Volume 96, Issue 3, 2018
April 2018
- Identifier:
- nela.2018_096_03
- Title:
- Volume 96, Issue 3, 2018
- Issue Name:
- April 2018
- Date Issued:
- 2018-04-01
- year:
- 2018
- month:
- April
- Season:
- Spring
- PDF filename:
- NL_96.03_2018_Apr_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 096
- issue:
- 03
- number:
- 096.03
- Decade:
- 2010s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 96
●
No. 3
●
April 2018
F EAT U R ES . . .
20 Animal Architects
B M
M
26 Time Well Spent – What to Do in April
Y
ONICA
ACOUBRIE
BY RENAE BLUM
28 Outdoor Painting
Nature in 2-D
BY RENAE BLUM
32 Windflower
a delicate prairie wildflower
BY GERRY STEINAUER
34 Countdown for the Crew
Nebraska's Turkey Hunting Opener
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS
40 Big Red Water Wolves
STORY AND PHOTOS BY RYAN SPARKS
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E ...
40
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From Our Readers – Letters, Comments, Etc. ........... 4
Mixed Bag – The Big Brown Bat, Travel to West Point,
32
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A Brief History of Wolf Breeding, Radar Watching Birds,
DIY Turkey Tail Mount, Upcoming Events, and more ...... 6
In the Field – Sighthunting for Fish ........................... 44
Portraits from the Past – Readers' Photos ............. 50
Nature Notes – My Time on the Lek......................... 52
The Last Stop – Breaking the Ice .............................. 54
20
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O N TH E W EB . . .
WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL IN THE PAGES OF
N
NEBRASKALAND MAGAZINE, VISIT
NEBRASKALANDMAGAZINE.COM AND VIEW OUR INTERACTIVE
DIGITAL EDITION FOR MORE INFORMATION.
D
Cover: This greater prairie chicken or pinnated grouse
(Tympanuchus cupido) was photographed in early April in Hall
County. This particular bird would occasionally fly up and land on
top of my blind. Photo by Rick Rasmussen.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 96 / 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 2018
28
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APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 3
From Instagram
Over the past few months we've been tagged in many photos
on our new Instagram page (@NEBRASKAland). Here are a few
from our digital media manager – Alyssa Baldridge. To have your
photos featured in future issues, follow us on Instagram and tag us
in your photos.
NEBRASKAland Magazine
ADMINISTRATION
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
Director Jim Douglas
Deputy Director Tim McCoy
Commissioners
Chairman - Dick Bell, Omaha
Vice Chairman - Robert Allen, Eustis
2nd Vice Chairman - Dan Kreitman, Wahoo
Rick Brandt, Roca
Pat Berggren, Broken Bow
Jim Ernst, Columbus
Norris Marshall, Kearney
Doug Zingula, Sidney
Scott Cassels, Omaha
ADMINISTRATION (Lincoln)
Craig Stover (Administrator)
Duane Arp (Asst. Administrator)
Jeff Clauson (Asst. Administrator)
MAGAZINE STAFF
Nick and Stesha Burri of Ogallala shared
a picture of their daughter, Rylee, fishing
at Lake McConaughey last August.
Brenda Creigh of Grand Island took this
photo of a hawk "standing guard" on a
windmill near her home.
Correction: In the March 2018 issue,
the Travelogue on page 8 incorrectly
stated that horseback riding is allowed
on the Dark Island Trail, when it is
not. We regret the error.
–Editor
Send your comments to:
Jeff Kurrus, Editor
NEBRASKAland Magazine
P.O. Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
or e-mail Jeff.Kurrus@Nebraska.gov
Please include your postal address
and telephone number. Letters may be
condensed and edited. Photographs are also
welcome.
Any program that receives federal funding from the National Park
Service, or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service prohibits unlawful
discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, marital
status, national origin, age, disability or political affiliation. Any person
who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program,
activity, facility, or service, should contact the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-0641, the Equal Opportunity
Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-2024, TTY/TDD 402-471-4693;
United States Fish Wildlife Service, Civil Rights Coordinator, 4401
N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203; Director, Equal Opportunity
Program, U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C
Street NW, Mail Code 0008, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001.
4 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
Communications Director Christy Firestone
Editor Jeff Kurrus
Art Director Tim Reigert
Associate Editor Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Regional Editors Eric Fowler, Julie Geiser,
Justin Haag
Contributing Editor Michael Forsberg
Regular Contributors Renae Blum,
Chris Helzer, Chris Masada, Gerry Steinauer
Photo Librarian Jaclyn Cruikshank Vogt
Circulation Donna Robinson
For address changes and questions about
your subscription, e-mail donna.robinson@
nebraska.gov or call 800-632-5263
Advertising Sales Manager
For advertising information contact
Shane G. Gilster, 402-742-0125
Email: shanegilster@gmail.com
NEBRASKAland Magazine Copyright 2018, 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
MIS
SSIO
S N OFFICES
OFFI
FF CES
FF
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
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
Dan Kling (Sioux, Dawes)
308-430-0572
Kyler Prochaska
(E 1/2 Dawes, N 1/2 Sheridan, W 1/2 Cherry) 308-430-3984
Terry Brentzel (Deuel, Garden, Grant) 308-458-7650
402-389-0444
Frank Miller (Cherry, Hooker)
NORTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Tom Zimmer (District Supt.)
402-649-8053
402-760-0712
Dale Davis (Keya Paha, Brown, Rock)
402-340-3981
Jonathan Andreasen (Holt, Boyd)
402-719-6226
Kyle Gaston (Dodge, Colfax)
Greg Hesse
(Greeley, Wheeler, Boone, S 1/2 Antelope)
402-843-6567
Mitch Johnson (Knox, Antelope, Pierce) 402-613-8612
402-762-5022
Jeff Jones (Knox, Cedar)
Jon Reeves
(S 1/2 Thurston, Burt, Washington)
402-889-8508
Andrew Heyer (Pierce, Madison, Stanton) 402-613-2241
Cory Krause
(Cuming, Wayne, Stanton, Dodge)
402-380-6410
Steve Oberg
(Colfax, Platte, Madison, Stanton, Nance)
402-910-3366
Owen Johnson
(Dixon, Dakota, N 1/2 Thurston)
402-266-1759
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)
308-920-2762
Matt Andrews
(Gosper, Furnas, Frontier, Red Willow)
308-746-2418
Brian Piernicky
(Red Willow, Frontier, Hayes, Hitchcock)
308-340-6627
John Lee (Hitchcock, Dundy, Chase, Hayes) 308-414-1432
308-289-0427
Nicholas Fix (Keith, Perkins)
308-289-1169
Bryce Streger (Keith, Arthur)
308-760-0145
Sean Schultz (Keith)
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
Taylor Dixon
(Dawson, N 1/2 Gosper, N 1/2 Phelps)
308-217-2108
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
Matt Taylor (Thayer, Fillmore, Jefferson) 402-200-9597
402-806-9084
Dan Zuehlke (Gage, Saline)
402-890-6463
Dina Barta (Lancaster)
402-937-3422
Dudley Sorensen (Lancaster, York)
402-613-2312
Travis Shepler (Lancaster)
402-314-9641
Trevor Stahlecker (Lancaster)
402-890-7140
Stacey Lewton (Lancaster, Seward)
402-443-6392
Mike Luben (Saunders, Butler, Polk)
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 5
A
Mammal
Brief
Big Brown Bat
By Lindsay Rogers
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
With a wingspan of 13 inches, it is easy to see why this species got its name. Compared to other Nebraska
bat species, which range in wingspan length from 8-12 inches, the big brown bat is one of the state’s largest
species. Found throughout North America, this species can be found in a variety of habitats including cities,
farms, pastures and forests. During the summer months, they roost in hollow trees, barns, silos and attics.
During the winter months, this species remains in Nebraska, taking shelter in caves, mines, attics and cellars.
Because they often utilize human-made structures for roosting and hibernacula, they are one of the most
commonly encountered bat species in Nebraska.
Like all Nebraska bat species, the big brown bat is an insectivore, eating copious amounts of night-flying
insects such as beetles, leaf-hoppers and moths. Each lactating female can easily eat her weight in insects each
night. Because of this, bats are vitally important to Nebraska’s wildlife ecology. They also provide significant
benefit to Nebraska’s agricultural economy. And, for those of us who enjoy summer evenings outside, having
bats around provide chemical-free mosquito control. ■
Lindsay Rogers is an outdoor education specialist with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
6 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 7
Travelogue
Travelogue Sponsors
●
West Point
Visit West Point
By Brenna McFadden, Nebraska Tourism Commission
W
est Point in northeastern
Nebraska is a thriving small
town with a welcoming
atmosphere. This
community has much to
offer people looking for an outdoor
experience or a night spent on the town.
Do
The West Point Community Theatre
is renowned for its historic building
and friendly staff of volunteers.
Its mission is to be northeastern
Nebraska’s destination for families
to enjoy shows of all sorts – ranging
from entertaining to educational. This
venue offers top-notch entertainment
including recent movies, galas and live
plays suitable for all ages. Bring your
family in April to enjoy Gilligan’s
Island: The Musical. For information
on dates, times and pricing, visit
westpointcommunitytheatre.org.
Eat
to eat dinner before enjoying a show.
This steakhouse is a bit off the beaten
path but worth the search. The staff are
friendly and the food never disappoints.
If you would rather have a fresh
Mexican dish, then Fiesta Brava is
your place. Generous portions at
great prices, you'll be supporting the
community's local meat businesses.
Stay
Dead Timber State Recreation Area
offers areas for modern camping if
you are looking to spend some time
outdoors while traveling. The area has
great opportunities for families to fish,
hike, hunt and picnic while enjoying
spring weather.
Neligh Park also offers camping
sites along with the option of renting a
log cabin. If you are looking for more
traditional lodging, you can rent a room
at Horizon Inn and Suites or Super 8
Motel.
Shop
West Point has a variety of
businesses for any shopping purposes
you might have. Lana A Boutique
offers a personalized shopping
experience with 20 years in the
business of helping people find
what works best for them. Schmitt’s
Clothing is the premiere shop for men
and offers everything from sportswear
to suits. If you are in the mood for a
cozy small town coffee shop, then pay
Red Door Coffee a visit and try their
delicious blueberry scones.
Explore
Take a quick trip to Indian Trails
Country Club, just south of Beemer
and about 11 miles away from West
Point, for breathtaking views of
the Elkhorn River Valley and its
challenging 18-hole golf course. For
a more family-friendly activity, take
everyone to Main Street Bowl over the
weekend. ■
Stop at the Hide-Away Grill if
you are looking for a great place
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Dead Timber State Recreation Area is just seven miles south of West Point. It offers great outdoor recreation for the entire family.
8 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 9
A Brief History
The Nebraska Wolf-breeding Industry
By David Bristow,
Nebraska State Historical Society
W
olf bounties were a point of contention between
eastern and western Nebraska in the early 1900s.
Many eastern Nebraskans saw wolves as a western
problem and didn’t want to be taxed to pay for
it. The political struggle included charges of fraud – even
the rumor that people were raising their own wolves
and coyotes, killing them, and turning their scalps in for
payment. It was “an industry that is thriving in several
sections of the state,” reported the North Platte Semi-Weekly
Tribune on Jan. 3, 1902. The story soon went national with a
New York Times report on Jan. 20:
“The large number of claims coming into the [Nebraska]
State Auditor’s office for bounties on wolves and coyotes
has led that official to make an investigation, and he has
arrived at the conclusion that the farmers and ranchers in
the western part of the State have gone into the business
of breeding these animals for the bounty market. In one
instance it was found that one farmer had raised more than
100 wolves last summer from several animals he had trapped
and penned up for that purpose.”
State law allowed counties to pay $3 apiece for the scalps
of wolves, coyotes or wildcats. The state added $1, bringing
the total bounty up to $4. Claimants were required to present
a scalp to their county clerk with both ears and the face
down to the nose. They swore an oath that they killed the
animal in Nebraska. The county clerk then paid the claimant
and billed the state for the extra dollar.
Was it profitable to breed wolves in captivity for only $4
a head? It seems implausible, and contemporary reports are
suspiciously vague on details. No names or specific locations
were given.
The rumor may have gained traction because of the
politics of wolf bounties. The state had fallen way behind in
bounty payments by 1902. No money had been appropriated
since 1899. Western Nebraska legislators wanted $40,000
appropriated for wolf claims. Western farmers and ranchers
wanted the bounty so that non-landowners would also have
an incentive to reduce the wolf population.
Many eastern Nebraskans were skeptical. It sounded to
them like ranchers wanted the government to pay them for
performing a task they were going to do anyway. Stories
of wolf breeding seemed to confirm their suspicions. The
Omaha Bee claimed on March 23 that wolf-breeding was
“the most profitable industry in Nebraska.”
In the end, the legislature appropriated the money – but
also repealed the bounty for future claims.
The wolf bounty returned with the 1905 legislature. The
Omaha Bee described the legislative struggle as a battle of
“east against the west,” while the Alliance Herald advised
that while waiting for the legislature, “this would be an
excellent time to get out with your horse and hounds and kill
off a few that are bothering your sheep or poultry.”
10 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
“Old Jules” Sandoz with his dog and a pair of coyotes he shot
at his place in Sheridan County, circa 1924. NSHS RG1273-2-2
Western Nebraskans won, and the state enacted a new
bounty law. On April 4, the Omaha Bee called the new
law “another legislative outrage upon the taxpayers of
Nebraska. There is no good reason why people subject to the
depredations of wolves should not kill them for their own
protection without the incentive of a bounty. The bounty law
will simply resurrect the wolf scalp factories that did such a
flourishing business a few years ago until the bounty claims
accumulate again in such alarming proportion that the
taxpayers will be forced to insist upon another repeal.”
But it doesn’t seem to have worked out that way. By Nov.
8, 1905, the Columbus Journal observed that the “next
legislature probably will not have to make an appropriation
for a state bounty on wolf scalps, as wolves seem to
becoming [sic] scarce in Western Nebraska. Auditor Cook
reports that bounties for several months have not averaged
more than $100 per month.”
And with that, rumors of a Nebraska wolf breeding
industry faded. Across the lower 48 states, wolves were
all but exterminated by the mid-20th century. At one point
only small populations survived in northern Minnesota
and Michigan. Coyotes, of course, were another matter –
bounties or not, these adaptable creatures have managed to
thrive in a multitude of environments. ■
Visit the Nebraska State Historical Society’s website at
history.nebraska.gov.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 11
Observing
Migrating Birds by
Watching Weather
Radar
By Joel G. Jorgensen
Not long ago the only way most people could
view Doppler weather radar was to tune into
the weather segment of a local television news
broadcast. Smart phones, tablets, computers and the
internet have changed our ability to access all sorts of
information, and now real-time Doppler radar can be viewed
at any time of day or night, even when there are no clouds in
the sky and no chance of rain, snow or thunderstorms in the
forecast. Increased accessibility of this technology can now
be put to an unexpected use – tracking migrating birds.
During spring and fall, millions of birds travel between
their wintering haunts to our south and breeding sites in
our area and points farther north. All species undertake
strategies to fly from point A to point B that help them
minimize risk of predation and over-expenditure of valuable
energy reserves. Some species migrate during the day, but
many others, including most songbirds, migrate during the
nighttime. The vast number of migrating birds that take
flight shortly after sundown during spring and fall migration
can be easily seen on Doppler radar, and it is possible to
watch the movements of migrating birds on time loops of
radar images. The radar signature of birds is distinctive in
terms of height and speed of movement and flocks light up
radar as concentric rings around radar installations when
conditions are favorable, such as south winds during spring
and north winds during fall. Migrating birds land before
sunrise and, consequently, the activity on radar dissipates
before dawn.
Radar is frequently used by researchers to address
questions about migrating birds and bats. Birders now
regularly access radar during migration season to get a
sense of whether there will be an influx of migrant birds in
the area and whether it makes sense to set the alarm clock
early and head out to a favorite birding spot before dawn.
Radar can be used to show patterns of bird migration at
regional scales and is frequently used to monitor passage
of birds over the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico. The
signature of migrating birds may only be strong on one side
of a weather front since conditions on the other side may
not be conducive for migration.
In the coming weeks, especially during early to midMay, you can observe the mass migration of birds by
visiting a website, such as the National Weather Service
(radar.weather.gov/conus/uppermissvly.php), which
provides access to Doppler radar. Observe the radar loop
immediately before and after sunset when there are south
winds or when the weather is relatively calm. Radar returns
that appear shortly after sunset almost certainly will be
migrating birds representing dozens of species. ■
12 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
Regional Doppler radar before and after sundown on May 13,
2017. The top image captured at 8:37 p.m. shows a calm and
quiet evening, while the second image captured at 9:55 p.m.
has “lit up” showing a lot of activity which represents migrating
birds.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 13
14 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 15
16 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
A State Park
Scavenger
Hunt
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 3
Spring Turkey Hunting Workshop
Mid-Plains Community College, North
Platte
April 5
Light Goose Conservation Order
closes in Rainwater Basin and West
zones
April 6
Crow Hunting
Statewide crow hunting season closes
April 7
Spring Youth Shotgun Turkey
Spring youth shotgun turkey season
opens
April 7
City History Trolley Tour
April 15
National Quilting Day
Arbor Lodge SHP, Nebraska City
April 16
Bighorn Sheep Lottery
Application period begins for bighorn
sheep lottery permit
April 18-22
Coalition of Historical Trekkers
Fort Atkinson SHP, Fort Calhoun
April 19
Meeting
Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission meeting, Fort Robinson
SP, Crawford
Arbor Lodge State Historical Park
(SHP), Nebraska City
April 21
Youth Fishing Instructor
Certification Class
April 7-8
Platte River Art Show
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center, Lincoln
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park (SP),
Ashland
April 21
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman
Outdoor Survival Workshop
April 10
Turkey Calling 101
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center, Lincoln
April 10
Monarchs on a Mission Workshop
Educational Service Unit No. 2,
Fremont
April 14
Nebraska State Conventional
Pistol Championship
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center, Lincoln
April 21-22
Great Plains Garrison’s Spring
Muster
Fort Hartsuff SHP, Burwell
April 28
Beyond Becoming an OutdoorsWoman
Experience Platte River SP, Louisville
April 28
Roger G. Sykes Outdoor Heritage
Education Complex
Wildcat Hills Nature Center, Gering
opens on weekends, Platte River SP,
Louisville
April 14
Spring Shotgun Turkey
April 28
Outdoor Adventure
Spring shotgun turkey season opens
Indian Cave SP, Shubert
April 15
Light Goose Conservation Order
April 28-29
Arbor Day Weekend Celebration
closes in East Zone
Arbor Lodge SHP, Nebraska City
18 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
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By Jarrod Spilger
One of the joys of harvesting
a mature gobbler, besides the
thrill of the hunt and the deliciouss
nity to
meal that follows, is the opportunity
obtain a trophy tail fan and beard mount.
te your
Follow these simple steps to create
own mount that will be a treasuredd memento
for many years.
First, cut off the tail fan slightlyy below the tail
st. It's better to
bone and the beard from the breast.
have too many feathers initially
than not enough, as you can
always trim excess feathers,
but you can’t add them back
on. Then, cut out the tail bone
so the fan lays flat during the
drying process. With a knife,
cut and scrape away all meat
and fat from the tail’s base,
making sure to remove the oil
gland. Trim the beard’s base,
too. Leave enough material,
though, so the tail feathers and
beard fibers remain attached.
Clean the base of the tail and beard with a cotton
With a cotton ball soaked in ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.
rubbing alcohol, dab the base of
the tail and beard to dry out any
remaining fat and kill bacteria.
Let dry overnight.
Next, liberally apply Borax
to the tail fan base and stretch
out the fan, front side down, on
newspapers. I use three or four
full shotgun shell boxes to hold
the fan in place. Also, stick the
beard base into a separate small
pile of Borax. The Borax will
dry out any remaining flesh or
Apply Borax to the tail fan base to dry out any
oil. Let the stretched out fan set remaining flesh or oil.
for several months in a cool, dry
place indoors where pets and
bugs can’t get to it.
Finally, mount the tail.
You can use a prefabricated
mounting kit for a professional
look, or simply tie the tail onto
a piece of cardboard with the
beard hanging below it using
flexible wire. Cover exposed
wire with tape to protect walls,
and punch a hole into the top
of the cardboard to hang this
economical display from a
The tail can be mounted onto a piece of cardboard
with the beard handing below it using flexible wire.
nail. ■
NEBRASKAland
N
V
Visitor
Last issue’s winner of
L
the Visitor drawing was
Kelly
Ke Mercer of Stanton,
Nebraska,
Ne
who found the
head
he louse on page 14.
Readers are encouraged to contact
R
NEBRASKAland
NE
within 10 days after
this
thi issue’s publication with the
correct
co
page number and name of
this
thi issue’s “Visitor” – a critter found
in Nebraska. We will then gather the
correct
co
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 16, 19, 22, 23, or 42-43.
PHOTOS BY JARROD SPILGER
April 14
Powerful Pollinators
Fort Kearny State Recreation Area
(SRA), Kearney
By Jeff Kurrus
For parents it’s imperative to come
up with new, creative outdoor ideas
to share with your kids. However,
sometimes the old ideas work just as
well – none any better than a scavenger
hunt.
With clipboard and pen in hand this
month, my kids will spend hours trying
to find items at one of Nebraska’s state
parks and recreation areas. While every
list will be different, here are some
standards to spot to get you started this
April.
Pine cone
Squirrel
Blooming flower
(extra points for
being able to name it)
Good skipping rock
Tree stump
Bird nest
Bird feather (extra points)
Spider web
Something fuzzy
3 different leaves
(extra points)
Hole in a tree
Cloud that looks
like an animal
Butterfly
Animal track
(extra points)
Chewed leaf
Sign
Turkey
Predator
(e.g. coyote,
red-tailed hawk)
Water
Something prickly
This list is compiled from a number
of outdoor scavenger lists found online
as well as other items that have worked
well for us in the past. The main idea,
especially when taking kids in the
outdoors, is to make sure that they are
having more than a walk in the park.
These walks are fine for adults, but
if your younger sidekicks are already
wired to find clouds that look like
frogs, then go ahead and give them
more to find. ■
Mount a
Turkey Tail
Head lice (Pediculus humanus
capitis) are very small insects,
tan to gray or white in color, and
approximately 1⁄10 inch in length.
They are ectoparasites, feeding on
human blood, though fortunately
are not known to transmit disease
between hosts. While they are
wingless and cannot fly, they are
able to quickly crawl and have
large claws to grasp hairs. Female
lice attach individual eggs to a
shaft of hair, usually near the
scalp. These small eggs, called
nits, are white when first laid,
turning tan as they age. Nymphs
hatch from the eggs and will
molt three times before reaching
adulthood. Infestations most
commonly result from head-tohead contact, though sharing of
hats and brushes can also spread
lice. Over-the-counter treatments
and the use of a nit brush can
be used to eliminate lice once an
infestation
nfestation occurs.
Special thanks to Julie Van Meter,
Mete
Nebrask
State Entomologist, Nebraska
Department of Agriculture.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 19
Animal
Architects
By Monica Macoubrie
Outdoor Educator, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
M
20 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
steel, nails, hammers or saws.
In Nebraska, we have many different
animals that will build and construct
their own homes. From insects to
birds, and even mammals, the amount
of time and engineering knowledge
these animals possess is nothing less
than impressive. We call these special
building creatures animal architects.
Beavers
When most of the human population
thinks of animals that build their own
home, the first thing that comes to
mind is the beaver. Is it because their
houses are just that remarkable? Or
perhaps, they are more visible to
the public eye than other animal
homes.
Beavers are semi-aquatic animals
that live together either with a partner
or in groups. These herbivorous rodents
are one of the most famous and skilled
animal architects out there. To build a
home, like any good architect, they first
have to find the right location. This is
usually a peaceful river with shallow
waters. They will then find their
building materials.
air
vent
shaft
nesting
chamber
eating
chamber
underwater
entrance/exit
(at least two)
underwater
entrance/exit
(at least two)
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM REIGERT
y mother inspired my love
of the outdoors, even if
sometimes it felt like she had
to push me out the door. She loved to
garden, walk, and ride bikes, and she
took me to nature centers and watched
me climb trees. Of all the things we
did together outdoors, one excursion in
particular is forever ingrained into my
head.
My mother and I were walking along
the river by my uncle’s farm, and I
noticed some tiny trees that looked like
they had been broken off about knee
high. I didn’t really think anything
of it, so I just kept shuffling along
throwing rocks. We walked maybe
another two minutes along the river
and there, directly in front of us, was
an unbelievably large pile of sticks and
mud.
I asked my mom what that pile of
junk was in front of us; I remember
even asking if this was the landfill (give
me a break – I was 8). My mom told
me that this was not the landfill, but a
beaver lodge, and a pretty substantial
one by the look of it.
Being so young, I didn’t know at
the time what a beaver lodge actually
looked like. I had never observed one
with my own eyes. My mom told me
how beavers build them with sticks
and mud and use them as their home.
We spent the next 15 or 20 minutes
looking around the beaver lodge after
that. I was so in awe of this thing that
an animal had built. This beaver didn’t
need help from any humans, and it cut
and constructed this entire house by
itself, using only mud and sticks. No
Beavers (opposite) construct and maintain houses called lodges. These lodges can
be found in two shapes – conical (like the one above) or bank-shaped. The conical is
the most recognizable shape which is usually surrounded by water. These structures
modify the natural environment in such a way that the overall ecosystem builds upon
the change, making beavers a keystone species. Beavers are nocturnal and are prolific
builders, carrying mud and stones with their front paws and timber between their teeth.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 21
their life.
During the larva stage, this insect
will build a mobile house to protect
itself until it reaches adulthood. The
caddis fly will fabricate a house by
gluing hard materials such as sand,
dried leaves, twigs and small stones
to its body using a specially made
silk, similar to the silk produced by
spiders. This animal will select objects
harder than its own shell to build a
camouflaged “case.”
During construction, this animal will
even assemble windows into its design
– holes that allow its legs to move
about. This enables the insect to eat
without ever leaving its house.
The specialized silk that a caddis
fly produces can also be used to make
fishing nets to catch food from the
flowing river. Depending on the speed
of the current and the size of the catch,
the caddis fly will make a net with
small or large mesh to catch its
prey.
PHOTO BY KEN BOUC
The black and yellow garden spider is common in Nebraska and is known for its large size and quintessential orb-shaped web. The
spiders in this group get their name from the English word “orb,” meaning “circular,” in regards to their wheel-shaped webs.
Since materials like two-by-fours
aren’t available for purchase by
beavers, they use the next best thing –
trees. These large rodents will cut down
tree trunks and branches using their
large front orange-colored incisors.
Like all other rodents, a beaver’s teeth
never stop growing. By chewing and
cutting down their building supplies,
they wear down their teeth to a
manageable length.
With location and materials ready,
these animals will first build a solid
foundation of stones and mud in the
center of a lake, river, pond or stream.
From here, they will pile on branches
and foliage until it surfaces out of the
water. For the roof, beavers will build
a dome-shaped top made of branches,
leaves and interwoven grasses. On top
of this, they will then place a thick
layer of mud that will eventually
harden over time.
Once the structure is complete,
beavers will move on to finish their
work. This includes adding underwater
doors, chimneys and a security fence
22 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
made from mud and castoreum, a foulsmelling oil produced by beavers. The
smell is usually so strong that no one
will come close to the den except for
family members.
Spiders
Another common but amazing animal
architect is the spider. Spider webs
are some of the most fascinating, and
should I say, pretty examples of animal
homes out there.
There are four main web patterns
that spiders can construct: the orb-web,
sheet-web, funnel-web and cob-web.
The most recognizable is the orb-web.
Think of the movie Charlotte’s Web.
Charlotte constructed her words in an
orb-web.
To build a web the first thing a spider
will do is find a solid support structure,
such as the eaves on your house, stone
crevices or a branch. The spider will
then use silk, which is produced in its
body, for every inch of the web.
While in the body, the silk is in liquid
form. Once it reaches the outside air,
the liquid solidifies. Some species of
spiders have up to seven glands – each
producing a different type of silk,
depending on the use. The most durable
silk is used to stretch across the web
and keep it firm. The more sticky fluid
silk is used to create the articulate
pattern of spirals that attach to the main
threads.
Some species of spiders, such as orbweavers, will reconstruct a new web
every night.
Monarchs
These insects are known for flying
thousands of miles to migrate, but they
are also amazing architects. Similar to
other butterflies, monarchs will build
a chrysalis when they change from
caterpillar to butterfly. To start, the
Pictured is a caddis fly in its larva stage while underwater. It builds its mobile
residence with widely available materials such as sand, leaves, twigs and small stones,
which it “glues” together using self-produced silk, similar to spiders.
caterpillar will find a branch where
it feeds and hang by its tail using its
own silk. The chrysalis is made up
of chitin, the same material found in
insect shells – like that of a cicada. The
chrysalis will change colors from green
to translucent during the development
of the butterfly within.
Honeybees
Honeybees live in large groups and
share the same hive. To build their hive
these bees look for an ideal spot – like
a tree trunk, cave, shed or high branch.
Then, these insects will actually clean
the surface of the spot where the
hive will be attached to make it more
durable.
The hive is built of wax, which is
formed into hexagon shapes. This
gives the bees the most space, using
the least amount of wax. Bees mix the
wax with their saliva to make it flexible
and then shape it with their jaws.
Baltimore
Orioles
Not only are their colors bright and
eye-catching, these birds are among
Caddis Flies
The caddis fly is an animal that most
people have never heard of. Caddis
flies are insects that are closely related
to moths, and have homes that can be
moved from place to place. Throughout
their lifetime they will go through
four stages during their life cycle: egg,
larva, pupa and adult. These animals
will spend their larva and pupa stages
underwater, and then emerge as a
flying insect for the adult portion of
The metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly is illustrated here starting with the caterpillar in a green chrysalis. This chrysalis will
then become translucent as the butterfly is ready to emerge. The chrysalis is made up of chitin – the same material found in insect
shells, like a cicada.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 23
made of bits of plants that have been
woven together to form a round nest.
This unique fish will then “glue” the
pieces together using a secretion from
the male’s kidneys.
other
entrance/
exit
(vent)
raised
burrow/
main
entrance
other
entrance/
exit
(vent)
other
entrance/
exit
(vent)
Prairie Dogs
the most accomplished nest builders in
the world. This is because their nests
are shaped just a little differently than
those of most other birds: they make
a hanging, or pendulum, nest. Female
Baltimore orioles will meticulously
weave flexible, long strands of grass,
and every now and then will intertwine
man-made materials they find, such as
fishing line, to build their nests. Every
year when these birds return from
migration they will use the same area
to build their new nests, often recycling
parts of their old nests.
Brook
Sticklebacks
Not all animal architects have
to have arms and legs; the brook
stickleback can build a nest without
them. Considered a non-game fish in
Nebraska, this fish is found in a few
widely scattered streams and ponds
north of the Platte River.
The brook stickleback will build
a nest to house its eggs. This nest is
A Baltimore oriole nestling is shown in
a typical pendulum-shaped nest, which
is anchored firmly to a fork in the upper
branches of a tree – usually American
elms, but also maples and cottonwoods.
24 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
Paper Wasps
These insects are called paper
wasps because their nests appear to
be made of paper. These insects use
different types of plant material, which
when mixed with their saliva and
eventually dried, gives the appearance
of paper.
These nests will have multiple rooms
which are used for rearing young
and laying eggs. Paper wasps will
feed on pollen and nectar, although
A male brook stickleback uses sticks, algae and other plant materials to build a nest,
held together by a secretion from his kidneys. Nests are typically the size of a golf ball.
plugged
emergency
exit
turnaround
chamber
listening
chamber
food
cache
bedroom
chamber
bedroom
chamber
nursery
chamber
toilet chamber
This is a cross section of a prairie dog town, which consists of multiple chambers that make up this tunnel network. Prairie
dogs are considered a keystone species as their colonies create habitats for approximately 150 other species including snakes,
burrowing owls and salamanders.
they also hunt for insects, such as
caterpillars, to bring back to their
growing larvae. As the larvae grow
and the colony expands, the adult
paper wasps will increase the size
of their nests. You can find these
nests on window sills, the eaves of
houses and other sheltered areas.
...............................
Within the animal kingdom there
are dozens of other animal architects,
from bald eagles, which build massive,
heavy nests, to the small, circular
beds of bluegills; from leafcutter ants
that construct enormous underground
tunnels to termites that can build a
26-foot-high tower with a ventilation
system.
Some animals are content with
finding previously used homes, but
others demand nothing but the finest
accommodations. These are our animal
architects. ■
A paper wasp nest is usually built from a single central stalk, and tends to have the
shape of an upside down umbrella. Paper wasps will build these nests out of plant
material and mix it with their saliva. When this material dries it will then become thin
and film-like, giving the appearance of a paper-like material. Normally colonies of up to
several dozen wasps inhabit the nest.
Monica
Macoubrie is
an outdoor
educator for the
Commission. This
is her second
appearance in
NEBRASKAland
Magazine.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 25
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM REIGERT
Pictured is an open-air (exposed) wild honeybee hive built on a tree branch showing
the honeycomb structure.
Prairie dogs live in a complex
network of underground tunnels, which
have numerous openings for protection.
If you have ever seen a prairie dog
town from the top, you’ll see the raised
portions on land, which are the burrow
entrances. From here if you descend
into the town, tunnels below the ground
can spread hundreds of acres and
contain thousands of animals at one
time.
Prairie dog towns are more like
exceptionally well-organized cities
with different rooms built for caring for
young, storing food, eliminating waste
and sleeping.
So what if it floods? Well, don’t
worry. They have thought of this as
well: They build levees around the
entrances to lessen the risk of flooding.
Time Well Spent
What to Do in April
By Renae Blum
I
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
t’s time to shake off the doldrums of winter and head outside for as many fun activities
as you can think of – fishing, hiking, and morel mushroom hunting are good places
to start, but don’t stop there; read on for more ideas. For a complete list of upcoming
events across the state, or for more information on activities listed here, visit Calendar.
OutdoorNebraska.gov. ■
Spring Turkey Hunting
Shotgun season starts April 14
Spring Muster at Fort Hartsuff
Statewide
April 21-22
Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park
The grounds of Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park bustle with relics of
Nebraska history during the Spring Muster. Working busily are cooks
preparing period meals, blacksmiths plying their trade and surgeons tending
to the wounded. Meanwhile, soldiers, women and children carry out daily life
at the fort. Expect to see cannon fire, roll calls, infantry drills, and civilian
activities such as church services and women’s sewing groups.
PHOTO BY BOB GRIER
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
Put on your camo and grab your shotgun – spring turkey
season is here. With a little planning, you can have a
great experience. Big Game Program Manager Kit Hams
recommends taking food with you, camping overnight,
avoiding rain or snow, bringing a kid with you (“They have
better hearing than old people and are more entertaining,”
he quipped), taking bug spray, and tucking in shirts and
pant legs to avoid ticks and chiggers. You can also take
along a fishing rod, as turkeys are often heard and spotted
around lakes.
April 28
Indian Cave State Park
26 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
Throughout the month
Statewide
Forage for Wild Asparagus
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Not a moment is wasted for spring-y
things to do at Indian Cave’s Outdoor
Adventure event. With more than a dozen
activities planned throughout the day,
here’s just a sampling: archery, kayaking,
kids’ horse rides, a mushroom hunt
contest, a fish fry, hayrack rides, and a
Raptor Recovery exhibit. Come enjoy the
spring air and beautiful park grounds!
Photograph
Blooming Pasque
Flowers
PHOTO BY GREG WAGNER
7th Annual
Outdoor
Adventure
Throughout the month
Statewide
Spring gathering of wild edibles goes beyond just morels – try wild asparagus.
This wild delicacy prefers full sun and can be found in areas that have a lot
of moisture but are not fully saturated. Try pastures, fence rows, meadows,
ditches, roadsides and riverbeds.
Easily recognized by its purple flower and
hairy leaves and stems, pasque flowers
are one of the earliest flowers that people
see blooming in the spring, says Monica
Macoubrie, a wildlife education assistant.
“People know when they see this flower, spring
has definitely arrived,” she writes, adding:
“These small purple flowers are usually found
in northern Nebraska and along the Niobrara
River. Normally found in prairies, they can
bloom anywhere where there is lots of sun and
dry, rocky soil.”
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 27
OUTDOOR
PN AINTING
2-D
ATURE IN
By Renae Blum
ere in Nebraska, beauty
surrounds us constantly.
It tends to announce itself
most clearly in uninterrupted
moments of quiet – a long
morning in a deer blind, a lazy tubing
trip down the Niobrara, an evening
of calm after an afternoon of hiking.
Seeking out that beauty can be its own
goal and reward, driving us into the
PHOTO BY ROBERT NEWCOMBE
H
outdoors with the need to capture it
forever.
Photography is a common method,
both accessible and familiar. Less well
known, but growing in popularity, is
the practice of painting en plein air –
directly from nature.
Plein air (prounounced pleyn air) is a
French term that means “open air” and
refers to the act of painting on location
“Crow Call (Near the River)” by Keith Jacobshagen, 1990-1991. Oil on canvas, 46 3/16 by 80 1/8 inches. Courtesy of the
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri.
Frederic Remington paints at Fort Robinson in 1905. Image courtesy of the Frederic
Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg, New York.
28 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
using natural light. Some artists use
their plein air pieces as inspiration
for works completed in the studio,
while others prefer to complete entire
paintings on site. Plein air artists work
within an extremely limited time frame,
usually two or three hours for an entire
painting, before the light and shadow
alter too drastically. Artists must also
contend with unpredictable weather,
bugs and animals, limited equipment,
and subject matter that may or may not
stay in place. On the other hand, plein
air pieces often have a freshness and
vitality that is lacking in studio work.
Young artists are often encouraged
to paint en plein air, as it provides a
masterclass on painting realistic light
and color.
A plein air painter does not copy
nature or include everything she sees.
Instead, the challenge is to winnow
down a scene into its most essential
shapes, and arrange them into an
aesthetically pleasing composition.
A good plein air piece captures the
spirit of a particular time and place,
and inspires the viewer to experience
the emotion and wonder that drew the
artist to that site in the first place.
Nationally acclaimed painter Keith
Jacobshagen of Lincoln has been
painting en plein air for more than 50
years. “The best compliment I get is
when someone tells me, ‘We drive out
to my grandparents’ house every couple
of weeks, and all of a sudden, I am
really enjoying looking at the landscape.
Before that, I was just kind of bored.’”
Plein air painting is deeply
personal, often connected to an artist’s
upbringing and earliest memories.
Jacobshagen’s father was a pilot who
scrutinized the skies and appreciated
their beauty. “I remember as a kid,
him coming into the house and saying,
‘You’ve got to look at this cumulous
cloud,’” he said. What Jacobshagen
saw mesmerized him. “There’d be a
whole line of thunderstorms out there,
stretching from horizon to horizon,
with the late afternoon sun on them.
Just extraordinary. So I started looking
pretty early on, paying attention to it.”
Painter Debra Joy Groesser of
Ralston grew up camping, fishing
and hiking with her family. “Dad just
instilled a love of nature in us,” she
said. “I think about all those memories
when I’m out painting. You just feel
like you’re home again, almost.”
Among the rewards of plein air is a
renewed connection with nature. “If
you have a love for nature and being
outdoors, there’s no greater gift or joy
than just being able to sit and study
nature for three hours,” said artist Todd
A. Williams of Central City. “There’s
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 29
PHOTO BY RENAE BLUM
PAINTING BY TODD A. WILILAMS
Debra Joy Groesser is president and CEO of the American Impressionist Society and has painted en plein
air since 1997. She is pictured above painting on-site at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center.
Todd A. Williams (in white) supervises his Joslyn Museum plein air painting class held
at the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha.
30 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
just something it does for you mentally
and spiritually.”
The more a person is exposed to
outdoor painting, the more likely they
are to see the outdoors in a completely
different way. Groesser describes
it as a light bulb switching on. She
watches for it in her students, and she’s
noticed it in her husband, who often
accompanies her in the field. “It’s
really fun to hear him say, ‘Oh gosh,
look at the pinks in those clouds, the
purple in those hills,’” she said.
Groesser, Williams and Jacobshagen,
all nationally-recognized professional
artists, say that Nebraska offers a
landscape that is as unique and rich
with inspiration as anywhere else in the
world. They appreciate its diversity,
its awe-inspiring horizons, its subtle
beauty, its stunning light. A visiting
painter friend told Groesser that
Nebraska’s light in February is “as
beautiful as Tuscany.”
“It’s a difficult landscape to paint,
because there are so many subtleties to
it,” Groesser said. “But it’s incredibly
beautiful.”
If you’re interested in learning
how to paint en plein air, the best
way to get started is to take a class.
Some professional plein air artists,
like Williams and Groesser, offer
workshops and classes. Beginning
art courses at local universities and
community colleges are also a good
PHOTO BY RENAE BLUM
PHOTO BY REBECCA WILLIAMS
“Victorian Garden — Lauritzen Gardens” by Todd A. Williams. Oil, 9 by 12 inches.
Groesser puts some finishing touches on her painting “Spring Creek Prairie”
(oil, 8 by 16 inches).
launching pad.
Even if you never pick up a brush,
you can still experience some of what
makes plein air painting special. “Just
sitting and staring at the light in your
backyard sometimes can be enough,”
Jacobshagen said. He acknowledged
that in our busy, complex lives, this is
often seen as a waste of time. “But I
think when you pay attention to what’s
out there, when you pay attention to the
landscape and the sky, it’s regenerative.
It’s a very positive thing to do, whether
you’re an artist or not.” ■
To learn more about the
artists featured in this article,
visit keithjacobshagen.net,
toddwilliamsfineart.com, and
debrajoygroesser.com.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 31
Windflower
a delicate prairie wildflower
By Gerry Steinauer, Botanist,
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
A
Windflower Natural History
Legend has it that windflower was named because its
flowers open with the coming of the spring breezes. It is also
called prairie anemone and Carolina anemone. The latter
name is misleading, as the species ranges well beyond the
Carolinas, extending westward into central Nebraska. In the
mesic eastern United States it occupies open, rocky woods
and barrens, while
in the drier Great
Plains it occupies
prairies.
As Pound and
Clements state, the
delicate perennial
grows as scattered
individuals or in
colonies. At the
stem’s base, just
below ground, are
fingernail-sized
tubers, storage
Windflowers close at night and open with
organs. From these the warmth of the morning sun.
spread rhizomes,
which grow new
tubers at their ends. The year after their formation, the tubers
sprout leaves or leaves and flowering stems. Windflower
leaves, small, three-lobed and toothed, are nestled about
an inch above the ground; only keen eyes can detect nonflowering plants among the prairie flora.
Among the first wildflowers to emerge from winter
slumber, windflower sends forth white, blue or pinkishpurple blooms as early as mid-April. The lone, inch-wide
flowers have 14 to 20 oblong sepals radiating from a central,
yellow disc and are balanced on slender peduncles that rise
several inches above the ground. In the buttercup family
(Ranunculaceae), to which windflower belongs, the sepals,
which form the outer whorl of flowers and are typically
green and somewhat leaf-like, are petal-like in form and
color, and true petals are lacking.
The flowers last but a week or two before withering and
forming seed heads. As the seeds mature, the flower stalks,
similar to those of dandelions, elongate and the heads fluff
out, exposing the feathery-haired seeds to dispersing winds.
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
s a botanist, I often wander about in prairies,
pondering their presettlement flora. The writings
of Nebraska’s early botanists sometimes relieve
my curiosity, providing insight into the abundance and
habitats of our prairie grasses and wildflowers before
intense cropping, fenced herds of cattle and herbicides.
Case in point, digging deep into Roscoe Pound and Frederic
Clements’ 1897 The Phytogeography of Nebraska, I recently
found fine prose regarding one of my favorite spring
wildflowers – windflower (Anemone caroliniana).
“[Windflowers] are to be found regularly and in great
abundance over the sides of and summits of sandy hills,
and particularly subsand hills or sandstone hills. ... [Here
it] occurs in conspicuous patches, not infrequently several
meters in extent. … These patches are carpet-like in nature,
and when variegated with the diversely colored flowers
which run from white to deep purple through several shades
of blue give a most striking character to the floral covering.
Frequently it is to be found as well in low meadows, in
which the whole plant is greatly reduced in size, and the
patches are much diminished or are often represented by a
few straggling individuals.”
them to flourish. This management attempts to simulate the
presettlement disturbance pattern of periodic prairie wildfires
and grazing by roaming bison herds under which the prairie
flora evolved and thrived.
Prior to its purchase by Prairie Plains in 2002, Gjerloff
Prairie had sparse wildflowers, but now it has a rich native
flora, beautiful and inspiring. “After the dreariness of
winter, I look forward to the fleeting burst of windflowers,”
Whitney said. “It tells me spring is coming.” ■
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
flowering between prairies is interesting. It is one of those
obscure, little plants we know little about,” Whitney said.
“It was strange, but after the severe drought of 2012,
windflower went gangbusters at our Gjerloff Prairie,”
Whitney said. Owned by Prairie Plains and located on the
south bluff of the Platte River in Hamilton County, the
160-acre Gjerloff Prairie consists of flat-bottomed canyons
with intervening knobs and plateaus with loess soils. Here,
windflower grows on flats and gentle slopes, and avoids
steeper hillsides.
Whitney explained that at Gjerloff the drought stressed the
dominant grasses, such as big and little bluestem, leaving
openings in the prairie sod. With reduced competition, in
2013 windflower began to spread via rhizomes, flowered
more, and likely produced more seed and eventually
seedlings.
Not only the drought, but management at Gjerloff also has
stimulated windflower and other wildflowers, such as prairie
violet, puccoons and wild dandelion. In recent years, Prairie
Plains has burned portions of the prairie in April. Then,
a few weeks later after the grass has sprouted, staff turn
cattle out on the prairie for a few months. Though they have
access to burned and unburned grassland, the cattle mostly
graze the fresh and nutritious grass regrowth on burned
areas and generally avoid grazing wildflowers, allowing
As windflower seed heads mature, they fluff out, exposing the
feathery-haired seeds to dispersing winds.
The blue form of windflower.
32 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
Bill Whitney, director of the Prairie Plains Resource
Institute based in Aurora, first encountered windflower
on a April afternoon in the early 1980s while botanizing a
Platte River hay meadow. That day, he gazed upon prolific
windflower blooms on a level, sandy loam river terrace.
Over the years at other local prairies, the lean and sunworn Whitney has observed only scattered windflowers that
never bloom. “The variability in windflower abundance and
PHOTO BY CHRIS HELZER
PHOTO BY GERRY STEINAUER
Windflower at Gjerloff Prairie
A colony of white windflowers on a Platte River bluff prairie in Hall County. Because colonies are a single genetic individual, their
flowers are of one color.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 33
Countdown for the Crew
Nebraska’s Turkey Hunting Opener
Story and photos by Jeff Kurrus
This year’s youth spring
turkey hunting shotgun
opener can’t come soon
enough. On Saturday, April 7,
Jake Heard of Gretna, along
with three members of his
hunting crew, including me,
will begin the season.
A week later, the adults get
their turn.
34 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 35
Bill and Jake Heard of Gretna spring turkey hunt on private land outside of Lincoln. Last
season was the first turkey season for Jake, who has been spending his time leading up to
this year’s opener by working on his calling.
I
’ve never been more excited for a turkey
season than this year. I’m excited for turkey
season each year, of course, but this year
has a different level of anticipation because
I no longer have to suffer my turkey hunting
nightmares alone. Now our newly formed fourperson hunting crew shares these with me.
It was a crew formed during last winter’s goose
hunting season, and contains hunting partner Bill
Heard, his 9-year-old son Jake, and my 5-year-old
son Eli.
So for the last month, as temperatures begin to
warm and birds begin to reappear from their large,
winter flocks, every person in the crew has been
getting ready.
While Bill is lining up hunting spots, Eli, who
36 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
doesn’t even carry a gun, is watching any turkey
hunting video he can and spending his Saturday
afternoons in the front yard setting up decoys
and shooting them and duck decoys with his Nerf
guns.
At the same time, Jake and I had this
conversation yesterday.
“Jeff, how much longer?” he asked.
“Your season opens April 7th,” I answered.
“Have you been practicing?”
“Yes, with the box call. And it sounds really
good.”
“How about the slate?”
“Still working on it, but I’m getting better.”
Not your typical conversation with a 9-year-old –
unless he is just as excited for the season to start as
The start of the turkey season means an extra cab full of supplies, including bows, shotguns, decoys, and anything else that could
help turn the tide versus what could be Nebraska’s most addictive gamebirds.
the rest of the crew.
And excitement is what you get
from Jake. Starting at the age of 6,
he’s walked more field edges for
bobwhites than most adults I know,
and when the sun goes down is the
most disappointing part of his day.
For that day has been filled with Big
League chew gum, Charlie Daniels
music (The Devil Went Down to
Georgia is especially popular) and
searching for anything on the ground
that might garner the interest of him
or his 5-year-old hunting partner Eli.
These artifacts might include spent
shotgun shells, turkey feathers, or on
Box calls remain an essential supply for the spring turkey hunter,
especially for young hunters because they are relatively easy to use.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 37
a top-notch day, a white-tailed deer antler shed.
The day can’t get any better – unless it does.
For artifact searching will stop when anyone
hears the first gobble, and these hollowed sounds
that send tremors through a hunter’s soul are felt
most by Bill and me – for each of us has a story
from the previous year that still keeps us up at
night.
Bill’s occurred during a hunt outside of Lincoln
with Jake and me, when two toms responded to
us from a distance but never came closer. When,
a half-hour later, Bill decided it was time for us to
make a move in the direction of the last calls we
had heard, those two toms were staring at he and
Jake from a spot just outside of shooting range,
and then ran as fast as they could in the opposite
direction as Jake was unable to get a good shot.
Mine occurred while driving near land where we
hunt and saw a tom in full strut in the middle of
the field. I slowed my truck down and pulled off
the side of the road, photographing as I did.
Seeing me, but apparently unconcerned, the
tom remained with a pair of hens, following them
wherever they went. He continued this as the hens
continued to walk west of where I was parked,
across the road, and then out of sight.
Meanwhile, the tom, about 60 yards from me and
losing ground from the hens, turned and went into
full strut not 20 yards from me, turning back and
forth, making sure I got to see the whole show
for several minutes before finally lowering his
wings and continuing his pursuit of the hens.
It was June 1, one day after the hunting season
closed.
They just seem to know that they’ll keep you
awake for the rest of the year.
But this year will be different. For we have
a four-man crew now – a gum-chewing,
fiddle listening, elementary-school-skipping
group of first-year, second-year, and lifelong
hunters who want nothing more than to settle
a score from the year before – as well as start
a new rivalry with another one of our favorite
Nebraska gamebirds. ■
Opposite, top: Jake Heard of Gretna holds up an antler shed
he found while turkey hunting last spring.
Opposite: A tom turkey walks through a field in Cass County.
Top: A pair of turkey hunters leave the woods near sunset in
Dawes County, no doubt planning their next time afield.
Right: On June 1, the day after the spring turkey season
closed, this tom turkey came within 20 yards of the author’s
truck.
38 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 39
Big Red
Water Wolves
Fly-fishing for
Pike in Nebraska
Story and photos by Ryan Sparks
S
trong and aggressive, northern
pike are the alpha predators of
freshwater. Being at the top of
the food chain, they have little to fear
and viciously attack anything they can
swallow, including frogs, crayfish,
mice, muskrats, other fish and even
baby birds. Due to their voracity, pike
have many nicknames: northerns,
gators, snakes, slough sharks and water
wolves, just to name a few. Most fly
anglers think they must travel to remote
locations in Canada to experience this
aggression, but Nebraska has many
bodies of water where anglers can
target pike.
Until recently, Nebraska anglers
had to head to the Sandhills to find
good pike fishing, and while that area
continues to produce quality fish, now
anglers in the eastern part of the state
can enjoy prime pike fishing at Lake
Wanahoo. Most bodies of water in
Nebraska that contain pike are tailormade for fly-fishing with deep creek
channels, rip rap points, flooded timber
and abundant vegetation. With quality
pike fishing within striking distance of
anywhere in the state, now is a great
time to chase them with a fly rod.
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Lake Wanahoo’s vast diversity and size makes a great location in eastern Nebraska
to fly-fish for pike.
40 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
An early-season pike with
a colorful mouthful
of fly.
Location,
Location,
Location
Northern pike are forenamed
“northern” for a reason, and Nebraska
marks the southern edge of their range.
Yet pike can adapt to a wide variety of
conditions. They live in small ponds,
big lakes, and even rivers; can tolerate
turbid water and low oxygen levels;
and rarely die from winterkill. Adults
prefer water temperatures in the mid
50s, while juvenile fish don’t mind
temperatures in the low 70s. This
means that many lakes in Nebraska
become too warm for pike during
hot summer months. When you find
pike, they will likely accept your fly,
so locating fish is the most important
skill in a pike angler’s repertoire. The
crucial part to catching pike on the fly
is identifying lakes that contain pike
and then isolating areas within those
lakes where you are likely to find them.
Luckily for anglers in Nebraska, the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
does yearly pike samplings throughout
the state and shares this information
with the public. For those in the
west, Valentine National Wildlife
Refuge contains some of the best pike
fishing in the state, including Dewey
and Hackberry lakes. During 2016
surveys, Hackberry contained both
the highest density of pike as well as
the largest pike sampled – a toothy
monster measuring 40 inches. Box
Butte and Merritt reservoirs are
also excellent locations for pike, with
many anglers landing trophy fish every
year. Perhaps most exciting for eastern
anglers is the healthy population of
pike in Lake Wanahoo, just 30 miles
north of Lincoln. The majority of
fish in Wanahoo are between 20 and
30 inches, but several fish collected
during the yearly sampling approached
the coveted 40-inch mark. In years to
come, there will be massive specimens
lurking in Wanahoo, as pike in warm
water grow more quickly than their far
north cousins.
With this information, finding a lake
containing pike is easy, but once on
the water, locating pike can seem like
a daunting task. Lake Wanahoo, for
example, is more than 650 acres and
the amount of structure in the lake,
including long lines of trees, creeks and
bays, makes it seem even larger. By
knowing what conditions pike favor,
you can eliminate large swaths of water
and narrow your search dramatically.
The first consideration should be
water temperature which, more than
any other factor, dictates a pike’s
behavior. In spring, pike go on a
feeding binge just before the spawn.
This feeding often begins even before
the ice is off, when water temperatures
are still in the mid-thirties. During and
immediately after the spawn, feeding
will slow, only to pick up again a few
weeks later.
As water temperatures continue
to climb, feeding activity slows
dramatically and pike descend into the
depths of the lake to find cooler water.
However, smaller “hammer handle”
pike will stay in the shallows nearly
year-round, making them a fun target
in the height of summer when large
adults are too deep for fly tackle.
Pike favor places where they can
hide and wait for their prey. Being
ambush hunters, pike are sprinters,
not marathon runners, and stay
camouflaged until an unsuspecting
baitfish wanders too close. Pike can’t
sustain their initial burst of speed for
long, but their lighting quick attack
takes place in the blink of an eye.
Downed timber, large rock piles and
weed lines are especially productive
features. While pike are territorial and
don’t school like other fish, they do
travel in close proximity to one another
so if you catch one, there are likely
more nearby.
Seasons
of the Pike
Pike are one of the first fish of the
year to move shallow. This makes
them a welcomed relief for fly anglers
anxiously waiting to shake off winter
doldrums. Pike begin their “spring”
as soon as the ice creeps off the
water, and so should you. Spring is
undoubtedly the best time to catch pike
on a fly rod. There is no other time
of the year when you can find large,
aggressive pike in shallow water.
Look for fish in shallow bays with
dark mud bottoms because these areas
warm more quickly than the rest of the
lake. Other potential areas are locations
where feeder creeks drain water into
the lake. Pike spawn over vertical
vegetation, so if you find one or more
of these conditions, slow down and
work the area thoroughly. Pike will
remain shallow after they spawn until
the water warms and pushes them out
of the shallows.
While summer is not as productive,
the persistent fly angler can still catch
fish. If you found a fruitful bay in
spring and notice the pike getting
smaller, chances are the bigger fish
have moved deeper. Begin looking
at the first major drop-off outside
of bays. During the summer, pike
prefer depths of 5-20 feet of water,
ideally with healthy green vegetation.
Vegetation provides shelter for baitfish,
and affords pike the cover to wait
in ambush. These areas are usually
unwadable and require a canoe, float
tube or boat to access. Just because
pike are deeper doesn’t mean they
won’t take a fly. You just need to work
a little to find them.
In fall, fly-fishing for pike is feast or
famine. It can be an outstanding time to
catch large pike, as fish feed heavily in
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 41
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weight rods, sturdy reels,
and large flies are the name
of the game.
preparation for winter and
are heavier than at any other
time of the year. However, it can also
mean long days of fruitless casting
when cold fronts send pike deep.
The biggest key is to stay mobile. Try
a variety of depths and types of cover
until you begin to catch fish. Pike move
frequently at this time, following both
their desired water temperature and
baitfish. The colder the water, the more
lethargic pike become. Your retrieve
should reflect these considerations.
In the fall, I like to make very long
slow strips to make my fly look like an
easy meal. I use the largest streamers
during the fall, and flies of 8 to 12
inches are common. Just like people,
pike crave hearty meals when the
weather turns cold.
Gearing Up
The mistake most people make when
selecting a fly rod for pike is thinking
they should match the weight of the
rod to the size of the fish they intend
to catch. Yes, you can handle a decent
pike on a six weight, but that same rod
can’t cast the large, sometimes heavy
flies used for pike. Flies for pike can
be big and air-resistant. For this reason,
an eight, nine or ten weight rod is best.
If you aren’t sure about fly-fishing for
pike and just want to try it, it’s possible
to “overline” a rod, or use a line one
size larger than what your rod is rated
42 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
for. This will help you cast large
flies, although it’s not ideal.
Floating lines are fun in spring
and early summer when pike will
strike surface flies like frog or mouse
imitations, but the majority of flyfishing for pike takes place with a
sinking line. Sinking lines help your
flies get down to where the pike are.
They also allow you to fish unweighted
flies, which is a welcomed relief after
a few hours of casting. Pike leaders
are very simple – keep them short
and strong. Pike aren’t line shy, and a
leader of four or five feet is plenty.
For leader material, you have two
options. The first is wire. There is
always the chance of hooking the
fish of a lifetime and many people
use knotable wire for that reason. I
sometimes use wire, but it is expensive
and cumbersome to work with.
Most of my pike fishing takes place
with 50-pound fluorocarbon line.
Fluorocarbon is abrasion resistant and
the thick diameter keeps pike from
biting through it. Keep an eye out for
nicks though. Even a small pike can
scratch up the leader, weakening it
significantly.
You want a fly reel with a smooth
drag, but don’t worry about line
capacity. As mentioned before, pike
are sprinters, and don’t have the
stamina to make large runs. If you
think fly-fishing for pike is something
you will enjoy, you might consider
purchasing a spare spool for your reel.
An extra spool allows you to quickly
switch between a floating and sinking
line with only one reel. Other pikespecific equipment include a stream
thermometer for checking the water
temperature, needle nose pliers to
keep your fingers away from sharp
teeth when removing a hook, and jaw
spreaders for stubborn pike that clamp
down on your fly and won’t let go.
Like anything, you can make your pike
fishing as technical or straightforward
as you wish.
Flies
There is a general perception that
pike are gullible, stupid fish. While
they are aggressive, they channel this
aggression toward items they perceive
as food, and will quickly flee if they
sense danger. Like other fish, pike
become educated as fishing pressure
increases. Many pike have never seen
a fly or lure, and these fish are the
easiest to catch. Yet, lakes with good
fishing develop a reputation, and these
susceptible pike quickly become wise.
Fly anglers live by the credo “match
the hatch,” and this is as true of pike as
any other species, especially pressured
pike.
For those unfamiliar with the phrase,
“match the hatch” simply means
imitating whatever naturals are present
in a body of water. Pike have a varied
diet, and this means using flies that
imitate everything from small minnows
to fleeing crayfish to adult bass. In the
spring, I have found medium-sized
baitfish imitations work well, and flies
such as large white woolly buggers,
bunny leeches and deceivers are good
choices. Summer sees the most life of
the year in any lake, which expands
your options. Skating a mouse or frog
pattern across the surface is exciting
spring through summer, and can even
be successful in fall if the conditions are
right.
Fall is the time to offer up the largest
flies of the year, and long articulated
flies, or those with two connected
hooks, are highly productive. Of course,
much of this is dependent on the lake.
The important part is to imitate what
the pike are already eating. If there is
a large population of small bluegill
present in your lake, use flies that
imitate the color, movement and profile
of those bluegill. The same goes for any
forage species you might encounter.
The Water Wolf
at Your Door
Fly-fishing for pike is fun and
challenging, and the rewards are often
measured in feet! Undoubtedly, some
of the thrill of pike fishing lies in the
sheer size of the fish. The 40-inch
barrier is a hard one to break, but
there are certainly a few fish of that
size or larger swimming in Nebraska.
In fact, now might be the best time
in Nebraska’s history to catch a giant
pike.
The official state record caught in
1997 weighed just over 30 pounds,
but in 2014, Jake Rodiek caught and
released what would have been a new
state record at an unnamed public lake
in northern Nebraska. Rodiek’s pike
measured 45 inches long with a girth
of 27.5 inches. Applying formulas
used by fisheries biologists to calculate
fish weight based on length and girth
measurements, that puts his catch
around 33 pounds. Even better, Rodiek
released the fish, making it possible
for another angler to hook the fish
of a lifetime. Without a doubt, there
are some huge pike swimming in
Nebraska. Monsters with big teeth may
be scary, but they are also a ton of fun
on a fly rod. ■
Ryan Sparks is a freelance writer
and photographer originally from
Louisville, Nebraska. He has been
contributing to NEBRASKAland since
2017.
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APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 43
Sighthunting for Fish
If you can see them, this is how you catch them.
By Jeff Kurrus
T
he old fishing adage I grew
up with of “If you can see the
fish, you can’t catch the fish”
followed me most of my fishing
life until I found myself on a
lake in Minnesota watching gigantic,
black blobs swim back and forth
through the water. My fishing partner
and I made repeated casts toward these
blobs, knowing they were smallmouth
bass, only to have them ignore every
offering we made. Until we picked up
our fly rods.
For the next six hours, we had one
of our most memorable days on the
water, complete with lunkers we got to
the boat and other stumps that we never
could talk into hitting. But the best part
was that for each fish, we got to watch
the entire show, start to finish.
Since that day, I have been in love
with sightfishing for any number of
species. Here are a few tips to increase
your own sightfishing success:
First, sunny, windless days are a great
time to go for species like crappie,
bluegill and smallmouth bass. The
shine from above and the glassy surface
allows you to see into the water. With
this ability to see, however, also comes
the ability of the fish to see you.
Get used to making long casts
toward potentially wary fish, and
make sure you wear nondescript,
earth-colored clothing to keep yourself
camouflaged. Some anglers will also
wear fish masks. When I’m fly-fishing
for carp, I make sure I have plenty of
insect repellent as well, because I’ll
frequently crawl to a creek edge in
search of these extremely cautious fish.
Another thing to consider is what
you should be looking for. Fish is the
easiest answer to this question, yet
you’re not always looking for fish. Pay
attention if a strand of grass or a reed
moves in the water. Then make your
cast as accurate as possible. Personally,
I’ve found I can do that best with fly
tackle, and I can also minimize the
amount of splash I have when my
offering hits the surface when using
a bug or fly attached to something as
small as a four-pound leader.
Last, understand that sightfishing is
not a numbers game. Some days you’re
hunting for one fish. There have been
days when I didn’t come close to casting.
Whether you cast or not, using
sightfishing as a legitimate strategy can
be fruitful and is definitely exciting.
Out of my most memorable fishing trips
from last year, sightfishing had a part
in each of them. The heart just seems to
beat a little bit faster when you can see
the fish you’re trying to catch. ■
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
These bluegills are clearly visible on their beds and would make for an exciting day of sightfishing.
44 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 45
46 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 47
Presented by
NEBRASKA SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL
The AWLS Offers Educational Conservation Programs
T
48 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
school students.
The AWLS school offers handson lessons focused around the
North American Model of Wildlife
Conservation as well as engaging
take-home lessons on conservation
education that have been integrated
into K-12 math, science, language
arts, social studies and physical
education.
At AWLS, educators learn to
effectively use the outdoors as a
classroom while participating in
fun, exciting activities including an
introduction to shooting sports.
In addition, content-relevant field
trips provide real world experiences
they can take back and share with the
students in their classroom.
The Nebraska Chapter of Safari
Club International has scholarships
available to educators in Nebraska.
For more information contact Greg
Middleton at glpm3751@gmail.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AWLS
he workshop at Safari Club
International Foundation’s
American Wilderness Leadership
School (AWLS) near Jackson,
Wyoming, has been the host to many
educators from Nebraska.
This year the school will hold six
eight-day educator workshops and one
student workshop.
Nestled in the beautiful BridgerTeton National Forest, the American
Wilderness Leadership School provides
the perfect atmosphere for educational
programs.
Established in 1976 with the vision
of providing educators with useful
hands-on experiences that they can
bring home to their classrooms, AWLS
has provided an accredited conservation
education program for more than 6,000
teachers who reach more than a million
students annually, while the student
workshop has provided a challenging
experience for more than 1,700 high
■
The American Wilderness Leadership
School provides a fun, educational
experience for students and teachers.
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 49
▲
Attached is a photo we
believe was taken in the early
1920s after a successful day of
fishing in the Omaha area.
The man on the left is W.J.
Petersen, the owner of the
truck. He was a first-generation
American as his parents were
born in Denmark. He worked
as a general contractor in
Omaha as noted on the truck.
We believe W.J. Petersen was a
great-uncle to my mom, Esther
Petersen Rishel, who grew up
in Omaha in the 1920s and
1930s. The other two men in
the photo are unknown.
– Steven Rishel, Plattsmouth
▲ We were hunting from a duck blind on Stevenson’s Lake west
of Petersburg in October of 1974. A pheasant flew right over
the top of George Fritton’s blind, who has been featured in a
previous Portraits of the Past [August-September 2013], and
flew straight at us like a Kamikaze. My dad, Bill Leifeld, shot it
out of the sky. “I had to shoot it,” he said. “It was self-defense.” A
lifelong resident of Petersburg, Bill is now 92 years old.
– Ron Leifeld, Alva, Florida
▲ This picture was taken in 1930 northeast of Elm Creek during
a coyote hunt. In those days, coyote hunts were quite common in
the winter. The hunters would meet and spread out around several
sections of land, depending on how many hunters showed up. At a
predetermined time, the hunters would walk toward the center and any
coyotes would be surrounded.
My great-grandfather, Herman Kunstman, is in the center holding
the coyote and his Winchester Model 12 shotgun, which he bought
new in 1928. He handed the gun down to my grandfather, Wayne
Kaps, who hunted with the gun around Elm Creek and Broken Bow for
many years before passing it down to my father, Steve Kaps, who has
now passed it down to another generation that will carry on the family
tradition of hunting in Nebraska.
– Tyler Kaps, Lincoln
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 and photos adjusted for reproduction. All photos will be returned.
50 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 51
Antique Guide
My Time on the Lek
The thrill of the dance.
By April E. Casey
W
hen the Pine Ridge Rangers erected a lek viewing
blind on the Oglala National Grasslands, I jumped
at the chance to experience the dance of the sharptailed grouse. For years I had researched private
and public blinds. Distance and weather concerns
kept me home, but this blind was nearby. I packed blankets,
camera, water and snacks and made my way to the blind.
Flashlight in hand, I stowed my gear and settled in.
Wrapped in the blind’s cocoon, I quietly waited. Shortly
before twilight I heard the whoosh of wings and a solitary
coo, followed by the rushing sound of dozens of wings and
boisterous coos and warbles. I peeled open the portal hole
coverings. Wonderment gave way to delight. Directly below
were several males.
Fascinated, I watched them pair up, facing one another.
They cooed and warbled. Then, feathers puffed out, each
would crouch. One would rise and look around. Then the
other. Suddenly, wings stiffly spread wide, purple air sac
filled, rump up, head down, tail feathers on display, one
would begin to dance. Rapidly stamping while the low
staccato buzz of snapping tail feathers filled the air, the
grouse turned in small circles and charged forward. The
challenger would rise and they would face one another in a
dance-off. This stamping was repeated across the lek as the
males paired with first one, then another, challenger. The air
was filled with sound.
Suddenly the birds froze. Silence fell. Observing females
took note and, moments later, the ritual resumed. Males
returned to their favored dance area and challengers zipped
back and forth.
Engrossed in photographing the birds, I had yet to
record them when a shadow swept across the lek. The
grouse disappeared. A hawk, taking advantage of the lower
terrain surrounding the lek, had flown up the north side,
unseen until swooping across the lek, making a grab for an
unsuspecting grouse.
All was quiet. Shadows lifted. The light warmed. The
grasslands were bathed in gold and dotted with patches of
white wildflowers. From a nearby pond, frogs added their
voice to the calls of red-winged blackbirds and meadowlarks.
Then, with a whoosh of wings and boisterous calls, the
grouse returned.
Golden light revealed a dozen pairs of males dotting the
lek. The calls and sounds of the dance surrounded the blind.
My favorites were the pair who claimed the area below me.
Their dance often included a flight onto the blind’s roof
where the pounding of stamping feet boomed.
As the light brightened I began to record. Males stomped
and zipped around the lek. I barely knew who to keep my
eye on when suddenly they were gone. With a dramatic
swoop, the hawk had returned.
I remained. The grouse returned, but the dance was over.
The birds lounged about, then dispersed. I followed, thrilled
with my morning adventure.
You, too, can enjoy the thrill of the dance. Free public
blinds can be reserved at The Crescent Lake National
Wildlife Refuge, (308) 762-4893; Valentine National
Wildlife Refuge, (402) 376-3789 or (403) 376-1889; and
NCORPE southwest of North Platte, (308) 534-6752 or
(308) 535-8025.
First-served blinds are at Bessey Ranger District near
Halsey, (308) 533-2257; and Oglala National Grasslands near
Crawford, (308) 432-0300. Paid viewing excursions include
Prairie Chicken Dance Tours near McCook, (308) 345-1200;
The Sandhills Motel and Glidden Canoe Rental near Mullen,
(308) 546-2206 or (888) 278-6167; and Calamus Outfitters
near Burwell, (308) 346-4697. Dress warmly, arrive well
before dawn, bring binoculars and a camera, and indulge
yourself in the exuberance of the dance. ■
April E. Casey is a freelance writer living in Hemingford.
This is her first appearance in NEBRASKAland Magazine.
S a video and hear the sounds of sharp-tailed
See
grouse booming on a lek in spring in Nebraska.
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PHOTO BY APRIL CASEY
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APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 53
Breaking the Ice
L
ast spring, I made a phone call to high school basketball coach and my hunting partner Bill Heard.
“I have a turkey hunting photoshoot in the Pine Ridge in a few days and I’m needing a guy to
photograph who would look the part. Any ideas?”
Bill thought for a moment. “What about Chandler?”
Jacob Chandler was a former player of Bill’s who, after finishing up school, went on to become an
Omaha firefighter. While I had hunted with Jacob before, I hadn’t thought about him being a possible model
for us.
“Has he ever done anything like this professionally?” I asked Bill.
You could sense Bill smiling on the other end of the phone. “Professionally?” Bill questioned. “Well…”
A day later, I was at Bill’s and asked him to clarify his response about Jacob. He walked over to a pile of
old newspaper articles about players he used to coach, and pulled out a Chippendales-like calendar with a
cover featuring 12 shirtless firefighers – Jacob among them.
Fast-forward a few days later as our group of photographers, models and director started our turkey
hunting photoshoot.
I view my job as a photographer to make everyone as comfortable as possible with me and this process;
the models are about to see our cameras in their faces for the next 10 hours.
So as we began the first location, and it was Jacob’s turn to work, I took a knee and
began to click the button on my camera. I shot a couple of frames with him posing
as he liked, then I said, “Give me a look like you did for that bare-chested fireman
calendar.”
As the group laughed behind us, this look was Jacob’s response, the exact look that
he gave in the firefighter calendar. A true professional. ■
Jeff Kurrus
Feb. 1, 2018
54 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 55
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