless of the design, it is
important the paddle has drip rings to
keep the water from running down the
shaft and into your lap.
Unlike days of yesteryear, paddles
are not the only way to move a kayak
across the water. Some kayak users
have found ways to mount an electric
trolling motor and some let their
feet do the work. Hoby, for instance,
has distinguished itself for years by
providing a hands-free pedal-powered
kayak, especially popular for anglers,
and other manufacturers are now
following suit.
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
Sit-on-top vs. Sit-in
Kayaks can be best enjoyed with friends and family, as seen on a trip down the Missouri River.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 37
phone photography, for instance, kayak
users were creating “selfie sticks” to
take photos of themselves with their
big catches. Some equip their vessels
with an array of battery-powered
accessories, including fish-finders, livewells and communications equipment.
As time goes on, manufacturers are
taking note and offering such amenities
as options from the factory.
The most used tackle and gear
storage item has been the milk crate,
modified with rod holders. Now, tackle
storage equipment that looks much
similar to those crates is available from
retailers.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Safety and Special
Regulations
Even above the importance of
carrying an extra paddle is the personal
flotation device, more commonly
known as the life jacket. Law requires
each person aboard to have a life
jacket.
Many of today’s manufacturers are
designing life vests with kayak users
in mind. The average kayaker spends
a lot of time rowing from a seated
position, so anything bulky in the
back or under the arms may become
uncomfortable after long periods on the
water. Because of these considerations,
the vessel’s bow that features a molded
rear-facing seat for children – perfect
for the primary paddler to help young
anglers remove fish and remedy
tangled line. Couple that with one of
their larger models, and a paddler can
carry two children – one at the bow
and one in the area behind the driver.
These kayaks not only work well with
children aboard but also navigate easily
for the solo floater.
Once children get larger, however,
one will be forced to either expand the
fleet or take turns. By equipping each
paddler with his or her own watercraft,
family and friends are able to both
enjoy the freedom of setting their own
course and the satisfaction of spending
time together.
Transportation and
Storage
Depending on the number of kayaks
one must transport and the type of
vehicle, a variety of methods exist for
transportation.
One or two kayaks fit well within
the bed of a regular full-sized pick-up
truck, and a bed extender that mounts
in a standard hitch receiver helps
38 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
secure longer vessels. It is common to
see kayaks tied to the top of cars, vans
and truck toppers, either with specially
designed racks or just foam blocks and
rope.
As the plastic fleet grows,
transportation pull-type utility trailers
modified with racks for two-to-eight
kayaks are becoming increasingly
common, and manufacturers have
begun producing trailers to suit a
variety of situations.
While kayak users are often able to
drive close to the water for launching,
there will be times when a trek is
necessary. Despite some kayaks being
small and light enough to carry short
distances, long hauls are a chore.
Two-wheeled carts which strap to the
kayak’s rear help a single user pull a
kayak to the water. With the right tires,
it can handle various terrain.
Once at home, wall racks or specially
designed hoists provide a way of
efficiently storing kayaks in the garage
or shed.
Other Modifications
Do not be fooled by the kayak’s
small package. Many paddlers have
found ways to bring the advantages of
big boats to the smaller variety.
Perhaps the area that has advanced
the most for kayaks is fishing. Even the
most basic of fishing kayaks now come
from the store with both flush mount
and removable rod holders – pretty
much a necessity, especially for kayaks
that require paddling.
One must keep in mind that whatever
is not tied down and does not float
could end up at the bottom of the lake.
One can opt for commercial leashes or
build their own, but it is always a good
idea to keep valuables tied to the kayak
in one way or another.
The well-designed kayak has a
variety of hatches available for storage
below the deck and strategically placed
bungee straps allow users to secure a
wide variety of items atop it. With an
array of accessories available, kayak
users who are handy with a hand drill
and rivet gun are limited only by their
imagination.
Fishing kayak users are an especially
innovative bunch, and countless
hacks have made their way to Internet
message boards. Such sites are ripe
with homemade designs for items
created with inexpensive materials such
as PVC pipe and plastic cutting boards.
Long before the popularity of mobile
Join the Navy
Whether you are planning to follow
the lead of the Inuit by pursuing
fish and game, or you just want to
splash around the nearby pond with
friends and family, today’s kayak
manufacturers surely have a model
to suit your needs. With the utility,
convenience and fun provided by this
modest vessel, it is sure to be on the
water for hundreds of years to come. ■
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
Jenny Feeken of Gretna kayaks on Lake No. 4 at Two Rivers State Recreation Area near Yutan.
modern inflatable life jackets are
among the favorable options available
for kayakers.
Another safety consideration is
visibility. If one is floating in waters
frequented by motorized boats and
other watercraft, it is imperative to
be seen. Some buy brightly colored
kayaks and clothing just for this reason.
While Nebraska does not require
kayaks and other non-motorized
watercraft to be registered, some states
do. Be sure to keep that in mind when
crossing the border. Likewise, the new
Aquatic Invasive Species stamp is not
required for non-motorized kayaks,
but other laws regarding the effort
to prevent the spread of unwelcome
species do apply. For instance, it is
unlawful for a boat to leave a Nebraska
body of water with any of that water or
its aquatic vegetation.
A kayak angler releases a largemouth bass at Smith Lake Wildlife Management Area
south of Rushville.
Top of the line kayaks such as this
Malibu Kayaks Stealth 14 are loaded
with features: an internal livewell/bait
tank, a large hatch with an additional
seat, casting platform with convertible
seating, and a deck that is designed
for fishing. But the cost can set you
back – retail price is $1,299.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 39
Raising Freshwater
Mussels in Nebraska
A female plain pocketbook mussel displays
her “lure” to attract a host fish. Once
the mussel’s gills are bitten by a fish, the
glochidia are released and attach to the
fish’s red gills.
Little known species in need of conservation
Story and photos by Julie Geiser
I
f you’ve ever waded into one of Nebraska’s rivers
or streams and found a shell, you may have
wondered where it came from and questioned
what was inside it. Those curious enough will
find it came from a mussel, a creature that lives
and survives in its own secluded and complex
world.
Freshwater mussels have evolved in free-flowing
river systems for centuries. They play a key role
in aquatic environments as they transform the
habitat and purify the water. As filter feeders, they
process organic matter from the water, which is
used to grow their bodies and shells. In return,
they excrete nutrients that are used by plant life,
invertebrates and fish, providing benefits that
extend beyond the water to mammals, birds, and
humans.
These long-lived species are sensitive to changes
in water quality. If mussels disappear, as they
have from some Nebraska waters, it is often
an indication that something is wrong in their
environment. Once gone, so are the benefits they
provide.
Life History
40 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
The Major Parts
MANTLE FLAP
EXCURRENT SIPHON
INCURRENT
SIPHON
GILLS
FOOT
MANTLE
ILLUSTRATION BY JULIE GEISER
Part of the Unionoidae family, freshwater
mollusks – more commonly known as mussels –
live in a two-part, hinged shell that grows with the
mussel. Shell colors range from yellow-green to
black and are sometimes covered in algae, making
them hard to spot under water as they blend into
their surroundings. They are found in Nebraska’s
rivers, streams and canals and in some reservoirs.
The difference between marine or saltwater
mussels and clams is that marine mussels
attach to surfaces whereas clams do not.
Freshwater mussels are distantly related to
marine mussels and clams but they are their
own “group” as their reproduction is entirely
different from the marine versions. Often
called clams, mussels are not clams.
Mussels are filter feeders, sucking in
water through an incurrent siphon, which
is then pumped over the mussel’s gills
where microorganisms, phytoplankton
and bacteria are filtered out for food. Mussels can
selectively sort and eject indigestible matter such
as small grains of sand and other debris. Water
and waste are expelled through an excurrent
siphon into the water, where it becomes food for
macroinvertebrates that fish feed upon. Large,
dense matter accumulates in the mantle cavity
as a mass of mucous called psuedofeces, which
is periodically ejected by the mussel with a quick
contraction of its shell. This filtering ability helps
maintain good water quality and supports life in a
healthy waterway.
Mussels have various muscles that open and
close their shell. They also have a muscular foot
that they extend from their shell; it is used to
slowly pull themselves along the sand, gravel
and muddy bottoms of the water in which they
live, or to bury and hold themselves in place. This
burrowing movement is significant, as it mixes and
stabilizes substrates and releases organic matter to
the water column.
Studies have shown that once an individual
mussel has settled into an ideal substrate, it might
only travel 50 feet in its lifetime. Others may
be forced to move longer distances as habitat
conditions change. Some species, in the right
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 41
Mussel Habitat
beautiful mother-of-pearl nacre on the inside of a
mussel shell was popular for button making in the early
1900s. That industry overharvested mussels to the
brink of depletion in some parts of the country.
In addition, many mussels are only found in flowing
waters of streams and rivers. When dams are built,
the resulting reservoirs are often too deep, contain
too much silt, and provide too little flow to make them
habitable for most species of mussels. Dams are
barriers to fish that are a crucial component of mussel
reproduction and survival.
The conversion of grasslands to cropland has led
to an influx of silt and chemical-laden runoff from
cultivated farm fields into rivers and streams, also
affecting mussels. Freshwater mussels are especially
sensitive to low concentrations of chemical compounds
such as ammonia, phosphate and pesticides. Siltation
can cover and destroy mussel habitat or cover and
smother the mussels. Livestock can also pose a threat,
either directly by stepping on mussels while drinking
from streams or indirectly when their waste increases
nutrient levels in the water.
A single catastrophic event, such as a severe
drought, flood or a chemical spill, can wipe out small
populations of mussels.
Joe Cassidy (left) and Bryan Sweet use a telemetry device on tagged mussels before releasing them into Cache Creek in Holt
County. Josh Cloeter (right) releases tagged mussels into the creek bed.
environment, can live for more than 100 years.
While many mussel populations may look healthy
and diverse, some are actually aging, non-reproducing
populations in severe decline. As sedentary organisms,
they can’t simply pack up and move like birds or
mammals if their habitat undergoes major changes.
This immobility and the changes that have occurred
in the state’s waterways may explain why only 12
of the 30 species of freshwater mussels native to
Nebraska have sustainable populations, leaving the
other species endangered, threatened or extirpated. Of
the 297 mussels species found in the United States,
70 percent are listed as endangered by federal or state
agencies, threatened or of special concern, making
them one of the most imperiled animal groups in the
country.
Threats
This is an old mussel shell used to make clothing buttons from
the mother-of-pearl (also known as nacre). Mother-of-pearl is the
iridescent inner layer of the mussel shell that would be the front
of the button.
42 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
Real threats for freshwater mussels include habitat
alteration caused by impoundments, river and stream
channelization, siltation, chemical runoff, pollution,
drought and dewatering, overharvest, physical damage
and the invasion of exotic species such as zebra
mussels.
Historically, the first threats came in the late 1800s
during the “pearl rush,” where millions of mussels
were harvested in search of freshwater pearls. The
Recovery and
Reintroduction
Hatchery production of mussels in the U.S. began
in 1914 with the establishment of the Fairport Fish
Hatchery on the Mississippi River in Muscatine, Iowa,
an effort by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries to bolster
the button industry. Today, many Eastern states,
especially in the southeastern U.S., are heavily involved
in propagating mussels. Since 2014, Commission
biologists have been working with some of these
states and developing their own program to rear and
reintroduce mussels to their historic range in Nebraska
waters.
Recovery and reintroduction efforts intend to restore
a species to a portion of its native range where it is
extirpated or severely reduced. Recovery programs can
include collecting mussels and moving them to a new
location in hopes that they will establish populations on
their own, as well as propagating species in a hatchery
and stocking juveniles to reestablish populations.
Since 1997, Steve Schainost, rivers and streams
program manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission, has collected over 1,000 relic shells and
some live mussels from many Nebraska waterways.
Schainost has created range maps using data from
his collections, other published literature and museum
records. Comparing current and past populations has
helped identify which species are in serious trouble and
candidates for recovery efforts.
Many actions can improve mussel habitat,
including improving water quality and
reducing sediment build-up. Creating buffer
strips of grasses or trees between water and
land helps keep chemicals and pollutants
from reaching the water. Practicing good soil
conservation techniques, such as installing
terraces and using contour farming practices,
will reduce sediment run-off.
After boating, always clean, drain, and dry all
boats, motors, and equipment to keep exotic
species from spreading.
Mussel Tagging
Tagging is the primary means to track
released mussels, allowing researchers to
evaluate growth, survival, longevity and
mussel movements in the future.
Hallprint tags are miniscule, alpha-numeric
tags that are glued on one side of the mussel
shell. These tags come in different colors
allowing biologists to differentiate the year,
class, species, location and individual growth
of hatchery-raised mussels.
PIT (passive integrated transponder) tags
are battery-free radio frequency identification
tags. These inert, glass-encased microchips
are encoded with alphanumeric labels that
identify specific mussels. The tags are located
and read with a hand reader that looks much
like a metal detector.
Dots of glue are placed on both sides of
every mussel shell, so even if the tags or
telemetry devices fall off, hopefully the glue
dot will remain as an identifying feature. The
color of the glue dots can be changed to
record the year, class and species of mussels
released.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 43
Mussel Propagation
One Nebraska species in danger is the plain
pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium). Its population is
deemed imperiled by rarity and vulnerability to
extirpation because of its decreased distribution in the
20th century.
Work with the plain pocketbook started in 2014
in Nebraska by Dean Rosenthal, a veteran biologist
who was recently named the Commission’s division
administrator for fisheries. Rosenthal attended a
presentation on mussel propagation at a national
workshop and he wanted to see if it would work to
help declining populations in Nebraska.
“It is our responsibility to manage the entire
ecosystem of our aquatic habitats, not just the
sport fish,” said Rosenthal. “Mussels serve as an
indicator species to indicate the health of our aquatic
environments. They cannot just swim away when
there is poor water quality. We have seen a decline
in the mussel populations across the state, not only
in numbers of individuals but in species diversity. We
have reached a point in many of our streams that if we
don’t step in and attempt to help these species recover
and re-establish themselves we will continue to lose
these species from our environment.”
Rosenthal took the mussel rearing program to the
North Platte State Fish Hatchery, where Bryan Sweet,
fish and wildlife program manager, and Ted Bartels,
fish culturist/supervisor, along with other Commission
biologists, started to learn about mussel propagation.
Mussels collected from the Mississippi River by
staff of the Genoa National Fish Hatchery in Genoa,
Wisconsin, were used to get the team accustomed
to the process, during which they developed new
techniques that had not been considered by leading
mussel researchers.
In 2015, seven fertilized female plain pocketbooks
were collected from the Elkhorn River by Joe Cassidy,
fish culturist/supervisor, and brought to North Platte
where the mussel rearing project moved into full gear.
In the wild, a plain pocketbook male will release a
structure called a spermatozeugmata, which resembles
a bubble of sperm, into the water. This bubble aids in
the survival of the sperm. As it floats downstream, the
female will siphon the sperm from the water, flushing
it over her eggs to fertilize them. These eggs develop
into parasitic larvae called glochidia that are housed
within the gills of the female. To survive, these larvae
need a host fish to continue their life cycle.
In the genus Lampsilis, female mussels have a
mantle flap that extends beyond their shell and looks
Ted Bartels (left) and Bryan Sweet count and measure juvenile mussels before placing them in baskets that will be submerged into
hatchery ponds. The mussels will be over-wintered in the ponds before they are tagged and released.
44 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
Juvenile plain pocketbook mussels are displayed next to a dime to show their small size. These juvenile mussels
have recently dropped off of a host fish’s gills.
remarkably like a small fish, complete with fins,
a tail and an eye spot. It sits next to the gill
brooding pouches and when the glochidia are
mature this “lure” is displayed and is twitched
back and forth in an attempt to attract a fish that
may try to eat it. The instant the lure is bitten the
female will expel the glochidia, some of which
will go into the fish’s mouth. As they pass over
the gills of the fish, the glochidia quickly attach to
the fish’s gill tissue. The glochidia will feed on the
fish’s blood and tissues, doing no harm to the
fish, until they grow larger, are able to survive on
their own and fall off.
In a lab setting, the process begins by taking
a healthy, fertilized female mussel, propping
its shell open and rupturing the marsupial gill,
simulating the bite from a host fish. The glochidia
are flushed out of the mussel’s shell into a
glass container. Samples are examined under
a microscope to ensure they are viable and the
number of glochidia is estimated.
Young largemouth bass raised at the Valentine
State Fish Hatchery are used as the host fish.
Bass are put in a vessel containing enough
glochidia for 4,000 to 10,000 per bass. The
opaque-looking glochidia clamp down on the gill
filaments of the fish with their shell and can be
seen with the naked eye.
Within two hours of inoculation, tissue from
the gill area will grow over the attached glochidia
to form a cyst. The cyst protects the fish from
infection and aids in keeping the glochidia
attached. The glochidium will then mature into
juveniles, looking like miniature versions of their
parents. After about two weeks, they begin to
open and close their shell and extend their foot,
which ruptures the cyst, and allows them to fall
off the gills.
Once inoculated, some of the bass are
transferred into large hatchery tanks and kept
inside under an intensive rearing program. In
the tanks, it is easy for staff to collect juvenile
mussels that drop from the host fish. Half of
the juveniles are placed in buckets and fed
circulated pond water with little intervention
from biologists. The other half are transferred
to beakers, which use a heated water bath that
feeds mussels micro algae concentrates. The
goal of the intensive systems is two-fold: to
increase survival rates above what is found with
extensive culture, which is rearing done in more
natural environments; and to house the juveniles
until they are large enough to be enumerated
and placed in outside rearing containers. A
survival rate of one-third in each of these
systems is considered good and higher than
what can be expected in the wild.
The rest of the inoculated bass are placed in
wire cages in hatchery ponds. At three weeks
bass are checked to make sure all juvenile
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 45
Glochidia can be seen on a host fish’s gills shortly after they attach. The glochidia are the small, opaque-looking dots.
mussels have dropped off. The bass and cages are
removed from the pond with the juveniles remaining.
These mussels are cultured in the same ponds as fish
raised to stock in Nebraska waters. The fish are fed
a daily diet of dry, pelletized feed, which fertilizes the
ponds and produces algae, phytoplankton, bacteria and
other microorganisms that the mussels feed upon. In
the fall the ponds are drained, the fish removed and
the tedious task of collecting mussels from the pond’s
mud bottom is completed. While rearing mussels in
hatchery ponds is less labor intensive, it doesn’t allow
biologists as much control or the ability to judge results.
Mussels are gathered from all the different rearing
systems and placed in submerged baskets containing
500 mussels each. These baskets are stocked in ponds
for over-wintering at both the North Platte and Valentine
hatcheries to lessen the odds that a catastrophic event
could kill the entire cultured population.
In 2015, more than 11,400 plain pocketbook mussels
were raised. Of these, 6,540 were tagged and in
August of 2016, released into rivers where they were
historically found: Cache Creek in Holt County, the
Elkhorn River in Holt County, Rose Creek in Jefferson
County and Shell Creek in Platte County. Stateowned areas were used whenever possible, but
some stocking was done on private property where
landowners were receptive to the program.
In 2016, 3,600 plain pocketbooks were raised, using
four adults from the Elkhorn River. These mussels,
along with over 4,000 left from the 2015 broodstock
that have been kept at the hatcheries, are awaiting
tagging and release in 2017 and 2018. After working
prolonged hours with the mussel project, Sweet has
46 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
found an admiration and connection toward these
organisms: “Their entire life is pretty complex for a
simple organism with no real brain, no eyes, one foot
and a shell.”
matched with funds from the Nebraska Wildlife
Conservation Fund and a Nebraska Environmental
Trust grant to construct a building at the North
Platte Hatchery to raise at-risk species.
“Fish culture and propagation has been
around in Nebraska for the last 150 years,” said
Rosenthal. “Mussel culture is relatively new and
it is very exciting to be in on the cutting edge
of some of the methods that are being used to
culture mussels for restoration projects across the
country. We have been assisting malacologists
[those who study mussels] from other states by
providing unique host fish, and as a result we
have established working relationships, which
has helped to provide avenues of information
exchanged in culture techniques.”
Graduate students in the School of Natural
Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
will be conducting surveys that will help measure
the success of the work, including locating,
monitoring and recording how mussels are
adapting, growing and, hopefully, thriving and
reproducing.
No one really knows what the future has in
store for many mussel species in Nebraska and
across the U.S., but by combining century-old fish
culturing techniques with new mussel rearing
capabilities, biologists are striving to increase
mussel populations, while
working with other states
and local organizations to
keep an important part of
our natural fauna where
it belongs: in our streams
and rivers.
As Sweet put it,
“Mussels are the heart of A glochidia’s see-through
our native landscape. For shell shows inner body
those concerned enough parts and an extended
foot.
with Nebraska’s fauna,
mussels should be a part of the landscape now
and for years to come. After all, we are primarily
to blame for their demise.” ■
The author would like to thank Bryan Sweet,
Ted Bartels, Dean Rosenthal, Steve Schainost,
and Keith Koupal for their contributions to this
article. Thanks to Joe Cassidy and Josh Cloeter,
Commission biologists, who worked on the
propagation project and Dr. Mark Pegg at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln along with
graduate student Lindsay Ohlman who will be
doing studies on released mussels. Thanks also
to Kristal Stoner with the Commission for her
work on the grant funding to make this project
possible.
Looking Ahead
After two successful years of rearing the plain
pocketbook, another mussel species, the fatmucket
(Lampsilis siliquoidea), was added to the propagation
program in 2016. The species was once found in the
Big Blue, Big Nemaha, Little Nemaha, Lower Platte
and Elkhorn Rivers as well as Medicine Creek in the
Republican River basin and Logan Creek in the Elkhorn
River basin. Biologists have not collected this species
since 1981 and believe it may have been extirpated
from Nebraska.
With no native fatmuckets available in Nebraska,
several were obtained from Kansas for broodstock.
That was the closest population with the Missouri
River drainage that would have the same makeup as
fatmuckets native to Nebraska. Releases of 4,000
fatmuckets are scheduled for this summer and fall in
the same waters as the pocketbooks so that continued
research can be done on both species.
Several grants have funded the mussel projects.
A Competitive State Wildlife Grant was procured
from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last summer.
This grant is a collaborative effort to conserve at-risk
mussels across state borders and is a partnership
with Iowa. The states work on propagation techniques,
share broodstock when needed and work together
on stream inventory and restoration. The grant will be
After collecting glochidia from a female mussel, fisheries biologists Dean Rosenthal, Bryan Sweet, Josh Cloeter and
Ted Bartels (left to right) count them and check their viability under a microscope.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland
Aland 47
The Beef
State
Story and photos by Jenny Nguyen
L
ong gone are the pioneers,
the milkmen and the lamplighters
of yesteryear. Enter Wi-Fi
refrigerators, horsepower hemi and Super
Targets. As we look back on Nebraska’s
150-year history, there’s no mistaking that
life has greatly changed. Yet despite all the
changes, some aspects of “the good life”
have not.
In Nebraska cattle country, the cowboy
still lives for one purpose: his herd. Open
plains as far as the eyes can see, and fresh,
clean groundwater pulled from iconic
windmills that dot the landscape have
allowed cattle to flourish in the Sandhills of
Nebraska, just as they did 100 years ago. It
is an industry so deeply tied to history. Epic
cattle drives, the railroad and the opening
and closing of the frontier – the romance and
drama of the American Wild West lingers
here.
But romance doesn’t repay the bank loans.
Nor does it stop weather that can wipe out a
whole herd, or stay up late to nurse a sick or
injured calf. Some aspects of cattle ranching
have changed, but many have also stayed the
same: The fences continue to need mending.
The cows still need checking. And in winter,
all that ice in the water tanks doesn’t break
up on its own.
In 2017, it’s not hard to forget the
traditions that have made the “Omaha steak”
famous. And it’s all too easy to dismiss
with a chuckle that in some places, such as
Nebraska, cattle still outnumber people by
nearly four to one. While beef production
is an industry – a business – caring for
livestock remains an important way of
life in these corners of the world. Hard
work, animal welfare, family, community
and a strong sense of self-reliance remain
hallmarks of successful ranching.
The Mundorf Ranch south of Wood Lake
is one example.
The Mundorf Ranch branding is one of the first to
happen in the Cherry County area. One hundred fifty
family members, friends, neighbors and some
strangers came to the branding in April 2016.
48 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 49
At the Mundorf branding in April
last year, one spectator commented that
it was the most amazing branding he’s
ever seen. What seemed like a flurry
of horses and bodies turned into an
astounding effort by over 150 family
members, friends and neighbors who
came together to process 850 young
Angus cattle within just four hours.
Seasoned old timers, wiry high
school students, young riders learning
the ropes alongside their mothers and
fathers, and parents with wide-eyed
toddlers were all there to round up,
wrestle, rope, brand, castrate and
vaccinate calves. It was as though the
whole of Cherry County was out to
kick off the season. Many of these
families go to as many as 15 brandings
per year, and the Mundorf branding is
one of the first.
“There are about 30 people here that
I don’t even know,” said Joe Mundorf
with a gentle laugh. “I couldn’t tell
Left: Born in late February,
the calves are about two
months old at the branding.
Top: A small group of
riders is always a step
ahead to separate the
calves from their mothers
before the second group,
responsible for roping,
branding, castrating and
vaccinating, arrive.
50 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
you how many families are here, but
it’s good to see everybody and find out
what’s been going on.”
Mundorf is a third generation
rancher, and his grown sons, Mark
and Matt, are the fourth. His daughter,
Molly, is married to a local rancher,
and they run their own operation.
With a toddler granddaughter in his
arms, Mundorf hopes the tradition will
continue.
“I grew up right here. I learned just
like you’re seeing these kids learning
today.”
At the Mundorf Ranch, cowboys still
rely on horses to work cattle.
“It’s old school,” Mundorf said, but
with a lot of help, the use of horses
is more efficient. “Others run them
through chutes, so they don’t need
horses. But it’s more stress on the
calves when you have to wrestle with
them too much.”
At the branding, a calf spent no
more than 60 seconds on the ground.
And like a well-oiled machine, the
branding was over before you could
say “oysters!” – which were plentiful
and briefly cooked over the same fire
that heated the irons. Although, on
that nippy morning, they hardly tasted
much warmer than when they left their
owners.
After wresting three calves, with a
lot of help she might add, this writer
decided that she had her fill. Cattle
branding is tough, repetitive work.
Some calves were compliant, while
others were much more spirited.
Then with a slightly awkward –
though temporary – step, the calves
jumped up to rejoin their mothers.
These cattle will then live out the rest
of their days roaming the Sandhills
and getting fat for sale. They feed on
nutrient-rich prairie grass through the
warmer months, and in winter, as late
as May, hay is provided to get them
through the colder, more barren parts
of the year.
As one of the first brandings of the
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 51
A rider attempts to rope and pull a calf from the
group. A good cow horse has to have great “cow
sense.” Riding young horses during calving and
branding time gets them used to all aspects of
ranching.
52 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 53
year, the Mundorfs have made it a
custom to thank family and neighbors
by hosting a large feast in their barn.
It was complete with all the smoked
meats, pies and sweet tea a person
could eat and drink.
“We’ve all been real busy calving
over these last few months, but we do
like to put together these social events.
It’s good food. It’s good people – even
strangers who wander in from the
Cowboy Trail,” Mundorf said in jest.
But the work doesn’t stop there.
While idyllic, ranching is no
distraction. Country life is no utopia.
Life and death, profit and loss,
consumption and provision – ranching
is instead a reminder of older realities
deeply rooted in human experience.
Animal husbandry is a job that
calls 24/7. Nursing, land management,
plumbing, fixing machinery, carpentry,
business management and knowledge
of farming are just some general skills
that a rancher must know. All the
while, disease, bad weather and the
daily events of living on the prairie are
as fickle today as they have ever been.
Yet despite the early mornings,
the long days, the wear and tear on
bodies that don’t get any younger,
and at times, heartache, there is joy in
the devotion to raising and nurturing
animals. There is pride in producing
the best product possible.
In Nebraska’s 150th year, the
cowboy is still very much alive. ■
The author thanks Mark and
Dedra Stoner of Wood Lake for their
direction. Thank you to Joe Mundorf,
his family and neighbors for their
hospitality, awesome smoked brisket
and peach pie.
After a calf is roped and separated from the
others, two helpers hold it into position, called
calf wrestling, to make quick, safe work of
branding. Calves are usually on the ground
for no more than one minute. Branding allows
ranchers to identify cattle during transportation
and sale, as well as lost or stolen animals,
which still happens.
54 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 55
Chasing
Shadows
Fly Fishing
for Carp in Nebraska
By Ryan Sparks
T
he air was uncharacteristically
still, allowing the water to
settle into a tranquil glass sheet
pierced only now and again by the
tails of feeding fish. With near perfect
conditions, I spotted a group of fish
from nearly 100 yards away and began
my careful approach. Crouching as I
went, I made sure to stay below the
brush at the edge of the bank to hide
my movement and keep my shadow
off the water. When I came within 30
feet, I slowed my stalk and managed to
close another 10 feet without spooking
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
the fish. I knew I might only get one
shot so I paused, kneeling in the reeds,
and waited for the perfect opportunity.
When the largest fish tipped to feed,
I made a cast three feet in front of it
and watched my fly slowly sink and
come to rest on the bottom. With one
lethargic swipe of its tail, the fish
moved towards my fly, leaving a wake
in the shallow water behind it. Time
slowed and my heart raced as the fish
inspected and then inhaled my fly. I
made a hard strip on the fly line and
came solid on what would be one of
the most memorable fish of my life – a
37-inch common carp.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Sparks, formerly of Louisville,
Ryan Sparks
Louisville fly fishes for carp in a creek connected to the Platte River in Sarpy County.
County
56 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
Most people scoff at the idea of
fishing for carp. Tell them about fly
fishing for carp and they laugh and
ask if you’re kidding. However, their
reputation as a trash fish is slowly
being challenged as more people
come to the realization that carp are
FISH ART BY JOE TOMERELLI
Ryan Sparks uses an assortment of flies
when fishing for carp throughout the
country.
COMMON CARP (Cyprinus carpio) are
found statewide.
SILVER CARP (Hypophthlmichthyes molitrix) have a smaller head and mouth than
the bighead.
GRASS CARP (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
are Missouri River residents and are
found in some reservoirs statewide.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 57
that presents the average angler with a consistent
shot of catching a fish over 10 pounds.”
a plentiful and challenging gamefish.
While carp do not jump like a bass
and cannot be caught in numbers like
bluegill or crappie, they are the only
freshwater fish that will put a fly angler
into their backing on nearly every
hookup. The 37-inch carp fought nearly
20 minutes and took me into my
backing four times before I brought it
to the net. Fighting it was like trying to
slow down a bulldozer in low gear. In
fact, carp might be the only freshwater
fish that presents the average angler
with a consistent shot of catching a fish
over 10 pounds.
Many anglers that discover fly
fishing for carp compare it to saltwater
flats fishing, arguing the carp’s skittish
nature and shallow-water habitat are
not far removed from pursuing tropical
species such as permit, bonefish and
tarpon. Unlike those species though, an
angler does not have to spend a fortune
on plane tickets and destination lodges.
Chances are your local farm pond,
golf course water hazard or municipal
reservoir has a healthy population of
carp.
Besides your local waters, Nebraska
has a wide array of carp fishing
destinations such as Branched Oak
Lake, the Fremont State Lakes
Recreation Area, Glenn Cunningham
Reservoir, and Wehrspann Lake, not
to mention the Missouri and Platte
rivers. The beauty of fly fishing for
carp is they are everywhere, making
carp fishing accessible to anyone who
has the ambition to start. The Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission also
holds an annual Carp-O-Rama for likemind carp-oholics to get together and
celebrate their favorite species while
introducing beginners to the sport.
Stealthy Hunting
CARP MERKIN Based off a saltwater
crab pattern, it’s deadly on carp in deep
stained water.
Carp fishing begins either early in
the morning or towards the end of
the day at dusk. Low light conditions
make carp feel comfortable feeding
in shallow water where they will root
and wallow in mud bottoms to unearth
their next meal. Carp feeding in groups
often create a muddy cloud in the
water, which is a great way to locate
active fish. Find feeding fish in shallow
water and its game on. In shallow
water, carp will often “tail” or expose
their tail above the water as they tip to
feed. In bodies of water that are dark or
stained, mud slicks, small air bubbles,
and tailing fish are often the only
indications that carp are present. Don’t
be discouraged if your local waters are
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
“In fact, carp might be the only freshwater fish
Sparks rubs mud into his fly to help eliminate human scent.
58 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
murky. Some of the best carp fishing
I have ever experienced was in water
with six inches of visibility on the very
best days.
A major difference between carp and
other warm water species is that a day
fly fishing for carp may go without a
single cast. Fly fishing for carp is a
sight fishing game, and it’s the visual
aspect of catching them that makes
it so challenging and exciting. Blind
fishing for carp is a poor strategy for
two reasons. First, the splashing and
other water disturbances made by
frequent casting spooks fish. Second,
the way a carp takes a fly is so subtle
that unless you can see the fish eat your
fly you will never know it was there.
Polarized sunglasses are a key piece
of equipment to cut the glare from the
sun and allow you to see into the water.
Not only do they help you see more
clearly, but they also protect your eyes
from the occasional wild cast.
Carp will begin moving shallow in
spring as the water begins to warm,
making May and June prime time for
carp fishing. Look for shallow bays
with dark mud bottoms as these areas
will warm more quickly. As the water
warms, carp feed aggressively to make
up for the rigors of winter and to
prepare for the upcoming spawn. The
spawn receives mixed reviews from
the few people I know that fly fish
for carp. Many anglers get frustrated
because spawning carp have other
things on their mind besides eating.
However, much like a white-tailed
buck during the rut, larger fish let their
guard down and cruise the shallows
with abandon. When else can you see
the biggest fish in a lake torpedoing
themselves through inches of water and
leaping several feet into the air?
Some of my best days fly fishing
for carp have been during the spawn
because it concentrates a high number
of fish in a small area. Once, I waded
into ankle deep water in heavy
vegetation and simply waited for carp
to cruise by. The entire morning I
never made a full cast, instead dapping
the fly a foot in front of fish as they
passed. Many of them spooked if I
moved too quickly, and many more
simply shunned the fly. However, I
realistically had over 100 shots at carp
that day and managed to hook and
land just shy of 30. There is nothing
like being in the right place at the right
time.
RESERVOIR DOG This is Sparks’ most
productive fly over the past five years.
He alters the weight depending on water
depth.
CLOUSER CRAYFISH The fly is designed
for fishing in current behind a split shot.
SPARKS’ SAN JUAN WORM This fly is
an excellent option for spooky carp in
shallow water.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 59
FLY PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS
PHOTO BY RYAN SPARKS
“Head down, tail up” is a sure sign of a feeding fish.
DELEKTABLE STONER Dan Delekta
designed this fly for trout in Montana, but
it’s just as effective for carp.
attach the foam to
your hook with
small diameter
fishing line.
Just be sure
to add enough
weight so your fly
sinks like a real
mulberry when it
hits the water.
Flooding
Carp present anglers with a couple of
unique and extremely fun opportunities
that any fly angler will not want to
miss. One of these occurs during
instances of high water or flooding
when carp push into newly submerged
areas looking for exposed food
sources. Carp love to dine on drowned
insects and the tender roots of flooded
plants. In these situations, fly anglers
can find themselves in some bizarre
locations. One memorable instance
occurred when the flooding of 2010
allowed Missouri River carp to push
into city parks and wooded lots near
Plattsmouth. I found myself hiding
behind trees and making close quarters
bow and arrow casts or simply setting
the fly in front of feeding fish. When I
actually hooked a carp, I had to chase
it through the maze of trees to keep my
line from tangling and losing the fish.
dumping aquatic insects and uprooted
vegetation into the river. In midsummer when mulberries ripen, they
will drop into the water, and it won’t
be long until carp find them. I have
often come upon a mulberry bush to
find the water beneath it boiling with
feeding fish. Don’t be surprised if you
hook a catfish using this method – they
enjoy mulberries just as much as carp!
However, you will have to get creative
with your flies. If you tie your own,
packing peanuts trimmed to shape
and colored with markers work well.
Without fly tying equipment, simply
Fly Selection and
Presentation
Fly fishing for carp is a recent
phenomenon and chances are you won’t
find bins stuffed with carp flies at your
local sporting goods store. Not to worry,
most crayfish imitations work well and
even woolly buggers will do the trick.
For the angler who wants specialized
flies, I have caught the majority of my
carp on a variation of the “backstabber”
created by Jay Zimmerman. The
backstabber is weighted so that it swims
hook point up. Carp usually eat flies off
the bottom, and with the hook pointing
up anglers get less snags and better
hookups. The best carp flies do not
imitate one specific thing, but contain
characteristics suggestive of a variety of
food sources.
For tackle, don’t worry about
purchasing a new rod and reel. Five
or six weight rods work well because
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
Locating mulberry trees near carp-holding waters is an excellent way to get started
catching carp on the fly.
The Backstabber
The upper end of Lake McConaughy in Keith County is a hotspot for carp anglers because of its water clarity.
Mulberries
60 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
While flooding and high water
happen infrequently, one remarkable
event happens annually – the mulberry
drop. Early in spring, scout out
areas where mulberry bushes extend
over the water and make a note of
their locations. I have found places
where creeks drain into the Platte
and Missouri rivers very productive.
Not only do creeks provide warmer
water early in the year, but they also
function as a conveyor belt of food,
This grass carp was caught with a mulberry imitation fly on a creek connected to the
Platte River in Sarpy County.
they allow you to present the fly at
close range with accuracy and finesse.
However, make sure your reel is
equipped with a drag that can hold up
to the stresses of carp. I introduced a
friend to fly fishing for carp and when
he hooked one, the plastic washers in
his drag warped from the heat produced
trying to slow the fish. When the carp
made its second run, the drag locked
up and the fish instantly broke loose.
While you don’t need an expensive reel,
make sure you have one with plenty
of backing that will hold up under
pressure.
Ordinary floating line and nine-foot
leaders work well in ranges 3x to 0x. If
you play fish with care, it’s no problem
landing even large carp with this setup.
It’s also helpful to add a couple feet of
fluorocarbon tippet for extra insurance
against spooking fish.
Proper Technique
As with all fishing, the correct
presentation is essential. Lead the fish
three feet with your cast. This is the
sweet spot – close enough they will
see the fly, but not too close to spook
them. In murky water, it takes practice
to pick up the subtle clues that tell you
which way a carp is facing. Take your
time and remember that as long as
nothing spooks the fish, it will continue
to feed until you figure out your
presentation. I like to use a technique
employed by saltwater flats fishermen
and look for the pushed water created
by a fish as it swims. This “nervous”
water looks like a miniature version of
the wake created by an outboard boat
engine. You can cast directly in front
of the fish or use the “drag and drop”
method where you cast beyond the fish
and pull your fly along the surface until
it is in position and drop it in front of
the carp. This method not only gives
you a very accurate presentation, but
also allows you to present the fly with
minimal disturbance.
The occurrence of carp in almost
every body of water in Nebraska
makes them available to anyone with
the ambition to pursue them. The fact
that even a small carp is larger than
most trophy-sized game fish should
be reason enough for anglers to take
notice. Moreover, the thrill of seeing a
carp take your fly is similar to that of
seeing a bass explode on a top water
lure. Fly fishing for carp is a humbling
endeavor for even the most advanced
fly anglers. Persistence and a short
memory go a long way because it takes
time to hone your skills. Catching carp
on the fly requires a combination of
stealthy hunting, proper technique, fly
selection and presentation. They are a
tough fish to fool, but that challenge
makes it enormously rewarding when
you catch one. ■
Ryan Sparks is a freelance writer
and photographer who can be
found trying to catch anything that
swims with a fly rod or chasing
after his pointer, Tippet. His writing
and photography can be found at
flywatermedley.com.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 61
The Two Faces of the Dandelion
A love-hate relationship.
By Chris Helzer
L
et me tell you about the most
annoying, arrogant weed on the
face of the earth. If there is even
the tiniest gap in my otherwise
perfect bluegrass-carpeted lawn,
this ugly non-native plant will fill it.
Then, not being satisfied with simple
victory, it flags its presence with round
brilliantly-yellow flowers that can be
seen from space. No matter how many
times I mow them off, the flowers
come back. If I let them bloom for
just a day or two, those flowers turn
into evil balls of seed that send clouds
of future weeds into the air like soilseeking smart bombs. The plant’s giant
elongated carrot-like roots make pulling
it out of the ground nearly impossible,
and getting enough herbicide onto its
skinny leaves to kill that massive root
isn’t easy either. In short, dandelions
are pretty much a perfect weed. They
take advantage of any weakness in my
carefully cultivated yard and gardens,
make themselves as conspicuous as
Pictured is a sweat bee on a dandelion.
among wildflowers. This short-lived
plant appears when other plants are
weakened, filling otherwise barren
spaces with color and food, and then
gracefully fades away as neighboring
plants gain enough vigor to cover that
bare ground. As its farewell gesture, it
produces beautiful round fluffy seed
heads that have long been favorites of
seed-blowing children and fodder for
poets and photographers everywhere.
In short, dandelions are pretty much a
perfect plant. When surrounding plants
are weakened by drought, repeated
possible, and then toss confetti-like
seeds into the air to celebrate their
success and ensure their future triumphs
as well.
Let me tell you about a little hero
of mine. This yellow-flowered plant
blooms prolifically during an early
spring period when very few other
flowers are blooming. Not only does
this bring welcome color to mostly-stilldormant landscape, it also provides a
bonanza of food resources to pollinating
insects when little else is available.
Its leaves are nutritious and tasty both
for wildlife and humans – a rarity
Dandelion seed head at the Helzer Family
Prairie near Stockham, Nebraska.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS HELZER
mowing or grazing, or other anything
else, dandelions step up to provide food,
beauty, and entertainment for kids until
neighboring plants regain their vigor.
Let me tell you about the much
maligned dandelion, a pretty little flower
that pollinators love but gardeners hate.
It has many qualities we admire; it is
opportunistic, successful, attractive, and
tough. It also has qualities we despise:
it is opportunistic, successful, attractive,
and tough. You get the idea. Cut the
poor plant a break, huh? ■
This dandelion image is from The Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies shop
yard.
62 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
Chris Helzer is the Director of
Science for The
Nature Conservancy
in Nebraska. He has
been a contributor to
NEBRASKAland
since 1994. Chris
blogs at
prairieecologist.com.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 63
Rattlesnake Bites
How to keep your four-legged friend safe.
By Julie Geiser
L
iving or hunting in rattlesnake country can pose a
threat to dogs in particular; they can stumble across
a snake by accident and their curiosity and/or active
behavior may stimulate a snake to bite.
Bites can be dry or venomous and many times
occur on the head and neck areas. Around 25 percent of bites
are dry; the fangs penetrate skin but do not inject venom.
Young rattlesnakes are venomous but due to lack of control,
they are more likely to inject venom.
Effects from a venomous bite depend on the species of
snake, its size, volume of venom injected, depth of the bite
and size of the victim. These bites are hemotoxic, which
means toxins disrupt blood vessels in the body causing
swelling and tissue damage, uncontrolled bleeding, shock
and in many instances death. Facial bites are often more
lethal as swelling impairs the ability to breathe, with signs
occurring within 30 to 60 minutes.
The Vaccine
To reduce venomous effects, vaccinations can be given to
pets that live or hunt in areas of question. In case of a bite, the
vaccination gives pet owners more time to get to veterinary
care and provides the vet more time to evaluate and start
treatment. Veterinarian Amanda Korkow at Tender Hearts
Veterinarian Clinic in North Platte said, “The vaccine is
controversial as some dismiss the effectiveness of it; however,
I’ve seen that it does buy some time for pet owners to get to
care and that’s one goal of the vaccine.”
The vaccine became available in 2003 by Red Rock
Biologics using venom components from western
diamondback rattlesnakes. The vaccine was developed to
provide protection from the western diamondback rattlesnake
and should provide protection against the prairie, great basin,
sidewinder, timber and massasauga rattlesnakes, copperheads
and gives partial protection against the eastern diamondback.
However, the vaccine does not provide protection against
Mojave rattlesnakes, water moccasins or coral snakes.
The vaccine decreases the severity of bites by stimulating
the dog’s immune system to produce antibodies against
rattlesnake toxin. A dog should get two doses about 30 days
apart followed by a booster 30 days before possible exposure
to rattlesnakes. Protection peaks around four to six weeks
after boosters are administered and last about six months.
A booster shot is necessary once a year one month before
hunting seasons or twice a year in areas where rattlesnakes are
year-round risks. Korkow said, “Vaccines on average cost $25
per dose, which is much less than antivenom that starts around
$800. Many vet clinics don’t keep a supply on hand because
of cost and short expiration dates.”
Protection will vary in each dog as some dogs produce
more antibodies than others. Vaccines are not a sole means of
protection but can delay bite symptoms, cause fewer and less
64 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
severe symptoms like lethargy,
swelling and pain, decrease
mortality rate, and provide faster
recovery times and little to no tissue
necrosis.
Even if a dog is vaccinated, get the pet to a veterinarian as
soon as possible following a bite, keep exercise to a minimum,
don’t touch or manipulate the area around the bite or attempt
to suck out the venom. Snakebites are painful and even mildmannered dogs may bite, so use caution.
Rattlesnakes
Rattlesnakes can be found in many environments, but they
commonly find shelter under clumps of high grass, yucca
plants, shrubs, down timber and rocks. In the spring and
fall, snakes are more active during the warmest time of day,
venturing into open areas such as dirt roads, pavement or
rocks to absorb sunlight. During periods of very high daytime
temperatures, snakes will seek shade during the hottest portion
of the day and become active at dusk.
Apart from the rattle, the most distinctive identifying
characteristic of the rattlesnake is a wide, flat triangular head
that is much broader in the back than front and wider than the
neck. Rattlesnakes have heat-sensing pits between the nostrils
and eyes, and their vertical pupils are elliptical in shape. A
series of dark and light bands near the tail above the rattles
will differ from the markings on the rest of the body.
A rattlesnake’s strike distance can be up to one-third to onehalf of its overall length and is faster than the human eye can
follow, so trying to outwit the snake could prove deadly. Plus,
rattlesnakes do not always rattle to warn of an attack. There
must be at least two segments of a rattle to be capable of
making sound so young rattlesnakes may not make the rattle
sound while others may have lost rattles due to injury.
If you plan to take your dog dove, grouse or pheasant
hunting later this fall in rattlesnake country, you may want to
consider getting started with the vaccine soon. ■
Precautions
of rocks where snakes sun
themselves and hide.
dog
• Vaccinate your dog.
Take snake aversion
•training
or train your dogs
rocky or dense brush
•or Avoid
grassy areas. Stay on
to “come” commands. Shock
collars can be a tool to call
dogs off as well.
Slowly back away from
•a snake
until you are out
leash or
•less.UseIf ayousix-foot
see or hear a
wide trails, if possible, when
walking a dog.
of striking distance, about
the snake’s length, and then
leave the area.
rattlesnake, having your dog
Know snake bite
on a leash will help avoid a
symptoms: puncture
snake bite. Most bites occur
when a dog is not on a leash. wounds, bleeding, severe
pain, swelling, restlessness,
Snake-proof your yard
panting or drooling, lethargy,
by cutting grass short and
weakness, diarrhea, seizures,
eliminate brush and piles
and depressed respiration.
•
•
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 65
Antique Guide
66 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 67
See Them Blink
Spawn is in the Air
Magnus recommends full length
Victory arrows when using their
Bullhead to keep the blades from
contacting the shooter’s hand.
Tips for the 5-yard turkey.
Every Nebraska fish species spawns a little different.
By Jake Jadlowski
When the tom is in the 5-yard range, focus on a slow, smooth draw
with your bow.
68 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
Jake Jadlowski is a high school
history teacher and freelance
writer in Gretna who loves to hunt
and fish. This is his first article in
NEBRASKAland Magazine.
Y
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
PHOTO BY BOB GRIER
60 yards. They
want to know what
arrow, bow and broadhead
combo can most consistently
knock down birds at 40 yards. To
each their own, but we chase the
rush of having birds in the decoys at
5 yards.
First, in order to fool a wise long
beard into head shot range, decoy
placement is critical. We typically use
a half strut jake and a submissive
hen, as full strut decoys can
intimidate birds and prevent them
from getting close. Set the decoys
4-6 yards out in front of the blind. In
order to get toms close, the decoys have to be close.
It’s also important to set the blind strategically.
Intentionally leave it visible. The more that toms can
see the blind and identify it as a non-threat, the more
likely they are to ignore it and focus on the decoys.
Keep the sun in mind as well. It’s important that the
inside of blind remains “blacked out.” Always set
the blind with the sun at your back; it’s better for
video footage, too. Wear black – including facemask,
stocking hat, sweatshirt and a black glove on the bow
hand. Disappear in the backdrop of the blind.
When the tom is in range, focus on a slow, smooth
draw. Dial down your draw weight if necessary and
fight the urge to rush. Oftentimes, as the bird struts
among the decoys, they will turn away and allow you
to draw undetected. Don’t shoot until the GoPro is
running and you have a clear view of their head. Hold
your pin steady and leave no doubt.
An important part of our equipment is the cut
on contact broadheads that we use at this 5-yard
range. Mike Sohm at Magnus Outdoor Products sells
the best product on the market. With the Magnus
Bullhead birds go down in the decoys and blood
trailing is never an issue. Try one. Save the regular
broadheads for an October buck, put the shotgun
back in the safe until teal season, set your decoys at
5 yards and talk them in close. Good luck holding
steady at full draw! The thrill is
addicting. Heck, you might even
forget the walleye are spawning. ■
ou will hear a lot of talk
among anglers about spawning
activities of a variety of fish
this time of year. Some of that
talk will be right, but there are
a lot of misconceptions, too. Let me see
if I can cast some light on the spawning
activities of some of our Nebraska fish.
First of all, understand that fish invest
a lot of energy into the production
of “gametes”– a term that means sex
products, eggs and milt in fish. The
development of eggs and milt in our
Nebraska fish takes weeks, months
even. As a matter of fact, many of our
species begin developing gametes in late
summer through fall of the year before.
Some folks clean a fish they caught
in the fall, see eggs and assume those
fish are going to spawn in the fall. But
they do not. Those are eggs developing
for the spawn the following spring,
when they will rapidly mature and be
deposited depending on the species of
fish.
Rainbow trout are a coldwater
species, and most rainbows are winter/
late winter/early spring spawners. We
do not depend on natural reproduction
of rainbow trout in any Nebraska
fisheries, but you may see some
rainbows in spawning colors and
exhibiting some spawning behavior in
the winter and early spring.
Northern pike spawn right after iceout and in years when we may have
a late ice-out, spawning will start
under the ice. Walleye and sauger then
spawn, followed by yellow perch and
then muskies. Next, white bass spawn
and are followed shortly by crappies,
smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and
then common carp. Sunfish species
spawn next, including bluegill, rock
bass, green sunfish and redear sunfish.
Our catfish species spawn each
summer, with blues, channels and then
flatheads occupying their spawning
territories into July. Lastly, in the
fall Nebraska has two spawning fish
species – brown and brook trout.
Regarding what triggers spawning,
there can be several variables that
influence the timing of spawning.
Those “cues” even can vary from one
habitat to another even for the same
species of fish. For example, fish living
in moving waters, such as large rivers,
can be triggered to spawn by rising
water in the spring, while the spawning
of the same species of fish living in
standing water, a reservoir, may not be
influenced by water levels at all. Water
temperature and weather patterns can
also influence the timing of spawning,
but those “magic” temperatures that are
often quoted, for example “largemouth
bass spawn when the water is 62
degrees F,” are inaccurate. If absolute
water temperatures were the cue to
spawning, there would be a lot of
spawns ruined by spring warming
trends followed by strong cold fronts
and dropping temperatures.
Photoperiod or the amount of daylight
is another cue that triggers reproductive
behavior in Nebraska’s fish. Therefore,
spawning will tend to occur at about
the same time every year. I have seen
walleye spawning April 1 the day
after the ice went out, and I have seen
walleyes spawning April 1 when we
have had very warm weather for most
of the month of March. Yes, weather
patterns may influence spawning activity
but it only “modifies” that activity,
making it vary a bit from year to year
but not changing spawning times by
weeks.
Also keep in mind that Nebraska
is a large state with a great deal of
variability in habitat, weather and
climate. For example, you may see
largemouth bass spawning behavior
as early as late April in southeastern
ponds, while that same species will still
be spawning into June in northern and
western parts of the state.
Also, not all fish spawn at the same
time; in any population there will be
individual fish that tend to spawn early
and there will be individual fish that
tend to spawn late. If all the fish in a
population spawned at the same time,
PHOTO BY DARYL BAUER
A
s winter loosens its grip this time of year, it’s time
to grab the bow, reunite with the crew and head to
the turkey woods. It’s the perfect remedy for postduck depression and just what we need to hold us
over until the walleyes start biting. Like every turkey
camp, we anxiously anticipate the opportunity to call in and
harvest a mature tom. The only difference – we don’t let the
arrow fly until we can see them blink.
It seems like everything I read lately is about how to pull
off a long range kill. Guys are interested in the right gauge
of shotgun paired with the best load to knock down a tom at
By Daryl Bauer
Pictured is a redear sunfish close to
spawning.
one ill-timed cold snap could eliminate
an entire year’s reproduction.
And what does all this do for
catching fish? During the spawn fish
will concentrate and feeding activity
may occur right up until the fish are
ready to spawn. But, once spawning
begins, fishing actually slows. In fact,
if you fish for a variety of species, and
fish different waters, you can “ride
waves” of good pre-spawn and postspawn fishing for several different
species of fish.
Having said all of this, it is important
to protect big fish because those fish
are likely some of the best broodstock
in a population. The fact that an
individual fish reached exceptional size
suggests that fish has been one of the
most successful at surviving, is
one of the fastest-growing, and likely
has traits, genetics, that would be
desirable in a population. If at all
possible, turn the big ones loose,
regardless of species and regardless
of when they are caught. ■
Daryl Bauer is a fisheries biologist
with the Commission, as well as fish and
wildlife program manager. He holds
over 70 Nebraska
Master Angler
Awards for 13
different species.
Read his Barbs and
Backlashes blog at
Outdoornebraska.org
to learn even more
about fishing.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 69
70 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 71
Bighorn Sheep Get Implant Transmitters
Biologists are able to tell when lambs are born due to new technology.
Story and photos by Justin Haag
T
he Nebraska Game and Parks Commission got
up-close and personal with 20 bighorn sheep ewes
this winter in an effort to track their future offspring.
The goal is to get a handle on the species’ population
struggles in the Pine Ridge area of northwestern
Nebraska.
With the help of a helicopter wildlife capturing crew
and others, Commission staff on Feb. 14-16 equipped 20
pregnant female sheep with a device to help immediately
detect when lambs are born. The Commission has staged
numerous bighorn sheep captures in past years involving the
installation of telemetry collars, but this is its first bighornmonitoring project using this type of transmitter.
The vaginal implant transmitter, often referred to by
its acronym VIT, is a three-inch long tube designed to be
inserted behind the fetus in the birthing canal. About the
same diameter as a roll of dimes, it has an antenna and
features two plastic wings to help it stay in place until a
lamb is born.
Upon birth, a change in the transmitter’s temperature will
trigger a frequency that indicates a lamb was born. Shortly
after, Commission staff will race to the lamb in an attempt
to equip it with a temporary tracking collar. By tracking the
lambs, biologists hope to get a better idea of what is causing
so many of them to die in the Pine Ridge area of Dawes and
Sioux counties. Populations have struggled in that region
in recent years and biologists believe no lambs survived the
2016 birthing season. Most have died within a couple of
months of being born.
Veterinarians from the Alliance Animal Clinic and
Crawford Companion Animal Clinic, staff members
of the Henry Doorly Zoo and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
along with students from the Chadron State College’s
wildlife management program and other volunteers, joined
Commission employees during the processing. The team,
consisting of as many as 50 people at times, worked
Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area and Fort Robinson
State Park near Crawford on the first day, private property
south of Whitney on the second, and U.S. Forest Service
property near Chadron State Park on the third and final day.
The group had intended to finish the project Wednesday, but
were sidelined most of that day by helicopter mechanical
problems.
In addition to the 20 bighorns that were fitted with VITs,
the effort netted another six ewes and five rams.
The sheep were captured using a net fired from a
gun, then hobbled and carried to the processing station
hanging on a tether below the helicopter. Sedatives eased
stress and intravenous fluids and ice lowered their high
body temperatures. A mobile ultrasound machine helped
determine if the ewes were pregnant. Each sheep’s nose and
72 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
The vaginal implant transmitter is designed to be ejected from
a ewe upon the birth of a lamb. A change in its temperature
triggers a signal to researchers using telemetry equipment.
throat were swabbed for bacteria testing, and blood samples
were taken to determine DNA. The crew also administered
antibiotics to combat any illnesses they might have. And,
each sheep was equipped with telemetry collars and ear tags.
The collars aid Commission wildlife technicians in their goal
of locating each collared sheep at least once a week and the
ear tags help with identification.
Not only do biologists look forward to learning more
from tracking the lambs, they hope to gain insights from
test results from this week’s captures, said Todd Nordeen,
Commission big game research and disease program
manager.
The Pine Ridge herds have disease issues, and biologists
hope to determine the exact pathogens to blame. Pasteurella
pneumonia has been linked to bighorn sheep deaths
throughout their ranges in North America, but other bacteria
also cause problems.
“We’ll see when we get the test results back how many
test positive for mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, in particular,”
Nordeen said. “That’s another bacteria that sheep have
been dealing with throughout the West and research is
increasingly showing that it’s one of the primary bacterium
leading to die-offs and mortalities.”
Soon, bighorn sheep monitoring efforts will ramp up
considerably in the Pine Ridge.
“When spring comes, we’re going to be out there every
day tracking these collared ewes, especially when they
isolate themselves and look like they’re going to give birth,”
he said. “Then we’ll be listening for the frequency of the
VIT that is in that particular sheep. We will be
prepared with equipment to go in and collar
those lambs. Then, we’ll follow them for the next
two or three months to identify cause-specific
mortality.”
The monitoring will require checks nearly
every day, and the Commission will be looking
to volunteers, such as college students studying to
be wildlife managers, to lessen the burden of its
staff. Nordeen said it is almost imperative to find
the lambs less than a day after birth and death. Any
later than that after birth and catching the lambs becomes
much more difficult. The longer one waits after death the
more chance predators and scavengers will capitalize on
their find.
The capturing project was funded largely by conservation
organizations, including the Nebraska Big Game Society,
Wild Sheep Foundation and the Iowa Chapter of the
Foundation for North American Sheep.
Nebraska now has a population of about 320 bighorns, 140
of which are in the Pine Ridge.
The Audubon’s subspecies of bighorn sheep was native
to the butte country of the Nebraska Panhandle but was
extirpated from the state because of disease, unregulated
hunting and habitat loss in the early 1900s. The subspecies
became extinct in 1925.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep from Custer State Park in
The helicopter delivers a ewe for processing at Fort Robinson
State Park.
South Dakota were reintroduced to Nebraska in an enclosure
at Fort Robinson State Park in 1981. Those sheep were
released to the wild in 1988 and 1993 and additional release
efforts of sheep from Montana, Canada and Colorado in
2001, 2005, 2007 and 2012 have resulted in herds that
reside in areas of the Pine Ridge between Harrison and
Chadron, and the Wildcat Hills south of Gering and east to
McGrew. ■
A ewe is released following processing. Handling the wild sheep are, from left, Justin Powell, Brandon Tritsch, Greg Schenbeck and
Adam Bahl.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 73
▲ I am an avid deer hunter and I have several photos from deer that we’ve shot from over the years, but I have to say this one is my favorite.
Ironically, one of the individuals who helped shoot some of the bucks is not present in the picture, that man is Alan Birkel, my father. However,
two of the individuals are relatives. My uncle, Dan Birkel and my grandfather, Harold Birkel are in the picture. My love and passion for the
outdoors has been passed down to me, and now I am sharing my passion of the outdoors with my children. Pictures and hunting stories like
this are priceless, and we never get tired of telling these stories as they help preserve that past for generations to come!
The picture was taken in November 1968 on Roy Walker’s farmstead in between Genoa and St. Ed, Nebraska.
Front Row: Tim Bosak, Gary Keeshan, Roy Walker, Bill Badje, and Dan Birkel
Back Row: Jim Weldon, Dale Pearson, Neva and Harold Hoffman, Donald “Stetz” Dreifurst and Harold Birkel
– Heath Birkel, Callaway, Nebraska
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, NEBRASKAland Magazine,
P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to
Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov. Photos should show people enjoying Nebraska
outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing, and must
have been taken before 1980. We will give priority to unusual photos or
activities. When possible, please include a story about the photograph and
identify the people, places and approximate date it was taken. Text may be
edited, photos adjusted for reproduction. All photos will be returned.
74 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 75
Catfish with Lemon and Bacon Cream Sauce
For when you’re tired of tartar sauce, though I know that’s impossible – but bacon!
By Jenny Nguyen
A
greasy fish fry and beer is
awesome, but it’s not always
appropriate for a first date
or anniversary dinner.
Looking to impress a special
someone with your catch through
the water? Dress up your catfish, or
any white fish, with this simple, yet
eye-catching meal: a fillet of catfish
gently browned in butter and served
with a cream sauce of bacon, chives
and lemon zest.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
4 catfish fillets
Milk for soaking fish
1
⁄4 cup of all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or
•
•
•
•
•
shallots)
of bacon, chopped
• 22 slices
teaspoons
chopped chives
• 1 cup of heavyof whipping
• Zest of 1 lemon, grated cream
• 2 tablespoons of butter
•
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in
a large non-stick pan over medium
heat. Place catfish fillets in a wide
dish or bowl and pour milk over fish
to wet. Remove fish and sprinkle
salt and pepper on both sides. Dust
with flour and shake off excess. Cook
catfish in hot butter for 2 minutes
on each side, or until browned and
cooked through. Do not crowd fish in
the pan. Keep cooked catfish warm.
2. In the same pan, render chopped
bacon over medium heat. Remove
bacon and drain on a paper towel.
Pour out most of the grease and
discard (or keep for another use).
Return the bacon bits to the pan
and add garlic. Stir for 30 seconds
to allow garlic to become aromatic,
but do now allow garlic to brown.
Add heavy whipping cream. Bring to
a simmer and allow sauce to thicken,
about 2-4 minutes. Stir in chopped
chives and lemon zest. Add salt and
pepper to taste.
3. Serve fillets with bacon and
chive sauce drizzled on top. Serve
leftover sauce on the side, along
with a light salad
and rice. ■
This recipe
and photograph
originally appeared
on Jenny’s Food
for Hunters blog at
foodforhunters.com.
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN
76 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 77
How About the Time...
...I
watched 63-year-old Lloyd Warren stalk turkeys through the woods like he was in high school.
…I didn’t see a turkey all day, but stumbled upon my first patch of morel mushrooms.
…that one tom hung up on that logging road just out of sight, gobbling his head off but unwilling to
move any closer.
…that one tom didn’t hang up on the other logging road, walking right into shotgun range as his
gobbles echoed into the trees around us.
…my wife leaned out of the truck window and gobbled at the roadside tom, who immediately gobbled
back, making our young children laugh hysterically.
…I scratched my nose, while in full camouflage, with a turkey more than 300 yards away – only to
watch him and his flock of hens run as fast as they could in the opposite direction.
…I was told by a hunting partner that it wasn’t worth crawling a quarter of a mile to get a shot at a tom.
…I found me a new hunting partner.
…the sun hit my hen decoy at just the right angle in the woods, starting a race between two toms to see
who could run into gun range faster.
…I slowed down just long enough to see how beautiful a turkey truly is, causing
me to repeat this ritual every time I have a successful hunt.
Cheers to the start of another year of frustration, elation, heartache, and perhaps
even a tear or two shed in the woods to all you hunters this spring in the best turkey
hunting state in the nation. I just hope those tears are from joy.
Jeff Kurrus
February 1, 2017
78 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2017
This spring, answer them. Because few places offer the three permits, large
bird population, thousands of acres of public land and high hunter success
rates that make Nebraska one of the top turkey hunting states in the country.
Plan your hunt at OutdoorNebraska.org.
APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 79
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